Is there any excuse for not taking proper care of your car?
According to new research conducted in the UK, many woman are avoiding car repairs because they don't know how to choose a workshop or technician that they can trust. Rather, they only begin to sort out their car issues when they show up on the MOT roadworthy test.
UK motor industry association IMI recently carried out a survey in which a quarter of female drivers admitted to never having their car serviced by a professional mechanic.
The research showed that women are reluctant to go to a professional mechanic because of worries about spiraling costs and just not liking the workshop vibe.
To that end, 22 percent of women drivers in the survey said they were reluctant to deal with garages because they were not comfortable with the atmosphere, 28% also said they were nervous about asking technical questions, and 31% said they were confused by the jargon used by the trade.
WHAT’S ON THAT BILL?
All in all, 36 percent admitted that they know nothing about cars and that they're totally reliant on a garage for guidance. Understandably, they also said they don't know what they were being charged for in a garage and wouldn't know how to challenge a bill if they felt it was wrong. In fact, 17 percent believed that they'd been overcharged in the past.
IMI CEO Steve Nash explained: "Women drivers clearly feel they are in a precarious position as consumers in the motor industry and it's all about trust. There is a massive knowledge gap between the professional and the customer in this industry, and contrary to popular belief there is no Government protection for them in the form of a license to practice for the motor trade."
Rather than sit back and let these struggles continue, the IMI is launching a campaign that aims to give female driver the necessary knowledge to confidently deal with garages and direct them to skilled and trustworthy technicians through a professional register.