While auto repair shops tend to be a male-dominated enterprise, much of their success is driven by women.  If you own or work at a shop, you know this to be true.  So why, we have to ask, does a new survey from AutoMD suggest that women hate taking their vehicle to a garage so much that they would rather go to the dentist?  Here are a few reasons that we came across in reviewing this survey.

Very few people actually trust their mechanics – approximately 83% of people feel that they are being overcharged for repairs.

The repairs to the vehicle aren’t clear.  86% of survey respondents said that their repair experience wasn’t transparent – they were not communicated to in layman’s terms.

When asked to rank five specific activities from most to least pleasant, taking a car in for repairs came in last – behind buying a car, going to  the dentist, shopping for airline tickets online, or shopping for books and music online.

Women may hate taking their vehicles to the repair ship, but the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence reports that a whopping estimated 65% of customers who take their vehicles to an automotive repair shop for service are women!  What can we learn from this fact?  In the automotive industry, we think it is vital to understand the needs of women and how to communicate with them, even with the perception that it is a male-dominated enterprise.  We need to remember the little things – like the magazines women read while they wait, and the cleanliness of the bathroom just to name a few.

 At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!