Fiona's Letters TAFE Motor Mechanic Training Course for Girls Week Three Hi All! Diagnosis techniques and customer relations were the focus for this week and it's harder than you think! I have now realised that all these years of dealing with mechanics were one big performance on their part. It's a bit like how we're all supposed to think people really get hurt in Rock & Roll Wrestling - it's all a matter of making it look like it's for real. This was more or less a continuation of the correct walking lesson we'd received in week one only a bit more complex. There are so many things to remember! For starters, never look directly at the customer. Either look in the engine bay when discussing a fault with a vehicle or, if the car is not present at the time, concentrate on continually wiping your greasy hands on an equally greasy piece of rag. Never make eye contact let alone display an emotion stronger than indifference. Mumble. Clear speech and good conversational skills will only mean trouble in the long run. Customers are cunning creatures and will perfectly recall every word you say - if you mumble there is less chance of this happening. Scratching the back of the neck or head (and closing one eye thoughtfully) is useful in conveying that you really don't know what the fault is let alone the make and model of the car - if you can do this using an open-ended spanner it makes you look like you're in the middle of another more important job and that the customer screaming at you right now is really wasting valuable time. Never point directly at the affected area of a car with a fault - this again will only lead to problems down the track. A general wave of the hand over the engine bay will suffice and never be conned into actually identifying the part clearly. Sniffing, like you have postnasal drip, and breathing through your mouth will help to cut down on face-to-face time with a customer - especially if you had falafels for lunch (or anything with a lot of garlic will do). A gesture is always far more effective than actually speaking, so, where possible, a grunt, a shrug or even just shifting weight from one foot to the other can be far better than actually saying, "I'm sorry sir but the fact that your $80,000 car has an oil leak doesn't really concern me and they're all like that from new anyway". Before you know it, those troublemakers will be off to bother some other poor unsuspecting workshop and leaving you alone. Later, we will deal with what to do if approached by A Current Affair - can't wait for that one!! We were allowed some hands-on work towards the end of the week this time. As there was an even eight of us, we were split up into pairs, given an engine for each pair and shown how to conduct a compression test. The engines did have to be pulled apart a little to do this but mine managed to work again once it was reassembled - phew! We also did some more hoist work - this time the 2-post instead of the 4-post, plus using a trolley jack and safety stands to raise a car completely off the ground. The idea for a female mechanic to come in and speak with us has been taken on board but when it will happen is another thing - fingers crossed. It has occurred to me that, since I'm working at Dick Smith Electronics one day a week, does this make me a Dick for a Day? I think the book may have already been written on that subject! OK, until next time - happy motoring! Fi xx ;) Go to first page - Index - Next page

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