Our house is 80 years old and still has the original basement windows. It's not that the drafts in the house are any worse than they were when we moved in 21 years ago, but we figured this was the fall we would replace them. Call it procrastination if you want. My wife and I call it tolerance. Anyway, like with all house projects, we've had a number of window installers quote on the business. And that's where the trouble started, because we have trouble picking the right one.
Normally, we do our research online or at the library for big purchases, but this time we just thought, "What is there to know about basement windows?" Well, I don't have to give you the details, but suffice it to say, we looked like some pretty dumb consumers when the estimators showed up. As a result we were at their mercy.
But on the other hand, shouldn't we be able to trust household repair people to give us the straight story? My naivete runneth over.
Although we tried to skate on window installer knowledge, we wouldn't even consider doing the same if we were looking for a new auto repair shop. And that probably holds true for most consumers. Unfortunately, I think the general public is more skeptical of auto repair than just about any other service they might seek. The first inclination, which is a good one, is for consumers to ask friends or family members for a recommendation. Bottom line is that they are looking for a shop they can trust.
But when the recommendations don't pan out and consumers are forced to go it alone, they are faced with the dilemma of actually doing some homework. If they're forced to shop the Yellow Pages, every shop listed is as good as or as bad as they imagine. The first step when approaching a prospective shop is to know the right questions to ask, a subject I touched on a couple months ago. In fact, I referenced NAPA's "Top Questions Every Vehicle Owner Should Ask Their Automotive Technician." Ever since I wrote that, I wanted to return to a nagging loose end: Question 3 –– "What is your used parts policy?"
Say what? Are consumers supposed to be savvy enough to ask whether or not a shop is going to replace used parts with used parts? Should it come to mind for them to ask about remanufactured parts or even rebuilt parts, but used parts? Used parts by their very definition are parts that are cannibalized off other cars and put on the shelf. Is it safe to assume that if they were working when they were pulled off a car that they will work when installed on another car?
If a shop wants to help a customer who can't afford new parts and is upfront about it, there's no problem with the practice. But that's not really the issue. It's the fact that our industry has to give consumers a heads up about this.What other business can you name where consumers should be prepared to ask if the service provider is going to use used parts? Did I need to ask my window installer if the windows he installed were indeed new? Why should I think otherwise?
Of course asking the question doesn't guarantee that the answer will be truthful. It's not like consumers have the means to verify the parts a shop uses, nor should they be put in the position to even think about it.
