Gunnison news-champion., 1924-03-14
Service in the
Automobile Business
(By Jos. MeDe1mott)

Wy SO&- A&k>GA tAsVe&y
Continued from First Pags)
mean something for nothing" but
rather getting What d wanted Whea
4 b wanted, q . reasaaahoe Price.
The average man realizes that busi-
meas cannot be conducted on tie basis
Of "something for nothing" and he
Is willing to pay . reasonable price
for what he gets, providing he gets
what he wants wher. he wants it. This
kind Of service Is within the reach Of
every business man, and in fact the
only kind Of service either the buyer
or seller can afford to recognise.
There is, unfortunately. . tendency
the part Of some business men to
mislead . customer ut the outset as
70 what he may expect in the way Of
service. In his earnest desire TO
make the sale he allows himself to
make statements which he knows to
be false and leads the customer to
expect service which he knows he il
not equipped to render. The result
is that he not only loses the GUS
toner, but . mistaken idea is set up
in the mind Of the customer toward
all business men Of the community.
No man can reasonably expect
what he buys to last indefinitely, but
everyone has q right to expect IN
honest statement Of the quality and
durability Of the. thing he buys and
what service he may expect to main
tain its use for q reasonable time.
The average purchaser Is willing 70
accept without question the state
ment Of his merchant as to the quail
ty of the commodity he buys and this
confidence should be highly esteemed
and encouraged, because II means not
only the increase and assurance Of
public patronage, but is . sure means
of eliminating unfair and unscrupul-
Gus competition.
1t was Theodore Roosevelt who
said: at Is only through labor and
painful effort that we move on to
better things" In business, it ID
laboring to give service; the effort
to make each transaction mutually
helpful, that really counts.
In the automobile business, service
covers an unusually large field. This
is due to the fnct that we have be-
come in the space of q very few years
an misunderstanding nation. The
automobile Is no longer = luxury but
ucCCESitss 0ucCtiuk RI8CtlChIy GNCS
person in the country.
1 In order that the public may have
what Il wants, when It wants It, the
automobile dealer must maintain
ltwenty-four hour work day and q
seven-day week service. He must dc
this, altho he knows that he must
carry at least twelve of the twenty
four hours as unproductive overhead
4 In view Of the fact that there arr
over 100 makes Of cars and trucki
on the market today, the automobile
dealer who offers real service must
carry stock Of repairs and parts tc
meet both the dkmand for what thu
customer knows he will need and
what he may need. When we add te
this the constantly increasing variet,
Of accessories which must be carriet
by the successful dealer. It will b
seen that this feature Of service alont
means the outlay Of several Thousand
dollars in working capital. -
A few years ago any man wht
could tell monkey wrench from {
buzz saw might set himself up as NJ
expert automobile mechanic. Today
the automobile mechanic must be al
educated man. He must be both al
electrician and q gas engine expert
1t is no longer . matter Of knowing
one car fairly well but knowing man,
makes Of cars thoroly. This mean.
that he must be factory-trainet
man who Is able to turn out his worl
in an honest and efficient manner.
The modern garage must be equip
ped with machinery to turn out any
job, from testing a spark plug t.
turning down q crank shaft. Thii
means the expenditure Of added thous'
ands of dollars for machinery ant
equipment.
| Battery service, free air and motol
testing have become SO common a
to be taken for granted by the auto
mobile owner, yet these things c0s'
money and are to be considered in ths
automobile dealers offer Of service
The garage man must be ready at oil
times to roll under q car and adjust 9
greasy motor or to meet customers ir
their homes and explain the merits
Of the car he sells. He must be ar
engineer, . salesman and student
of human nature.
The garage of today must be equip.
pd with rest rooms for both ladies' anC
gentlemen. Not just q cubby hole ir
an odd corner Of the building, but 9
place where the traveller may clear
up and rest after hard drive ovel
dusty roads.
\ The automobile dealer is called up
on to give information on . variety
Of subjects, such as condition Of roads
hotel accommodations, reputation o.
citizens, and industries Of the com
munity. He should therefore be 9
permanent citizen and property
owner, thoroly familiar with the peo
pie and conditions Of the community
In which he lives. He assists the
authorities in watching for stoler
cars and in law enforcement.
| Like the physician Of his town, HI
lis frequently called from his warn
Ibed ~ the dead Of night to admins.
ter to the needs Of suffering humanity
4 He may find that the case calls fol
nothing more serious than turning OF
the ignition switch for motor that