3 ms·

"Do I care how long it takes a mechanic to fix my car? No, I just care that its fixed." Really??

yen223 13y ago
Yep. If - like most people - you know nothing about cars, then you wouldn't know how long it actually takes to fix your car. So if the mechanic chooses to 'over-deliver' by fixing your car in 3 hours, instead of the actual 6 hours it takes, that's going to set your expectations. You'd think that it takes 3 hours to fix a car, and you'll be pissed when the mechanic takes 6 hours the second time around. Which was the problem the author faced.
- unreal37 13y ago
  Mechanics don't even charge how long it actually takes. They charge a standard (arguably, over-inflated) amount for a job regardless of the actual time. So it does take 3 hours to fix your car, and they charge you for 6. Then you care.
  - otoburb 13y ago
    I'm not a mechanic, and know little about cars. However, whenever I've taken cars in for service I find that the shops charge me labour and parts, and they are often clearly itemized on the invoice. The reason that it seems they charge a 'standard' amount for a job is because certain jobs (changing brakes/tires/oil, general checkups, car detailing, etc.) have been enough times across the industry and in the shop that reliable statistical (or consensus) baselines allow one to more easily and reliably estimate. Admittedly, this doesn't fix the original principal-agent problem[1], but I thought I'd throw in my experience with mechanics and getting cars serviced. [1] http://books.google.ca/books?id=4XcR7Y5ddcoC&pg=PA323&lpg=PA323&dq=principal-agent+mechanic&source=bl&ots=FPut69nJL_&sig=madAnluCPf7YjdMeryDxiPfgHz0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8EzJUbrlDsvnigKgkYGIAQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=principal-agent%20mechanic&f=false http://books.google.ca/books?id=4XcR7Y5ddcoC&pg=PA323&lpg=PA...
    - rimantas 13y ago
      AFAIK, service stations even have catalogs (from manufacturers, no less) which specify how much time specific repair will take. Clients are billed according to that, and not the actual amount of time mechanic spent.
      - otoburb 13y ago
        I misinterpreted your statement. You are right -- if an unscrupulous mechanic tried to charge you for more hours of labour than what the catalogs specify, then we'd care and would probably pick up on it a lot faster.

Yep. If - like most people - you know nothing about cars, then you wouldn't know how long it actually takes to fix your car. So if the mechanic chooses to 'over-deliver' by fixing your car in 3 hours, instead of the actual 6 hours it takes, that's going to set your expectations. You'd think that it takes 3 hours to fix a car, and you'll be pissed when the mechanic takes 6 hours the second time around. Which was the problem the author faced.

unreal37 13y ago
Mechanics don't even charge how long it actually takes. They charge a standard (arguably, over-inflated) amount for a job regardless of the actual time. So it does take 3 hours to fix your car, and they charge you for 6. Then you care.
- otoburb 13y ago
  I'm not a mechanic, and know little about cars. However, whenever I've taken cars in for service I find that the shops charge me labour and parts, and they are often clearly itemized on the invoice. The reason that it seems they charge a 'standard' amount for a job is because certain jobs (changing brakes/tires/oil, general checkups, car detailing, etc.) have been enough times across the industry and in the shop that reliable statistical (or consensus) baselines allow one to more easily and reliably estimate. Admittedly, this doesn't fix the original principal-agent problem[1], but I thought I'd throw in my experience with mechanics and getting cars serviced. [1] http://books.google.ca/books?id=4XcR7Y5ddcoC&pg=PA323&lpg=PA323&dq=principal-agent+mechanic&source=bl&ots=FPut69nJL_&sig=madAnluCPf7YjdMeryDxiPfgHz0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8EzJUbrlDsvnigKgkYGIAQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=principal-agent%20mechanic&f=false http://books.google.ca/books?id=4XcR7Y5ddcoC&pg=PA323&lpg=PA...
  - rimantas 13y ago
    AFAIK, service stations even have catalogs (from manufacturers, no less) which specify how much time specific repair will take. Clients are billed according to that, and not the actual amount of time mechanic spent.
    - otoburb 13y ago
      I misinterpreted your statement. You are right -- if an unscrupulous mechanic tried to charge you for more hours of labour than what the catalogs specify, then we'd care and would probably pick up on it a lot faster.