This one is for the Ladies
By Lauralee Schmidt
Co-Owner of Schmidt Auto Care
08/29/18
Picture this…. You are a coffee-fueled mom, happily cruising along with your adorable Kool-Aid stained toddler, singing the 100th verse of Baby Shark while on the way to get groceries, and your check engine light comes on. 
It probably looks 
something like this. So now you look like this.
Your blood pressure soars as you realize all the errands won’t be taken care of, your kids getting fussy, and this stupid little light, that doesn’t even look like an engine, won’t go off. You know this means you must go to an auto shop immediately, but total fear encompasses you because your brain hops into overdrive with the questions like, who do you trust in your car? How much is this going to cost? Am I going to be losing my car for a few days? Why is this happening to me?!?!?! It’s a whirlwind of emotions including panic and utter annoyance that only a super mom can balance. From mom to mom, I want you to do something. I want you to rise above the fear and frustration, take note of all smells, vibrations, and sounds surrounding the car, and call the people at Schmidt Auto Care.
Hi. I’m Lauralee Schmidt, the VP of Operations at Schmidt Auto Care. Generally, you have the pleasure of reading my brilliant husbands’ expertise, but this month, you get me because as a guest author. I come with no automotive experience, but I am incredibly passionate about people and ethical business. I stepped into the automotive business in 2016 after almost 20 years in the cosmetics industry. Why do you ask? Because business is business, and I needed a change. I was pregnant with our daughter and couldn’t even fathom the idea of being on the road 5 days a week any longer. I had gotten all I could really get out of cosmetics and wanted a new challenge. My husband asked me to join his team, and after careful consideration, I hopped on board. I did this with two agendas top of mind; I wanted our shop to be a haven for women to bring cars, and I wanted to be a destination for education. As a female, I know how terribly humiliating and intimidating it can be to walk into an automotive shop. I have several poor experiences ingrained in my brain from way before I met my amazing mechanic, that I promptly married. I always felt that an automotive shop should welcome clients and let them know exactly what’s happening with their car. Not just hand them a huge bill and loom danger over them if you don’t fix it right then.
Storytime! When I was 30, I drove a Corolla and took good care of it. I was at one of my normally scheduled maintenance appointments when a tech came out and told me if I left the shop without changing one of my belts, I would crash on the highway and cause a terrible accident. I don’t remember the price they quoted, but I do remember telling him I didn’t have the money to change to belt that day, and I needed to wait 2 days before my check came in. I was told I didn’t have 2 days, it was rotted, and I had to change it right then. I left that shop crying and scared to death I was about to meet my demise as I drove the 11 miles back home. I never ever want a client to feel the way I felt that day. It’s unacceptable for a shop to use scare tactics on clients, and I refuse to allow that in the shop we have now. I never forgot that experience, so I feel it’s my mission to protect women that visit automotive shops. So, ladies, (well anyone really) if you feel like you were not treated fairly, or not educated properly when inside my shop, please come find me. And if you are treated unfairly at another shop, know our door is open for you. I’m happy to help turn a bad experience into an excellent one.
As a female, we are often written off as ignorant of cars and repairs. It’s hurtful & disrespectful. Ladies, I challenge you to do a few things before walking into any shop. Start taking control of your vehicle. More than likely, you know everything else about your household, so know about your car too. Being in control of your car's repairs, and being knowledgeable on them, is invaluable for every vehicle owner. Not only for knowing and understanding your basic maintenance to create longevity of the vehicle but for resale on down the road. I had an app developed in our shop that can assist you with that very thing. We are all so tech-savvy, and busy, these days. Why not keep car repair info on your phone so you know you’re up to date with everything?
And if you don’t already have a good shop that you trust, let me tell you what to look for. You need to treat this as an interview process because you are entrusting one of the largest purchases in your life to someone else. You better make sure they are worth it. So, when you are looking around for a shop, ask a few questions to the Service Advisor. Ask them what the company motto is, and what the shop stands for ethically? Ask about the warranties they offer. Ask how long the company has been in business, and what kind of technicians are working there; are they ASE certified? Do your due diligence before going in & read social media reviews.
Finally, do what I mentioned earlier and note the smells, sounds, and motions of the car, so you can accurately divulge the car's issues to the Service Advisor. Take time to investigate those oddities your cars doing. What does the smell remind you of? Is it earthy or more toxic smelling? What mile per hour does the car start/stop shaking or vibrating? And what sounds are you hearing? Is it a down low growl, or a high-pitched squeal? Is it in the front or back? Right or left side? These little things may seem silly and inconsequential to note, but they can be great talking points for technician testing. Your service advisor and a technician will greatly thank you for helping be proactive in reporting your findings. After everything is all written up, trust the process. Your service advisor will be in touch with you as findings come in.
My final advice to a female client is, book a future appointment. Keep your car on a routine maintenance schedule. Problematic things can be kept a better eye on them that way, which will result in fewer major repair bills down the road. I know I don’t leave the hair or nail salon without my next appointment on the books, and I’m sure you don’t either. Add your car to that same self-care list your spa treatments are on because without it you surely aren’t making that next nail appointment.
If you have a question you would like answered by the Schmidt Auto Care team, please email contactus@schmidtautocare.com
For advertising or marketing, please contact lauralee@schmidtautocare.com
By Lauralee Schmidt
Co-Owner of Schmidt Auto Care
08/29/18
Picture this…. You are a coffee-fueled mom, happily cruising along with your adorable Kool-Aid stained toddler, singing the 100th verse of Baby Shark while on the way to get groceries, and your check engine light comes on. It probably looks something like this. So now you look like this.
Your blood pressure soars as you realize all the errands won’t be taken care of, your kids getting fussy, and this stupid little light, that doesn’t even look like an engine, won’t go off. You know this means you must go to an auto shop immediately, but total fear encompasses you because your brain hops into overdrive with the questions like, who do you trust in your car? How much is this going to cost? Am I going to be losing my car for a few days? Why is this happening to me?!?!?! It’s a whirlwind of emotions including panic and utter annoyance that only a super mom can balance. From mom to mom, I want you to do something. I want you to rise above the fear and frustration, take note of all smells, vibrations, and sounds surrounding the car, and call the people at Schmidt Auto Care.
Hi. I’m Lauralee Schmidt, the VP of Operations at Schmidt Auto Care. Generally, you have the pleasure of reading my brilliant husbands’ expertise, but this month, you get me because as a guest author. I come with no automotive experience, but I am incredibly passionate about people and ethical business. I stepped into the automotive business in 2016 after almost 20 years in the cosmetics industry. Why do you ask? Because business is business, and I needed a change. I was pregnant with our daughter and couldn’t even fathom the idea of being on the road 5 days a week any longer. I had gotten all I could really get out of cosmetics and wanted a new challenge. My husband asked me to join his team, and after careful consideration, I hopped on board. I did this with two agendas top of mind; I wanted our shop to be a haven for women to bring cars, and I wanted to be a destination for education. As a female, I know how terribly humiliating and intimidating it can be to walk into an automotive shop. I have several poor experiences ingrained in my brain from way before I met my amazing mechanic, that I promptly married. I always felt that an automotive shop should welcome clients and let them know exactly what’s happening with their car. Not just hand them a huge bill and loom danger over them if you don’t fix it right then.
Storytime! When I was 30, I drove a Corolla and took good care of it. I was at one of my normally scheduled maintenance appointments when a tech came out and told me if I left the shop without changing one of my belts, I would crash on the highway and cause a terrible accident. I don’t remember the price they quoted, but I do remember telling him I didn’t have the money to change to belt that day, and I needed to wait 2 days before my check came in. I was told I didn’t have 2 days, it was rotted, and I had to change it right then. I left that shop crying and scared to death I was about to meet my demise as I drove the 11 miles back home. I never ever want a client to feel the way I felt that day. It’s unacceptable for a shop to use scare tactics on clients, and I refuse to allow that in the shop we have now. I never forgot that experience, so I feel it’s my mission to protect women that visit automotive shops. So, ladies, (well anyone really) if you feel like you were not treated fairly, or not educated properly when inside my shop, please come find me. And if you are treated unfairly at another shop, know our door is open for you. I’m happy to help turn a bad experience into an excellent one.
As a female, we are often written off as ignorant of cars and repairs. It’s hurtful & disrespectful. Ladies, I challenge you to do a few things before walking into any shop. Start taking control of your vehicle. More than likely, you know everything else about your household, so know about your car too. Being in control of your car's repairs, and being knowledgeable on them, is invaluable for every vehicle owner. Not only for knowing and understanding your basic maintenance to create longevity of the vehicle but for resale on down the road. I had an app developed in our shop that can assist you with that very thing. We are all so tech-savvy, and busy, these days. Why not keep car repair info on your phone so you know you’re up to date with everything?
And if you don’t already have a good shop that you trust, let me tell you what to look for. You need to treat this as an interview process because you are entrusting one of the largest purchases in your life to someone else. You better make sure they are worth it. So, when you are looking around for a shop, ask a few questions to the Service Advisor. Ask them what the company motto is, and what the shop stands for ethically? Ask about the warranties they offer. Ask how long the company has been in business, and what kind of technicians are working there; are they ASE certified? Do your due diligence before going in & read social media reviews.
Finally, do what I mentioned earlier and note the smells, sounds, and motions of the car, so you can accurately divulge the car's issues to the Service Advisor. Take time to investigate those oddities your cars doing. What does the smell remind you of? Is it earthy or more toxic smelling? What mile per hour does the car start/stop shaking or vibrating? And what sounds are you hearing? Is it a down low growl, or a high-pitched squeal? Is it in the front or back? Right or left side? These little things may seem silly and inconsequential to note, but they can be great talking points for technician testing. Your service advisor and a technician will greatly thank you for helping be proactive in reporting your findings. After everything is all written up, trust the process. Your service advisor will be in touch with you as findings come in.
My final advice to a female client is, book a future appointment. Keep your car on a routine maintenance schedule. Problematic things can be kept a better eye on them that way, which will result in fewer major repair bills down the road. I know I don’t leave the hair or nail salon without my next appointment on the books, and I’m sure you don’t either. Add your car to that same self-care list your spa treatments are on because without it you surely aren’t making that next nail appointment.
If you have a question you would like answered by the Schmidt Auto Care team, please email contactus@schmidtautocare.com
For advertising or marketing, please contact lauralee@schmidtautocare.com
