NEWS photo Paul McGrath — _ AUTOBODY WORK is a rapidly changing business, as new materials are introduced into the auto manvfacture and repair. :? Wayne. Kiawikowski of Rockford Colfisfon is sanding down the ~- primer coat on this vehicle prior to the final painting. . HOLDINGS LTD. JAGUAR, PLUS 33 Quality Service For: JAGUAR, MG ROVER, TRIUMPH VOLVO, SAAB BMW, AUDI Gov't inspections ICBC claims AIR care factory trained mechanics 1525 Welch St., North Vancouver, B.C. V7P 1B5 pare yesetirercney STE RCIA RACE AY PRETO Burret 7 at makes you feel comfortable LIKE ANY business hoping 10 suc- ceed in the 1990s, a good uutobody shop focuses on customer service. So say Casey Cruz and Wayne Klawikowski of Rockford Col- sion. By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter They maintain that a shop that offers Courtesy cars. pick-ups and drop-offs is demonstrating that it’s a decent operation. Men and women on the look-out for a good aytobody shop should scout out a place with a garage and an office, said office manager Cruz. He said a lot of people are ailer- gic to dust and they may find hang- ing around the shop unpleasant. ‘ Mechanic Klawikowski said a clean office and a friendly staff indicate that the customer has come to the right place. The mechanics’ official certifi- cations should be in plain view, said Klawikowski, who got on-the-job training for four years before going to technical school. The office’s posted member- ships will also say something about how it does business, said Cruz. Any shop which has been oper- ating for more than a year can get B.C. Auto Association certification if they have been thoroughly checked out by that group. it's also a good sign if the shop is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Automotive Retailers’ Assoc- iation “Some people think of that as window-dressing.” said Cruz, “but some people sce you've gone out of your way to register. and you're not going to screw it up.” Now that 70% of autobody shop customers are women. the smart proprietor also. has~a female: mechanic or two on staff. “There’re shops starting to hire - women to get the women drivers,” said Cruz. He said auto repair has traditionally been a “macho indus- a CERTIFIED AirGare Repair Centre #50467 Bring in this Ad fora Complimentary BCAA 25 Point Written Inspection Appointment in advance is required. Offer valid unti! April 18,1994 PAYG T CLS PETIT try.” where “girlie” calendars on the walls were the norm. Now, though, a customer who feels uncomfortable in that environ- ment can always vote with her feet. In terms of actual work, Klawikowski sees more new cars damaged in accidents than rust- 66 You usually can’t stop rust, once it’s there. 99 - Wayne Kiawikowski buckets in need of beauty treatment, though he gets his share of those. Rust usually attacks from the inside out, he said, and once it has bitten into a vehicle, it’s difficult to pry off. . “You usually can’t stop rust, once it’s there,” he said, “... unless you spend big muney.” Usually, how a person treats the vehicle will determine whether rust sets in. said Klawikowski. Waxing a car.weckly is a good preventive measure, he said. The most intimidating challenge a mechanic faces is inner frame damage, he continued. “If the frame’s dented, nothing lines up ... you shut the hood and there's a big gap.” Smatler cars tend to get wrecked more easily, he said. “They don’t take much to damage them.” Car manufacturers design newer models so the exterior parts are plastic, rather than metal, Klawikowski noted. Once they are cracked or broken, the whole part gener- : ally has to be replaced by the company which made the car. “They design them so the clips break, like the belt moulding clips. and you hive to order them.” Manufacturers obviously have not clued in to the trend, according to Cruz and Klawikowski. “The one thing people are look- ing for now is convenience,” said: Cruz, adding that although Rockford isn’t open seven days a weck, calls to the shop are forward-. ed so arrangements can at least be made outside regular hours. } You don’t have to be a Rocket = Scientist to know your car runs | boetter after a car wash, right? Imagine what it will feel like. after a Maaco Paint Job! Quality doesn meni Expensive!