Page 23 - Automobile Mechanical and Electrical Systems Automotive Technology Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Vehicle Maintenance Repr Nv2) by Tom Denton

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8 Automobile mechanical and electrical systems

These areas are covered in detail and make up the four main technology
chapters of this book, but fi rst, let’s look at the wider picture of the motor
industry.

1.2 The motor industry

1.2.1 Introduction

This section will outline some of the jobs that are open to you in the motor trade
and help you understand more about the different types of business and how
they operate.
It is easy to think that the operation of a business does not matter to you.
However, I would strongly suggest we should all be interested in the whole
business in which we are working. This does not mean to interfere in areas we do
not understand. It means we should understand that all parts of the business are
important. For example, when you complete a job, enter all the parts used so the
person who writes the invoice knows what to charge.
The motor trade offers lots of opportunities for those who are willing to work hard
and move forwards. There are many different types of job and you will fi nd one
to suit you with a little patience and study. To help you get started,some of the
words and phrases in common use are listed in Table 1.3 .

Table 1.3 Motor industry words and phrases
Customer The individuals or companies that spend their money at your place of work. This is where your wages
come from
Job card/Job sheet A printed document for recording, among other things, work required, work done, parts used and the

time taken. Also known as a job sheet
Invoice A description of the parts and services supplied with a demand for payment from the customer
Company system A set way in which things work in one particular company. Most motor vehicle company systems will
follow similar rules, but will all be a little different
Contract An offer which is accepted and payment is agreed. For example, if I offer to change your engine oil for
£15 and you decide this is a good offer and accept it, we have made a contract. This is then binding
on both of us
Image This is the impression given by the company to existing and potential customers. Not all companies
will want to project the same image

Warranty An intention that if within an agreed time a problem occurs with the supplied goods or service, it will
be rectifi ed free of charge by the supplier
Recording system An agreed system within a company so that all details of what is requested and/or carried out are
recorded. The job card is one of the main parts of this system
Approved repairer This can normally mean two things. The fi rst is where a particular garage or bodyshop is used by an
insurance company to carry out accident repair work. In some cases, however, general repair shops
may be approved to carry out warranty work or servicing work by a particular vehicle or component
manufacturer

After sales This is a general term that applies to all aspects of a main dealer that are involved with looking after
a customer’s car, after it has been sold to them by the sales department. The service and repair
workshop is the best example