Love or hate your auto repair center? What level of customer service you are looking for at an auto repair center? . The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence reports that women are not only becoming more influential in deciding what car to buy, they are also taking over the traditionally male-dominated responsibility of maintenance and repair. With this increased buying power of women comes an increasing need for automotive service employees to understand women’s likes and dislikes, as well as their buying habits.Big and influential ASE reports that more than 65 percent of customers who take their vehicle to a repair shop for service and repair are women. This increasing presence and buying power of women in the automotive industry is the result of a rise in the overall percentage of female drivers. Research that shows nearly half of new car purchases are made by women, and 53 percent of used-car sales can be attributed to women. Ford Motor Marketing reports women have 95 percent veto power regarding automotive purchases.Customer service/politeness countWomen believe repair shop operators and technicians treat them differently because they are women, and the difference is seldom positive Women want to be informed customers, understand the repair in layman’s terms and receive quality repairs and customer service … not really any different from the expectations that men have for automotive repairs. Clean waiting rooms, timely delivery, and repair orders that are easy to understand. Service with a smile and a “can do” attitude make women customers feel welcome. Women like to know that someone is available to answer their questions with “yes,” “no” or “I’ll find out” women customers like an efficient, expedient process at the front counter (unless they have questions about the repair; if this is the case, be ready to provide a lot of details).After the repair, make sure women are part of any customer follow-up program. Overall, women answer surveys because they see it as a way to provide feedback to companies.Ultimately, all customers want value. Value is difficult to assess, however, fair prices, respectful service, convenience, quality repairs and a pleasant atmosphere are good starters for creating value in any customer’s mind.