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.

DETROIT – The new version of the Cadillac CTS-V is designed to go after the world’s fastest and most elite sport sedans.With a 550-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine and magnetic-controlled shock absorbers, the new 2009 CTS-V ought to be able to keep up.”The CTS-V represents the full extension of our design, technology and performance capabilities,” said Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor.In addition to the performance upgrades, the CTS-V, to be unveiled Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, also will have Recaro performance driving seats.General Motors Corp. (nyse: GM – news – people ) says the new car will compete with such elite vehicles as the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG and E63 AMG.Taylor said the car enthusiast is a critical market for Cadillac as it tries to attract new buyers to the CTS, which was redesigned for 2008.”The audience for this car is a dream buyer,” said Clay Dean, Cadillac’s design director.Pricing and fuel economy were not announced for the car, which should make its way to dealerships sometime this fall.The 2007 CTS-V, the last year such a model was made, cost $52,170, and Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell said the new version would be a little more than that.The new version will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, Caldwell said.Crew Chief note: Maybe the V8 is not dead could I have been wrong?? News source: Forbes

Frankly, auto maintenance has always scared me. All I’ve ever “fixed” are wiper blades, headlights and taillights. The extent of my under-the-hood knowledge is how to check and top off oil, antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. I’ve never changed my own oil because I didn’t want to deal with the waste material. That’s why I recently found myself using an Entertainment Book coupon to get a lube, oil and filter service for $15.88. When I paid, the counter guy said my battery was on its way out. A replacement would retail for about $119.99, but he could get me one for $89.99.I know less about cars than about doing my own taxes. Still, that seemed a little high. Maybe I could do better on my own — but that would mean installing it myself. Batteries not instructedFolks who do all their own auto maintenance are probably snickering. What’s the big deal? It’s not like replacing the transmission. But some of us didn’t grow up watching dads fix cars. My father could build, plumb and wire a house, but he never did auto work. All I knew about batteries is that they have the potential to explode, and that battery acid can ruin your day.An MSN article noted that they don’t make ’em like they used to; in newer cars, batteries might need replacing after four years. My 2001 Chevy Cavalier still had the original battery, so I guess there was a reason it was faltering.The Sunday ads revealed a $54.99 model at Schuck’s Auto Supply, just two blocks away. Before leaving, I did an Internet search on battery replacement. It didn’t seem that hard. A little grimy, maybe.That $54.99 battery wasn’t the right kind, but a suitable model cost just $10 more. (Incidentally, both costs included disposal of the old battery.) The friendly folks at Schuck’s offered to lend the tool I’d need. Before this, I’d never used a socket wrench. (It was cool. I want one!)Getting the battery out of the vehicle was tricky. It was heavier than I’d imagined, and got hung up somehow. As I struggled and cussed, a young man stopped to help. He lifted it out in one smooth motion. Show-off.Success, and savingsI lugged the equally heavy replacement out on my own, nestled it into place, and reconnected the battery and terminal clamps. Reluctantly I said goodbye to my new friend the socket wrench, and prepared for the acid test, so to speak: Would the car start?The car fired right up. And boy, were my hands dirty. Back home, I found that liquid dish detergent really can substitute for that Orange Goop hand cleaner. (Thanks to the Smart Spending message board reader who posted that tip.)If an auto know-nothing like me can do this, I bet you can, too. So when your battery starts to fail, consider replacing it yourself. First, of course, you’ll want to read the instructions on the site I mentioned above, or in a car care book, to make sure you’re doing it safely. I think it’s well worth it. About 30 minutes of work saved me $25. It might take you even less time. Plus, you’ll get to use a socket wrench. News source: Money Central

General Motors Corp. has abandoned plans to build a V-8 engine for luxury vehicles at a plant near Buffalo, blaming new federal mileage requirements and high Fuel prices cutting into consumer demand.The decision announced Thursday will affect 130 to 150 laid-off workers who would have been brought back to work on the dual overhead cam engine, GM Powertrain spokeswoman Sharon Basel said.Plans to retool the plant to build a new V-8 Duramax clean diesel engine for GM’s light duty pickup trucks are still on track, Basel said.Employees were told about the decision Thursday morning.”There are a couple of factors that have come into play over the course of the past year,” Basel said, citing the popularity of more fuel-efficient and high-feature V-6 engines with performance similar to the larger motors.”We’re seeing the demand for V-8 engines rapidly declining,” Basel said, “and then you combine that with the forces like rising fuel prices and the new CAFE legislation and that has caused us to go back and reevaluate our product portfolio.”Congress last month approved the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32 years, boosting mileage by 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon.The automakers fought an increase in the federal fuel standard, known as CAFE, maintaining it would limit the range of vehicles consumers will have available in showrooms and threaten auto industry jobs.GM announced plans in January 2007 to begin producing the now-shelved V-8 engine in Tonawanda in 2009. Six months later, the plant, which employs 1,850 hourly and salaried workers, landed the Duramax clean diesel engine after an aggressive lobbying campaign by elected and union officials.Both announcements came after the Erie County Industrial Development Agency – hoping to improve Tonawanda’s chances of winning future engine lines – approved nearly $8 million in tax breaks for the plant in December 2006.”We were very concerned a year ago when we got the first engine, we needed to get some more work inside the plant,” Kevin Donovan, assistant Region 9 director of the United Auto Workers, told WIVB television on Thursday. “We went and talked to General Motors (nyse: GM – news – people ) and put some good competitive packages together that safeguarded the rest of the jobs that were inside the plant, along with all the other engines that were there.”In awarding the Duramax diesel engine, the automaker said it will invest $100 million in the 3.1 million-square-foot plant to produce the 4.5-liter, high-output diesel engine for the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra pickup and Hummer H2. Production is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009.The Tonawanda plant ranked as the eighth most productive engine plant in North America in a May 2007 report by Troy, Mich.-based Harbour Consulting.Daniel Gundersen, upstate chairman of the Empire State Development Corp., held out hope Thursday the plant will attract a new product line to replace the lost V-8.”The GM plant here in Tonawanda remains one of the most efficient and productive plants in the U.S. with a skilled work force and modern equipment,” he said. News source: Forbes