About that oil change

Do any of you out there like to take your car to get its oil changed? I am guessing the answer is a resounding no. I absolutely dislike it. Not my idea of fun. You have to deal with the customer service reps who seem to be nice, but then they mention that you should get a tire rotation service for $89.99, when you can see the same service they are offering you as advertised on the garage door outside at $29.99. How dumb do I look? Okay, I'm not going to answer that.

I used to change my own oil. My dad taught me when I was in high school and since I drove a truck, I could fit under it without having to drive it up on ramps. Changing the oil was easy, it saved me some cash, and it spared me from having to deal with any customer service reps.

But since we've parted with the truck and bought a new car, my oil changing days are temporarily over. The car has a cover on the bottom of the engine which makes changing the oil more labor intensive. And so, to the car service location I go. This time, I went to a place very close to my house. Oliver and I played outside while the mechanics took no more than 15 minutes to change the oil. Wonderful! Then came checkout.

"Owner of the blue car outside?"

"Yes, that's me."

And then the customer service rep went into this rapid fire explanation of everything that was checked, and if it looked good or not.
"Coolant level good.
Tire pressure good.
Steering fluid good.
Wipers working.
All lights working.
Brake fluid low.
Air filter good.
Belts good."

Did I catch a "brake fluid low" in there?

After she was done flinging her report in my face at the rate of the micro-machine man, I asked, "So what can I do with the brake fluid low information?"

The rep didn't even look at me, but reached for a peace of paper, about the size of a postcard. It read: WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOUR BRAKE FLUID IS LOW and so forth. Thanks guys. I wondered what would have happened if I hadn't asked the question about the low brake fluid. What then? I paid my total and was off.

True, the oil experience was a good one overall. I tend to be a bit cynical in these situations and dwell on the negative. I'm trying to work on it. But really? What kind of service is that? I mean, come on, give me more of an explanation. That's like going to the eye doctor and having him say, "Glaucoma test good. Dilation test good. Your astigmatism bad. That will be $120." I'm here to get my car serviced by professionals so I expect to get some good, solid, information. Oh well. I'll check up on the brake fluid situation and try not to be so cynical.