EDITOR – On Tuesday morning, February 16, I had my car break down on the way to work and managed to get it home again to take a look.
It turns out that two of the bolts holding the fan belt in place had snapped off in their sockets which resulted in the water pipe not working, power steering gone, possible engine overheating and so on.
Just the kind of thing you need on a Tuesday morning in February, of all months.
My brother and I went through to the local car dealer to enquire about replacement bolts and were told that, not only would it cost around R150 per bolt, but we’d be looking at a four week wait.
So, deflated, we went home and Googled “bolts”, and that’s when I came across ISO Engineering cc Nuts & Bolts in Sebenza.
I called through and spoke to Ismail and explained my situation.
He was so concerned about assisting me that he offered to come to my house to take a look at the bolts and to see if they were standard or if he would be able to manufacture them for me.
I told him that my brother was with me and we would go through to see him, which we did.
He welcomed us and looked at the bolts and mentioned that they were standard bolts that they wouldn’t need to be specially made.
He then picked up his phone, made a call, and told us to head back up the road to another business who had confirmed that they had stock for us.
It cost us R15 for both bolts.
We headed back home and my poor brother worked for hours on my car to try to remove the pieces left in the housing.
But, not being a mechanic and not having the right tools, he suggested I rather take my car in to a service centre.
That’s when I started to panic. If I was expected to pay R150 for a bolt, how much would the labour be to have this fixed?
Google again and I came across R.T.C. Truck & Car Workshop in Sebenza and I thought I’d give them a try.
I called through and spoke to one of the technicians, Garth, who heard the story over the phone and also offered to come to my house to take a look at the damage.
We decided to tow the car down to them as it would need to be repaired at the workshop anyway. He came out to greet us and take a look at the car and was so confident that he could assist and arranged that the car be pushed into the shop. I also met Craig and Monique in the office who were so welcoming and sympathetic that I felt I’d known them for years.
The reason I’ve decided to write this letter is not necessarily due to the huge cost saved by dealing with these two companies, but the relief and comfort I received by dealing with the people who work there.
As many will know, car troubles are never a welcome surprise, but in February it’s simply terrifying. And, while the repairs still need to be dealt with and paid for, having the opportunity to meet these people and to be helped by them has made me so grateful for living in “The Vale”.
I would highly recommend dealing with these two companies should the need to arise. I certainly will be.
KANDI
EDENVALE
