Hazel Lee Ling
"A normal day for me starts with running the diary to check bookings, checking the finances and invoices and meeting with the mechanics to find out what is going on in the workshop. I've worked in the automotive industry for 4 years now and I came to be doing this by default of buying a business.
The best thing I like about working in the automotive industry is understanding more about cars and that (buying and running a car) is a big liability in a person's life. I also enjoy meeting many different people from different walks of life.
There are challenges in working in auto - I have people bringing parts they bought from ebay to my workshop for repair and then there are those that complain about a problem with a car after servicing when it was not the mechanics fault.
There are many ways to deal with complaints but I always ask them what industry are they in and then deal (with the issue) according to their understanding of industry. When it comes to bringing in their own parts, I flatly tell them no warranty at all and if parts are faulty or do not fit, they have to pay for the labour to remove and fit their old parts back into their car. And lastly, would you bring your own steak to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for you?
To other women who are considering a career in auto I would say go for it - although it is a mainly male dominated industry, it is not that hard to get into this industry and you can get a lot of respect from the males out there. Bring a feminine touch to the industry. Be a woman in the automotive industry with a strong will and a strong mind but with a feminine touch."