 Wouldn't it be lovely if women didn't feel worried their male mechanic might rip them off, simply because of their gender? When I had a car, I'd often ask my dad to take it in to the garage near where he worked, thinking he'd likely come away with a better price on the job at hand than I would have done as a young woman, and avoided being patronised. And no, this isn't a slight on my own negotiating skills – it's about the inherent sexism than can come into everyday transactions. A female mechanic, working on the other side of this situation, has gone to the efforts of setting up a garage to help women and non-binary customers feel safer and more confident in the service they're getting. Zoe Cog, 25, from Manchester, set up AutoCog, a garage that allows women to feel at ease when using the typically male-dominated service. Zoe began in the industry working as a garage receptionist. She went on to train as a mechanic, which opened her eyes to the need for a female-owned garage to help alleviate the anxieties women face in the sector, where they often fear being spoken down to and discriminated against. Despite her incredible CV, she's still patronised by men (Picture: Caters) Zoe, whose garage is in Ashton-under-Lyne, Teeside, UK, explained: 'I like to think I offer something different in the automotive sector, which gives peace of mind to women who get anxious walking into a male-dominated environment. 'I feel although this is something that was going to happen sooner or later, the pleasure is mine to say I have created such a place. 'I've been the girl on the other end, worried to walk into places like garages and feel anxious, and although it's never easy, I like to think I'm an approachable, friendly female who has created a place where you can walk in and feel at ease, regardless of your gender. Zoe working on a car (Picture: Caters) 'I get pleasure out of taking the pressure off the girls and can give as good of a service as){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Wouldn’t it be lovely if women didn’t feel worried their male mechanic might rip them off, simply because of their gender?
When I had a car, I’d often ask my dad to take it in to the garage near where he worked, thinking he’d likely come away with a better price on the job at hand than I would have done as a young woman, and avoided being patronised.
And no, this isn’t a slight on my own negotiating skills – it’s about the inherent sexism than can come into everyday transactions.
A female mechanic, working on the other side of this situation, has gone to the efforts of setting up a garage to help women and non-binary customers feel safer and more confident in the service they’re getting.