The Quadros Touch: A master mechanic’s secret for satisfied customers and happy bikes
Lume Quadros is a motorcycle whisperer of sorts – his deep understanding of two-wheelers allows him to offer his customers long-lasting, cost-effective repairs and services. Lume listens carefully to each customer, but decides what is best for the vehicle after trying it out for himself, because the sounds and smells of the motorcycle tell him a story that only he understands best.
AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
MARGAO: Lume Quadros from Verna is not only a jovial, interesting man to talk to, but also a great two-wheeler mechanic. He learnt the basics of nuts and bolts as a child while repairing motorcycles at home. After pursuing a diploma in mechanical engineering from Kolhapur, Lume has taken motorcycle servicing in Goa to a new level.
In Goa, you will find motorcycle mechanics on every corner who will bring sputtering vehicles back to life. The process is simple: you replace the old with the new and the vehicle starts and drives off.
However, the story takes a different turn when a two-wheeler owner meets Quadros in his efficient maintenance workshop near Chowgule College in Gogol. “As far as
“If it is easy to maintain, I prefer to repair parts. It takes a little longer, but it saves costs and my customers are satisfied,” explains Quadros, who spent two years as a lecturer at the MES College in Vasco after graduating.
Quadros listens carefully to a customer but decides what is best for the vehicle after taking a test drive himself. “My relationship with a vehicle is different from that of my customer. Over the years, I have developed an ear for vehicles, whereas a vehicle is a necessary item for the owner,” reflects Quadros, who honed his relationship with two-wheelers after being appointed the resident service technician for LML Vespa in Goa in the 1980s.
“I practice my religion at work. I don’t go to mass, but I believe that I please God when I honestly try to analyze the fault in a vehicle and repair it at minimal cost to the customer,” Quadros muses as he cleans a carburetor.
“It’s a common myth that you need gasoline or kerosene to clean carburetors. I clean them with a dry cloth because there’s a science behind it,” says Quadros, diplomatically avoiding mentioning that most breakdown service workers lack formal qualifications.
“Everyone needs the feeling of security. People look for different ways to get that feeling, and it is not my
“It is not a job to slander others because they, like me, have to earn a living,” Quadros explains.
After his time at Vespa, Quadros started his own business with his brother and they became the first dealers of a new brand in Goa. “I stopped because I believe that everyone has their own style of making it big in life. Some prefer to wait, like me, while others want to make it big quickly. I couldn’t live with that misunderstanding in our partnership,” admits Quadros, who at 58 is brimming with positivity.
“I have guys who have come and learned with me and they are doing well in different parts of the world. I like teaching young people and also learning from their mistakes. Mechanical engineering is evolving fast,” admits Quadros, who can often be seen test-driving a bike or repairing an engine part in his workshop.
Quadros is a mechanic who doesn’t like being told what to do on a bike because the sounds and smells of a vehicle tell him a story that only he understands best.
“The new pipe I replaced last week broke because I didn’t get to the bottom of the problem. Now I understand why
The problem has reoccurred and I have made the necessary changes. You don’t have to pay me,” Quadros tells a stunned customer.
“Sometimes,” Quadros continues, “I make mistakes, and the best way to deal with them is to be honest with clients. Mistakes are part of life, and accepting your mistakes adds extra color and beauty to life.” And perhaps his clients enjoy going the extra mile.
