Too often, you may find yourself the victim of an auto shop that operates through deceptive add-on services. For example, you may go in for a simple oil change when the technician explains that your brake pads need changing, your tires are running a bit thin, or your transmission needs flushing. Or even if your car has a manual transmission, and it’s difficult to find a qualified and honest manual transmission repair shop that can do the right job.
Every time you visit, there’s always something else that needs maintenance, giving you the impression that your ride is falling apart. Sometimes this may be the mark of an honest serviceman trying to look out for you; other times, it’s an attempt to boost sales through unnecessary or nonessential work.
When the time comes for a skilled technician to service or repair your vehicle, it’s vital to find the right auto shop that employs highly-skilled mechanics and possesses a code of conduct where the focus is on providing quality customer service and precision vehicle care, not how much extra money they can squeeze out of you every time you visit.
Here are some tips to help you find the right auto shop for your car:
Word of Mouth
One of the best ways to find a quality auto shop is straight from the horse’s. . . er, customer’s mouth. Family and friends are the first places you should look; hopefully, you can trust them to give you an honest review if they have engaged the shop’s services in the past. Find out how well they performed the job, how long it took to complete the work, how expensive it was, what the customer service was like, and whether they had any problems afterward.
If you have no options in your inner circle, you can take to the web to seek opinions. Many businesses live or die by their reputations, and there are always people willing to review a company’s performance. Take these observations with a grain of salt, however, as some companies pay or encourage others to write positive reviews. In other cases, particularly if there is only a small sample size, negative reviews may not accurately indicate the auto shop’s quality, as people are more likely to fill out a review if they are angry.
Qualifications and Credentials
Maybe you know somebody who knows somebody who does maintenance or repairs on the cheap. You might be able to find a good deal this way, but you may also be putting your vehicle in the hands of an amateur without official credentials, exposing your car to the potential for shoddy workmanship or even mistakes that can prove costly or cause extra work down the line.
As you research quality auto repair shops, seek out technician credentials to ensure that your vehicle is in the hands of a skilled professional. What you will look for are blue-seal ASE certifications. These represent that the mechanic has passed examinations in different areas to receive official accreditation for specific car systems. There are many different categories, so look for someone who specializes in whatever repair or maintenance work you require. There are also higher-level certifications to show that a mechanic is exceptionally skilled; they may have an “advanced auto technician” patch or even a gold-rimmed “certified advanced level specialist” certificate.
If you do not see any credentials in the shop to indicate worker skill level, you can always ask about them.
Excellent Warranties
When shopping around, evaluate a company’s warranty policy. Those with reasonable or even generous warranty policies usually have them because they possess a lot of confidence in their capabilities. After all, if they do not do a quality job, they will constantly be performing additional work under the warranty that takes time away from their more profitable projects.
Cleanliness and a Positive Attitude
Auto repair work can be a dirty, greasy job, so you have to give a shop candidate a little leeway in this regard; however, there are levels of what you should consider acceptable. If you notice a lot of unkempt spaces, especially in non-work areas, this may be a cause for concern. When there are a lot of messes, even if they are small, that look like they are taking up permanent residence, this is a red flag. If the company is indifferent to its appearance and is unwilling to expend energy on its own presentation, how much care will it invest in your car?
This indifference may transfer to the technicians or desk clerks as well. If you get the impression that the workers do not care if you are there or not, then your best bet is not to be there. Seek a business that welcomes you with a positive attitude and is willing to listen to what you say. First impressions are critical, and if you feel uncomfortable or lack confidence in an auto shop, find a better choice.
Find a Specialist Shop
While most auto shops can perform essential car maintenance, you may wish to seek a shop that focuses on your particular brand or model. For example, if you have a Nissan, and you find a candidate that advertises that they specialize in Nissans either on their sign or website, they are more likely to not only have the parts you may need for repair work but they also likely have better training, specialized technology, and more advanced skills when working with the intricacies of your model.
Communication
One of the most significant factors when choosing the right auto shop is how well they can communicate with you, the customer. While this goes hand-in-hand with the positive attitude, here we are explicitly considering how well they can explain a problem and what they need to do to fix it. The best shops can break things down to your level without too much technical jargon and can show you specific issues on your vehicle so you know they are being honest.
Evaluate their behavior throughout the process to get an impression of whether they are straight with you about what is required to fix a problem and whether they show an interest in saving you money by providing a variety of options and alternatives. The best auto shops want what is best for you and will explain things in a way that is easy to understand and comes across as genuine.