Tips To Find The Right Repair Shop

Finding The Right Repair Shop

Automotive tip #1

What to look for when shopping around for a repair facility.

Aren't all mechanics the same?  Does it really matter where I take my car?

The answer to the first question is a giant no, and if you don't really care about your vehicle, I guess the answer to the second question is a no too.  The range of abilities between different technicians can be worlds apart.  One technician may be a seasoned vet while another may fresh out of tech school thinking they know it all already.  Trust me they don't.

Interesting Story:  I once worked with a tech who was fresh out of automotive tech school, and he assumed his learning days were far behind him.  Then one day he forget to remove the old oil filter gasket before installing a new oil filter.  This is bad.  The car died (engine locked up) 20 miles later.  It was a $5,000 engine, so he was out of a job.  In this line of work I can assure you the little details do matter!

So, how can you determine if you have a reliable technician working under your hood?

Talk to him, or her, as the case may be.  If the shop will not let you speak to the tech who will be doing the service or the tech is unwilling to talk to you themselves, run.  An honest shop will communicate with you.  In most cases you will not be allowed to be in the service area while the repair work is being performed on your car due to insurance liabilities, however, they can and will escort you into the service area to show, as well as, explain what the situation with your vehicle is.  Having someone merely say "Your brakes are bad, better get 'em fixed before they go out on you." is quite vague and doesn't really tell the customer anything.  A reputable shop will take you out to you vehicle to point out exactly what the problem is.  They may also have an old brake pad to show you what a new brake pad looks like versus what an old brake looks like.  And, when you can see the issue it becomes much easier to understand what the problem is.

photo courtesy of www.jantoo.com

Automotive Tip #2  Scare Tactics

Most shops, if not all of them, will employ this method at some point to secure a work order.  I touched on it briefly in the previous paragraph with the quote about brakes.  Since most shops know that the customer really doesn't understand the complexities of a modern day braking system, they will lots of times make the scary statement of "your brakes are bad...".  That makes zero sense.  You should ask "What exactly is the problem and explain it to me in a way that any one off the street would understand."  This isn't to say that everyday folks can't fathom what's going on with their car, it's just that most people don't spend half there lives wrenching on cars, so things just need to be explained a little differently.  I believe it was Einstein who once said "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

Anyways, back to scare tactics.  Brakes rarely just stop working all together.  Each wheel has it's own independant braking system, so there is some redundancy in that.  Brakes are supposed to gradually wear over time and that is perfectly normal.  Excessive wear is not normal and indicates a severe problem, it is also not covered by most warranties, be careful of the shops that claim "Free lifetime brake replacement...".  Trust me when I say this because it is but one of several tactics to simply get you in the door.  I think I'm starting to ramble here a bit, so I will sum it up.  Be aware of scare tactics that some shops try to use to get you buy things that you really don't need, or could be done at a later time.  Prioritize the repairs.  What absolutely has to be done versus what can wait.

Also, I really hate to say it, but I have seen it plenty.  Scare tactics are used more against female customers than their biological counterparts.  It is absolutely sexist but, unfortunately,  it's just the nature of the business.

Daily Mail Article "How to beat the sexist mechanic"

There is something you can do about it though.  First, if you feel you have been discriminated against report the shop to the proper entity,

Secondly, get a second opinion.  I can't stress that enough.  You have every right to refuse service for any reason.  Until you sign the work order, you owe the shop nothing, period.  Don't think that just because your car is up high on a lift with the wheels off that your stuck doing business with them.  Not true.  It may be a hassle to go somewhere else, but it may also save you big bucks.