5 Steps to Finding an Auto Repair Shop You Can Trust
Posted by Brian England on Fri, May 14, 2010
The whole process of finding an auto repair and service shop that you can trust can be daunting. It is made worse by the complexity of vehicles. So how do you start? Well, by following these five steps you can make the entire process a lot simpler and worry free.
1. Start by asking a friend 
First and most important is to see if any of your friends can recommend an auto repair shop. Ask a friend who has the same philosophy on looking after their vehicle as you. If you like to perform the correct maintenance on your car then seek out friends who do the same and ask their advice. Don't ask someone who gets a quick lube every other year!
If your friends are looking for a good auto repair shop too, go to the web. Search for trustworthy auto repair shops or good auto repair shops in your city. Then check for reviews and awards. Find out shops that people recommend.
2. Get to know the staff
Once you find a shop to try, start by going in for a small service. Please don't wait until you car fails in someway. By going in for a small job, you can learn the shops procedures, check to make sure the facilities are clean and tidy, and get to know the staff. You could also think about having a service that checks out the whole car so that you have a baseline on it's condition. This sort of service lets you know about all the systems that are in good condition, identifies the repairs and service that should be performed soon, and lets you know about future repairs and services. You can then compare this to what you know about your car and see if it matches. This sort of evaluation is very important on older cars. There is a point when it may not be worth continuing to service and repair the car.
This is the first step in building trust; trust is the most important thing when buying any service.
3. Does the staff listen to you?
Check on how well the service advisers listen to you. Do they ask questions about how you drive you car? How many miles a year? What type of oil do you use? Do you have any problems with the car at this time?
4. Start using the auto repair shop for your service needs.
When you are comfortable with the auto service center then you can start using them for all you service needs. When it comes to the point when you know you are going to need an number of services and the service adviser calls with a list of recommendations you are going to feel comfortable to go ahead with them.
5. How do the staff communicate complicated problems.
In general most people can understand preventive maintenance items, they are clearly laid out in the hand book so it is easy to follow what should be done and at what mileage. Where it gets harder is in a complex diagnosis. Cars are so complex now that in most cases only two technicians can communicate when talking about a problem. So when the service adviser calls with a report from a technician, how do you have a meaningful conservation? A good service adviser will speak at your level of understanding, if you are an engineer and require a lot of detail he will communicate that way. If you have have little understanding then he will give you the report in layperson terms. If you are still unsure then asks friends if they know a technician who would talk to the service adviser for you.
By going through these five steps, you can build confidence and trust in auto repair shop and make the whole process of maintaining and repairing your car anxiety free.
(art gallery photo by kio)