Ownership & Management

One of the most important things to keep in mind when looking for a reputable repair facility, is to choose a shop based on the ownership and management. As I write this I am sure some of you are thinking the same thing that I am. Why is this post not one of the first? I am aware of the fact that it should have been, however the subject of this one did not come to me until after I had already made a few of the other posts. However I think that this would be a very important thing to keep in mind. As I have already said in the first part of this article, choose a repair shop based on the ownership and management. You would not want to choose an automotive repair facility based on the technician. While the work could not be done without the technician, the management is what would make the shop run like a well oiled machine or in complete chaos. Technicians also have a tendency to move from shop to shop a lot more frequently than the management does. This can go both ways as well though, you would not want to stop going to a shop just because of one technician. If one of the technicians has managed to do something that you did not like, you would always be able to request that they do not work on your vehicle anymore. If you were to start going to another shop just because of something that a technician did, there would be a slim chance that one day that same technician could be working at the new shop. So choosing a shop based on the ownership and management would be the best thing to do. Finding a shop that has a good reputation for doing what is best for the customer would be ideal. To try and find a shop where nothing ever went wrong would be next to impossible. From things like some spilled oil to something more major; it is how the management team handles the problems that arise is what makes a good repair facility. Also looking for a shop that has employed the same people for a long period of time is a sign of good ownership. An owner that realizes that they have good employees will do everything in their power to take care of the employees and to keep them happy. It would be difficult to be comfortable with a shop as a customer, when every time you walk in to get some work done there is a new service manager and new technicians. I have had several customers tell me that they are happy to be dealing with the same crew for as long as they have been doing business with us. It makes them feel comfortable knowing that every time they come into our shop that there will be someone that they know and trust there to greet them.

The Appointment Part 2

With your first appointment well under way it is time to start talking about what kind of things you should be looking for from the service writer, as well as the technicians that will be working on your vehicle. The way in which you are greeted is a very big thing. For myself, I always like to be sure and greet the customer with a smile and to welcome them to my shop. After I have determined what the customer has come into the repair shop for and am writing the estimate, I like to make a little small talk with the customer. Ask how their day is going, or perhaps what kind of plans they have for the rest of the day. Just something to break the ice a little bit, to make you the customer more comfortable. Another thing that should be looked at is what kind of questions did the service writer ask you as you were being checked in. If your appointment was for something basic like an oil change or perhaps something like a tire rotation, chances are there were not too many questions asked. However if you are there for something like a brake inspection or tire alignment, there should be more detailed questions asked. With a brake inspection one of the biggest questions that should be asked is, what kind of problems are you having with your brakes? For example, does your care vibrate when the brakes are applied? Or perhaps, is there a squeak when the brakes are applied? If you are there for something like an alignment, the questions would start with something like does your car pull? Or perhaps, have you noticed a tire wear problem? With any of the questions that are going to be asked the more detailed that your responses are, the better the chances are that the technician can properly diagnose the problem. One of the biggest tools in a automotive repair shop is communication. The better the communication in the shop the more effective the repair facility will run, and the better the repair work will be on your vehicle. Be as forth coming with all the information that you can think of. Maybe write down a few of the symptoms before the appointment, so you don't forget any details. If you are getting your vehicle checked for a noise, try and be as specific as possible as to when the noise started and what are the driving conditions when it happens. For example if your car has been making a noise when going over bumps for the last month, and only does it at speeds of 20-30 mph. That is information that you as the customer would want to tell the repair facility. At the same time the service writer should be asking you questions and trying to get to the root of the problem. If the service writer is not doing any of these things, chances are that you should be starting to look for another repair facility.

The Appointment

So to recap, the first few things that we have talked about are how important it is to find a reputable repair facility and how to start the process of finding that repair shop. This time we are going to come in contact with one or more of the shops that you have chosen. This is the stage that I call “The Appointment.” This one is a very important step into finding a reputable repair facility. You would want to start looking for a repair shop before there is a major problem with your vehicle. There would be nothing that would hinder your hunt for an honest mechanic more than being ripped off at a time when you are very stressed out. So, start the look for a good technician before you have a major problem. Start with calling one of the repair facilities that you have found on the internet. Make an appointment to get your oil changed or a tire rotation. And yes make an appointment. It is very difficult for a good repair shop to take walk in oil changes. Chances are they are booked a couple of days in advance. If the repair facility is going to charge for a tire rotation, go ahead and pay for it. It will be a minimal charge anyway. Plus a shop that believes their time is worth money, also believes in and will stand behind their work. As you are making the appointment, pay attention to how you are being treated by the person on the other end of the line. Is the person taking the time to find out everything needed for the appointment, or are they in a hurry to get you off the phone? When walking into your appointment go ahead and take a look around. A repair facility that takes the time to keep a clean office and customer waiting area, will also take the time to take proper care of your car. And some of you may wonder what those two things have to do with anything. The shop that is going to have a clean and friendly waiting environment knows that a person's first image of their shop is one of the most important. At the same time they also know that the last image of their shop (was the work done properly and on time, and did the technician leave a mess in the car) is the other most important. Both of those will help you as the customer to decide if you would like to return to that repair facility for future business. As this posting has been a longer one, I'll try to wrap up. However I will be making another posting in just one or two days time. With this one we will cover how you as the customer should be treated, as well as cover what kind of questions that the service writer should be covering with you. As always please leave comments and let me know what you are thinking. Please also share some topic ideas if you have any. That way we can cover some of the topics that you might have questions about.

The Internet

When talking about automotive repair facilities, some of you may ask, what does the internet have to do with finding a reputable repair facility? In this day and age, I say it has everything to do with it. With the amount of information available to the public, why not take full advantage of it? A good place to start would be to ask your friends and family members which repair facility that they are taking their cars to. The next thing to do would be to go to your favorite search engine. Look up the names of the shops that your friends and family have given you. Then do a broader search by typing in words like “repair facilities” or “auto shops” followed by the city in which you live or where you are and need your car serviced. Taking the first couple of automotive shops from the top of that list, look at their web pages, and do a little research on those companies. See how long those repair facilities have been in business. Also see what kind of services that they offer. You would not want to go to a shop that only does oil changes and tires, if you are looking for someone to do your brakes or to try and diagnose a poor running engine. You may also want to see if they are a specialty shop. If you have an American made car you would not want to take it to be serviced at a shop that specializes in European cars. The next thing that you are going to want to do is go back to your search engine results. Go through and read the reviews that other customers have posted about the companies which you have selected. Reading other peoples thoughts and experiences on a place might help you make your decision. You will also be able to find maps and photos to the repair facility. These too can help you make your decision.