What to Look for at an Auto Repair Shop

Tony Molla: Hi, I am Tony Molla from ASE. Today, we will be giving you some valuable tips on how to find a good repair shop. Okay, you've talked to your friends, you've made the phone calls, you've looked in the yellow pages, you've even checked the church bulletin, to see what repair shops are in your area and you finally made a choice. What now? Well the first thing you want to do, is drive by the repair shop and look in the parking lot, what kind of cars parked there? Are they similar to the type of vehicle that you are driving? For example, if there's nothing but BMWs in the lot, and you are driving a Chevrolet. You might want to think about another repair facility. Something that has a more diverse vehicle population and would offer you the kind of services that you are looking for. Next thing, you want to do is walk in the facility, where you greet it? Is the waiting room large and clean? Do they have some amenities such as Wi-Fi? Is there coffee available? Little tips that will show, that the shop owner, cares as much of about his business as he does about you as customer.

These are indicators that the business you have chosen is going to give you the best value for your automotive service dollar. What's hanging on the wall can say a lot about that business. You want to look for plaques indicating professional affiliations like triple A, or the better business bureau. A local Chamber of Commerce and of course, you want to check and see if there is a plaque indicating, that the shop is of ASE Blue Seal Of Excellence recognized facility. And just as important as those plaques hanging on the wall or the people behind the camera. Were you greeted properly? Were they friendly and courteous? Are they professional and do they take the time to talk to you and explain exactly what it is that needs to be done to your vehicle.

Do they have a special area set aside for children with videos and televisions, that sort of thing. Again, the more of these amenities a repair business presents, it indicates the more they care about their customers and again the better value you are going to get for your service dollar.

In our next segment, we will talk about what questions you should be asking once you get your vehicle up to the service desk. As we continue our look at how to find a good repair shop?