Car ownership will inevitably result in trips to a car repair facility for maintenance and repairs. Here’s how to find a great car repair shop in your area.
Whether it’s for inspection, repairs, or just routine maintenance, car ownership almost always results in a trip to your local automotive service centre. To ensure you get the treatment you deserve, it is important to find a great car repair shop that will treat you fairly and always have your best interest at heart. Below, we cover how to find a reputable car repair shop in your area—one you can trust for all your service and repair needs.
A great way to get a feel for how auto repair shops will treat you in person is to shop them via phone. Call the shops on your shortlist to get information on a maintenance service that’s due on your vehicle, such as an oil change, radiator flush, tune-up, or tire service.
Note the salesperson’s demeanour and willingness to give you the information you need when on the phone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the service, such as how long it’ll take and potential extra costs.
At a good repair shop, the salesperson will ideally be helpful, warm, and receptive to your questions. If the salesperson seems annoyed or too busy to field your questions, it’s likely not the right shop for you.
It’s always great to have a one-stop shop that can do everything for you, including regular maintenance, repairs, tire changes, and more. That is why, during your call with the repair shop, it is important to verify that it is indeed a full-service repair facility.
It’s not a deal-breaker, mind you, as there’s nothing wrong with going to multiple shops to service your vehicle’s diverse needs. But it can certainly be a tie-breaker, since it’s obviously more convenient to have a single place handle all of your car maintenance and repair requirements.
Plus, that shop will slowly build a history with your vehicle and better understand its needs over time.
Online reviews through Google or sites like Yelp are great ways to see just how good or bad an auto repair shop really is. It’s great to focus on the number of stars, and in particular to find shops with 4 or more stars out of 5. There is even more value, however, in the individual reviews themselves.