Choosing a quality automotive repair facility

Today it is getting harder and harder to find good service at a fair price, or is it?   With all the multi media advertising designed to draw in your hard earned dollars its hard to know who to trust. “You can’t tell who’s who without a score card”. So how do you get a score card? It’s really quite easy. Here are the questions to ask:

Ask for recommendations. A recommendation from friends or family is a good starting place. They know first hand about the shops service and value. Questions to ask include: Was the work completed when promised? Were all repairs performed to complete satisfaction? Do they stand behind their work?

Are your technicians certified in all areas which they perform repairs? Certified Technicians are also an important part of the repair process. The certified technician is required to have a minimum level of skill and training as well as being able to pass any number of skill assessment tests. Be sure your technician is qualified to perform the repairs you need. Here are several of the numerous certification programs out there.

ASE – Automotive Service Excellence

AC Delco Master Tech

MACS- Mobile Air Conditioning Society

IMACS – International Mobile Air Conditioning Society 

Automotive Manufacturers “Factory Certification program”

Does your shop belong to any national Associations & Affiliations. No shop is an island. The shops with numerous affiliations usually have the people that are dedicated to improving the automotive industry & providing premiere customer service. Some examples are:

BBB – Better Business Bureau

ASA – Automotive Service Association

ASP – Automotive Service Professionals

NAPA Autocare Program

AAA – American Automobile Association

AC Delco Master Tech program

i-ATN – International Auto Technicians Network

STS – Service Technicians Society

CCC – Car Care Council 

Does your shop have an information system and what type is it? Today’s vehicles are very complex machines. It is absolutely necessary to have accurate technical information to repair the vehicle correctly. One can’t possible retain the hundreds of thousands of pages of technical information on today’s vehicles. Some examples include:

Alldata – Alldata information system

MOD – Mitchell on Demand

Shopkey – Snap-on’s information system

Factory Service Manuals

Specialty Service Manuals

Ident-a-fix – Technical Hotline

What amount of recent training have your technicians received & what is your yearly requirement? Most of the top quality shops now require all of their technicians to meet a minimum amount of training to keep pace with the ever-changing automotive industry. Some examples are:

Factory Training Programs

Technical College Courses

Association & Affiliates Training Programs

Parts Manufacturer Programs

Independent & Video Training Programs

What is your standard warranty? Is it parts, labor, towing etc.? How long & how many miles? What does it cover? If the terms of the warranty appear to short or are very limited think carefully. If quality parts & quality skilled labor are being used a good solid warranty should not be a problem.

Do you use quality name brand parts in all of your repairs? “It is difficult to make a silk purse from a pigs ear”. Most all of the best shops will insist on using only top quality name brand parts. This helps to guarantee a successful repair. Quality parts include major national brands as well as dealer OEM parts.

Does your shop have the latest tools and equipment to diagnose my vehicles problems. As the vehicles have gotten more complex so has the list of equipment gotten longer. The list of diagnostic equipment might include:

Scan tool – diagnostic tool to communicate the engine/body/abs computers.

Lab Scope – For troubleshooting complex electrical/computer problems.

Computerize Engine Analyzer – For testing engine condition and performance.

4 or 5 gas exhaust analyzer – For trouble shooting tough engine performance and emission problems

After you have gone through these steps you should have a good idea of the repair facility’s goals and values. With these in hand its time to listen to your heart.( or gut ) Does the information make sense and sound reasonable. If is does its time to give them a try. If not keep on your quest. There are plenty of good repair shops out there, you just have to be willing to look.