Friday, June 3, 2011

Choosing the Right Auto Repair Shop 101

We’ve been talking about auto repair rip-off avoidance in the past as a better option compared to having the need to fight off a rip-off after it has occurred. And, I’ve also stressed out several times how important finding a good shop is—it’s still the best way to have a good auto repair experience and avoid repair problems.

Here, we take a look again at the things you need to consider when looking for a good shop to entrust your car to:

1. Certification
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a basic seal or certification that you need to look into when it comes to the mechanics handling your car. If you’re looking at the entire shop, check out for the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence, a proof that at least 75% of the techs working in the shop have ASE certification. Next week, we’ll look at a list of certifications that you can look into as proof of a shop’s excellence and reliability.

2. Record
When it comes to shop records, the Better Business Bureau is an institution that can help you. Whereas the certifications mentioned above will give you proof of excellence and skills, institutions like the BBB will tend to provide you with a complete picture that considers the overall attitude of shop mechanics. Any complaint about the shop, you will find here.

3. Specialty
We’ve already talked about skills and attitude, now let’s move on to expertise. I remember mentioning once that auto repair shops are not know-it-all. Even the most general shop will have shortcomings in terms of the automotive systems that they can handle. So, if you have a car problem that requires specialty, choose the shop that can deal with the problem well.

With these three things in mind, you’ll be a step ahead in your search for the right auto repair shop.

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