CHOOSING A SHOP IN THE LABYRINTH OF
AUTO REPAIR
A few years back, a woman called my radio show. Her husband of 32 years had
passed away and she was left to take care of the family car. Her question? “How
do I know if I’m going to a good auto repair shop?” A great question.
I have been in the automotive radio talk show business since the early 1990s,
and every year the number of people who ask me this question grows. Why? In
today’s society, people are living (and thus driving) longer. People are moving to
different cities and towns at a phenomenal rate. The auto repair business is
changing. For example, dealerships’ service departments are in serious
competition with the independent repair facilities. Vehicles are evolving at a
rapid pace and are more hi-tech, requiring repair facilities to continually upgrade
their equipment and educate their technicians. Automotive advertising and
marketing is drowning the marketplace with excessive mailings and Internet,
television, and newspaper ads. Everyone is having a big sale! Is it any wonder
that many of us find ourselves lost in this labyrinth of auto repair? Is it any
wonder that more and more people are looking for a guide to take them through
it?
That’s my job. So let’s start our journey and answer the question: How do you
find a good quality auto repair facility?
First, you should start shopping for a repair facility before you need one.
Why? Because making a sound decision is more difficult when you are faced
with a broken down vehicle that you need to have fixed immediately because it
transports your family and gets you to work. Intelligent decisions are made after
evaluating the facts. Emergencies create an emotional environment that thwarts
clear and decisive action.
Call local repair shops in your area and find out if they belong to professional
automotive repair associations such as: Automotive Service Association (ASA),
International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN), I-CAR, National
Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), MAP, or American
Automobile Association (AAA).