Membership in these associations usually means that the shop has met certain
criteria to be a part of the association. For instance, to become a AAA Approved
Auto Repair Facility, a shop must undergo a rigorous investigation. In addition
to having state-of-the-art equipment, training, qualified technicians, and
information systems in place, the shop must score high with its customers. AAA
contacts about 100 of the shop’s most recent customers and conducts a
Consumer Satisfaction Index (CSI) study.
AAA asks customers questions like these:
- Was the estimate accurate compared to the actual bill?
- Was the job done on time?
- Did they fix it right the first time?
- What kind of warranty did they give you?
- Was the shop clean and presentable?
- Did they offer you a ride to work or somewhere you needed to go?
- Was there a comfortable, pleasant, and clean waiting area?
If the repair facility passes the test, it can hang the “AAA Approved” shingle.
As you can see, membership in associations such as this is a significant qualifier
when evaluating a facility.
Involvement in such organizations tells you that the owner of the repair
facility cares about the quality of the workmanship and most likely operates by a
code of ethics as required by the organization he or she belongs to. In addition,
membership in these associations usually requires that the shop subject itself to
an arbitration process that is binding, should the need for arbitration between
customer and shop arise.
Visit the shops you’re interested in and ask yourself about each shop: Is it
clean and orderly? Or does it look like it ought to be condemned by the health
department? Ask customers why they shop there. Answers like, “They are the
cheapest,” “They offer a lot of specials,” or “The owner is a friend of my
father’s,” don’t offer much credibility. Look for responses such as, “They fix my
car right the first time,” “I can trust them to do the job at a fair price,” “They
welcome my questions and concerns and take the time to answer them,” “I never
get any surprises when I come to pick up my car,” and “They explain in plain
English what the problem is and what my options are—patiently.” Good word-
of-mouth like this is a great qualifier.