A red light flashes, a clanking noise starts resonating from
somewhere under the hood and there’s a faint odor of something
burning. Time to hightail it to a mechanic.
A red light flashes, a clanking noise starts resonating from somewhere under the hood and there’s a faint odor of something burning. Time to hightail it to a mechanic.
But there’s the rub – sometimes finding a mechanic who not only does good work but doesn’t ravage your wallet is an apparent impossible mission.
Those with a fear of dealing with mechanics are not alone, nor are their fears unfounded. In 2006, the Better Business Bureau received 10,882 complaints nationwide related to auto repair and services, said Sheila Adkins, director of public affairs at the BBB’s national headquarters. Auto repair and services ranked No. 11 on a complaint list of more than 3,000 businesses and services the BBB monitors, after car dealerships, phone companies and collection agencies.
“The complaints are generally that things weren’t fixed properly or customers were told a problem was fixed, but they still have problems,” Adkins said. “Either that or the complaints are about how much the repairs cost.”
Precision Tune Auto Care in Gilroy has four complaints currently registered on the BBB Web site, including two billing or collection issues, one delivery issue and one repair issue. The BBB has processed a total of six complaints about the company in the last 36 months, according to the site, and Precision Tune Auto Care had not responded to at least one of the six complaints. Most companies checked by South Valley Newspapers had no complaints or one complaint filed with the BBB.
The owner of Precision Tune Auto Care did not return calls for comment.
“We recommend that people not necessarily focus on the number of complaints a company has, but instead how they respond to those complaints,” Adkins said. “The BBB doesn’t look favorably on companies that don’t respond to complaints. It’s not to say that those are bad companies, but it makes it difficult for us to assist the customer when we can’t get the company’s side of the story.”
But customers do have resources to help them find the right mechanic and avoid becoming a negative statistic. Look the business up on the BBB’s Web site, www.bbb.org, to see if other customers have registered complaints about the mechanic’s service, as was the case for the Gilroy shop. Diamond Certified is another independent company with informative customer reviews available at www.diamondcertified.org. The California State Attorney General’s office also has consumer information posted online at ag.ca.gov/consumers. In addition, a simple Internet search of a mechanic’s name may prove helpful.
“I think it’s always good to do some research on someone you’re thinking of taking your car to, but I think the best way to find a good mechanic is to ask your friends and family who they use,” said Mike Torres, owner of Downtown Automotive in Hollister. The company has no complaints filed with the BBB and is certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. “The other thing is to go into the shop, take a look around and talk to the people there. Trust your instincts – if you don’t feel comfortable with the people who work there, move on to the next shop.”
When comparing quotes from various mechanics, be sure to ask exactly what work the quote entails, if the quote includes labor and how much the hourly labor charge is, Torres added.
“I give an honest quote, which might be higher than some other shops,” he said. “But those other shops might be giving a bare-bones estimate. When the customer goes to pay, there might be all kinds of ‘extras’ added on, and those extras are probably equal to or higher than my quote. That’s not a good surprise.”
Kevin Redman started his business, Redman’s Car Care in Gilroy, with his wife, Karen, after working for a business that ripped off customers and after hearing people’s frustration at not being able to trust mechanics. Redman’s Car Care has about 100 positive testimonies on the Diamond Certified Web site, which offers a customer satisfaction survey consumers can complete about a variety of products and services, including auto repair.
“Everybody knows what it’s like to feel ripped off, and it’s a terrible feeling,” Kevin Redman said. “I treat people how I would want to be treated. We want people to be able to trust us and we want to build a long-term relationship with customers. If someone goes into a shop and they aren’t treated well from the get-go, they shouldn’t leave their car there.”
Customers should also look for a shop where the employees take time to explain a problem or repair clearly and without condescension, Karen Redman said.
Finally, look for a mechanic before you need one, advised Adkins. If people start looking for a repair shop before they have a problem with their vehicles, they’ll avoid the pressure and sense of urgency that happens when something has already gone wrong.
After all, when the “check engine” light goes on or warning bells go off, life gets exponentially easier when you already know the address of a trustworthy mechanic.
