Having your auto service done, particularly when you’re looking for something as important as brake work, takes putting in some work for yourself. Trusting just anyone is a recipe for low quality work. Fortunately, there are some valuable ways to tell that your potential shop is right for you.
Specialist Auto Service
In a lot of cases, an auto service center will actually specialize in a particular type of car. If your potential shop specializes in your type of car, there’s a much better chance they’ll do the work correctly than if they’re guessing. They’ll never admit to guessing, but if they specialize in an entirely different type of car there’s a good chance guessing will be going on.
Ask About Their Warranty
One of your most important questions for an auto service shop is, “What kind of warranty can I get on this work?” If they don’t offer any kind of auto service warranty, leave the shop even if you have to push your car out of there. Any good auto service center stands behind their work, and the best way to do that is to offer some kind of warranty. The industry standard can vary tremendously, but you’re generally looking at no less than 90 days or 4,000 miles for a reasonable warranty period. In the case of some parts of your brake system, a three year or even lifetime warranty is possible.
Referrals
Sometimes the best way to find a great auto service place is to just ask around. You already have people in your life who want you to succeed — your family and friends. And since there’s a good chance these people also have cars that need auto service from time to time, there’s an equally good chance that they’ll have someone to recommend to you. If you can find one shop that more than two people recommend, there’s a good chance that shop is the real deal.
Net Reference
It may sound ironic that an Internet article is going to mention going online, but at least you can do that easily enough. A few minutes of research over at Cartalk.com, which is completely free, will tell you how well your potential auto service center typically performs. It’s a bit like looking at the Yelp reviews, only for auto shops instead of restaurants.
Certifications
You can usually tell a reputable auto service center in the same way as you can tell that your doctor is legit — by looking at the wall. Any shop that isn’t ASE certified, which comes from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, is not worth your time or your money. While it might seem cheap to just go to “the ghetto” to get your car worked on, remember that your brakes may be the difference between a slight inconvenience and a terrible accident. Only trust legitimate professionals when it comes to something this important.
Take the Shop for a Test Drive
If you’re concerned that your auto service center may not be up to par, take it for a test drive by starting with a simpler and smaller repair. If you’re satisfied with the work they do on something small, such as an oil change, getting your brakes handled may be a reasonable step upward on the ladder of trust. One thing you can tell with absolute certainty is that if they can’t handle a small repair well, they won’t be able to handle a larger and more complicated repair with any kind of quality. Contact us for quality auto service.
