ALT-2 Is there such a Thing as a Trustworthy Mechanic
Trustworthy mechanic?
Absolutely! Finding that individual is the concern. No matter whether you go to your independant repair facility, chain repair, or dealership, you are at the mercy of the actual person looking at your vehicle. The person that is helping you at the counter gets his information from the technician that put your car in the air.
That person that is looking at your car could be recommending things for your vehicle that it does not need simply to generate some work for him or herself. Most technicians are paid by the job, so the more things they recommend the better their odds are at getting some additional work from your vehicle. This is not to say that everytime you have someone call and tell you that your car needs certain items that it's someone trying to bilk you for some dollars. Most technicians are very proud and do not want their name or reputation tarnished. They want you to feel as though your vehicle has been thouroughly checked and know that if treated right you as the customer will want to come back. There is also the inexperience factor. If the tech looking at your car does not have the experience to tell the difference, they may be recommending service because they simply do not know.
How do you tell the difference? Well, there are a few things that you can do to protect yourself. Always remember that the person you talk to is very rarely the person that looked at your vehicle. The counter person has taken the technician's recommendations and worked up quotes for you to consider. So when you are informed of your cars needs, the information has been broken down. Here are some general rules to follow:1. Always ask why. Don't ever take a recommendation at face value. Understand why the repair shop is asking you to pay. If it doesn't make sense, don't do it and get a second opinion.2. Ask for your old parts back. This makes sure that the technician is actually replacing the parts that you authorized to be replaced. It also keeps everyone at the repair shop on the honest level. They cannot give you parts back that are functioning properly.3. When you take your vehicle to be repaired, make sure that you are comfortable with the person that you talk to. The person that does not seem to care about what your saying, doesn't.4. Always ask the name of the technician that actually performed the work on your vehicle. If you do not have any problems, then you can continue to ask for him or her. If there are problems, but you like the shop that your at, you can make sure that person does not work on your vehicle.
So, yes, there are mostly trustworthy mechanics out there, you just need to cover your bases and find them. There are always the BBB and the Atourney General, and the Motor Vehicle Department to contact if you feel that you have been taken advantage of. Before you ever contact those consumer rescources, make sure that you talk to the owner or shop manager to resolve any conflicts. If the business is honest and made a mistake or had an employee that made a bad call, the business will stand behind their work and come to a resolution. If they don't want to work with you then take the appropriate actions.
Always remember this: Repair shops are all over the place and they all want your business. The good ones will work with you and make the transaction a comfortable one. The ones that are not trustworthy won't, so get your car out of there and take it somewhere else!
