It is a sure bet that if you own a vehicle, you will one day find yourself in need of an auto repair shop. It’s understandable that you might want to tackle some maintenance and even some minor repairs yourself, but there are some repairs that truly do require the tools and expertise of a certified mechanic. When that day comes, you won’t want to just find any local repair shop to work on your baby, but you will want someone that you can trust and that knows you and your vehicle. This is why getting to know your mechanic and building a relationship with them over the years is so important.
We know that automotive repair costs can be expensive, which is why it is so tempting to shop around looking for the cheapest price. The problem with this mentality is that by jumping around from shop to shop, none of the mechanics get to see the whole picture. Take a look at this scenario.
“Mario’s coolant is leaking in his Mini Cooper, he takes it into ABC Automotive and they replace the coolant reservoir. Mario leaves thinking the problem is fixed. Two weeks later, his heat quits working, he takes it to DEF Automotive Repair, where they replace his thermostat housing. Now another couple weeks go by and Mario’s Mini Cooper overheats causing the engine to seize. He takes it into yet another repair shop and they tell him that it his head gasket blew and his repair bill is in the thousands. Because Mario kept shopping around, each repair shop only put a Band-Aid on the situation when the real problem was a leaking head gasket all along. If Mario had stayed at one shop they would have been able to see all the different symptoms of his leaky coolant and be able to accurately diagnose the bigger issue which could have saved him thousands of dollars.”
When a mechanic works on the same vehicle through the years, they get to know the idiosyncrasies of the vehicle and can usually spot a potential problem before it becomes a bigger problem. They are well aware of vehicle maintenance performed as well as the repairs made and it helps them to accurately diagnose any new symptoms or repairs that need to be made. This is good for the consumer in a couple ways. First, they know that their vehicle is in good, knowledgeable hands but also when a mechanic recognizes a loyal customer, they will usually go out of their way to make sure they stay a loyal customer which translates into outstanding customer service.
A great mechanic knows that they need to provide their customer with honest, quality work at a fair price in order to gain a loyal customer. When you find an automotive shop that provides that, stay loyal to them and they will stay loyal to you and your vehicle. This will ensure that you are getting the best service possible at the best possible price.
