Are they a professional shop with a clean customer service area? Believe it or not a clean and well organized workshop is a good sign of a professional auto repair service. Why? Because it shows that they take pride in their work and want to provide the very best of service to their customers.
Before buying a car, make sure to read the reviews online for that exactly brand and model. Seriously.. investing only a few minutes of time and energy into researching this can save you so much money in the long run! When you see people complaining about certain aspects of certain brand/model car, assume you will have the same problems when you buy one. Just keep looking for a better one.
The customer service of a location that does lube services is also important. If you go someplace often, you expect to develop a professional relationship with the people that work there. You probably hope to find this to some degree in a car shop. Obviously, they all have different personalities, and they are not here to be personable, but it is definitely a nice trait to have in a car mechanic.
When people dump their used cars off at an auto parts recycler, they are freeing up precious space in the almost overflowing landfills. It doesn’t make sense to throw something away, when it can still be used. If you pick the part from a used car, you are going to be getting an actual manufacturer’s part; no knock-offs here. You can rest assured that the parts recyclers will know which parts are usable, and which parts are actually junk.
Second, ask your trusted family members and friends for their opinion of professional people that they take their cars to. Because honest and reliable auto repair shops are so rare, once someone has found a good body shop that doesn’t cost a lot of money, they will stick by that auto repair shop for life. If someone that you trust tells you that they have found an honest, affordable, and reliable yacht dealer, you should at least go to the garage to check things out.
There are a lot of aftermarket auto parts you can purchase and install on your own. A little homework before you start the project and you are good to go. Also a lot of suppliers have detailed instructions on the how to. I find it very satisfying to do the work myself. You get the feeling that you did it all! And it is always a good conversation piece. Although, if you have not attempted anything like this before, I always recommend a professional to do the install.
Are they members of national auto repair organizations? Again, membership in well-respected associations indicates a mechanic’s commitment to the industry. It also shows that they are interested in improving their skill, service and process.