“You should choose a regular repair facility and bring it in every three to four months,” recommends Paul Salazar, owner of Auto Express in Santa Cruz. “A mechanic who sees your car regularly can tell you when it needs special work, like new brakes or tires.”
Building a rapport and relationship with the people who keep your car in good condition is also important. “Most shops do quality work,” says Mr. Salazar, “but what’s important is how they treat you. Do they let you make decisions or do they push services on you? When you have a comfortable relationship with your mechanic, you can trust them to tell you what needs to be done.”
Mr. Salazar doesn’t think finding a good mechanic is particularly difficult. “The visual appearance of the shop tells you a lot. Ask yourself some basic questions. Are the lobby and rest rooms clean? Is the equipment clean? Does the shop have the latest computer technology for diagnosing problems?”
The longevity of a shop’s mechanics is also a good indicator of quality. A well-run shop that’s dedicated to excellent work will retain its employees for a long time. Conversely, a shop with high employee turnover is unlikely to foster the environment where technicians care about doing a good job.
In the end, Mr. Salazar believes the most important factor of any auto repair shop is the care with which it treats its customers. “It’s all about how professional they are; how they talk to and treat their customers. The best shops make customers feel completely comfortable.”
