Finding a good mechanic for your car is just as important as finding a good doctor or dentist for yourself. You want someone honest and someone who will have the best interest of you and your vehicle at heart.
With car repairs becoming quite expensive these days, it is more important than ever to find a mechanical workshop that offers quality at a fair price.
“So who can I trust?”
- Get recommendations – Ask family and friends to recommend a workshop where they were treated well and were happy with their work.
- Look for a professional appearance – A clean, organised workshop indicates a professional attitude. That attitude usually carries over into other phases of the business, including their repairs and job pricing. Business websites and social media pages can help you determine appearance through photos, reviews and information.
- Look for membership in or approval from consumer organisations – Most reputable shops are members of an organization or association that provide consumer arbitration in the event of a dispute. Organisations such as the RAA also ensure that all approved repairers guarantee their workmanship, maintain a fair pricing policy and follow their code of practice. The repairer is regularly audited and must also maintain standards in equipment and qualifications to remain accredited.
- Check for training and certificates – Look for training certificates and certifications. These demonstrate that the technicians are maintaining their technical competence and keeping up with developments in technology. Although they don’t prove competence, certificates show an attitude of pride and professionalism; just what you would expect from an honest workshop.
- Ask for a detailed, written estimate – After checking your car properly, the mechanic should have a fairly good idea of what is wrong with your car. They should be able to provide a written estimate that specifies what is wrong and what it will cost to repair.
- Avoid low ballers – Workshops in a similar area generally experience similar expenses and costs. So when one shop offers you a price that is remarkably lower than the others, be suspicious. There is a good chance that the price will go up a lot before you get your car back, or you will get a repair that is less than satisfactory. Also ensure they are quoting on the same repair – for example there is a significant difference between a second hand unit, a rechecked unit and a fully reconditioned unit. If you are not sure don’t be afraid to ask!
- Warranties – Before having any repairs done, make sure the business will put a guarantee or warranty on the work to be carried out. You don’t want to be stuck paying twice for a job that wasn’t done properly the first time. An honest workshop will gladly advise you of the warranty on the repairs and will stand behind that warranty.
