Customer with technician

Having a trusted mechanic and service shop for repairs on your vehicle makes maintaining your car much less stressful. Knowing you have a place ready to make any repairs necessary saves you from having to scramble when you get into an accident or experience a break down. But, how do you evaluate shops and find a trusted mechanic? Here are a few tips. 

Start now

The best time to start looking at local car repair shops is before you need one. This will allow you to perform your due diligence without any sort of time crunch or time without your vehicle. This will also allow you to take your car in for simple maintenance first, rather than having to rely on a new mechanic for a major repair. By doing so, you'll be able to assess the quality of their work, their customer service and their pricing. 

​Ask around

There are a number of consumer organizations you can consult to get a list of reputable mechanics in the area. But, the most valuable recommendations usually come from your friends and family. Ask who your acquaintances take their vehicles to and ask why they go there. Some may not be too discerning, but others may have specific reasons why a shop has gained their trust. This is particularly valuable if you have friends who drive a vehicle similar to yours. 

Look at the facility

Before you even walk in the door for the first time, you should be looking at a mechanic's facility with a critical eye. First, look around the parking lot. Are there vehicles parked there similar to yours and of a similar value? This will tell you whether drivers like yourself trust this shop, or if they aren't right for your vehicle. If you can see into the work bays, look at how clean and neat they're kept. Does everything seem organized, or do tools and spare parts seem to be spread all around? You may not think it matters much, but cleaner, more organized garages tend to make fewer mistakes, and be more efficient, which allows them to charge less for repairs and get your car back to you faster. 

Talk to staff

When you do walk in the door, or pick up the phone, how does the staff respond to you? Again, you may not immediately think it matters much. But, if mistakes do happen, or you need to give special instructions, you should be confident that the shop will respond courteously and make every effort to appease you. If they don't seem eager to greet you and welcome you as a customer, they likely also won't commit to high quality repairs to keep you coming back. 

Ask for policies and qualifications

A repair shop's labor rates, diagnostic fees, guarantees, acceptable forms of payment and similar policies could impact your ability to work with them. All of those should be available to you and are usually posted by the front desk. Be sure to ask about these policies, whether you think they apply to your situation or not, so you're not taken by surprise later. You'll also want to find out about the technicians' qualifications. certification by organizations like ASE, trade school diplomas or certificates of advanced course work are all helpful, but you'll also want to talk to a representative of the repair shop to learn about the types of repairs they usually perform and the makes and models of vehicle they typically deal with. 

At Benzin Motor Works, we specialize in BMW, Mercedes and Hummer H1 repair. Our technicians are all extensively trained on these specific vehicles and offer years of experience. If you need repairs or maintenance, call us at 918-728-6081.