Most people just arent familiar enough about the inner workings of their vehicles to determine whether an auto repair facility is honest and charges fair prices. Fortunately, there are a number of recommendations that will help provide assurance that an auto repair shop is both competent and honest.

In the first place, don't choose a shop simply because its location is convenient. You're just gambling and you may be a big loser. The National Alliance of Reputable Automobile Dealers (NARAD) recommends that you find a reputable repair shop before you need repairs. You can make better decisions when you're not rushed or needing repairs immediately. The Frank Myers Auto Maxx Service Center in Winston-Salem, NC will always advise you of the proper repairs that you need to make and never rush you into making a quick, uninformed decision.

When you first contact the shop, ask about its experience with your particular vehicle make and model and whether they specialize in certain types of repairs. Don't hesitate to ask the shop for a few references. Any facility that wants your business should be happy to provide them. A few minutes on the phone contacting references could save you a lot of grief later. Also, ask family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to recommend shops they have used that do good work at fair prices.

You can also check with your local Department of Consumer Affairs to see if there have been complaints against the repair shop youre considering. You may also inquire if an independently owned and operated shop is affiliated with NARAD. To be certified as a NARAD Auto Care Center, the shop must have gained a reputation for service quality in its community.

When visiting the shop, notice whether there are vehicles being repaired or in the parking lot equal in value to yours. Is the facility neat and well organized? Does it have modern equipment? Is the staff courteous and helpful?

All policies (labor rates, guarantees, methods of payment, etc.) should be posted and/or explained to your satisfaction. Also, find out if the facility offers a written guarantee on parts and labor as well as a customer satisfaction policy.

Some garages, such as the one at Frank Myers Auto Maxx, promote free inspections and this is usually to your benefit. However, please know that the shop must recover the cost of the time it spends on the inspection in some way and that usually results in trying to sell you repairs. A reputable shop that's affiliated with NARAD (like Frank Myers Auto), should only offer you repairs that you need. Other non-reputable shops will offer you repairs whether you need them or not.

One of our printing customers is an auto body place. Every year they advertise their famous winter check-up for $25 (now $40) under a huge headline that says “IT’S BACK!” I think they actually started by saying it’s back, which makes the reader assume they are the ones who missed something and in so doing legitimizes the promotion.

We do a few thousand of these flyers every year for them, and I believe they send them through the mail to the surrounding area. They have a couple of simple pictures and just print black through the copier on colored paper, nothing fancy, and then we fold them into thirds before shipping.

“We are a fair shop, with fair prices and honest repairs.”

I really think you should emphasize this in your marketing, at least as much as your discounts and give-aways, if not more. I’m not much for gift cards as much as I am for feeling like I don’t need to get a second opinion on what I’ve been charged.

Going for clever all the time can come across as a bit gimmicky, when what people really want is someone they’d be happy to have as a neighbor. You could do something like a muffler special (”No appointment necessary — we’ll hear you coming”), or in your advertising put in something educational like why a car needs a timing belt after so many clicks or whatever. We have an auto glass repair shop here who ran ads explaining how a rock chip can eventually split the windshield, and they’re doing a roaring trade in those repairs now.

My reasoning is that the gifts and discounts direct the customer’s attention away from the car and onto “What’s in it for me?” when you really need them to think about their car because YOU are thinking about their car. No one is going to get a tuneup because they can get a coffee out of it; they will do it if they trust what you say when you tell them they’re coming due.