Money is of major concern to most everyone, especially when facing a costly repair bill. Often the only question people ask us when they call is how much their repair will cost. While I understand the desire to cut to the bottom line, there are other important questions to ask to learn about the values of your prospective shop.

1) How long have you been in business in Tyler? No matter how well trained or experienced, all mechanics make mistakes. However, honest mistakes are a long way from intentionally cheating customers. Logic tells you a shop can’t stay in business long if they cheat people. Also, a shop that has been open in one location for a good length of time will likely be around to stand behind their work, should you have problems.

2) What written warranty do you offer? It’s important to know that the people you pay to work on your vehicle will stand behind their work. A written warranty ensures you will have recourse if your repair fails. It is your ticket to security; after all, it’s the security of a warranty and confidence in a vehicle’s quality that leads many of us to purchase a new car in the first place. Shouldn’t some of that same security be available when you pay to have your car repaired? We have confidence in the work we do, so we now offer 18 month warranties on all major repair work.

3) Secure a written estimate after you have a mechanic you feel good about, and after insuring that he or she will stand behind the work for which you pay. Usually, this will require that the mechanic diagnose your auto’s problem, but many shops will diagnose at no charge to their customers. Estimates can be difficult to generate for custom work— after all, your vehicle and its problems are unique—but estimates are common for most jobs. They insure the repair you authorize will be fairly billed. Ultimately, asking for an estimate protects your relationship with your mechanic.