HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU CHOOSE A RELIABLE WORKSHOP FOR ALL OF YOUR AUTOMOTIVE CAR REPAIRS

Choosing a new mechanic or service centre can be daunting. With so many around, and some being notorious for inflating prices or shoddy work, it may seem hard to find an honest, trustworthy mechanic that you can rely on. We have listed a few tips below to look out for when searching for a new mechanical workshop for all of your automotive car repairs.

Word of Mouth – Ask around your friends and family, even the server at your local coffee shop, where they get their automotive car repairs. A good indication of whether a mechanic or workshop is trustworthy is by their reputation, and who better to ask than their customers?

Certifications – Ask the mechanic what licences or certifications they have. Not all mechanics will have them displayed on their wall and certifications aren’t everything, but they’re one indication of how seriously the workshop takes its professionalism & training. Ask whether the workshop is an ‘Approved Inspection Station’ or ‘AIS’ or whether they are a member of the state’s automotive association (MTAQ is Qld’s retail, service & repair association for the automotive industry).

Start Small – A good way to test out a mechanic or workshop you are trialling is to start with some small jobs first. If your car is running smoothly take it in to the workshop for its next scheduled service, this way you can test out their mechanic’s skills and professionalism. Or if you have something smaller like a light bulb change, an honest mechanic or workshop will only charge you the cost of replacing the bulb(providing it is a straightforward replacement). If you need to start with a more expensive automotive car repair ask as many questions as possible to put your mind at ease. A good mechanic will be patient and explain what needs to be done, to give you a feeling of confidence.

Talk to the Workshop Mechanics – After you have found a workshop you like the sound of, go into the workshop and talk with them. Make sure their mechanics can explain everything clearly and professionally, and that you feel comfortable that they will do the right thing by you and your car.

Reviews – Also check out reviews online on the workshops Facebook page, Google and other review websites. Bear in mind that it is normal to get a few negative reviews, you can’t always make everyone happy, but how management responds to the negative review is usually what counts.

Go into the Workshop – if you are in the area it is a good idea to drive past and check it out. Ask to look inside, is the workshop reasonably clean? It’s normal to have lots of tools around but do they look like they are in order, or thrown around the place? Keep an eye on the cars in their yard, are the same ones there week in and week out? This could mean they need repairs but the mechanics are unable to fix them or there is a slow turnover of jobs. Look out for workshops that have different cars each week and a full car park on a regular basis.

Business Contracts – Ask around, or ask the workshop itself, and see what contracts the workshop may have with other businesses. This usually is an indicator of excellence, if reputable companies regularly get their car’s serviced at a particular workshop, the likelihood is they do a good job.

If you would like to have a chat to one of our mechanic’s or would like to book your car in, you can contact us by email or on 07 3821 2955