by ONE_stupid8

Created on: January 13, 2009

I think that when it comes to auto repair stores trust is a major issue. Not all local auto repair shops are trustworthy - trust me I've seen my fair share of those who are not! But, there is something to be said about going to a local auto repair store that's been around in town for years and years. You know, the kind of place where you know the owner and you know many of the mechanics. I believe that familiarity is a good thing and I think that familiarity breeds trust. Although I have seen it before, I would have to say that it's rare that in a small town you'll find that a local business will go around ripping people off - especially if they've been in business for years. Why? Because they would likely not be in business for long if they engaged in that kind of behavior.

Additionally, not in every case of course, but in many cases of a local auto repair shop the mechanics working there are older and have been around for awhile. Now, I don't mean to discriminate against age but would you rather have an older mechanic down at the local auto repair store that you've known for years working on a mystery problem on your car or instead have some kid working at Walmart's garage making minimum wage doing the work instead? I think that in many cases experience and trust would trump even a cheaper price given by say Walmart's garage.

You know, the whole point of taking your car to an auto repair store is to have it fixed (and fixed right!). Walmart is good at installing tires and changing oil but I wouldn't want them working on my car for a task that is a whole lot more complicated then that. Often at big box auto repair stores their focus is on speed and how many cars they can get in and out during the course of a day. Again, that works for oil changes and tire rotations, etc. However, what about something like having brakes replaced? Would you really want someone rushing through that process on your car half engaged in the job they're doing for you and half engaged in the guy that has the next number behind you?

In closing, big box auto repair stores might be cheaper and move you in and out faster but I personally believe there is a 'price' to pay for that. The price of quality and having a good job done. For me, I'd rather just have a local expert mechanic look at my car. I'll gladly pay them a bit more for their experience and hopefully in exchange they'll take better care of my car.

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