And since they usually work on commission, service advisors have an obvious incentive to get you to spend more money. Recommendations for the future will probably be confined to whatever is on the manufacturer's or the dealer's own maintenance schedule and will be made by a service advisor.Īlthough many service advisors know plenty about the vehicles they handle, keep in mind that their role is more that of a salesman than an expert mechanic, so it is not unusual for problem descriptions and diagnostic information to get lost in translation. Particularly at larger dealerships, you'll have no idea who is working on your car, what his experience is or if the same mechanic will ever work on your car again. He (or she) may become very familiar with your vehicle and anticipate issues or problems down the road.Īt dealerships, you're often just a number on a computer printout, and you most likely won't even meet the mechanic. You are able to get to know your mechanic (among others) by name. Smaller facilities allow for direct communication with your mechanic. There is nothing more important than a competent mechanic, and you won't get to know your mechanic unless you go to a small garage. Other shops that deal with a variety of makes may specialize less, but can be terrific if you have more than one make of car, want one-stop shopping and prefer to see the same faces each visit. There are many shops that specialize in only one make and so can be trusted to know their stuff. training is less "make" specific than the manufacturer's training, the technicians at these facilities can be just as expert in their knowledge, depending on their experience. Many technicians are both manufacturer- and A.S.E.-certified, so don't be afraid to ask about their certifications.Īlthough A.S.E. Once on their own, they can continue to stay current with the latest repair advancements by taking classes and getting certified through the ( Automotive Service Excellence). Many independent repair facilities are started by previous dealer employees who want to operate their own repair store. This is not to say that the dealers always have the best technicians. Of course, these costs are passed on to the customer in higher labor rates. So dealers typically offer higher salaries or other incentives in order to recruit and retain these employees. The dealers typically pay for these programs to keep up with the latest vehicle enhancements and repair techniques.Ī manufacturer-trained and experienced technician is one of the dealers' biggest assets.
The manufacturers offer these training programs only to their network of dealers. Most dealers have an ongoing training program for the service staff, which includes not only the service technicians but also the service manager, advisors and support staff (also see our " Roles of the Service Staff"). The technicians at the dealer level are specialists they are manufacturer-trained and typically work only on your make of vehicle.
Those chains, which often specialize in one "area" of the car, fall in a middle ground between the Big Boy dealerships and the mom-and-pop repair shops. Bear in mind that "corner garage" means smaller, independent repair shops, not the chains like Midas, Jiffy Lube, Meineke or Pep Boys. So where to go? Below we've outlined some of the pros and cons of the dealers versus the corner garage.
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