Pros and Cons of Repair Shop Types

A very common question asked of many technicians: Where should I take my car?

The best answer possible would be to go to the best mechanic qualified to service your vehicle, regardless of the repair center type  – hence the reason for the technician directory in the first place. However qualified mechanics work at a variety of locations.

Here is a list of what I believe to be the general pros and cons of each type. It is built upon my work experience and the questions asked of customers. It IS NOT a conclusive and factual study of all repair garages, so no offense to those shops who choose to be different. This is just a generalization that many can relate to. Hopefully it will help you decide what’s best for your needs. Afterwards, I’ll summarize how to read between the lines.

The Independent Repair Garage

PROS

• Private ownership requires customer retention. Customer repeat business demands the best of customer service to stay in business. This is very common with independents.
• Personal attention. Often it’s the owner who greets you or at least a knowledgeable employee who also doubles as a mechanic or technician.
• Shop employees commonly attend specialized training programs offered and sponsored by their parts distributor.
• Labor rates are generally a little lower.
• Labor guides are used to estimate and based on manufacture repair times.
• Estimate options and payment terms can sometimes be negotiated.
• Mechanics may be paid either Flat Rate (per job) or hourly or both.
• Most offer a warranty or guarantee sometime better than the dealerships.
• Perform factory maintenance scheduled services that meet your warranty requirements.
• Can provide the option of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts, new or remanufactured aftermarket parts and used parts.
• Mechanics and technicians are required to service a broad range of vehicle types. Therefore veteran mechanics and technicians are well rounded with just about all aspects of automotive repair.
• It’s often easier to establish a one-on-one relationship with the person working on your vehicle. This is important: it usually avoids miss-communication over the service counter when explaining your problem.

CONS

• Smaller garages generally lack the proper electronic information systems the dealerships and larger shops use. The Internet has given small shops a huge boost in this area over the past 10 years or so with dozens of online subscription sites at lower costs.
• Smaller garages generally lack specific electronic diagnostic tools needed for certain vehicles. This is very common with many European vehicles and a few Asian models which of course drives up the cost to repair these vehicles.
• Not always the best place to go and sit while your vehicle is being serviced. Smaller garages generally have smaller, somewhat uncomfortable customer waiting areas. Those who stress customer satisfaction though tend to make your stay as comfortable a s possible by offering a ride or a loaner vehicle.
• Employee turnover is high at shops with poor management. You may not have the same person working on your vehicle the next time if this is the case.
• Communication skills and house cleaning are sometimes… well, a problem. Smaller shops can lack cleanliness and modern organization/communication techniques employed by the larger companies. This often promotes very poor perception to new customers. This is likely where the stereotype of Grease Monkey originates from.
• Employees may have to pay for their own training programs unless paid for by the shop owner. Also, not every area has available training programs in place making it quite expensive to keep updated.

Specialty Service and Repair Garages

These shops are known for being independent and exclusive to a certain make or model of vehicle or even a certain repair. They are the least found garage and often the most difficult to find, with the exception of specialty shop franchised centers (like transmission repairs).

PROS

• If they specialize in your make or model, you’re likely to get the very best mechanics and technicians available in your area.
• They likely have all of the technical information and specialty tools/equipment suited for service and repair.
• Often have availability to hard-to-find parts.
• Like independent shops, private ownership requires customer retention. Customer repeat business demands the best of customer service and personal attention to stay in business. This is essential with specialty shops.
• Estimate options and payment terms can sometimes be negotiated.
• Mechanics are likely paid hourly or salary since they are specialists with only certain makes or models or repair types.
• Most offer a warranty or guarantee sometime better than the dealerships.
• Perform factory maintenance scheduled services that meet your warranty requirements.
• Can provide the option of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts, new or remanufactured aftermarket parts and used parts.
• The best option if you want to establish a one-on-one relationship with the person working on your vehicle.

CONS

• Prepare for expensive services and repairs. Lower sales volume and higher demand produce higher prices.
• Not very easy to find these types of garages due to very high overhead unless they are already a franchise chain.

New Car Dealerships

PROS

• Being exclusive to certain manufacturers narrows the technical knowledge one needs to know about certain models. Problems may be found faster by those trained and experienced with the problem.
• Shops and waiting rooms are commonly clean in appearance and provide the perception of being professional.
• Mechanics may be paid either Flat Rate (per job) or hourly or both.
• Technical training is commonly mandatory and paid for by the manufacturers.
• Dealerships have just about all of the technical references and most equipment available to service their make and model vehicles.
• Parts availability is typically only OEM (original equipment manufacturer) as opposed to remanufactured or aftermarket.
• Very large service centers usually provide a comfortable waiting room, loaner vehicles or pick-up and delivery.
• Your vehicle is subject to the manufacturer’s warranty requirements.

CONS

• Large dealerships tend to not be as family oriented or always provide that personal attention that independent shops do. This often leaves you feeling like just another number.
• Expensive labor rates are common. Large dealerships tend to have large overhead and the majority of their services include warranty work which don’t pay as much as standard non-warranty repairs do.
• Estimate options and payment terms are rarely flexible.
• Sales pressure is common. Upper management pushes to meet sales figures.
• Too many managers and not enough skilled employees is a common complaint held by shop employees.
• Employee turn-over is high at many dealerships due to the competitive nature of working Flat Rate and having to survive mainly on warranty repairs.
• Dealerships tend to hire employees out of vocational schools or colleges with little to no work experience.

Franchise/Retail Service Centers

PROS

• Large retail chain or franchise repair centers usually provide discounted service and repairs for the most common services like brakes, oil changes, tires, etc.
• Many use their own select brand of parts and provide their own warranties and guarantees.
• Multiple locations make it more convenient, especially when needing service out-of-town and having a transferable warranty/guarantee.
• The center may be owned and managed by a sole proprietor similar to an independent garage owner.
• Mechanics may be paid either Flat Rate (per job) or hourly or both.
• Labor rates are usually lower than most dealerships and sometimes independent garages.
• They are more likely to have the needed electronic technical reference support to service most vehicles.
• Training is easier to get for shop employees either by corporate issued in-house training programs or paid external programs.

CONS

• Parts exclusively purchased and stocked by these centers are often low-cost manufactured brands or no-name brands that are often substandard in quality. This is part of the method used to keep repair estimates competitive. However many will still purchase better quality parts form the dealership and other aftermarket resources as well as needed.
• Very high employee turn-over rates due to working conditions similar to dealership type management and sales related problems.
• High turn-over requires a need for fast employment. Mechanics are often hired in at entry level, either just out of vocational school or no school at all but having some experience.
• Very few long term experience technicians survive at these locations. Therefore finding an employee at this location experienced enough to perform diagnostics and repairs beyond common, more simple services and repairs can be difficult to find.

I may be biased when I say independent repair shops are my first choice when someone asks me where to go. I’ve worked in them for years. But my reasoning is based on the required experience an independent shop technician needs to be successful. After a while, working on several makes and models boils them all down to common systems and components. The names are different, they may look different, but the diagnostic approach becomes the same. Dealership technicians and specialists focus on a certain make to just lessen the learning curve. The problem with that is not seeing the bigger picture: what other manufacturers have done with improving the same system or component. Seeing the changes and the variety of systems and components on vehicles, I believe, makes for a more rounded and skilled technician. But again, I’m a bit biased!