If you live in San Jose or even the surrounding areas you know how large of a city it is. Its not just large in population, it is large in area or mile, 178 miles approximately. So how on earth does one choose an auto repair shop in this massive city?
The first and probably most reliable way is to go by a recommendation of someone you trust. For most of us this is how we “search” for many new services. We ask our friends or family members. This allows us to ask questions of an unbiased nature and trust that we will receive honest answers. We generally know and trust the person recommending and therefore we have a back-ground on their views and standards. I believe this is one of the best ways to find an autorepair shop in San Jose. It takes a lot of the guess-work out of the scenario. Now if that is not enough of a lead you can take the search into your own hands.
There are 4 other parameters you might look at in finding an auto maintenance and repair shop. One is location, two is price, three is reputation and four is fit. These are not in order of importance, everyone has their own top priority. For me location is everything, I need things in a 5 mile radius if at all possible. This helps me simplify my life and allows me to accomplish more in my day. However, price is a close second.
For today lets talk price. Most of us are working very hard for our money and it is difficult to come by. Price in the automotive industry is not as simple as the cheapest is the most logical. Cheapest does not translate into the best work/shop. In fact it can mean quite the opposite. Sometimes the cheapest shops are the worst! These shops often use the inferior or sub-standard parts and materials. Other times their prices are lowest because they hire low-skilled or untrained technicians. In some cases, it can be a scam to keep you coming back, they “say” they fixed the problem but in actuality they put a band-aid on it. When it comes to price there is not an easy answer. There are many things to take into consideration. What is the auto repair shop’s warranty on their parts and labor? Are their technicians properly certified and trained? Is the shop itself properly licensed and certified. All of these things, if available and present contribute to price and mostly to the price being higher rather than cheapest. It costs money to properly run an honest, dependable auto repair shop in San Jose. The last thing to consider in price has to do with warranty. How long have they been in business, are they there for the long haul. It does no good to have a warranty if they aren’t going to be there to honor it in a few years. If that is the case you will have to pay another shop to do it all over again. That being said, warranty is important, but it goes hand in hand with reputation and longevity.