One of the most difficult search procedures, and one where most people rely on social networks is the dark and mysterious world of car repair. It’s relatively common to get ripped off, shoddy repair, or the worst, slimy and inexperienced repair people. The mechanic everyone wants to find is a friendly guy who always undercuts the competition because he cares about your business.
Car repair, like western medicine, deals with the problematic scenario. Beyond the regular service (oil, tune-ups), we only deal with mechanics when symptoms appear: the squeaky brake, clunking noise, or click when we turn the key. Unfortunately, mechanics, unlike doctors, do not come with affiliations or a strong community of mechanic friends. If you’re moving to a new city, or don’t trust your friends’ advice, how do you find a trustworthy and skilled auto shop?
I would expect the Internet to provide a bridge between people with good mechanics and those looking for one, but my searches came up empty. Local information providers (CitySearch, Yahoo Classifieds) give the facility to rate or comment on businesses, but lack any actual personal testimonials. Consumer advocate sites (ripoffs.org, The Squeaky Wheel) don’t have a local focus. And to the best of my knowledge, there aren’t any “auto repair testimonial” sites in existence.
My best effort came through the community associated with my car, Volvo owners in America. I found two sites (swedishengieering.com, brickboard.com) that list affordable, experienced Volvo repair shops in the Boston area. It’s a place to start, but definitely not the most efficient search technique possible.
Car Talk has a nice mechanics search that actually ranks their qualities. http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Garage/mechan-x/find.html
Wow, that’s exactly what I was looking for! I didn’t even think to look at the cartalk community.. what a brilliant idea. The choice is made!
I agree, it’s a real shame that there aren’t more of these places! I think if the review sites were more well known, or if people had the inclination, they would be better stocked with review content. Unfortunately if they were, they wouldn’t necessarily be balanced – people are much more likely to complain about a negative experience than compliment a positive one. Perhaps mechanics should start promoting their review site of choice in their store, as many hotels do with Tripadvisor. Put up a sign saying ‘If you liked your car service today, please put up a review on http://www.mechanicreviewsite.com (or whatever that might be). Could encourage honesty and integrity, also!
Great well written post, nice to read a article where the writer has insight that can help others 🙂
Check the two-wheeler body surface regularly to ensure good surface finish. Before cleaning the bike, see to it that the ignition switch unit, H.T. Coil and silencer are covered with plastic sheets.
Keep the carburetor clean by regularly cleaning the carburetor float chamber and other parts. Clean the jets by forcing compressed air through them.
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