I’m a mechanic – here is how you tell the difference between a good garage and a bad one
A MECHANIC has revealed how to tell the difference between a good garage and bad one.
A motoring expert took to TikTok to share secrets on how to avoid being ripped off when taking your car in for repairs or a service.
Craig, who works for Walsall Wood Tyre and Service in the West Midlands town of Walsall, offered quickfire tips in a 79-second clip.
He was introduced by a colleague who suggested this video was “going to ruffle feathers”, answering the question: “How can you tell a good garage from a bad one.”
He went on to suggest you should be able to trust the mechanics looking after your car, but not to be too taken in by surface-level customer service.
He did recommend putting faith in staff who open up about what needs fixing or what repairs they’ve already carried out.
Craig began by telling viewers: “A good garage aren’t just going to tell you something’s broke – if you ask them to prove it, they’re going to take you to your vehicle, they’re going to prove it.
“If they’ve already replaced components and you ask to see the old components, they’re going to have them there for you to see to prove that the work was actually carried out.”
But he warned that politeness was only part of the service.
He said: “Make no mistakes, folks – you can have garages that carry out excellent customer service and a great price, but they’ve got nothing but monkeys working on the cars.
“You’ll have a garage that’s got the best technicians in the world but the reception staff haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about.
“What I do say is, if you find yourself a decent garage that you feel are looking after you honestly – stay with them.”
He suggested getting to know staff at a garage and having them know you and your car would help identify any future problems more swiftly.
Craig said: “The longer you stay with the one garage, the more that garage gets to know you and your vehicle, how you drive and the kind of faults you’re likely to have.
“You ring up and say, ‘My car’s not starting this morning – what do you think it could be?'”
His suggested situation involved mechanics noting that the battery was previously highlighted as a potential problem – and how best to get it repaired or replaced when you next arrive.
He concluded by saying: “By the time you get there, that garage has already got the part there to fix your car – that is a good garage.”
His guidance was welcomed in comments below the clip.
One watcher said: “I’ve used the same garage for years and have known the owner since I was a kid.
“He always shows me the broken bit if I’m there, without me asking.”
Another wrote: “Love these videos – I always take my car to one garage and they know what is wrong or what needs doing to it without asking.”
And the mechanic was also told, “Well answered”, and “My garage does the work in front of me while I wait.”
Craig has previously offered advice on how to save thousands of pounds by checking a vehicle part.
He also warned about a common issue that could put your safety at risk and how potential car-buyers can tell whether a previous owner was a boy racer.
Other experts have also recently shared advice on how “cheap plastic” could be wrecking cars, hidden buttons to start your motor remotely and how to make driving more comfortable.