Why Asking For A “Price” Is The Wrong Question To Ask

So, you own a German Car (maybe its a BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Mini Cooper or Volkswagen) and you are looking for an auto repair shop to service your vehicle. You know you don’t want to go to the dealership since their prices are sky high and the level of service leaves you wanting. You get anxious, you worry about getting ripped off. You ask friends and family what to do. You go online and google some quick answers for your particular problem whether its a noise you hear, a fluid dripping from your car or what is the next maintenance service you need. You then go on yelp or type in a google search for the best auto repair shop in your area. Armed with all this information you call up a shop and ask, “Hey I have a noise coming from my car, I think its a gyromotion arm, how much?” The shop gives you a price and you go on and call the next shop on your list. Each shop gives you a different price. Which one do you choose?

The cheapest price, right? If auto repair was a commodity like buying a gallon of milk, then the shop that is going to give you the best deal would be the choice. When it comes to auto repair and more specifically German car care, price is probably outside of the top 5 factors you should really consider when choosing who is servicing your vehicle. Next time you are calling shops here are some better questions to ask so you can make the best decision.

1. How long have you been in business?

2. Do you specialize in (BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, Mini Cooper)?

3. Do you have factory diagnostic and specialty tools?

4. Are your technician’s ASE certified? Do they attend continuous technical training?

5. When diagnosing vehicles, do you provide options? Do you provide a warranty with your repairs? How long is your warranty and is it valid nationwide?

Rest assured the person on the other end of the phone may give long pauses, stutter or give wild answers that don’t make any sense. The best shops know these answers by heart and are more than happy to have a conversation. At M-Spec Performance we personally love discussing our business and how we can help our clients. We have been in business for over 10 years, we are a true dealership alternative with all factory and specialized tools. All of our exceptional German Car technicians are certified and committed to ongoing technical training. We also provide an in house and nationwide 36-month/36,000-mile warranty on all of our repairs. However beyond all that we have built our company on the basis of integrity and ethics. We never put money ahead of people and we love helping our clients.

We hope this little bit of advice will help you pick the right shop for you!