The workshop you pick for your new car will service it 10-15 times over the first five years. That’s a lot of trust to hand over. Before you commit, work through these 12 questions with the workshop. A confident answer is more valuable than a polished brochure.
About pricing
1) What’s your labour rate per hour, and does it change by car brand? 2) Do you give written quotes before starting every job, or just for big jobs? 3) What’s your typical markup on parts, and can I see part numbers on the invoice? A workshop that answers these three questions clearly, in under a minute, is showing you their commercial transparency. One that hedges is hedging for a reason.
About parts and fluids
4) What brand of engine oil do you use for my car, and does it meet the manufacturer’s spec? 5) Do you source OEM, OEM-equivalent, or aftermarket parts by default, and can I request a different one? 6) Where do you get parts from, and how long does sourcing take if it’s a rarer item? These three questions reveal whether the workshop is thoughtful about sourcing or just picks whatever is cheapest.
About warranty and records
7) Will you stamp my service book and keep a service history I can access anytime? 8) Do you offer any workshop warranty on the work itself, and how long? 9) What’s your procedure if something you fixed fails within the warranty period? These protect you if something goes wrong, which it sometimes does.
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WhatsApp The Right WorkshopAbout relationships and communication
10) Will I always deal with the same service advisor or technician, or does it rotate? 11) How do you handle urgent issues — can I WhatsApp you directly, or do I need to go through a booking system? 12) If I have a weird intermittent issue that’s hard to reproduce, how do you approach diagnosis? A thoughtful answer on #12 especially separates the really good workshops from the merely competent ones.
