Have you ever taken a vehicle in for simple service only to walk out having been “tricked” into paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected services?
I think most of us have been taken advantage of by an auto repair shop at some point in our lives.
That’s why when we find an auto shop that is honest and ethical it seems to take us by surprise. In a good way.
My experiences with cons have been too many to list.
So today I want to give accolades to two Santa Maria auto repair servicing companies that have consistently impressed me over the years.
These are NOT clients of ours. And there is no compensation for these recommendations. In fact, nether company knows of these recommendations — and we’d like to keep it that way.
The first company is unfortunately very difficult to get to. In fact they have a waiting list. They are busier than many shops that are struggling in this crazy economy. So if you have work you need done I recommend you call early and get on their waiting list. Don’t procrastinate. You’ll hate yourself later if you drag your feet. It means you will have to wait longer than you even expected.
This first auto servicing company I recommend is Pichard’s Electrical & Tuneup. You can find them at the corner of Cypress and Blosser. Here’s a picture of their shop (closed Sunday’s, as you can see):
They also have a smog shop about two buildings down. Here’s its picture:
The staff at Pichard’s to my experience are primarily Spanish speaking. But the owner is bilingual. In case you are wondering, I’m not bilingual. But I do understand a little Spanish. But too little for getting help with mechanical work. So that lack hasn’t hindered me getting great service at Pichard’s.
And Pichard’s has saved me several thousands of dollars over the years.
And even better, they have never so much as tried to ‘trick’ me into paying for work that wasn’t needed. A big relief when dealing with auto shops.
But that doesn’t mean they turn a blind eye to problems. They’ve given me heads up on things that will need to be watched for a year and a half down the road. Other auto service companies quoted fees more than twice as high as Pichard, only because the other companies ‘tacked on’ and fabricated work that wasn’t needed. Some even tried to make unnecessary work seem more critical than actually is, just so they could wrestle $600 or more out of me for nothing. I will never use those companies again.
All it takes is one lie for me to write off a auto service company. No matter how small or large. The way I see it, if you can’t trust an auto service company for the things you can catch them lying about, how can you trust them for anything else? You can’t.
So if you want straight dealing, no fabricated repairs, and to save money… go to Pichard’s. But only if you don’t mind getting on their waiting list.
The second auto service company I can recommend is Toyota of Santa Maria.
Pros:
1) Honest dealing. They have never fabricated repairs on any of our Toyota’s. Not once.
2) Thorough repairs and diagnostics.
3) They treat everyone like they are driving a Ferrari. You are pampered. Is bizarre to feel like part of their Toyota “family” when going in there. They bend over backwards to help their clients and customers. Is bizarre the extent they go to make customers happy.
Are you worried about being stranded because of dropping off a vehicle? They’ll shuttle you a ride back home or to the office.
Need a rental vehicle while yours is being serviced? They can usually help there too.
Want coffee while you wait, want to watch the news, read the Wall Street Journal or local newspaper while you wait? They provide all that too. Major pampering.
Cons: Only one I can think of… this pampering comes with a price. They charge retail or near retail for servicing. They do not use manipulation or scams to make you spend money you don’t need to spend, but they do charge near top dollar for servicing. But that really isn’t bad. You get a ton of help for that top dollar. I’ve dealt with other dealerships and been ripped off. Years ago I worked at a dealership (in one of my past lives) where the service folks fabricated repair work that wasn’t needed. They’d disconnect hoses. Plug up vacuums. They did all kinds of things to trick customers into thinking some repairs are needed. The short time I worked there gave me a bad taste for dealerships. Toyota of Santa Maria put that confidence back.
Those are the only two Santa Maria area auto repair service companies I can whole-heartedly recommend. Maybe there are others that are honest. I have not found them. And trust me, after owning ten cars in 25 years I’ve dealt with many of the local auto service companies. Tires. brakes. And major service work. Not all are honest. So if you are looking for fair dealing without the game playing I can’t recommend these two companies enough.
