Ringing Up Reputable Mechanics : Driving: First dentists, now auto repair shops hope to boost business through membership in two new phone referral services.
Chatsworth ceramics manufacturer Don Franklin was looking for an auto mechanic to fix his problematic ’63 Ford Ranchero when he heard a radio ad for (800) FIX-A-CAR.
Although Franklin admits he’s skeptical about auto repair shops and 800 numbers, he decided to call because several independent mechanics and two Ford dealers had no success fixing his vehicle.
“I found a great dentist like that, through (800) DENTIST, about three years ago,” he says. “So I figured if it worked for my mouth, it might work for my car.”
It did.
The referral service, which opened in January, pointed him to Westside Automotive in Canoga Park and its longtime owner, Steve Fasoline.
“He ran it though an ultrasound test and diagnosed it when even Ford couldn’t help,” says Franklin.
Fasoline fixed the car and now Franklin recommends him to friends “over and over” for the mechanic’s integrity, knowledge and reasonable prices.
Although Franklin didn’t know it, the founders of FIX-A-CAR, Dana Desselle and Megan Carmichael, patterned their new service after DENTIST in Santa Monica, where both worked for about 5 years.
Theirs is the second such service for consumer referrals to Southern California independent auto repair shops to open within a year; (800) GOOD-TEC, started by a group of auto technicians and headquartered in Costa Mesa, began last August and has about 50 member shops in Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
“We realized there were serious problems with lots of shops,” says GOOD-TEC board member Anthony Chery.
“There is such new and demanding technology. A lot of shops can’t fix the electronics or don’t have the computers or training for the newer cars. We wanted to make sure consumers were getting certified mechanics who had pursued training and invested money in the proper equipment.”
Neither FIX-A-CAR nor GOOD-TEC charges consumers for referrals. Both directly connect callers with a recommended repair shop in their area after determining their needs.
Desselle and Carmichael are not mechanics, but spent nearly two years researching the auto repair business before coming up with criteria they felt shops should meet. Then they inspect prospective repair shops before signing them as members. Repair shop owners also must fill out a detailed, lengthy membership application.
Both services require members to sign a waiver permitting the referral groups to check the shops’ backgrounds with the state Bureau of Automotive Repair, the same agency that clamped down on Sears auto repair practices recently. The bureau, a division of the Consumer Affairs department, registers California auto repair shops yearly and the referral services can check for complaints against the shops. An ordinary consumer can also check with the bureau about a shop’s record, but it can take a month or longer to get an answer.
GOOD-TEC’s members join the service free, but pay a percentage based on the work referred to them. FIX-A-CAR charges member shops between $500 and $1,000 per month, which currently pays for operations and an intensive advertising campaign on both radio and TV.
“My partner and I started this pretty much out of personal need,” says Desselle.
“I had an ’85 Bronco and I kept taking it to the dealership because I didn’t know where else to go. . . . Everybody hates mechanics because they just assume they’re going to be ripped off. We want to help people find guys who are doing quality work for a reasonable price. Not just some grease monkey trying to fix cars out of his back yard.”
Since January, Desselle and Carmichael have signed up 60 repair shop members from Fresno to San Diego and their 15 operators take about 100 inquiries a day.
They hope their service will take off the way DENTIST did. Now in its sixth year, the referral service has more than 1,000 dentist members, with about 100 on a waiting list. The service gets about 4,000 calls a day.
“People should use the same care for their cars as they do when they’re looking for a doctor,” Carmichael advises. “They really should educate themselves, and get to know a little bit about what they’re getting into.”
In starting their referral firm, Desselle and Carmichael networked through the state Automotive Service Councils (ASC), an industry group founded in 1940 to “improve the image of the automotive repair business,” according to Jim Cummings, past president of the West Los Angeles ASC chapter.
Most of the FIX-A-CAR repair shops are also members of ASC, as are those belonging to GOOD-TEC. Both groups prefer mechanics certified by the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) program, which gives written tests for auto technicians to assure the quality of their work. ASE is the “only certification acceptable nationwide by major manufacturers and independents,” says Cummings.
The tests are offered in 10 different categories, or a mechanic can become a master technician by passing all categories. The certifications are valid for three years.
(Desselle and Carmichael are also setting up a referral service for auto body shops through FIX-A-CAR. And GOOD-TEC began a pilot program for body shop referrals last week. The service is sponsored by the California Autobody Assn., and its phone number is (800) 454-DENT.)
Both referral services say that many of their members are also members of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Approved Auto Repair program, which comprises about 800 automotive repair facilities throughout Southern California.
The AAA-recommended repair shops, which include independents, dealerships and gas stations, pay a yearly $250 fee.
Any motorist can go to an AAA-approved facility, but Auto Club members are entitled to arbitration by the club if they have a complaint against the garage about unsatisfactory repairs.
Desselle and Carmichael will also negotiate any disputes between consumers and their member shops. “If we get three valid complaints, we can legally remove them as members,” says Carmichael.
GOOD-TEC, according to Chery, set up an arbitration panel composed of three auto repair shop members and a consumer.
Steve Klein, who owns Maurice’s Automotive on Edgemont Street in Hollywood, says he joined FIX-A-CAR referral service about five months ago because he’d tried everything else and nothing brought in new customers.
Klein has a 12,000-square-foot facility and repairs domestic and foreign cars. He uses a $40,000 Allen Computer Test Center in his shop to diagnose the computer-packed newer autos.
“The overhead here is massive,” he says.
“And with the economy the way it is, we have to do something to try to get back to where we were. We used to generate 60 to 100 cars a week. Now we’re lucky if we do 30. I had nine mechanics working for me. There are four now. . . . Out of all I’ve tried . . . this 800 number seems to bring in more business. I figure if they’re sending you 25 to 30 referrals, you’ll do OK.”
(800) FIX-A-CAR in Santa Monica is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sunday. After hours callers may leave messages.
(800) GOOD-TEC in Costa Mesa makes referrals from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours callers may leave messages.
How to Choose an Auto Repair Shop
* Find out how long the owner has been in business and make sure his state Bureau of Automotive Repair registration is displayed and current. There is an expiration date on the bottom right side.
* Look for mechanics’ credentials as certified auto technician by Automotive Service Excellence. Additionally, look for shops with affiliations with industry associations, such as Automotive Service Councils or AAA, and community groups such as the Elks Club or Little League. These show the owner has established business ties to the community.
* If you have a 1985 car or newer model, check to see that the shop has modern diagnostic equipment.
* Is the work environment clean and orderly?
* Is there a separate waiting area for customers?
* Are there additional services offered: Customer pick up and delivery? Rental or free lender cars available?
* Make sure the shop provides a written work order that the customer, by law, must sign before work begins. If the work will exceed the written estimate, shop managers or owners are required to notify the customer before proceeding with repairs.
* Make sure the shop clarifies the guarantee on the repair work.
* If you need a smog check for your car registration or must have air conditioning repaired, be sure the shop has a state license, required in California.
* Be sure there is a secure storage area for the vehicle if it must remain overnight or a few days.
Source: (800) FIX-A-CAR
