So you’re not sure whether your car or truck auto repair can be done here at Valentine Automotive? Do some friends or family recommend you go to a dealership instead?

There’s no easy answer to these questions as we can help on lots of auto repair issues, but the dealer may be more appropriate for other things (which we’ll cover below).

In this quick article though, we’re going to help you determine exactly how we can help and why you may need to visit a dealer for the particular make of your vehicle.

What Determines The Cost Of Labor

The cost of labor at a dealership may not be as simple as tallying the costs of the parts and the hourly wages of the mechanic.

Dealerships are known to pad the price of their services according to several factors……

Dealerships spend a lot to keep their technicians fully qualified and knowledgeable about the various models of cars they will work on. This is one of the biggest benefits they can advertise to you.

Next, they have to maintain restrooms, a waiting area, and a full facility that dwarfs the ones of neighborhood shops like ours. They have lots of work bays and plenty of staff that helps them keep the business going.

However, this means that the costs are often passed on to you, the customer. There’s even been reports that they will charge the cost of shop towels, of all things, to your bill!

So understand that it’s not just the parts and mechanic’s expertise that you’re paying for……

Going To A Dealership

Many makes and models will have recall notices or specialty parts that only a dealer will have access to.

This is often the main reason to go to a dealer instead of a local shop like ours for daphne al auto repairs.

To fulfill any repairs that may be worked under your warranty or other service care plan, you may need to visit a dealer for that as well.

It’s also hard to go outside of your warranty when there’s benefits such as free repairs and parts replacement. Not to mention that they will have put guarantees on the quality of their work.

However, the main drawbacks of going to a dealership is that they’re often not concerned with building a relationship with you. Plus, there’s often long waits for even the simplest of jobs to be repaired despite the number of staff and technicians they may have working there.

Going To A Small Auto Shop

By now you may have hinted upon the benefits of visiting a smaller shop like ours instead of a dealership.

Erik and I are always here and we’ll be available to answer questions and inspect your vehicle personally. A dealership does often have a rotating staff, but shops like ours often won’t.

We are also both ASE certified, which means we’re trained and cleared to work on many brands of vehicles. We both have several years of experience working at dealerships and we’re familiar with pretty much every possible problem that can occur with your vehicle.

Valentine Automotive isn’t nearly as big as a dealership, but that means there won’t be added costs to pay for our training, shop supplies, or other stuff that gets charged to you.

Take a moment to read our google and facebook reviews if you’d like to hear what others say about our services. If you’re feeling hesitant about coming to us instead of a dealer, then please call us and let us know your concerns.

Thanks for reading and we hope to serve you next time you need a Daphne AL auto repair.