As someone begins looking for a place to get a vehicle fixed, it may seem at first glance that independent repair shops are disappearing. Although dealerships and large chains have expanded their business footprint dramatically in recent decades, local, independent garages for Car Repair in Poulsbo WA continue to be strongly in demand by consumers.
Pricing
Vehicle owners quickly notice that repair service tends to be more expensive at dealerships. Some dealers even charge for general diagnostic service that other garages do not. Large chain garages typically are more affordable than the dealerships and are competitive in price with the independent shops. Nevertheless, many consumers like knowing that the headquarters for their vehicle service center is right there in town and not in some far-flung city.
The Demand for Car Repair
Although more big repair garages have appeared on the scene in the past decade, that also doesn’t necessarily mean the shops are crowding out smaller businesses. People are keeping their cars, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks longer than they used to, and older models need more repair work than newer ones do.
The average age of passenger vehicles is nearly 12 years as of 2017, an historical high. Older used cars are much less likely to be junked now, even when they develop a very expensive problem. Whereas families used to rely on one car and sometimes two, it’s not uncommon now for a household to have three or four cars parked in the driveway. All of this means a greater need for automotive technicians to do Car Repair in Poulsbo WA.
Expert Insight
Consumer Reports gives independent vehicle repair shops high marks, finding that consumers tend to rank their satisfaction with the local businesses higher than with manufacturer dealerships. That’s reassuring news to someone who has been leaning toward bringing his or her car to mechanics at a garage such as LK’s Auto Repair. Independent shops are recognized for better prices for parts and labor, quality service, courteous employees and completion of work on time. Consumers don’t seem to care much about dealership perks like high-end coffee and cable TV in the waiting rooms.
