Can You Trust Your Garage

Can You Trust Your Garage

Why Trust Matters More Than Price When Choosing a Local Garage

Over the many years that I have been involved in the motor trade, one thing has never really changed. Motorists want to know that they can trust the garage looking after their car.

Of course, price matters. We all have bills to pay, and with the cost of living seemingly going up all the time, nobody wants an unexpectedly large garage bill.

However, I have always believed that there is something more important than simply finding the cheapest garage in town.

Trust.

Here at Pellon Tyre & Autocentre in Halifax, we have been looking after local motorists for many years. During that time cars have changed beyond recognition. We have gone from relatively simple petrol and diesel cars to vehicles packed with electronics, sensors, cameras, computers, and increasingly hybrid and electric technology.

Yet the relationship between the customer and their local garage remains remarkably similar.

People simply want to know that if their garage says something needs replacing, it really does need replacing.

New Research Shows Motorists Trust Their Garages: Can You Trust Your Garage

I was interested to read some recent research commissioned by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover.

The survey questioned 2,000 UK motorists and found that 83% trusted the repair recommendations made by the last garage they visited.

I actually find that very encouraging.

Independent garages sometimes receive unfair criticism, particularly on social media, where you occasionally hear the old stories about garages supposedly inventing work or replacing parts unnecessarily.

In my experience, the overwhelming majority of independent garages are hard-working businesses trying to look after their customers and earn a living.

After all, if you deliberately rip somebody off, how many times are they going to come back?

Probably never!

Keeping Customers for Years Builds Trust

One particularly interesting result from the survey was that 54% of motorists said they trusted their garage because they had been using the same one for years.

This is something that certainly rings true here in Halifax.

At Pellon Tyres, we have customers who have been coming to us for many years. In some cases, we have looked after several generations of the same family.

Dad might originally have brought his car in for tyres or an MOT. Years later his son or daughter starts bringing their car in, and eventually we might even see the grandchildren arriving with their first car.

For an independent garage, there isn’t much better advertising than that.

You cannot buy that sort of loyalty with a cheap advert or a special offer.

It has to be earned.

Being Clear About Repair Costs: Can You Trust Your Garage

The survey also found that 44% of motorists valued transparent repair costs.

Again, this doesn’t surprise me.

Nobody likes receiving a bill that is considerably higher than they were expecting.

This is why communication between a garage and its customers is so important.

At Pellon Tyres, if we inspect a vehicle and discover additional work, we contact the customer and explain what we have found.

We don’t simply carry on replacing parts and then present somebody with a huge bill afterwards.

The customer should always know what is happening to their car.

This is particularly important with an MOT test.

A car might fail its MOT because of worn brakes, suspension problems, tyres, or another safety-related defect. To somebody who doesn’t know much about cars, an MOT failure sheet can sometimes look frightening.

However, once the problem has been explained in normal everyday language, things usually become much clearer.

Explaining Things Without All the Technical Jargon

According to the research, 42% of motorists said that clear explanations of mechanical faults helped them trust their garage.

This is another important point.

The motor trade is full of technical terminology.

Track rod ends, anti-roll bar links, DPF systems, EGR valves, ABS sensors, TPMS valves, and countless other components are everyday language to mechanics.

They aren’t everyday language to most motorists!

If somebody comes into our garage with a knocking noise from the front of their car, they don’t necessarily want a twenty-minute engineering lesson.

They simply want to know:

What is wrong?

Is it dangerous?

How much will it cost?

Does it need repairing now?

Those are perfectly reasonable questions.

Sometimes showing the customer the worn part can make things much easier to understand.

A badly worn brake disc or tyre is fairly obvious when you can actually see it.

We Never Do a Job Unless It Needs Doing: Can You Trust Your Garage

This has always been one of my strongest beliefs in running Pellon Tyres.

We never do a job unless it needs doing.

That simple philosophy has served us well over the years.

Sometimes a customer comes in expecting an expensive repair and the actual problem turns out to be something relatively minor.

There is no point replacing perfectly serviceable parts simply because you can.

Perhaps you make a little more money that day, but you could lose a customer for life.

I’d much rather somebody leave our Halifax garage thinking, “They treated me fairly.”

Because the next time they need an MOT, tyres, brakes, exhaust work, servicing, or another repair, there is a good chance they will remember us.

Reliability Beats Cheap Prices

Another interesting result from the research concerned price.

When motorists were asked what mattered most when choosing a garage, 42% prioritized reliability and getting repairs completed correctly, while only 19% said price was their main consideration.

I think this is an important message.

Naturally, everybody likes a good price. We always try to remain competitive at Pellon Tyres.

But being the cheapest garage in Halifax has never been our main ambition.

Doing the job correctly and looking after our customers is much more important.

A cheap repair isn’t cheap if it has to be done twice.

Local Reputation Still Counts: Can You Trust Your Garage

The research found that 34% of motorists trusted garages because of a strong local reputation and positive online reviews.

This is another area that has changed enormously during my time in the tyre and motor trade.

Years ago, reputation was mainly spread by word of mouth.

Someone in Sowerby Bridge might tell their neighbour about a good garage in Halifax. A customer from Elland might recommend us to somebody at work. Families and friends would pass garage names between themselves.

That still happens today, but we now have Google and online reviews as well.

Before visiting a garage for the first time, many motorists will look at its reviews.

They want to know what other customers have experienced.

For a local independent business, good reviews are incredibly valuable because they are effectively modern-day word-of-mouth recommendations.

Halifax Cars Have a Hard Life

Living and driving around Halifax and Calderdale can also be pretty demanding on a vehicle.

We have steep hills, twisting roads, potholes, wet weather and plenty of stop-start driving.

Anyone who regularly drives around places such as Pellon, Queensbury, Northowram, Sowerby Bridge or Hebden Bridge will know exactly what I mean.

Brakes, tyres and suspension components can certainly earn their living around here!

This makes having a garage you trust even more important.

When something starts knocking, squeaking or vibrating, you want somebody who will investigate the problem properly rather than simply start changing parts and hoping for the best.

Sometimes Repairs Can Wait: Can You Trust Your Garage

This is another important part of building trust.

Not every advisory or slightly worn component needs replacing immediately.

There is a big difference between something that is becoming worn and something that is genuinely dangerous.

A responsible garage should explain that difference.

Sometimes we might tell a customer:

“It’s okay at the moment, but we’ll keep an eye on it.”

That might mean checking it again at the next service or MOT.

Other times we may find something that really does need immediate attention, particularly where brakes, steering or tyres are concerned.

Giving customers an honest assessment allows them to make an informed decision.

Modern Cars Make Trust Even More Important

Cars are becoming increasingly complicated.

My own Hyundai Tucson hybrid is a perfect example. Modern cars contain cameras, radar systems, electronic control units and sensors monitoring just about everything.

Many customers have absolutely no idea what half of these systems do — and why should they?

That’s our job.

As cars become more complicated, motorists are increasingly dependent on garages having the correct diagnostic equipment and technicians who understand modern vehicle systems.

However, technology alone doesn’t create trust.

You can have the most expensive diagnostic machine in Yorkshire, but if you can’t explain the problem properly to the customer, you’ve missed an important part of the job.

Independent Garages Still Have an Important Role: Can You Trust Your Garage

I have always been a great supporter of independent garages.

We employ local people, use local suppliers wherever possible and keep money circulating within our communities.

At Pellon Tyres, our staff live around the Halifax and Calderdale area. Many have been with us for years, and customers often recognise the person who worked on their car the last time they visited.

I think that personal connection still matters.

Customers aren’t just registration numbers on a computer screen.

Trust Takes Years to Build

According to the research, 89% of motorists were satisfied with the repair work carried out by their garage.

That is another encouraging statistic for our industry.

It shows that despite all the negative stories we occasionally hear, most British motorists are actually happy with the garages looking after their cars.

Of course, no business gets everything perfect every single time.

What matters is how you deal with problems when they occur.

If something isn’t right, sort it out.

That’s another important part of earning trust.

A Good Local Garage Is Worth Finding: Can You Trust Your Garage

After spending most of my working life in the tyre and motor trade, I think this research confirms something I’ve believed for years.

A good garage isn’t necessarily the cheapest garage.

It’s the garage where you feel comfortable leaving your car.

It’s where somebody explains what is wrong without confusing you with technical jargon.

It’s where you’re contacted before additional work is carried out.

And most importantly, it’s where you believe that when they tell you something needs replacing, it genuinely needs replacing.

Here at Pellon Tyre & Autocentre in Halifax, that’s the type of relationship we have always tried to build with our customers.

Cars may have changed dramatically over the years, but good old-fashioned Yorkshire honesty still goes a long way.

And I don’t think that will ever change.

Pellon Tyre & Autocentre – Halifax

For MOT testing, tyres, servicing, brakes, exhausts, batteries, wheel alignment and general vehicle repairs, our experienced team at Pellon Tyre & Autocentre is here to help motorists throughout Halifax and the surrounding Calderdale area.

Good service, honest advice and repairs carried out because they’re needed — not simply because they can be sold.