I'm an old man: a retired mechanic from Firestone Complete Autocare in 2012. I needed some simple…read moretransmission maintenance requiring the car to be lifted on a rack. I couldn't fix it myself because I don't have a rack at home. I went to an Aamco Transmission shop next door to Automotive Technicians, only to find it had closed its doors for business. Automotive Technicians was next door to Aamco. So I walked across the parking lot.
I've been to Automotive Technicians twice: once to set up an appointment, and once to show up for the appointment.
Both times I walked up to the counter, the man there (identified as Charles-something) NEVER looked me in the face. I had to initiate a "Hello" to even get a response. He constantly looked at something under the counter top (a computer?), forcing me to converse with the top of his head.
During the first visit Charles was dismissive and rude, never looking at me, but giving constant sarcastic responses about my experience and my requests. As I tried to converse, two mechanics walked in from the shop and were quite friendly. I set up an appointment for the work to be done first thing in the morning since I would have to wait with the car and couldn't leave. I left after sharing a couple stories with the mechanics about past experiences with customers. Leaving, I felt apprehensive that Charles had been shady and I might be cheated and overcharged for simple work. He definitely didn't make any effort to get my business. RED FLAG
A few days later I arrived first thing in the morning for my appointment. Again, from the top of his head, I was told that there were 5 cars ahead of me: three already in the shop that had beat me there, and two left from the previous day. As I stood there, two mechanics showed up for work. I had beaten them to the shop! Yet supposedly they were working on three cars already. The ensuing conversation divulged that no other mechanics had arrived yet. There were no other customers there, so the five cars must have been dropped off and their owners were not waiting. I was actually there with an APPOINTMENT to wait with my car, yet these other cars took precedence! This reinforced my feeling of something shady going on, and I was about to be cheated. RED FLAG!
I had called ahead to ask if they had found a complicated transmission gasket that was needed and was told they would make one. Obviously they had no clue about this gasket! I knew this gasket was very complicated and not one that could easily be made by hand. Since I was paying the rate of $160/hour, I was concerned about purchasing a $10 gasket versus them making one that might cost $80 to $120 (30-45 minutes) in time involved. RED FLAG!
I also asked if I could check the front ball joints and tie rod ends while the car was up on the rack. Charles complained that I was adding work to the job. I replied that as a mechanic I could do the 5 minute job and not involve his mechanic at all. Now his response was that customers were not allowed in the shop. Per his previous responses, I thought he was being sarcastic, so I asked if he was serious. He replied yes, and very sarcastically asked the mechanics if they thought the owner would allow it. Every shop I've ever been to will walk customers back to their cars to show them problems the mechanic had found in order to verify if the customer will allow the repair. This set another RED FLAG about their operation.
CONCLUSION: Charles had barely looked me in the face on two occasions. He gave me the feeling that he was shady, and I was about to be cheated. He denied me, an experienced mechanic, access to the shop, reinforcing the impression that something shady was going on back there, and I wasn't supposed to see it. My total impression was that they would pull the car into the shop, barely touch it, and back it out never having completed the requested work. And I couldn't verify it, because it was under the car where I couldn't see to it.
I took my keys and walked out.
I don't care how long they've been in business; my recommendation is to AVOID this shop. I believe that Charles is bad news, shady, and bound to take advantage of anyone he can.
