My boyfriend and I were travelling from Equinunk, PA to Reston, VA Sunday afternoon, when our 2003 Subaru Outback Wagon, which had been rumbling a bit, began to shake violently. We pulled off to investigate at Hazleton, and parked at the Fairfield on Woodbine. At 5PM Sunday, nothing was open, so we stayed Sunday night at the hotel and got a tow to Luzerne on a family friend's recommendation at about 11:30AM yesterday. We rented a car from Enterprise, fully expecting to have to leave the Subaru and return for it later.
Mark, the owner, had spoken with my dad on the phone, as the car is registered to him, and remembered every detail of the description given second-hand. He was called to the front office by his very friendly receptionist, immediately greeted us with a smile and a handshake, kindly invited us to have a seat and a coffee, and went right back to the garage to assess our vehicle before we left. He drove it around the block, took a look, and came out right away and let us know exactly what the problem was and that it would be a fairly simple fix. He told us one axle needed to be removed and replaced, they already had the parts, that it would likely be ready that same day, that if all went according to plan it would cost me about $260, and that he would call me right away and let me know if he encountered any other broken axles or complications that would take more time or money to repair.
I was very relieved that the fix would be simple and reasonably-priced, so we thanked him and left in our rental shortly after noon, still not daring to hope that we would hear back from them before evening. We parked for a few minutes, deciding what to do if we had to leave for VA before it was done, then drove to the shopping center. We had just enough time to stroll around the PetCo and have a short lunch at Applebee's, and by the time we were paying our check (a grand total of maybe 2 hours since we'd left the shop, give or take 15 minutes) Luzerne was calling to let me know that my Subaru was fixed and ready for pickup. We returned to the shop, my wagon was parked out front, and my total bill for the repairs, parts, and labor came out to less than $230. We were able to transfer our bags, return the rental right back to the Hazleton Enterprise (saving us a $70 "drop fee" to return the car to an out-of-state location and essentially cutting the expected price of our rental in half), and we were safely back on our way home by 3PM yesterday in our own, functioning car!
Now, I have had interactions with many auto shops in the past, and in my experience, I have come to expect the condescending "sweetheart" tone, the assumption that I will know nothing about my vehicle, the attempt to take advantage of my situation and sell me services that are obviously not necessary (usually followed by blatant annoyance when I refuse to be misled and up-sold), the attempt to overcharge me for the services I do need, a dismissive send-off of "we'll call you", a weeks-long wait for a vague diagnosis of the problem, several calls to the shop with a different story each time ("Almost done!" on Friday, then "Haven't gotten the parts yet!" a week later), pointlessly high-end, special-order parts at a 200% markup that take a month to arrive, and a surprise, unreadable, handwritten, cash-only bill for about three times the estimated quote when I finally go to pick up my still-rattling car, citing vague things like "complications" or "cleanup" when pressed for an itemized receipt.
But, completely contrary to my previous experiences, I was absolutely, 100% amazed at how my car and I were handled by Luzerne. Mark and his staff restored the ride in my 13-year-old, long-haul/off road car to a smoothness it hasn't seen in years, and they did so while treating me with kindness, professionalism, and clear respect for my intelligence and my time. I was never once talked down to, dismissed, or misled; nobody tried to up-sell or overcharge me, and their communication was direct and immediate. The charges for parts, service, and labor were clearly itemized on a straightforward printed receipt, and while I paid in cash, they also offered check or credit card options. After a night of trying to coordinate emergency car rental, repairs, insurance claims, and tow services over the phone from a hotel in an unfamiliar town, 200+ miles from both my parents (the policy holders) and my own home, knowing that my boyfriend would have to burn precious PTO from work the next day, I was a nervous wreck by the time we arrived at Luzerne. I was sure that my car was giving out and that I would have to choose between paying a mint to replace the drive shaft or junking the car, but Mark and his staff put me at ease right away, treated me as a valued client even knowing that I was just passing through town by coincidence and likely wouldn't be back, and left me wholly impressed with their service and repair!
This is how business should be done! Thank you, Luzerne! read more
