My BMW was in need of service - check engine light was on, brake and ABS lights were randomly going on an off, the speedometer would randomly fluctuate and to top it off I had a MAJOR oil leak. I thought a dealership somewhere was going to have a field-day with my car. Luckily, through a friend, I discovered Roby BMW. My experience here was actually far beyond great. It's not every day that I get to shine a light on someone; to be able to say they delivered a truly exceptional service experience. Hands down - this is the only place I will ever take my 328i, or for that matter any other foreign or domestic car I might own, period.
When having a European car repaired, at the end of the day, there is nothing more important than the quality of the mechanic. Here's my ten cents on why this is particularly pertinent with a European car: to say that BMW's are complex is an understatement. German cars tend to be over-engineered, but the result is a truly rewarding driving experience for owners. Unfortunately, owners who tend to skimp on maintenance find that their beloved car can soon become intolerant of them - ultimately postponing something today often results in a big pain tomorrow. But finding someone with the characteristics of reliability, integrity and competence to repair a BMW (or other European car) isn't a simple task. It goes without saying that not all Master Auto Technicians are the same. Oftentimes techs/shops unfamiliar with German engineering can find themselves continually frustrated and out of their depth when attempting to diagnose a problem, let alone repair one. Weary techs, out of their depth, end up throwing random solutions based on hunches and sure enough repair bills pile up for the customer.
My experience with Roby BMW has made me realize that an independent specialist shop, owned by an enthusiast, passionate about the cars being worked on is by far the way to go. Robert is one such enthusiast, with the kind of specialized skills that only comes from years of dealership experience under his belt. When talking to Robert, it became apparent to me quite quickly that he's a technician who has extensive BMW specific training. This, along with his access to BMW specific tools and diagnostic equipment, his experience in making sure that the thousands of parts function together in complete harmony gave me the immediate impression of the highest degree of professional and technical competence.
One of the major things that stood out about my experience with Roby BMW was Robert's direct attention to me as his client throughout the entire experience. It's the norm for car dealerships to employ service advisors, who are the sole point of contact for customers. They rarely act as impartial advocates for the car, and the auto technician is completely removed from interfacing with the customer. Robert took the time out of his day to speak with me directly. I feel confident for the most part in my ability to sum people up, knowing when I'm being leveled with and when I'm being BS'd. Robert's candid demeanor and transparency built trust. When I left my car there, I felt certain that I had left it in the right place. Furthermore, the quality, clarity and timeliness of communication from before the time that I dropped my car off, till the time I picked it up was without equal. When I called, I always got to speak with him directly and he answered and took every call I made - without fail.
He was detailed in his explanation of the repairs and additionally let me know that my control arm bushings were broken and needed replacing. This was in line with my experience driving the car. He walked me through the pricing for the cost of the different chunks of work that needed to be done: bushings, oil leak, bearings etc. To be frank, I found his pricing to be VERY reasonable and the turnaround was super quick: I dropped the car off on the Friday before Christmas and got it back on the Monday after. All on all, I got access to specialist level expertise, without dealership gouging.
I don't usually write long reviews, but on occasion I come across a truly unparalleled experience. Most of the time we're all so busy with life that we forget to shout out these great experiences, but I wanted to make sure I took the time to do it. As a home and car owner, there are certain services that I'll always need: Auto Repair, Electrical, AC, plumbing etc. Having someone I can trust for each of these is crucial to me and my stress/anxiety level, so that I can focus on the other things in life that matter to me - family, career etc. When things inevitably go wrong, I want to know I can turn to someone I can trust and I'm glad that with Roby BMW I've found a car repair place that I completely trust and can wholeheartedly recommend to others. If you have a European car and need it repaired, take it to Roby BMW. Once you stop by and meet him, you'll understand what I'm talking about! read more
