Perhaps my imagination was running wild, but I felt that my car was getting progressively louder as time went on (and with each visit to other mechanics in the area). Most recently, I thought that my car's exhaust sounded louder than it should, so I called Tony's to see about having my car looked at. I also requested an oil change at the time of my call, and I noticed that my left rear taillight was out right before heading over to Tony's. I told Dan about my taillight when I dropped my car off, then I went home and waited.
A short time later, Dan called to tell me about his findings. Specifically, he said my exhaust wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be (although there was some significant rusting, since I'm from much further east). He made confident, educated suggestions as to how I should go about dealing with it. He suggested that some of the more significant problems be taken care of now, while less-serious aspects be pushed off until a later check-up due to more serious complications (and cost) that would result from dealing with them.
Since I had him check my car over thoroughly, he suggested that I may want to get the recommended 60,000-mile maintenance done. I asked that he do so.
I have to say that I was impressed with the degree to which Dan explained things, as well as the manner in which he explained them. I don't know a lot about cars, but Dan helped me to understand what he was suggesting and why with ease. I also have to note the manner in which Dan disclosed cost estimates. I suspect that my viewpoint may come as a result of me always expecting the worst when it comes to the cost of car repairs (due to past experiences), but Dan seemed to be legitimately concerned with the cost of repairs and how I might perceive them, almost to the point that he seemed like he felt bad for taking my money. I was honestly pretty impressed with the cost estimates and went along with his suggestions, comfortable that my car was clearly in good hands. I even requested that they keep the car overnight if they needed to keep it longer.
Dan kept me updated throughout the first day, and I received a call early into my work shift the next day, advising that my car was ready. I went over to Tony's to pick it up during my lunch break. While I was there, Tony took the time to show me some of the components that they'd replaced from my car to demonstrate the importance of the repairs that'd been done.
Dan and Tony were both very personable during every interaction that I had with them.
Before I go further, I have to comment on something that I said to Dan over the phone on the first day, as well as how he responded. I mentioned that I felt like my car was louder every single time I got it worked on, and he said that it was probably psychological, since spending a lot of money can have that effect on a person when it comes to car repairs. While the cause of the noise that I was hearing wasn't what I thought it was, I do feel better about my car right now. Something to do with the 60,000-mile maintenance may have done the trick, as it does sound better to me. Also, it starts more smoothly, and the steering feels so much better during sharp turns (usually during three-point turns). Whether it's psychological or not, I have to chalk all of this up to the fact that my car was in good hands and that I *felt* that my car was in good hands the entire time.
I honestly have nothing to complain about with respect to my visit. I appreciate Dan and Tony for their honesty and clarity, as well as their concern for the cost to me. They took my input and - despite it clearly being inaccurate in spots - worked around it to resolve my concerns and cause absolutely no frustration to me. I can't recommend these guys enough. Thanks, Dan and Tony! read more
