Large, chain garages are becoming more and more common across the UK, with many motorists preferring to frequent a garage with a well-recognised name rather than their local garage. While it may seem like chain garages will provide a better service or more qualified mechanics, this is not the case. Local garages are often a lot more advantageous than chain garages, and to help convert you, we’ve listed some of the reasons why you should trust your local garage with your vehicles.
More personalised service
Chain garages aim for maximum custom, so will fix your vehicle as quickly as possible before moving on to the next vehicle, and no matter how often you use the same garage, it’s unlikely the staff will recall your last visit. With a local garage, you’ll receive a more personalised service in which the mechanics will treat you like an individual rather than just another customer and take the time to explain your options, allowing you more insight into your car’s condition, and generally offering you a more pleasant visit.
By building up a relationship with your garage, you’ll find that small jobs or checks will be performed without a charge to you. In a few years, these small savings can add up to a big financial gain that will make visiting a local garage very worthwhile.
Skilled mechanics
Smaller garages rely on local trade, and the key to ensuring ongoing custom is to always have a reputation as a good quality garage. This means that local garages can’t take chances on mechanics that aren’t up to standard as they can jeopardise the garage’s entire reputation. Chain garages aren’t faced with this issue as one mechanic plays a very small role in the entire corporation, and one negative review will be lost in the sea of other reviews. However, this means that every time you use a chain garage, you are gambling on the skill of your mechanic. Using a local garage guarantees a skilled and dedicated service that will work much harder to provide a first rate service.
More flexibility in pricing
Chain garages need to charge more than local garages to cover their considerable overheads, whereas a local garage will have fewer staff to pay and less rent to pay, meaning they can charge their work at a lower price and still make a profit.
Friendly staff
Staff who work at a local garage will feel a real sense of camaraderie with their team, creating a much more positive environment to work in that makes for happier, friendly staff. The staff you interact with at a garage are very important as they can make your trip much more enjoyable, so engaging with staff who are more open to chat can make a local garage much more favourable.
Oaks Services supply professional MOTs and car repairs to the wider Surrey area from our base in Chertsey, offering fully qualified and experienced mechanics and excellent customer service at affordable prices. Open six days a week, you can rely on us in your time of need. For more information on our services, contact us here and we’ll be happy to help.
