When Time and Money Are Fixed, Some Auto Service Locations Find Other Ways To Please You

Jeb April 23rd, 2008 3:07 PM Link

I used to have a go-to independent shop that I felt really comfortable with. They didn’t have a lot of amenities, other than 24-hour counter service (attached to a service station) and being in walking distance from home, but that meant I could drop my car off with a work order at 8PM, walk my dog home, and sometimes get my car back in the morning before I left for work. Also, I felt they dealt honestly with me, and even though they weren’t always perfect (they literally fragged my transmission while on a lift once), they made sure the job was done right. The best part was that they were willing to let me source my own parts and would do some basic aftermarket work (such as installing a transmission cooler) if I could provide them with instructions.

Dealer service departments are another story. I go to a Ford dealership twenty miles further away than the closest one after that one screwed me over and refused to finish a recall job. Our Mazda shop’s waiting room feels like a ’80s rec room…I halfway expect to find dogeared Playboys under the vinyl couch cushions. It still staggers me how gross some of these places are.

chartguy April 23rd, 2008 3:43 PM Link

I’ve written about them before, but Sill-Terhar Motors is a superb dealership in Broomfield, CO (between Boulder and Denver).

http://sthmotors.com/

Jack Terhar Sr. and Hugo Sill started it over 45 years ago (1960), as a Ford dealership. Jack Sr. bought out Mr. Sill long ago. He realized that treating people with respect, and emphasizing quality service was critical. They’ve won TWELVE President’s Awards from Ford for excellence in customer service. I’ve been going there since 1985, and love them. Four different Ford dealers in Boulder have come and gone since then, and I’ve driven past every one of them on my way to Sill Terhar.

Jack Terhar Jr., took over almost twenty years ago, and he understood the concept. They became a “marque” dealership about ten years ago, adding Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury. The recently became the only Rolls Royce dealer in Colorado. It doesn’t matter whether you’re bringing in an Aston Martin Vantage or a twenty-year old beat up pickup in for service, they treat you right.

I don’t have problems when I go to Sill Terhar. They want you happy, and try to anticipate problems and remedy them before you even know they exist. My mother is 78. At my urging, she bought a Volvo XC90 from Sill Terhar when she moved to the area. It’s very very reassuring to know that when she’s getting service, they’re doing it right, and treating her right. I can’t think of a more difficult customer than an elderly woman who doesn’t know anything about cars, but she always comes away happy. I’m at the other end of the spectrum, wanting to know everything before we decide what to do. They keep me just as happy.