Quick Facts

The California Bureau of Automotive Repair receives around 25,000 automobile repair complaints a year. Since the only people who file complaints are those who know they have been ripped off, the actual number of auto repair fraud victims in California is probably much higher. Make sure you are talking to your customer about their needed repairs and what each cost on their bill is. This will increase loyalty and reduce unhappy clients.

Repairs at a new car dealership cost an average of 34 percent more than those at independent repair shops, resulting in $11.7 billion in excess costs to consumers annually, according to a new study released by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). Now it is more important than ever for repair shops to present themselves in a professional manner in order to compete with dealerships for business.

The report, "Vehicle Repair Cost Analysis: New Car Dealerships vs. Independent Repair Shops" examined the parts and labor costs for 10 common vehicle repair jobs on domestic and foreign nameplate vehicles in six cities, including Boston, Newark, Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Seattle. (AAIA)

As many as 80% of consumers are reading your reviews before choosing a auto repair shop. Many repair shops have reviews on Yelp, that they have never seen. In August of 2011, Yelp is expected to have 38 million visitors. That means 38 million potential customers reading your reviews. (YELP)