Hometown Garage Inc

They checked it over and everything was okay. There was one problem with a sensor which they fixed for $30. I have not used them too long, maybe two years. My husband was able to make an appointment within a couple of days. It wasn't an emergency really. They are very nice. It was only $30, and usually when you get your car serviced at the dealership, it's like $400-$500. He narrowed things down. He checked everything over to make sure it was alright. At $30, I almost fell over. They get "A"s down the line.

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I sent in a request through Angie's list in the evening, giving three options for appointments. I heard back the next day that Friday morning was good. I dropped the car off as scheduled. They were ready to take the car. Check in went quickly and they were willing to call my extended warranty service if that was needed. I called them around three because my schedule was tight today. He quickly told me what was going on and said there was one more test to do. I called him back and we arranged for their shuttle service to pick me up at home. A nice young man picked me up on time and I had my car. I can't believe how much better the air conditioning works. Really amazing, huge, incredible difference. I have had the car since 2009 and it has never had effective A/C. It sure does now!

My experience was good. They explained everything very well.

• Instead of replacing the temperature control unit for $800, Herbert managed to repair the unit for a cost of $170.  I am impressed by their professionalism and cost effectiveness. I look forward to using their services again.

Spring on my car gave, and they got me in right away to diagnose the problem. It was fixed in a timely manner, and at a reasonable price. They are direct, honest, and only provide the services you actually need. No surprises, which I appreciate.

I had a "check brakes" light on and took my car in.  They were honest with me in telling me that I could get some additional mileage on the brake pads, but the check brakes lights would stay on.  I decided to have the work done to avoid the nagging uneasiness with the light remaining on and the fact that I had already invested time in bringing the car in.
The chauffeur service back to work was a nice touch.

I work in Burlington, so it made sense to try to find a local repair shop for my 7-year old car.  When I was searching Angie's List for a local shop, Hometown Garage impressed me with its outstanding member ratings, so I gave it a try.  From the very first contact -- setting up an online appointment, which was quick and easy -- I was happy.  They were able to accommodate me at the date and time I requested.  I dropped off my car at 7:30 a.m. and was given a ride to my job by a very amiable shuttle driver named Mike.  Later that morning, I heard from the shop that they were working on the issue and were trying to replicate the problem, which they were able to do; however, given that they weren't 100% convinced of the source of the problem, were hesitant to unnecessarily replace parts.  They assured me it was running acceptably, but to call them as soon as the problem cropped up again.  I requested a ride back to the shop in the afternoon from my job, and the owner picked me up exactly at the time I requested and brought me to my car -- with the added bonus of being able to discuss the problem at more length during the car ride.  How awesome is that?! 
In sum, it felt like I was being taken care of by a trusted friend who just happened to be a mechanic.  They could easily have talked me into a full tune-up for hundreds of dollars for such a vague problem as "rough idling", (as less scrupulous places might have done) but didn'tt.  it is rare that in the car repair business, the customer feels that sense of trust and that the mechanic is on THEIR side.  I felt that from the outset with Hometown Garage.  They even gave me the shop's flowers to take home at the end of the day, since it was a Friday and "they were just going to go to waste".  Can't remember the last time I was given flowers, never mind by my mechanic! 
Happily, and highly, recommended.

We have been going to Hometown Garage for over six years and have always been more than pleased with the work that they have preformed. They are professionals, they provide accurate automotive advice and excellent customer service. They are an outstanding firm. We live about fifty miles away so it is a drive for us to reach them but it is more than worth it. We highly recommend Hometown Garage - it is simply the best automotive service provider we have ever had.

Service is just OK - REAR BRAKE PADS and ROTORS. I had it done based on the reviews here on AL, which makes me wonder about the accuracy of these reviews, and the whole Angie's List concept. If it's all and only good reviews, what's the point? This service provider clearly overcharges (I won't say gauges) on the parts markup, but people don't seem to notice because they are "happy" with the service. I guess it's gotten that bad. 
I was in the market to find a good reliable mechanic, since I moved, and it is very inconvenient to drive all the way back to Amherst for auto service, to a mechanic I trust. And that was all that matter, it thought - trust. But now I think fairness is what I'm looking for too.
Home Town Garage brake parts markup is more than  2.5 x.  I called around (AFTER THE SERVICE - silly me), read from a number of online forums where mechanics discuss their business, read online forums where customers exchange opinions, and it comes down to the fact that mechanics markup parts generally in the range of 20% - 40%. Markup is higher for less expensive parts, because the absolute $$ number allows it as it does not "appear" as significant. I have not found anywhere that they charge 160% markup on top of parts cost. 
In the end, I paid total $482 for a job that Monroe quoted me (AFTER the fact) - $300 (with the exact same parts as per their part number). I wanted to help the little guy. Silly me thinking it's better to support a local business, no questions asked - only reviews on AL.
Brake job is no rocket science, however I did feel slight pulsation at high speeds (about 70mph) right after the service. Was contemplating bringing it back, but given my experience with them, now I can assume they'll just say - "it's your front brakes", and I wouldn't give them the job again. $200 is not the end of the world, but I just feel taken advantage of like an idiot.
Our communication after the service:
ME:
 9/9/2013
Greetings,
I just talked with a person at your shop. It was regarding my brake job for the Toyota Matrix this last week. I accepted the job thinking it was going to be reasonable cost considering the extent of the job done. Upon my review of the invoice I noticed the cost of the parts, and it struck me as very expensive (as I have had my brakes done by a shop before). So the parts you sold me are standard generic parts that cost about $34 for the R-brake pads set and $34 per R rotor retail (the actual model numbers you installed). With consideration that I could have procured even cheaper parts (as little as $17/pads set or $26 per rotor), and alternatively could have gone to high end - performance parts for about $50-$80, your charge to me for these parts was about $89 for the pads and $88 per one rotor. 2.6 X, or 160% strikes me as very, very high for your "standard markup" on parts which already include manufacturer's warranty. I was not even questioning your labor or tire rotation charges. My feeling is that you over charged me for these parts by about $160. Can someone answer how is it that you charge this much for parts on top of your business discount from the manufacturer/distributor? and on parts that come with manufacturer's warranty. You warranty your labor, and the manufacturer warranties the parts. This does not make much sense. Terribly disappointing.
Hometown Garage Inc 9/10/2013
Good Morning Armin,
I'm sorry you are disappointed. 
At Hometown Garage we quote the price and obtain authorization before performing any service so the customer is in control of the repair and there are no surprises when the job is done. 
Your car was left at night for service. In the morning you called and were advised it needed rear brakes and the cost to repair. At that time you authorized the repairs be made and that the price was acceptable to you.
You are correct that you can parts cheaper. That is a do it yourself price, similar to buying food at the grocery store. The same food will always cost more at a restaurant; as will parts replaced at a service center. I checked the pricing and it is within the standard range. The consumer site repairpal.com lists parts at $152 - $291 before fees, our price was $276.73 and we never charge shop supply fees. The invoice total did not exceed the authorization. 
In reviewing your invoice I did find one mistake. You were charged full price for a tire rotation. Because of the overlap with the brake work it should have been discounted. Please call and I?ll have $30 credited back to your card.
At Hometown Garage we have exceptional customer service, one of the best warranties in the area (24 months/24,000 miles parts and labor for defects in materials or workmanship), highly trained technicians, equipment equal to or better than that found in a dealership and complete most repairs the same day. Our goal is to be the best in the area, not the cheapest.
Should you choose to visit us again, we will once again provide you with a quote, and would be glad to discuss other repair options, before any repairs are performed. 
Sincerely
Herb Farnsworth
President, Hometown Garage Inc
ME: 9/10/2013
Hello Herb,
You do have a good customer service, and I was not at all dissatisfied with your shop in terms of this aspect, nor was I expecting the cheapest shop out there. I wanted to find a trustworthy shop and along the way support a local business, no questions asked mind you, willing to do whatever you suggested was necessary... until I saw the invoice and what it actually was that was included in the job. 
In terms of your suggested parts source, I'm not familiar (we can all cite whatever we find supports our argument), but I believe it is not unreasonable to cite not an online source, but a RETAILER we're all familiar with - Autozone. 
Your restaurant analogy does not quite compare - they charge me for the value added on top of a steak which INCLUDES labor and operations cost. Your business model is different and should not be used for comparison. You charge me for labor SEPARATELY (which is YOUR value added) and parts, and then let's say procuring the parts; on top of that - let's say warranting the parts beyond the manufacturer's warranty... but not at 160% markup, or 2.6 times your procurement cost. I went online and reviewed numerous other discussions online, on this particular issue. I just wanted to confirm what the common case is, because with my other (German auto) mechanic, his markup was about 20%, and my prior experience was about 30%. It seems that standard markup is in the range of 20% - 40%.
I went one step further, and called Monroe (a chain i DIDN'T want to leave my money with) to see, ex post facto, what they'd ask for the same job, and the quote came at "just about $300".
I don't care terribly much for the fact that I got rid of about $100 - $200 (I'm losing more just by sitting here writing this), as much as the fact that despite my best intentions, I had such terribly disappointing experience yet again with a car mechanic. It really is difficult finding a trustworthy shop. 
Thanks.
P.S. You had my CR card number if you wanted to refund whatever charge you may have mistakenly made.
Hometown Garage Inc 9/11/2013
Good Morning Armin,
We don't store credit card numbers, immediately shredded. I've mailed you a check for the $30 that should have been discounted for overlapping work.
Regards
Herb Farnsworth

With easy drop off and pickup after hours, their reliable service fits into my schedule nicely.

They went over the whole car, I asked them to check fluids, etc.
They actually tested the fluids and said they did not need to be flushed.
Did an oil change, recommended new spark plugs and wires.  
Rebalanced tires to solve my vibration.
I like how they tell you what needs to be done, what can wait and what is a waste of money.  The come across as honest folks not just following published specs of what to do, but use their brains.
Highly recomend.

With a broken tail light indicator, I went to Hometown Garage expecting to drop it off and wait a few hours and pay maybe $20 to $40. Instead, it was fixed in less than 10 minutes for $9.69. This is our third time taking our cars to the garage and we have had good experience every time. We feel like we've gotten our money's worth and the garage is not pushing service that doesn't need to be done. One time they actually came up with a list of recommended repairs but then pointed out the ones that were not necessary to keep the car running safely. This was great information considering our budget.

These guys are professionals.  I dealt with Gary.  He was respectful, kept me in the loop, emailed and called me when necessary, and the entire repair was completed as promised.  I appreciate the fact that this shop understands the importance of honesty and integrity.

Fast and competent.
I like the fact that they have a customer lounge (with free drinks and internet.) Many mechanics don't and I suspect the reason is that they prefer to deal with you over the phone while trying to sell unnecessary repairs.
At the end, I asked them to inspect the front suspension and steering, which they did free of charge. They found some minor problems, while making clear that these problems may wait. No attempt to sell anything.
I gave them an A, though there are some things they might improve.
- on my first appointment, they were slow to call me about their findings. In the end, I drove by.
- some sources indicate that cleaning the idle control valve rather than replacing might be enough.
Not a major issue, though, and I will keep coming back.