So far I've had 3 encounters with them, and I couldn't ask for more. In my understanding, Gary is the master mechanic. I spent months researching whether there was any way to save money on an expensive repair I needed. In discussions on Reddit and Sienna Chat and Youtube, numerous people reported having bought a certain sub-sub-component on Amazon and putting it in themselves. A few said the new part soon failed and they had to do it again. But for most it worked fine. I tried but couldn't do the work myself. Four days ago I asked Gary would he try using the part. I had thought it was the OEM brand, but Gary immediately recognized it as afternarket. Gary and I both understood that asking a top-notch mechanic to incorporate an aftermarket part into a repair can be like asking a dentist to fill a cavity with rubber cement (my bad analogy not his). But I really wanted Gary to try it, even though the result would not be up to his standards. He agreed to do it, with the understanding that if it fails it's on me. The reason I go into all this is that usually the customer and the mechanic interact almost entirely through the service writer, and it takes years for the customer to "get" the person who does the work. In contrast, in this episode, because I was asking him to put at risk the quality of his work, through his push-back and flexibility I got a real feel for the man. I saved a major chunk of change on the repair. I'm happy about that. If the thing is still working in 5 years, great. If it falls apart tomorrow, I'll still be happy, because I did my best to save myself money, and I deeply trust that Gary did his best for me and for the car, and I'll have a smile on my face when I bring the car back to him
Thank you so much for your kind review, Douglas! We are happy to hear about your positive experiences with our team at Allbrand Auto Service in Kensington, MD. It is great to know that Gary was able to provide you with exceptional service and that you were able to trust him with your car. We always strive to provide our customers with the highest quality of work, and we are glad that we were able to save you some money on your repair. It means a lot to us that you took the time to share your experience. If there's anything else we can do to keep you driving smoothly, please don't hesitate to reach out. Have a great day!
- Allbrand Auto Service