Finding a quality car repair shop, such as a NARPRO shop, is very important to your repair experience. More importantly is the communication you have with your honest NARPRO mechanic. If you take a few minutes before bring in your car in for maintenance or repair, that small amount of time can make a world of difference, and also save you time because you won’t have to decipher any miscommunication.

Here are some communication tips to help you have the best experience possible during your next visit to your car repair shop.

Write down notes before bringing your car in about what’s going on with your vehicle, such as “symptoms” regarding how it is performing. This way, you won’t forget to mention certain things that might be important to fixing your car. Make sure to include all of your observations, even if some of them seem silly or irrelevant.

Try to simply describe theses symptoms to your mechanic, instead of offering suggestions or solutions. Explain what has been seen, heard and smelled while driving the car. Be sure to mention how long these symptoms have been going on for.

Try to be precise and accurate. Try to say exactly where the unusual rumbling noise is coming from; for example, instead of saying “It’s coming from under the hood” try to point out an exact location, such as “Under the hood toward the front, and it starts when I hit about 40mph.”

Make sure to refer to the driver or passenger side of the car, instead of saying right or left.

Resist temptation to use technical, industry jargon, unless you are 100 percent sure you know what it means. Explain what you are experiencing with your car using terms that minimize the possibility of misinterpretation or misdiagnosis.

Always bring the most recent copy of previous repair orders to show what recent work has been performed on your car, especially if you are visiting a new shop that you’ve never been to before.

NARPRO helps consumers find top, independent and honest auto repair shops and competent auto body shops near where they live, work or travel. Click here to find auto repair shops or auto body shops in the Phoenix, Tucson or Portland, OR area.