Benchmark Automotive Tire & Service

I actually have a lot I’d like to say about my experience here, some good and some bad. It is unfortunate that everything unraveled the way it did here, mostly due to poor communication.
When I was searching for a quality shop to complete the necessary repairs on my vehicle, I received approximately 10 different quotes from shops throughout Kitsap County. Benchmark was the highest price but they were highly recommended and the warranty on their work was 1 year longer than the other shops So I decided to bite the bullet and pay a little more for what seemed to be a more speedy and quality job.
During the quoting process I was not asked the mileage on the vehicle (I was with other shops) if they had asked the would have known the mileage before the work started and I also was not offered a loaner vehicle at the time I dropped off my vehicle.
The next day I got a call and a quote for the timing belt and water pump. I immediately contacted knowledgeable friends and family (mechanics and service managers in auto shops and licensed dealership service departments) and was immediately told that the price was outrageous. I then did some of my own research and contacted other local shops about the cost for these services and the were pricing lower than half the cost Benchmark offered me. Yes, I am a woman and this thought crosses every womans mind when she feels like she is getting gouged at an auto shop. I myself have a lot of mechanical experience and excellent industry resources that they were unaware of.
I dropped off on Tuesday and at that time I was told they would send out the heads that day and get them back on Thursday and I would likely have my vehicle Thursday or Friday. When I spoke to them on Wednesday there was no mention of any delays. When we spoke again via email there was still no word on delays. I got a call on Friday at 4:30 in the afternoon saying it was close to the end of business and they were not done, I was not offered a loaner car at this time either. He told me that they would have it done Monday morning.
I called Monday morning to get a status report and was told they needed at least a half day’s work. So definitely not before noon. Now Monday morning has turned into Monday afternoon. Still not offered at loaner vehicle. My husband felt that I was getting pushed around so he called the shop.
I do feel like saying «would you like us to rush through the job and mess something up» wouldn’t sit well with any customer, in addition to being told that this job could take 16 hours if you’ve done one recently or if you’ve done 5, implying they haven’t done one recently and they haven’t done at least 5 of these repairs. It did not leave me feeling confident that I had chosen the right repair shop.
I was not offered a loaner vehicle until around noon on Monday, the 5^th business day they had possession of my vehicle. But after speaking with the owner he promised that my vehicle would be done by close of business that day. I arrived a their shop at 4:30, they close at 5. As promised I did get my vehicle that day, they worked until 6:30 and I was able to drive away at 6:40pm, yes I sat in their shop for 2 hours and 10 minutes.
I find it interesting that the owner decided to rip apart the number of times my husband has reviewed on Unilocal,meanwhile he has NO Unilocal reviews and had NO star rating on Unilocal prior to this. Every single review available is only available on their website and of course the only ones they are going to show you are the good ones. The owner did tell me that my husband wrote a scathing review and implied that I needed to tell him to remove the review.
After I left the shop, I felt like I had established an understanding with the owner that there was a snowball of events and we had discussed them right there, face to face in the shop. I also had asked them to send me estimates for the additional work they recommended after working on my vehicle. Now that I can see the level of unprofessionalism and how low the owner has stooped in lashing out at a single poor review I can safely say that I will not return to this shop and I will not recommend them to anyone else.

This place tried to gouge my wife when she needed work done. They also pushed back the pick up day over a full weekend.
We needed a head gasket replaced. They knew ahead of time they’d need to schedule a machine shop. We dropped the car off 8am on a Tuesday and we’re supposed to pick it up Friday.
After they got the motor out, they called her to try and up sell to get the timing belt and water pump done. Since it would need to be done on the next couple years anyways, we agreed. Then the price they quoted was almost 4 times any other shop in the area. The part price they quotes was more than double the most expensive price anywhere online.
It took the threats of speaking to the owner and poor reviews online for them to lower their price to still more expensive than any other shop.
THEN, when it was time to pickup, they called and said they were just out of time for the last bit and it would be ready Monday morning. Monday morning rolls around and they still aren’t going to be ready til maybe the end of the day. They also made passive aggressive threats that they could rush through but it would just need rework.
It’s quite obvious they tried to take advantage of my wife because she is a woman and they are untrustworthy. I would not use them again and would tell you to take your vehicle elsewhere unless you enjoy be treated poorly and have vague threats issued because you are unhappy with their broken promises.

Came in for some auto maintenance and was impressed with their professionalism and no BS handling.
They also had a flexible schedule and were able to fit me in that afternoon. Awesome!
The others I called said maybe later that week for about 30% more to my bill !
Nice. Will return.