I made the classic mistake....I bought a motorcycle on impulse. To add insult to injury it was a garage built bobber that had been chopped, cut and sold "as is".
Determined to get the bike up and running I took it to a local, well reviewed shop. The shop got the bike running and assured me that it was mechanically sound and sent me on my way after I paid the $1200 bill. Unfortunately the bike wasn't mechanically sound, nor legal (it wouldn't pass emissions); which brings me to TJ at Eastside Performance.....
I called Eastside in desperation (after several shops actually referred them). TJ (the owner) empathized with my situation, but was upfront with me. He explained how he would diagnose the situation by finding the root of the problem rather than band-aid the symptoms. This took about a week's time, but I stopped in periodically to see what sort of progress he was making. Each time I visited I could see him personally working on the bike on the lift. He told me he had over 20hrs invested in the bike, and I have no doubt that he probably had more. He was very honest about what areas I should address immediately and others that were of no consequence, where I could save money. He was very patient with my lack of knowledge and spent several additional hours answering all my "stupid" questions and offering helpful suggestions.
TJ was able to diagnose several additional issues overlooked by the previous shop. He properly repaired all discrepancies and the bike passed emissions with flying colors.
As far as service goes, I want a shop to be knowledgeable honest, thorough and provide a level of service as if the bike was their own. You might get lucky to find a shop with one of those attributes; however, I received all at Eastside. I just wish I would have gone their first!