I was so disappointed in my first experience with Salem Boys. They had come recommended to me and I know of their radio show, so I had high hopes when I took my car in for A/C repair.
First, when I made the appointment on the phone, I was told that they would be open until 6:00 p.m.. I told them I would be there shortly before 6:00 to drop off my car. No problem, she said. I got there at 5:50 and found the doors locked and lights off. I try to avoid leaving my car outside repair facilities as thieves know how to get into the night drops to steal the keys. Looks like I had no choice this time, so I dropped it off in the after hours box and kept my fingers crossed. I left a note with my keys expressing my displeasure with the early closing, which was never acknowledged.
The next morning I received a call fairly promptly. To their credit, they evaluated the car quickly. The news was not good - replace essentially the entire A/C system for $2,350. Wow. For this price, am I at least getting Ford parts? No. Ok, what's the warranty in my shiny new aftermarket A/C system? One year. That's it. Not to worry though, I was assured they have had "good luck" with this manufacturer. I wasn't comforted by that. A quick Google search found manufacturers that will warranty their products for 3 years. Sounds more reasonable.
I advised them I would be picking up my car. When I picked up the car, it was a very disinterested interaction. Not exactly rude, but no conversation or attempts to see if there was any other way to help me. $48 please. Ok, fine.
I decided to check around and compare prices. I called the dealer first. I asked for a price to do the same work Salem told me they would be doing. The dealer was $200 less expensive and I would be getting OEM parts with a warranty twice as long. I've never heard of the dealer being less than an independent shop before. I managed to find another facility (with excellent reviews) that would do the work for $300 less and a warranty for 3 years. Still expensive, but head and shoulders above the Salem quote. I ultimately had the work done there and it appears fine for now.
I was left wondering what benefit Salem Boys was offering. Price - no. Quality - no. Service after the repair - no. Service - no. It's unfortunate, but Salem Boys missed an opportunity to gain a customer.