I got my 2004 Mini Cooper S on October 30, 2003. It now has close to 83,000 miles on it and for almost all service I’ve done at the dealership, Motorwerks MINI. It starts off “included” with the price of the car for the first few oil changes and inspections and I became just complacent and comfortable with going there for service. After numerous bad experiences with them such as when they didn’t ever return my phone calls when my car was there for service, having to go in four times to troubleshoot the same problem with my stereo, when they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars more than a local auto shop for a simple car battery or when they complained they couldn’t find my phone number even though it was written on the key chain as well as in their database, I decided that I needed to look for another place to get my car serviced.
The only other place in the Twin Cities that specifically specializes in Mini Coopers that I’ve found is Orr Autosport. They gear towards the higher end of performance and cater to the tweakers and tuners. I just want an oil change and someone to look at a strange radiator fan problem I’ve had recently.
I figured I’d start close to home. There’s a few dirty mom and pop places within a couple blocks of me that seemed to have mostly older domestic vehicles in their lots so I avoided them. I had really nasty experience with the Tires Plus store on East Lake so they were out of the question. I’ve driven past Electra Tune on my way to work every day and they seemed to have a reputable appearance so I looked them up on the Google. Overall, very good comments except for someone on MNSpeak that claimed to be ripped off by them. Most everything I read about them was positive, though. Figured I’d give them a shot.
I was able to get my car in the day after I called and I was helped right away when I walked in. I got a call a few hours later with a report on what they found. They troubleshooted my radiator problem correctly, they were able to source not only the air filter but also the cabin air filter which I knew needed to be replaced soon. (I keep an online log of all the service that’s been done to my car to keep track.) They also said I needed to replace two of my brake pads and a sensor. I expected this but I forgot to tell them to look for it, so I’m glad they brought it up. They asked if they could keep it over the weekend as they were rather busy. I told them I needed the car early on Monday so they arranged to make sure they’d get it done Saturday.
They called me Saturday morning and I walked down to see everything completed. They went through the paperwork with me to make sure it was all clear. When I asked for clarification on items they were happy to show the technician’s hand-written notes. Even though I knew the answer, I asked how the other two brake pads looked even though I had them replaced less than a year ago. They went back to the technician that worked on my car and they came back with exactly what I expected: “almost good as new.” They were forward, communicative, seemingly honest, and talked at my level of car knowledge.
I should have started coming here a long time ago. I’ll be back for my next oil change.
Electra Tune
4522 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-721-3121
Comments 6
I’ve only been there for oil changes but have had good luck with those. Convenient, clean, and good communicators.
Posted 28 Jun 2008 at 20:55 ¶I’ve been going to Electra Tune for a few years now, for everything from oil changes to brakes. The previous owner, Saied, was awesome, and I was bummed to hear that he retired and sold the shop to the BP guys up on Cleveland and Marshall. But now I’ve talked to the new owner a few times, and he’s super nice as well.
The new owner has been working at shops in the neighborhood for a long time, and his family lived in the house that was burned down during the fire that destroyed the condo project on Lake and the River Rd.
It’s so nice to have a place in the neighborhood like Electra Tune.
Posted 28 Jun 2008 at 21:04 ¶I’ve never had a chance to experience Motorwerkz service as I was treated so badly while even looking for a car that I vowed never to walk into any of their dealerships ever again. Carousal Audi is also another dealership that treats its prospective customers like dirt unless they fit a certain profile.
I take my car to German Autoworks in St. Louis Park. Prompt service, decent prices, and actually talks to you like a human being . They only cover Japanese and German cars tho.
Posted 29 Jun 2008 at 07:34 ¶Isn’t it refreshing to find a shop that remembers what customer service is? The dealership’s realize that they are going to get business regardless of how they treat people because, people are going to come in regardless and believe anything they say.
Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 05:44 ¶Aaron:
Uncanny–same year Mini, same bad experiences at Motorworks (not that uncanny, by itself), same good experiences at Electra-Tune. I have been an E/T customer for a few years and have never had any problems there. I was bummed to read (per Moe’s comment) that Saied is no longer affiliated with the shop. I might calibrate my trust settings a bit until I’m sure that Saied’s spirit lives on there–I have no particular reason to believe it won’t, other than the fact that his caliber of customer service is unfortunately becoming ever rarer.
P.S. The worst thing about Motorworks service, in my opinion, is the way they aggressively insist that you rate their service 5 out of 5 in a survey, even though it is decidedly mediocre at best.
Posted 30 Sep 2008 at 08:36 ¶Our family has been huge fans of Electa Tune because of the original owner, Saied. He was honest, dedicated and delivered on customer service. One time my car;s oil light went on right by his shop and I ran in to get it fixed. He loaned me his car so I could go to a meeting while he checked out the car.
Knowing Saied, I knew he would sell his place to a reputable person. I took our cars in for winterizing in September and met the new owner, Steve Anderson. He and his mechanics did a thorough job on our cars, kept me informed and was honest in the appraisal. I recommend Electra Tune to my friends and neighbors.
Posted 11 Oct 2008 at 20:53 ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 2
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