Bajeks Automotive Service

John Bajek’s my new mechanic, and he is one super-​nice guy. Over three days, he handled two surprise repairs for me: replacing the sensor on my catalytic converter (as it went out the day before I took my car in for inspection), and replacing my starter (after towing my dead car from downtown Buffalo).
Both repairs were an unpleasant surprise, as repairs tend to be, but John broke the news gently, and tried to save me money whenever he could. For example, he looked for used parts in his shop before ordering new, and as my starter blew after my car had just been in his shop, he didn’t charge me for the tow to take it back for a look.
He also explained the rationale behind each charge and repair — for example, saying that while he hates to charge $ 75 just for the diagnostic computer service (still $ 5 less than you’d pay in a bigger city), it’s because the computer equipment cost him thousands of dollars.
As a woman, I especially appreciate the way he didn’t dumb down or gloss over the details of the repairs he planned for my car. Instead, I felt like he really wanted me to understand and support his decisions, before they were made.
I also appreciated the way he spoke to his staff. He always seemed considerate of their time and effort, making sure they took breaks and had time off during the holidays. When the boss cares about his people, my thinking is that they tend to do better work on your car!
As I had to spend a lot of time in and around his shop waiting, John also played a great host to me, asking questions about my travels and pointing me towards a great diner across the street where I could have a cup of coffee and read the paper.
John was also flexible regarding pickup time for the car, even coming in on his day off to get me my keys when I couldn’t come in during regular shop hours. The man works hard.
After being here for several hours, though, I do wish his garage were a bit more user-​friendly — a space heater, a few comfy chairs, and extra reading materials beyond the Christian periodicals and motorcycle magazines would go a long way!
However, these are just sidenotes. Overall, John’s a great, personable mechanic that I’d use again.