Virgil S.
September 2013 I was visiting Catskill and Coxsackie for a friends wedding and had my dose of car trouble on a Saturday around 3pm. I was on my way to leave for the wedding and my '94 Town and Country mini van decided not to start -S#&*@!. I googled who was close by and found Dr. How's on 9W. It was about an hour before closing time when I walked into the shop and they were pretty busy and had a few other customers in there. Their garage and most everybody else would be closed Sunday and I figured I was screwed and would be extending my stay in town through Monday. That would mean another night in the hotel, missed work for me, and missed pay. I spoke with Sue and explained my situation. She said they were willing to go to the vehicle, take a look at it after closing hours, and see what they could do. That already was more than I had expected. She gave me a ride to where I was staying and I was able to go to the wedding and wait to hear back from them when they had a diagnosis. Around 8pm they called me and let me know I had a broken ignition lock cylinder. They could replace it in the morning (Sunday), and I would be on the road by check-out time. They didn't have to tow my vehicle and were able to fix it in the hotel's parking lot.
It turned out to be a pretty simple fix but they really went out of their way to help me and give me great service. They also charged a totally fair price of about $200 (think about multiple trips off-site to car, and non-business hours involved). They did the work around my schedule and at the location where my vehicle was. Howard and Sue did me a solid favor and for this I'm very appreciative. I am happy to give them this 5 star rating and am even happier that I decided to go to them instead of someone else. I don't imagine another garage would have had me on the road so quick and easy. It's unusual when you get service above and beyond and that's why I chose to give this review.
My husband and I have been using going to Dr. How, Sue, and Jeff for four years now and they have been stellar. Not once have they tried to "scam" or "extort" us...in fact, the notion of that is humorous. They are just the opposite, they are fair, will give you the best bang for your buck, and will not tell you something is wrong with your car if it isn't. We have had many mechanics in our lifetime, and Dr. How is the VERY BEST!
By the way, we moved here from Manhattan and prior to that lived in Los Angeles, so they are in no way prejudice to out-of-towners....I often think out-of-towners think they can get over on people who live in the country...this is very unfortunate and a real shame for them as they are missing out on the best mechanic ever! We call him the Subaru Guru!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Dr. H, Sue, and Jeff!!!!!!!!
So thankful we've found an auto repair shop that we can actually trust! Because we like to keep our cars running forever (yes, our goal is always 300,000 miles) we need a good, honest mechanic. That's where Dr. How and Suzanne fit perfectly. They are excellent! And so is Jeff! It's so nice to know you're not going to get ripped off each time you need a repair. They have bent over backwards to help us out when we needed them. From a punctured tire to a blown turbo, we have always trusted their work. And they don't just slap a band-aid on and send you on your way, they actually fix what's wrong so they don't have to see you again for a long time! When you leave the shop, you know your car is safe and dependable and the bill is always fair. We'd recommend this shop to everyone!
Jeff Created on 06/30/12
West Coxsackie, NY 12192
USA
Dr. How's World Class Customer Service
It was a weekend vacation for just us girls to Vermont, when my Porsche Suv started knocking. It felt as if the engine was getting ready to drop out of the car. All the horror thoughts ran through my mind...us stranded on the Thru way! One rest stop, suggested Dr. How's to us. When we arrived, I sat in Dr. How's waiting area, twiddling my thumps, all i can think of the damages to the car, vacation ruined etc. But sure enough, Mrs. How sat with me & described every detail of the problem, even pulled up the price and parts needed for my car and how to control the car by finding the "sweet spot" to drive the car safely to my destination. She advised me to continue with my vacation, call my mechanic to order the part, by the time my vacation was over i can have it installed. That's exactly, what I did.
These words, are not enough to say how grateful I am to be serviced by Dr. How's! Plus, a female that know her stuff! They are a great team & I recommend them to everyone!
January 17, 2011 by Rochelle in Clarksburg, NJ
Our Favorite Car Guy
We were stranded on the thruway with a dead battery and no money. The Dr.'s wife drove a battery to us, put it in and when we got back to the shop did some diagnostics. As I said, we had no money, and they simply said, "when you get the money for the battery send it along." A night of terror turned into meeting two of the best auto shop mechanics and human beings I have seen in a long time. I would recommend them to anyone. A fruit basket or something is coming their way. Bravo top Dr. How's Auto Repair.
August 27, 2009 by Amy Whited in Syracuse, NY
Got stranded on Friday night in November and got towed to their garage. They educated us through the repairs that were needed, took care of them in a timely fashion so that we were able to go back home on Sunday night with a minimum of drama. Finally, they did not even try to rip us off and did an amazing job.
I would highly recommend them!
April 01, 2009 by Eric B. in Cambridge, MA
The place to take your auto for repairs.
Our RV failed at about 10:330 pm.n the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend. It ws fianally towed to Dr. How's. He meticulously tested it from bumper to bumper. When we got it back it ran as it did 10 years ago. If you need auto assistance and are near West Coxsackie, NY by all means take it to Dr. Who's
July 04, 2008 by Michael B. Thompson in Minot, ND
everything i cannot fix or figure out i take there they are fast and very good at what they do and prices are fair .
The shop is run by Sue, the work is done by Howard, they are both honest, and are willing to work w/ you if there is a major problem IE: repairs are expensive and you can't afford it.
--reviewer #44844, 2003
Kind of offbeat shop. Being next to the Thruway they cater to locals and emergencies from the highway. They close Sunday and Monday to help customers on weekends. Howard and Sue do a nice job.
--reviewer #57611, 2004
forhg
Apr 17, 2012 Brought my Olds minivan in needing A/C work. Did not want to spend the $1,200+ I had been quoted elsewhere. These folks said I had a leak and they had a new type of sealant that might work. Was quoted $350. Nearly $600 later I still had no A/C. Also the mechanic must have thought it's fine to sit in my vehicle and take a smoke break because it stunk when they were done. Took it elsewhere and got it fixed. Needless to say, I won't be back.
Owners Response:June 27, 2012
We were very surprised to find this, as there had been no Oldsmobile minivan in the shop in recent memory, much less any contact concerning an issue. Certainly troubling enough to search all records, where we found it in April of 2008. I sincerely wish that "forhg" had given us an opportunity to address his dissatisfaction or barring that, contacted the Better Business Bureau. With no such opportunity, we'd like to clarify a few points.
The repair cost included a compressor. Explained was the fact that the system could not be diagnosed properly with a non functional compressor. After replacement, we followed normal procedure to rule out any blatant leaks and recharged with approximately 3 lbs. of freon and a tracer dye. Within 2 weeks, the vehicle was back with no AC. The leak was traced to the lower right hand corner of the condenser and as it was a slow leak, we felt that it would be a good candidate for a sealant. The writer's statement is absolutely correct- "These folks said I had a leak and they had a new type of sealant that might work". This was introduced into the system with another full charge of freon. This customer was also advised that there had been a technical service bulletin issued for the crack in the condenser and it would be a good idea to contact GM for possible "good will" consideration for condenser replacement. We never saw him again. The two invoices did total $600.00.
Our shop is full of smells, some not particularly pleasant. None are ever intentionally in a customers vehicle, particularly during AC service as the windows are always closed. We do apologize for any vehicle that goes out of our shop with an odor but can say unequivocally that no vehicle is ever used for a "smoke break".
Customer satisfaction is everything to us. This business has been our livelihood for 20+ years and we pride ourselves on our reputation and integrity. We are always open to dialogue and would still welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue. As in any relationship, communication and trust are of utmost importance and we are thankful that we have this relationship with virtually all of our clientele. I cannot stress enough that had we known of this customers dissatisfaction, this would have been addressed 4 years ago.
Suzanne Kusisto
Dr. How's Auto Repair
