I like to consider myself pretty handy, but when it comes to cars, I’m usually lucky if I can figure out where the hood latch is. Despite that fact, I spent an afternoon with Guy Beckwith at Guy’s Auto and tried to make myself useful, or at the very least to keep myself from slowing him down.

After 11 years in the auto mechanic field, the small garage in Plymouth has developed a steady clientele, and its owner has developed a reputation for being honest and fair, something that’s not easy to come by in the auto industry.

“We thrive on treating the customer right. It works for us, and it’s what they want too,” Beckwith said as he handed me a grease rag. Relying largely on word of mouth advertising, Beckwith said he has seen his business grow over the years. Currently, he and full-time employee Scott Will work on approximately 40 cars a week, working from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Beckwith gave me a quick tour of the shop, which includes a small office, a two bay garage and a storage area filled with tanks of waste oil, which Beckwith uses to heat the shop.

My first job at the auto mechanic was to finish up the computer component of a vehicle inspection. The vehicle had previously failed because some of the sensors weren’t working, Beckwith informed me, but after making some repairs and driving the car a little, the vehicle was ready for another go. Guy plugged the computer into the vehicle and instructed me how to maneuver through the screens and check the sensors.

The vehicle passed the test, and Beckwith began punching the information into a desktop computer and printing out the official inspection receipt. As Will worked to weld and repair the under side of a vehicle, Beckwith quickly wheeled
in another vehicle, and put it on the lift. The customer, who had come all the way from Binghamton, had brought a print out from a chain mechanic who had informed her the car needed over $4,000 worth of work and had made her sign a waiver upon leaving.

Beckwith shook his head as he eyed the vehicle and pointed out the repairs that actually needed to be made, and those that were superfluous.

“There’s more of that every day,” he said in regard to the list of unnecessary repairs. “I don’t know how they get away with it.”

After making a list of parts that would be needed, Beckwith returned to the $4,000 quoted price tag.“The bills definitely going to be less than that,” he said, “but I’m going to call and let her know what she’s looking at before I do anything.”

The car was taken off the lift and quickly replaced by a van in need of an oil change. After checking the tire pressure and adding some air, I learned the basics of how to change oil and check the fluid levels.

“We used to slow down quite a bit in the winter, but now we’re swamped year round,” Beckwith said. He credits his success to his honest relationship with his customers and years worth of people spreading the word.