Anthony Shephard-Williams explores how two unexpectedly reassuring garage visits challenged his perceptions of the category, and reveals what brands can learn about trust, customer experience and the moments that really make the difference.
I have never liked going to a garage.
I go in with the mindset of: “I don’t really know enough about cars and I’m probably about to get rinsed.”
For me, garages have always carried a bit of emotional baggage. The dread. The uncertainty. The sense that the moment someone starts talking about tracking, balancing, undercarriages or sidewalls, I will nod knowingly while understanding approximately 2% of what is being said.
And, of course, the cost.
Because that is the real fear, isn’t it? You go in with a small problem and come out with a large bill. So, like many people, I put things off. I convince myself the warning light is probably just being dramatic. I tell myself I will “keep an eye on it”.
But from a brand perception research and customer insight perspective, this is exactly where things get interesting.
People do not experience brands as blank slates. We bring assumptions with us. Memories, stories, category stereotypes and expectations all shape how we interpret what happens next.
So, this is not really a blog about garages. It is a blog about the assumptions customers carry into an experience, and the moments that either confirm those assumptions or give people a reason to think again.
The first surprise: a loose screw and no charge
I bought a new car from Vauxhall in June 2024. Not long after, in the autumn, we had some pretty heavy snow. Somehow, this damaged the undercarriage, leaving part of it hanging worryingly close to the ground.
Halfords is only a two-minute walk from my house, so it became the obvious first port of call. Even though the car was relatively new, and even though I had bought it from Vauxhall, proximity won. I did not want to risk driving any further and causing more damage.
So, I dropped the car off and prepared myself for the inevitable.
A few hours later, the phone rang. It turned out a screw had come loose. They had replaced it, secured the undercarriage and, because it was so minor, there was no charge.
No charge…?
I was genuinely surprised. Not just pleased, but surprised. Because my expectation was set so firmly in the other direction. I had walked in assuming the worst and walked out having experienced the opposite.
Same issue, very different response
A few months later, I took the car into Vauxhall and mentioned the undercarriage issue. Their response was quite different.
I was told the screw would likely fall out again and that the safer option would be to replace the part. At a cost of around £400.
Now, I am not a mechanic. I am sure there was a rationale behind the recommendation. But from a customer point of view, it immediately reactivated the perception I already had about garages: here comes the big bill.
I decided to take my chances. Approaching 2 years later, that screw is still very much in place. And I am not £400 out of pocket.
That contrast matters. Because it is not just about the money. It is about how each interaction made me feel.
One experience left me reassured. The other left me questioning whether the more expensive option was truly necessary.
And that is where customer perceptions are either challenged or reinforced.
The second surprise: the tyre that did NOT need replacing
Fast forward around 18 months, and another warning sign appeared. This time it was tyre pressure.
At a quick glance, the tyres looked fine. No obvious deflation. No visible disaster. So naturally, I hoped the warning light was just a glitch and left it for a bit longer than I probably should have.
Eventually, I took a closer look and noticed a small chunk of rubber coming away from the tyre.
Back to Halfords I went, fully expecting to be told I needed a new tyre and bracing myself for the cost.
A few hours later, another phone call. The tyres were fine. Yes, there was a small piece missing, but there was no structural damage. No replacement needed.
I even asked the question I think many of us would ask: “It’s not going to blow out on the motorway, is it?”.
They confirmed it would not.
Again, no charge.
At reception, I said, probably with more disbelief than intended: “That’s the second time I’ve been here and there’s been no charge.”
The man behind the desk smiled and said: “There’ll be a day where you need to pay.”.
And weirdly, that was the perfect response. Not salesy. Not defensive. Not loaded with pressure. Just honest. Fair. Human.
Why this matters for brand perception
We all carry assumptions into brand experiences. Some are based on personal experience. Some come from friends, family or wider category reputation. Some are so embedded we barely notice them anymore.
Garages rip you off. Banks do not care. Insurance companies make things difficult. Airlines hide behind terms and conditions. Utilities providers only speak to you when they want more money.
These perceptions might be unfair. They might be out of date. They might only reflect a handful of bad experiences. But that does not make them any less real.
For brands, the challenge is simple: does the experience confirm what people already suspected, or does it give them a reason to think again?
What challenged my perception was not a big campaign. It was not a promise. It was not a mission statement about trust, transparency or customer care.
It was two simple experiences that contradicted what I expected.
I expected a bill. I got honesty.
I expected upsell. I got reassurance.
I expected jargon. I got clarity.
That is powerful because it creates a moment of cognitive dissonance. The story in my head did not match the experience in front of me. And when that happens, perception has the chance to shift.
Not completely. Not instantly. One good experience does not rewrite years of scepticism. But repeated good experiences start to build evidence. They start to create a new story.
What can customer insight teams learn from this?
In research, we spend a lot of time asking people what they think of brands, categories and experiences. But examples like this are a reminder that perceptions often sit deeper than rational opinion.
People are not just evaluating the service in front of them. They are evaluating it through the lens of what they feared might happen.
That is where research can really help. It can uncover the emotional baggage people bring into a category, identify the assumptions shaping behaviour, and reveal the moments that matter most when it comes to changing minds.
Because the most important touchpoint is not always the flashiest one.
Sometimes it is the phone call that says: “Good news, you don’t need to pay anything.”.
Sometimes it is the recommendation not to replace something.
Sometimes it is the quiet decision not to turn a customer’s uncertainty into an unnecessary sale.
Negative brand perceptions are sticky because one bad experience can confirm what people already suspected. But positive experiences can be sticky too, especially when they are unexpected, personal and repeated.
Perception does not shift because a brand says, “We’re different.” It shifts when the customer thinks, “That was different.”.
Faith in garages (or at least my local Halfords) unexpectedly restored.
For insight teams, that is the real lesson. Brand perception research is not just about measuring what people think. It is about understanding where those perceptions come from, how they affect behaviour, and which moments in the customer experience have the power to change the story.
Negative brand perceptions can be hard to shift. But the right insight can show you where to start. At Mustard, we help brands understand what customers really think, what shapes those perceptions, and which experiences have the power to make the difference.
Want to understand the moments that could change how customers see your brand?
Get in touch.