I agree with haido1, you always hear about the horror stories that people have encountered, but you rarely hear about the positive experiences. Personally I treat every customers car as if it were mine, I build up a strong relationship with each customer and take pride in my workmanship. You can generally tell what sort of workmanship to expect from any workshop by observing a few things;
1) Have a general look at the workshop, if its untidy or dirty, this is often a reflection of work carried out.
2) Do the technicians use seat covers, floor mats, fender covers and other means of protecting your car?
3) Do the technicians look clean and presentable, if theyre covered in grease and look like they should be pumping petrol at one of those outback truckstops in the middle of nowhere, hop back in your car and find yourself another workshop.
Its not the dollar rate per hour, its the quality of workmanship per hour that counts!