Xebadaih, your post reminds me of a chuckle that I get when I see shop signs that say, “We specialize in import and domestic”. I have seen several.
To the O.P. Dealerships are required to have their techs current on training. Indies may or may not be. If they don’t know how to fix a particular problem, they will have to learn. They should not charge you for this, but it might take longer for you to get your vehicle back. It is more likely a couple of hours, but it could be a couple of days.
As others have written, an indie can use a wider variety of sources for replacement parts costing less. They can also deviate from prescribed repair and Maintenance procedures more than a dealership, though in the latter if they can find a faster way to fix something they usually are allowed to do it.
In choosing a repair shop, rely on recommendations either way. Talk to everyone you can about their experiences. If someone recommends a particular shop, ask them what kind of work they had done there. Maintenance is pretty simple stuff. Sometimes diagnosis and repair are tricky. For a few years now, I have a guy that really enjoys novel and difficult problems. Once I called and described a sound my wife?s departed Honda was making and his response was something like, ?Really, bring it in. I would really like to hear that!?
If you find an indie shop that you like, be good to them. Go there for oil changes and buy your tires there if their prices are reasonably close. They will return the favor by spotting incipient problems before they blow up into big ones. In addition, remember that no one is perfect. If a mistake is made, give them a chance to make it right. I lot of people very easily forget when money is going out of their pockets, that everyone has a right to make a fair living.