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Hey everyone,
I just wanted to share a somewhat negative experience that I had today with a repair shop owner.
I had been working on the AC on my wife’s car for the past few weeks. I got to the point where I was fairly certain what the problem was (bad expansion valve) thanks to the help of Eric and College Man. I purchased a new valve, and took it to a repair shop to have them install it (since the system had to be evacuated anyways).
I made arrangements with the shop owner, and I dropped the car off last night. Since I wasn’t able to speak to the owner when I dropped the car off, I decided to leave a short note in the car to provide some vehicle history, and to explain the previous work that I had done. I thought this might help them when they were working on the car.
I get a call this morning that the car is done, so I go to pick it up. I speak with the shop owner, and he seems sort of pissed off…like he was sort of being a jerk to me. I was very friendly and asked how everything went? He just responded “well, I replaced the part…I did what you asked me to do”….”you know those valves hardly ever fail”. I just sort of smiled, and said “ok, let me just look over my bill”. The shop owner then says (in sort of a half mean tone) “what? are you trying to say I don’t know how to do my job?” I calmly replied “no, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t charged for the part that I supplied” (I was quoted $190 for the job if he supplied the part…I supplied the part and my bill was still $190).
Anyways, I felt like this shop owner was pissed off because he thought that I was trying to tell him how to do his job or something? Or that I thought I knew more than he did? Which was entirely not the case. I simply provided him with some information about the vehicle, and explained to him, that based on my knowledge, I believed that a part needed to be replaced.
Has anyone else had an experience like this? When a shop owner or technician acted arrogant towards you, because you simply provided them with your own diagnostic info?
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Guy may have had a bad day. If the attitude continues then go elsewhere.
Did the part fix the problem?Yes. If you are taking a vehicle in for service, you need to let the shop diagnose what is wrong.
I had a radiator leak. I found the source, a solder joint, and circled the spot. I took the radiator in and they tested it and said no leak. So, I put it back in and it leaks from the spot I circled. This goes on for three trips to the radiator shop. Finally, they fixed it.
Another time I had a bad bearing in the differential. I had the cover off and I even knew which bearing. So, please replace the bearing. When I picked it up I had two new axles.
The moral of the story is, if you know what’s wrong, fix it yourself.
[quote=”barneyb” post=106485]The moral of the story is, if you know what’s wrong, fix it yourself.[/quote]
Unfortunately, AC work is not always something that the home mechanic can do without professional tools. Only a shop has the proper machine to safely recover refrigerant. In the time that it took to bring my car in, it made most sense to just let the shop finish the job.
So far it appears that the new expansion valve has fixed the problem. I’m going to give it a few days before I officially call it “fixed”.
YOU DIAGNOSED IT AND BOUGHT YOUR OWN PARTS. BEING AN AAMCO TRANNY OWNER BOTH ARE UNACCEPTABLE.
BY DOING THIS LEGALLY THE SHOP HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR OR THE PARTS.PAY THE GUY, OR SOMEONE QUALIFIED, WHAT THEY REQUIRE AND LET THEM DO THE JOB.
JOHN
[quote=”JO3SHO” post=106582]YOU DIAGNOSED IT AND BOUGHT YOUR OWN PARTS. BEING AN AAMCO TRANNY OWNER BOTH ARE UNACCEPTABLE.
BY DOING THIS LEGALLY THE SHOP HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR OR THE PARTS.PAY THE GUY, OR SOMEONE QUALIFIED, WHAT THEY REQUIRE AND LET THEM DO THE JOB.
JOHN[/quote]
Please explain to me (preferably not in all caps) why this is “unacceptable”?
Before I brought my car in – I fully explained my situation to the shop owner on the phone, and asked if it was OK if I provided the repair parts. He said that he had no problem with me supplying the parts. He fully understood that I had diagnosed the car, and that I wanted to bring my own parts for him to install.
I fully respect a shop owner’s right to run his business the way he wants. If he had a problem with my service request, he should have refused my business.
I have been on both sides of the fence. Most people have NO idea what it’s like to operate an Automotive Repair shop. The responsibility and expense to run a business is staggering not to mention there are many days that nothing goes right. The cost of tools and equipment is another story. Sometimes the public drives you crazy with wanting a discount on the estimate or the bottom line.
As a business man you should always be pleasant and helpful toward the customer but sometimes their day has been so terrible that they just can’t smile anymore.
I don’t know exactly what you wrote on your note but first of all he made nothing on diagnosing the problem the car had to pay himself or his technician. Second, he made NO profit on the part since you supplied it. Third if the part you supplied fails you’re gonna want him to replace it for free. Forth, by asking to see the invoice he got the impression that you didn’t trust him. I might appear arrogant too.
By the way… How does the A/C work now?
[quote=”wysetech” post=106597]I have been on both sides of the fence. Most people have NO idea what it’s like to operate an Automotive Repair shop. The responsibility and expense to run a business is staggering not to mention there are many days that nothing goes right. The cost of tools and equipment is another story. Sometimes the public drives you crazy with wanting a discount on the estimate or the bottom line.
As a business man you should always be pleasant and helpful toward the customer but sometimes their day has been so terrible that they just can’t smile anymore.
I don’t know exactly what you wrote on your note but first of all he made nothing on diagnosing the problem the car had to pay himself or his technician. Second, he made NO profit on the part since you supplied it. Third if the part you supplied fails you’re gonna want him to replace it for free. Forth, by asking to see the invoice he got the impression that you didn’t trust him. I might appear arrogant too.
By the way… How does the A/C work now?[/quote]
I certainly understand that everyone can have a bad day. I’m always up for giving someone a second chance.
In my note I simply said – here is some history on this vehicle, here is what I’ve done to the AC system, and thank you for your help.
The only reason I asked to see the bill was because he quoted me $190 to do the work if he supplied the part. Well, I supplied the part and my bill was still $190. He charged me a half hour of labor to change the valve, and 1.4hrs of labor to recover, and recharge the system.
My wife dropped the keys off at 7:15am and the shop called her at 8:30am saying that the car was done. The guy made $200 off me in about an hour…that seems like fairly decent pay to me. And no, if the part failed I would not expect the shop to replace the part for free…that’s on me.
The AC has been working great since the new valve was installed 🙂
What you did K24A4 is perfectly reasonable.
His gruff and rude approach was uncalled for in the circumstances and is the exact opposite of good customer service. He is in a service business after all and if he has no customers he dies. They just don’t get that though. People like this (and I have come across them also in various fields) like to treat you as if they are doing you a favor by taking on your work and that approach comes with an attitude.
If the guy did not want your business he could have turned you away. But he did not because he wanted and needed the revenue of course.
There are quite a few asses in all types of trades and you probably came across one or someone who just had a really bad day. But employees in all kinds of fields dealing with customers daily as part of their job, whether they have had a bad day or not, still have to be customer friendly or they won’t be employed for long.
As for the business owners, come the next really bad recession (and there will be one) this guy will probably go out of business because of his attitude to his paying customers. Then he will blame everyone but himself and I have seen it all before. Had he been pleasant and friendly (because that is just so hard to do, right)you would have recommended him to your friends and family and they to others. Now you will not. You wrote this post instead.
Oh and fancy you having the cheek to ask to look over your bill. How terrible of you.
Good post and all the best.
Cameron.
Cam0888 – thanks for your thoughtful reply.
You are exactly right. If it wasn’t for paying customers, these repair shops would close up, and have no business. I’m afraid that many shop owners egos often get in the way, and they forget this. A good shop will view their interaction with their customers as a collaboration of sorts…and will not view themselves as superior to their customers. After all, they are working for OUR money.
Unfortunately, I feel like many shops do not encourage interaction with their customers. They just want the car dropped off, they do their repairs behind a magic curtain, they slap you with a bill, and move you out the door.
Thankfully, I am able to do 95% of my own repairs 🙂 (thanks Eric!)
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