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During this post, I may type things that sound mean-spirited. I’m not trying to come across as mean, I’m just explaining my point of view. Trying to clear the air as the saying goes.
Chevypower, I used to share a mentality with you. Way back when I first got into this business. There were times when I’d actually go and fix some problems that I noticed that the customer didn’t and not even mention it to anyone. I did it just because it was the right thing to do. As time went on, I eventually stopped doing that because customers started to expect me to fix their clunkers for free. Well, warm fuzzy feelings don’t put food on my table and gas in my tank. The only thing I work for now is a paycheck. If you think that makes me a jackass, well, I guess I’ll just have to live with the fact that someone I’ll most likely never meet in person doesn’t like me. I don’t know why you think I’m taking advantage of the customers that come into my shop just because I charge them for my time. That’s how this business works.
As far as the customer not knowing anything about their car because they have better things to learn about, picture this. If you just spent tens of thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment, wouldn’t you want to know how it works? Even if I wasn’t in this line of work, if I just spent a boat load of money on something you better believe that I want to know how it works and how to fix it if it breaks. If that means going and spending a few bucks on a service manual, then so be it. If it means something as simple as reading the owners manual that came in the glove box, then I’m going to read it.
From what I read in your post, it sounds like you think I either don’t respect my customers at all, or that they should be treated with the same sort of respect one would give to visiting royalty. I’ve got news for you kid. Respect is a two way street. If I tell you what wrong with your car, and even show you the broken/worn out part and you still say I’m wrong, or that you don’t believe me, then you’ve essentially called me a liar to my face. That gets old after a while, and I’ve been dealing with it for a decade now. As I’ve said before, I very rarely ever actually see the people who own the cars that I work on. That’s the job of the sales staff/service manager. Occasionally a customer will come into the area where I work for whatever the reason, which is when I use terms like “sir” or “ma’am” as appropriate, and I will answer the questions they ask without trying to make them feel stupid, nor do I talk down to them in that situation.
If you think that I’m giving the rest of us service techs a bad name, then you should be happy to know that I’m getting out of this business just as soon as my security license gets approved. I’ve been looked at as the scum of the earth for a decade now and it’s gotten old.
SpawnedX, I’m a mechanic who hates working on cars. I’m only doing it because I’m stuck in this line of work until I get my security license and get hired on with a security company. My wife already does security as an unarmed guard, but we can’t survive on her income alone, so once she gets hired by an armed security company and starts drawing a paycheck, then I’m going to get hired by an armed company and stop turning a wrench for a living. Actually, let me ammend that first sentence. I don’t hate working on cars. I hate working on other people’s cars. They don’t do the maintenance recommended by the manufacturer, they don’t fix the little problems that I point out before they become big problems, and then they act all surprised when their car shits the bed and leaves them on the side of the road needing $2000 worth of work to fix. I think the saying is “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”.
Finally, I don’t expect people to bring their cars to my shop and spend all sorts of money every time they come through the door. I know that it’s expensive paying someone to fix your rustbucket for you. I understand that. But we’re human, just like everyone else. We’re not mind-readers, so when you (speaking to a person who’s going to be a customer at any automotive shop) come to us with a problem, tell us what the problem is, not what you think will fix it. “I’ve got a check engine light on” is a lot more helpful than “My car doesn’t work right”. Also, please answer our questions to the best of your ability. I’m going to write out two example conversations, one good, one bad. Sadly, the bad one is a lot more common in this field.
Good conversation
Salesman: Good morning sir. Welcome to Rustbucket Auto Repairs. How can we help you today?
Customer: My brakes are making a squeaking noise and I need an oil change. Can you check that out for me?
Salesman: Certainly sir. We do ask that you drop it off with us and give us some time to diagnose exactly what the problem is. Can you leave the car with us for a few hours?
Customer: Sure I can. I’ll have my wife pick me up. Will you call me when you know what’s wrong with it?
Salesman: We sure will, let me get some information from your car and then I’ll get some contact information from you and we can get started.Bad conversation
Salesman: Good morning sir, Welcome to Rustbucket Auto Repsirs. How can we help you today?
Customer: My car doesn’t work right.
Salesman: Can you be a little more specific please? What do you mean by it doesn’t work right?
Customer: I don’t know. It just feels funky.
The salesman will now ask a series of open-ended questions that don’t have yes/no answers to attempt and get more information out of the customer. Often as not, the salesman will be unsuccessful.Quoted From 3SheetsDiesel:
SpawnedX, I’m a mechanic who hates working on cars. I’m only doing it because I’m stuck in this line of work until I get my security license and get hired on with a security company. My wife already does security as an unarmed guard, but we can’t survive on her income alone, so once she gets hired by an armed security company and starts drawing a paycheck, then I’m going to get hired by an armed company and stop turning a wrench for a living. Actually, let me ammend that first sentence. I don’t hate working on cars. I hate working on other people’s cars. They don’t do the maintenance recommended by the manufacturer, they don’t fix the little problems that I point out before they become big problems, and then they act all surprised when their car shits the bed and leaves them on the side of the road needing $2000 worth of work to fix. I think the saying is “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”.Finally, I don’t expect people to bring their cars to my shop and spend all sorts of money every time they come through the door. I know that it’s expensive paying someone to fix your rustbucket for you. I understand that. But we’re human, just like everyone else. We’re not mind-readers, so when you (speaking to a person who’s going to be a customer at any automotive shop) come to us with a problem, tell us what the problem is, not what you think will fix it. “I’ve got a check engine light on” is a lot more helpful than “My car doesn’t work right”. Also, please answer our questions to the best of your ability. I’m going to write out two example conversations, one good, one bad. Sadly, the bad one is a lot more common in this field.
I know how you feel, I am in the industry with you. I am just sick and tired of people who think we aren’t allowed to vent about bad customers when they feel they are allowed to vent about every bad worker they come across in their day, whether it be the 8.00 an hour burger flipper or the 9.00 an hour oil lube tech, or the actual automotive service technician.
Some customers have become really crummy, and I mean really crummy. Some people in this forum need to be forced to work at Burger King or Jiffy Lube for a few weeks so they can actually see how disgusting more and more people are becoming in how they treat the person behind the counter or on the phone. If someone wants to be treated with respect then treat the other person with respect. If you want to come into a shop and tell them that your car wouldn’t start this morning and that you need a new battery, and then tell the tech or service writer who is trying to explain to you why before we check the battery we would like to check for a parasitic drain or bad alternator, and you act like a jerk saying things like “my brother’s, wife’s, cousin’s, neighbor’s, son’s, friend’s, father” is a mechanic and this is what he said needed to be done so just do it, then get lost. All you are going to do is come back and blame tech A in a few days when your car is dead again because you refused to let us address the condition that caused the original problem. Even more importantly, why don’t you just go to awesome know-it-all brother’s, wife’s, cousin’s, neighbor’s, son’s, friend’s father mechanic?
But hey, whatever, keep attacking the tech’s on this forum for venting a little bit with other tech’s and car enthusiasts, eventually these people will have managed to anger us all and get none of their questions answered until poor Eric can finally get around to the 100s of weekly questions people ask.
Some customers have become really crummy, and I mean really crummy. Some people in this forum need to be forced to work at Burger King or Jiffy Lube for a few weeks so they can actually see how disgusting more and more people are becoming in how they treat the person behind the counter or on the phone
+1. We have alot of rude customers where i work as well as even in my wife’s line of work. Society these days is a mess. What happened to respect?
I not taking sides with anyone but Spawned’s comment here stands out alot to me.
I’ll do your job better than you do it. When do you want to trade? How’s Tuesday sound? I have a guy who needs me to put a 92 engine in his 97 Eclipse. I figure since we have it so easy you can come on in and show us how it’s done.
Quoted From mckrishes:
That baby is hungry! Get some milk in there quick! What is your job twiggy?
Electrical Engineer in a Failure Analysis lab. I tear apart automotive hall-effect sensors and probe the die through a microscope, and perform chemical analysis to find out why they failed. It can get pretty high pressure due to customer demands as they are upset in the first place. But I thrive on pressure.
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