Do shops still sabotage cars for profit?
Well, technically, yes, we DO go under the hood. We top off the washer fluid, check coolant & oil, check brake fluid level, and look over belts & hoses. As I mentioned, we charge a ton of cash and we try and keep our customers happy no matter how mundane or un-related the visit is for. Plus it's nice to advise a customer who's interested in maintaining their cars and making more money. THAT'S the reason I go to work. If a customer needs, let's say brakes, and he's in our shop for a windshield wiper issue, and we sell THE REQUIRED NECESSARY WORK everyone is happy.It's called Good Service. How do you think I restored my car, pay my bills, and go on vacations? By robbing people or making a good living doing the right thing? I know how I do it. :-D
Again, knowledge is better than ignorance. Our customers want to know how their cars are and how safe it is. And I can prove everything I do and justify every action I take. I'm a professional.
I think one of the things we're dealing with here as a concept of area and an idea of customers we're dealing with. Now, let's say, if I'm bringing that car into the shop for the wiper issue and notice the brake pedal is spongy as all get out, I'm going to advise the service writer to talk to the customer about it. We'll go from there. Now your example of popping the hood and checking and topping off fluids no matter what the service is, fine, if it's advertised and talked about up front. And the customer is aware of the idea that the tech is going under the hood for a reason: to perform a courtesy service because it's something the shop provides. Some shops don't do that, don't offer that service, don't advertise that service, and therefore, as the technician responsible for that car, if
I personally do it, without the authorization of the customer, I'm now liable for anything that may happen and the shop isn't going to back me up. "Why were you under the guy's hood, checking his oil, when he came in for four tires? It's not something we do." I've had customers who didn't have the courtesy check explained to them go ballastic in this situation. "I'm here for four tires, what are you doing under my hood?" Even though I may have the courtesy check in front of me, handed to me by the boss. If your dealership offers that service on every visit, fine. The dealerships that I've worked for offer that service only on oil changes. Why, because the customers in this area call that fishing. I can guarantee you that if you were at the last dealership I was at and a customer came in for four tires and you had the hood open for no reason other than you felt like topping off the winshield wash and checking the oil you'd be rolling your toolbox out the door. Why? Because the dealership didn't offer the free top off services on anything but oil changes and the boss would accuse you of fishing, too.
As I've pointed out, one of my former bosses is a member here, he'll attest that I've never let a customer go out the door without the customer being apprised of necessary repairs. Done today or not. The customer is still aware of what I've found. When I have found it. The brake pedal feels good? Then I have no real reason to put a car in the air and take a tire off to look at the brakes if the car is in for a check engine light and a misfire code. But while I'm under the hood taking a look for the misfire, and I notice the master is low, then I'll talk to the writer to talk to the customer as to the reason the master is low. I've actually heard a service writer mumble to himself that I look over a car too well. And I've done it without having to pull a tire to check the brakes while I'm looking at a #3 misfire code. Either way, it's been noted that the customer is now aware that there may be issues with the brakes in the near future. But if the master is full, why do I have the tire off?
Now, on the other hand, a car came in for four tires and you noticed the brakes were thin, then you talked to the service writer about taking a look at the brakes, then it was up to the service writer to call the customer for an approval on a brake inspection and that gave you a reason to pop the hood to check the master and if you noticed a belt was bad... then when you head to the parts department to get prices on everything you can add in those things you also saw. It's now up to the writer to make the customer aware of those things, but it's now noted on the original repair order. You see, in your neck of the woods, the customer may
expect you to go over things with a fine tooth comb from start to finish no matter what they come in for. Here the customer wants to be informed of every step taken in the process and how you arrived at the findings.
As for my professionality: PM bpwordman. Ask him what kind of professional I am. So don't even go there.
By the way, wanna know why Brian hired me at that particular dealership? He wanted someone to set the stage to show the guys who had worked hourly all there lives that if they were willing to bust a hump then there was money to be made on a the incentive program he put in place. I was flat-rate and commission all my career. He also wanted someone there to show them that if they were willing to look a car over, and do it honestly, then more hours could be had for the incentive program. He also wanted someone who could deal with the customers honestly, who wouldn't sabotage or fish for problems to pad those hours, and to win back some customers who had left, which I did.
Wanna know why I got hired at my last job? For the exact same reasons.