Maybe I'm getting cynical with age, but ....

-
I deal with it also. Being in a dealership, the customer doesn't see us as being 1 shop, they have this notion that everything with our logo on it is all connected and we all know one another.
Dealing with people is a skill, but some people just cant be dealt with. They won't be happy unless you give them something for nothing. You just can't do business that way. I've had the same issue with fuel pumps going out on people after tune ups and other work. For some reason fuel pumps are a big culprit. But I have found that people will be amazed at how well their car runs after the work we just performed, they go out and do something they rarely do anymore, fill the tank. It never fails, the fuel pump will take a crap right after that.
Most people I deal with, and talk them thru their frustration, others, well they get a rubber mallet banged on the bottom of their tank and told to never come back.
Rani, don't let idiots run you out of the business. It needs younger people to take over. We are getting older, and yes, we are looking to get out. The service desk and A/C is a lot more appealing than concrete and sweat. Everyone has to pay their dues and it doesn't matter what business your in.
 
I know exactly what you mean. I used to do side jobs and stopped because these people (mostly women) would come back and say "well....all I know is, the radio stopped working right after you adjusted the valves" LOL That's super-stressful, because you're running an honest place and doing the right thing and you get accused like that. It's a slap in the face, and they don't know jack!!!

This is why I got into working on buses for the city transit system. Plenty of room to work, and no rush. Got electrical gremlins? Need a whole day or maybe 2 to troubleshoot? No problem. The bosses may get a bit grumbly but as long as they feel you're not just playing games, it's no problem.

Well, you yourself said it......you've got plenty of good customers, so why not put this lady on your "sh** list" and give her astronomical estimates for any work she comes in for? But I would NOT do that fuel pump for nothing!!
 
I understand all the customer service points. I have been doing this for 30+ years. I was just venting after a long hard day. I will not fix her car for free. I will also no pay for the tow. I may throw in the diagnostics for free to throw her a bone, but this is in no way, shape or form something that we did. We have a stellar reputation and we have more work than we can handle. We book three to four days in advance. I truly do not need her business, but a customer needs to be taken care of and it has to be done in such a way that both we and she are okay with the outcome.
 
RaniDart70 said:
wow.....maybe the auto industry is not as dreamy as it looks from the other side of the lake .....here im trying to get into the auto repair business and a lot of you guys are trying to get out. :shock::shaking:
Click to expand...

Used to work on a lot of different folks cars years back. Last straw was Mark Haggerty. We worked at the PO together. Against my better judgement I agreed to do some work for him. What started out as a simple oil change/tune up/brakes & shocks turned into a 4 day affair. After we argued about the money end of it I thought I was done. Fast forward 9 months or so, Ernie was in the hospital recovering from surgery when he called me. I did not even really talk to him, I reminded him of what I told him at work, that Ernie was going to be hospitalized for a few days and hung up. Next thing I know he is blowing my phone up. After the 12 call from him I went outside to deal with him. I asked him what was so important.....it started out with remember when you worked on my car 9 months ago....and ended with him telling me that I was going to leave the hospital and drive 450 miles to replace the water pump that just died when he was driving back to Iowa for vacation. He told me that I was the reason the water pump had died and that if I did not fix it for him he was going to sue me. I not so politely told him to go jump off of a bridge....and that it would be in his best interest to bid out of the facility that we both worked in asap....that was the very last vehicle I ever got paid to work on....
 
RaniDart70 said:
wow.....maybe the auto industry is not as dreamy as it looks from the other side of the lake .....here im trying to get into the auto repair business and a lot of you guys are trying to get out. :shock::shaking:
Click to expand...

Let's see:

Bad knees: Check

Repetitive motion in my elbow. Check

Chronic aches and pains you learn to live with. Check.

Can't feel hot and cold with my fingers. Check

Scars from all the cuts and abrasions and welder/torch burns all over the my body. Check

Really, I like turning a wrench. And I'm good at it. But one of the drawbacks is that I've never earned enough money in one year alone to cover the expenses of the operations I need now or in the future. Thank God for good health insurance.

It's a tough life. It's even tougher when you're a small business owner, which I've been, twice. Once was a restoration shop, the other was doing everything under the sun. Being your own boss has it's rewards and it's punishments.

Frankly, after Sarah's death, it's time to start a new chapter in my life. One of the reasons I got out.
 
I work very hard not to be dragged down to those peoples leavel ...just remember you can walk away at the end of the day but there stuck in there messed up head all the time, I will not be brought down by A holes!!
 
my wifes expedition had a miss and 6 months later check engine light on bad coil pack my mechanic C/O and we pick it up i drive it 3 days and miss is back on way to his shop check engine light another coil pack by the time we were done we changed 4 coil packs and 8 plugs and total cost 480.00. she thought that was high and i told her the coils are 50.00 ea. and that three of the ones we replaced have 230000 miles on them so 4 coils in 230000 on a 1997 car not bad
 
Example,
Here we go again.
I sell this woman a used computer 2.5 years ago for 150 and she wants the CD/DVD drive replaced under warantee (ON SITE) :banghead:

It aint gonna happen, but still.
I swear, some people have no self respect when it comes to saving a buck.
 
Got a "You did good work" from a customer today. Feels REAL good. Way more impactful than any grumbling from an impatient, under informed, disrespectful, better than YOU, consumer of everything, contributor of nothing will ever be.
 
I used to do side jobs [automotive] till my wife couldn't take the return *** hats complaining that their brake lights weren't working and because I did an oil change [or whatever] and it was my falt, so now we both say when asked if I can fix something only if the title has my name on it.

I work in the marine industry [we manufacture boat trailers] we have people call and complain that their trailer is rusting, the trailer is tearing up the gel coat, the boat don't load right and they want everything for nothing. We do have a warranty but most of these folks trailers are 9-10 years old!!!

They call for parts so we ask:
What is the frame made out of Aluminum or Galvanized steel?
I DUNNO
How many axles are on the trailer?
I DUNNO [yes there are ones whom don't know]
How many lug nuts hold on the wheels?
I DUNNO
Do you have the V.I.N. number?
NOPE
What size boat do you have?
BIG/SMALL/MEDIUM pick one
I'm not really able to help you without some kind of information Mam/Sir.
WHAT THE F--K IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE YOU MADE THE DAMN THING HOW COME YOU CAN'T HELP ME!!!!!!
We deal with no less than one of these a day!!! I feel ya'll's pain!!
 
71dartswinger said:
my wifes expedition had a miss and 6 months later check engine light on bad coil pack my mechanic C/O and we pick it up i drive it 3 days and miss is back on way to his shop check engine light another coil pack by the time we were done we changed 4 coil packs and 8 plugs and total cost 480.00. she thought that was high and i told her the coils are 50.00 ea. and that three of the ones we replaced have 230000 miles on them so 4 coils in 230000 on a 1997 car not bad
Click to expand...

Man, we do coil packs on those trucks all the time. We always try to get the customer to buy all 8 because they are notorious, but usually (and understandably) they do just the bad one or two. Then we see them again and make the same offer. By the third time, they usually replace all the rest. It's worse when the plug blows out of the Triton motors and takes the threads and the coil with it.
 
Every job has it's short comings. I used to go out and empty the collection box at the Post Office once a day. Once or twice a week I would be summoned to go help a knucklehead that dropped something in the mail box. Keys, phones etc are no problem to find. It was the folks that wanted mail back that were a killer. A full hamper holds somewhere in the neighbor hood of 5k letters. Nothing like looking for one letter in there. Had a customer one time drop in 37 letters with no stamps. Found 36. Spent over an hour bent bent over in the hamper in 115* heat looking for that last one. The 36 were all in a lump, after finding them I told her that I doubt it was in there. But I carried on. After I gave up she went to her car only to catch me on the way up the hill. The missing letter was in her car....the facility I worked at had a FedEx drop box. Was told to go outside on a Saturday. Some guy stuffed the FedEx box with 1500 letters before realizing it was the FedEx box. I explained to him that we did not have a key to it blah blah blah. He went ballistic...He asked me what to do, told him it was Saturday, he would have to wait until Monday to deal with it. More screaming....He then started cursing at me, saying I was a moron for not having a key to it. I stuck my hand out demanding his car keys using the same reasoning he did as to why we should have a key to the FedEx box...it was on Postal property. He failed to see the humor in it...and gave me a shove...Put him on his ***.....called the cops....He went to jail....assaulting a Federal Employee.....Think no matter what you do to put food on the table if you deal with the public it is going to frustrating at times. Yet one more reason why I feel the way I do about people....in general....
 
Wow...just wow, Inkjunkie. I wouldn't have been able to keep my cool with a guy like that at all.
 
rnaz said:
Wow...just wow, Inkjunkie. I wouldn't have been able to keep my cool with a guy like that at all.
Click to expand...

I would often hang out up by the Window clerks. Never ceased to amaze me what they had to put up with in dealing with the public. More than once the Police had to show up. Favorite was tax time. Not uncommon for the line to be 3/4 of a mile long with cars. Pretty sad when Postal Employees would need to have law enforcement around, customer would ask the guy out side collecting mail some sort of tax question and when you told them I am just a Postal Employee they would freak out. Don't miss dealing with the public at all. Can say at times it was pretty entertaining.
 
All right, the ending of the story is ... we did diagnose the problem. There is no fuel pressure. We accessed the fuel pump wiring harness and there is power, ground, and it is being commanded to turn on. It doesn't. Bad pump, no question. The fuel pump module is horrendously expensive. My cost is over $550. Part marked up less than normal, labor and towing came to $1196. I ate the diagnostics and gave her our local business discount of 15% off labor. I called and told her what happened and she wasn't happy, and I don't blame her. She said well if you think that's what's wrong, I hope it fixes the problem. Now I am rethinking my discounts. I told her we don't deal in guess work here. There is no "I think the fuel pump is bad." There is no question the fuel pump is bad. She finally gave me authorization to fix it. I will get it done tomorrow and send her on her way. I hope to never see her again.
 
inkjunkie said:
I would often hang out up by the Window clerks. Never ceased to amaze me what they had to put up with in dealing with the public. More than once the Police had to show up. Favorite was tax time. Not uncommon for the line to be 3/4 of a mile long with cars. Pretty sad when Postal Employees would need to have law enforcement around, customer would ask the guy out side collecting mail some sort of tax question and when you told them I am just a Postal Employee they would freak out. Don't miss dealing with the public at all. Can say at times it was pretty entertaining.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, the general public is a bunch of morons.
 
rnaz said:
Generally speaking, the general public is a bunch of morons.
Click to expand...

That's what I've said since I was a teenager pumping gas 40 years ago. At least 90% of them must be idiots. I wish they were required to have a capital "I" tattooed on their foreheads so you didn't have to waste anytime identifying them. :wack: (Jeff Foxworthy said something like this in his skits.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top