Some problems just ain't my fault...

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Cope

Cope

Fusing with fire
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My fancy customer to his car for the first drive today and it would not start after getting gas....

Load test his battery and it's no good.

****... why didn't I check that when it was in my shop....

New batterie and all is good but now I look like an ***.. i should have tested it when i had the car.

His air ride is draw on the battery. I spent some time on the phone with a guy who all he does is air ride and he said " yea the air ride is drawing down the batt. The acuair always does that. Tell him to buy a air lift controller and be done..."

Duck. I wish I had been smart enough to see this coming. I had two more cars of his due to come in for work. Now, I dont know....

I may have just unloaded both barrels into my foot because I missed the one problem.

:BangHead::BangHead:

Well, each one I learn..

I told the customer, "what ever it takes, I will make it right."

Still waiting for him to call me back.

Man I hope I just didn't screw my self out of two cars...
 
Man dont beat yourself up to bad its not like you can see into the future. Now you know and from now on I beat you will load check every battery that comes in your shop!! Live and learn!
 
Cope said:
My fancy customer to his car for the first drive today and it would not start after getting gas....

Load test his battery and it's no good.

****... why didn't I check that when it was in my shop....

New batterie and all is good but now I look like an ***.. i should have tested it when i had the car.

His air ride is draw on the battery. I spent some time on the phone with a guy who all he does is air ride and he said " yea the air ride is drawing down the batt. The acuair always does that. Tell him to buy a air lift controller and be done..."

Duck. I wish I had been smart enough to see this coming. I had two more cars of his due to come in for work. Now, I dont know....

I may have just unloaded both barrels into my foot because I missed the one problem.

:BangHead::BangHead:

Well, each one I learn..

I told the customer, "what ever it takes, I will make it right."

Still waiting for him to call me back.

Man I hope I just didn't screw my self out of two cars...
Click to expand...

Batteries can and do go suddenly sometimes.
I have had multiple situations over the years where one minute everything works normal and BAM! all the sudden the battery just doesn't have the output anymore.
Actually happened exactly this way with my very last battery.
Got a new one and has been fine for two years so far.
It happens to the best, and hopefully your customer is knowledgeable enough to realize that.
 
I know it is easy for me to say, but do you really want a customer who is going to hold a failed battery against you?
 
No codes on a car from 1953.
I'm not sure even OBD2 would ketch a battery on it's way out? (I do have a good scan tool)
But its just one of those things. I will test every single battery that comes in to my shop from now on.

I will say one thing that I like to think sets me apart is I provide solutions not excuses.

I stand by my work and will do what ever it takes to make it right.
 
Don't beat yourself up too much. We have VERY few callbacks for work, but some are going to happen. I've identified one case recently where we clearly messed up (my son did not listen to me!), but the rest are component failures. I make sure that the customer knows the reason 100% and sees our good results.

Sometimes, the old " 1 'awshit' cancels 10 'attaboys' " is true and I fight that by making sure the 'attaboys' get discussed. The customer gets bored with that, but it HAS to happen, or the negatives will take over the tone of the relationship. The issue of the air system drawing the battery down has to be explained but beware that the customer may not want to hear that.... it may be something his is really excited about and you may be 'raining on his parade' to make it the culprit. So you might bring up things like that as 'a possibility'.

FWIW, forgive me for saying this, but the phrase of 'solutions, not excuses' is not impressive to me as part of a conversation with a customer....I hope you are not using phrases like that. That type of phrase is for marketing types who don't know how to hold a screwdriver LOL

Did you take this car in for some sort of comprehensive check-up? I am trying to understand why this customer would hold a dead battery against you.

BTW, OBD2 won't test a battery. The way I test:
  • Charge battery and then let it rest overnight, disconnected.
  • Use a voltmeter..... after the battery is charged and 'rested', it ought to hold at about 2.1 volts per cell.... 12.6 to 12.7 volts for a 12v battery.
  • Then use a battery hydrometer to check specific gravity in each cell if the battery voltage is low. You'll find a cell that is weak.
  • Load testing will tell you some battery issues but not all.
I hope some of this is of some help to you!
 
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