Mechanics- Do you have customers that blame you for everything?
Discussion
I am spured to write this as I have just come back from a breakdown. The customer in question had 2 jobs done this morning. The first was to replace the front brake pads, the second was to fit a new securing pin in the gear selector (requiring removal of the battery).
A few hours after I finished I was called to say all the warning light were on, yet they turned off when the engine was started and it was my fault. I took me 10 minutes to explain that one!!
Then he calls again to say his tyre has fallen off whilst driving. At this point, I think 's
t I must have forgot to do the wheel nuts up'. On arrival it is the rear wheel that has come off, and the cause was a collapsed wheel bearing. He new I didn't touch that wheel as he watched me do the brakes, yet still tried blaming me.
Other incidents with customers have included:
Sqeeking auxiliary belt, 5 months after a clutch change.
Front brake pads grinding after fitting a new exhaust backbox.
Exhaust developing a blow after changing a tyre.
Starter motor dying 1 week after a MOT.
Does anyone else have this trouble? Or are all of England's dumb population on my books/out to annoy me?
A few hours after I finished I was called to say all the warning light were on, yet they turned off when the engine was started and it was my fault. I took me 10 minutes to explain that one!!
Then he calls again to say his tyre has fallen off whilst driving. At this point, I think 's
t I must have forgot to do the wheel nuts up'. On arrival it is the rear wheel that has come off, and the cause was a collapsed wheel bearing. He new I didn't touch that wheel as he watched me do the brakes, yet still tried blaming me.Other incidents with customers have included:
Sqeeking auxiliary belt, 5 months after a clutch change.
Front brake pads grinding after fitting a new exhaust backbox.
Exhaust developing a blow after changing a tyre.
Starter motor dying 1 week after a MOT.
Does anyone else have this trouble? Or are all of England's dumb population on my books/out to annoy me?
Oh FFS.
You're onto a winner with this one.
My mechy mate, who works in the next unit to me, has spates of this.
One chap even took his Rover 75 to several small garages, (he must think they don't talk to each other), and tried to blame each one in turn for his blown turbo.
Another, recently, had his car serviced and mot'd, came back to the garage to make sure the work had been done, then took the car using a spare key without paying !
You're onto a winner with this one.
My mechy mate, who works in the next unit to me, has spates of this.
One chap even took his Rover 75 to several small garages, (he must think they don't talk to each other), and tried to blame each one in turn for his blown turbo.
Another, recently, had his car serviced and mot'd, came back to the garage to make sure the work had been done, then took the car using a spare key without paying !
I've got a really good indie which I have used regularly and trust implicitly with my S6. They are a VAG specialist.
Last time I was in, the owner told me about a woman who had booked her Golf in for a full service to be collected from her place of work and dropped off again. When it came to pay, she said she didn't pay for servicing as she was on motability. Then she queried whether this was in fact the local VW main dealer. She was then told that it wasn't and it was a VW specialist. When faced with paying, she said that she hadn't authorised the service and in fact just wanted them to check the oil level...
Last time I was in, the owner told me about a woman who had booked her Golf in for a full service to be collected from her place of work and dropped off again. When it came to pay, she said she didn't pay for servicing as she was on motability. Then she queried whether this was in fact the local VW main dealer. She was then told that it wasn't and it was a VW specialist. When faced with paying, she said that she hadn't authorised the service and in fact just wanted them to check the oil level...
Ooooohh great thread 
My mate is a mechanic in his spare time and he gets one of these complaints every now and then, the most recent was a new brake and discs all round job, 2 days later the lady comes back saying her car wont start and it was ok before he did the brakes. Turns out that her starter motor had gone and she wanted him to fix it for free because he touched the car last lol
My mate is a mechanic in his spare time and he gets one of these complaints every now and then, the most recent was a new brake and discs all round job, 2 days later the lady comes back saying her car wont start and it was ok before he did the brakes. Turns out that her starter motor had gone and she wanted him to fix it for free because he touched the car last lol
KungFuPanda said:
Not sure. It's called Smith Night Day.
I think I can see the problem there.At a "proper" garage, they always ask how you'll be paying when you book in.
It used to amuse me when I had Merc's amazing ServicePlus (they don't do it anymore) package as the service advisor would suggest loads of work on the car and I'd cheerfully agree and they'd gleefully write it up.
Then they'd ask how I'd be paying and when I said "ServicePlus" they'd visibly slump as the know full well that none of the trumped-up work would be authorised.
However there's a story on one of the Merc forums where the ownwer got the "it needs discs and pads all round, and the ATF could do with changing" phone call and he said "sure, go ahead" only for their to be a huge kerfuffle when he presented his ServicePlus card in payment and the dealer is looking at swallowing a grand in work they've scammed.
Yep, I get them too, I had a customer give me a key casing for a peugeot he bought off eBay, you know the cheap copies of the flip out key? Transfered all the circuit board over and tried the key it all worked so gave him it back, told Him no cost as it was a really crap key.
Two days later he comes back saying I owe him a new key as the key blade doesn't flick out no more.
I just laughed at him and sent him on his way, just looked on eBay and the cases are £3!!!
Carl
Two days later he comes back saying I owe him a new key as the key blade doesn't flick out no more.
I just laughed at him and sent him on his way, just looked on eBay and the cases are £3!!!
Carl
I'm not a "proper" mechanic, just a DIY-dabbler for 40-ish years.
I learned very early on not to work on other people's cars (friends, neighbours etc) because most of them thought that fitting new brake pads, for example, gave them a lifetime warranty on every moving part on the car.
"Oh it wasn't doing that before".
"Well it's doing it now so take it to a garage."
I learned very early on not to work on other people's cars (friends, neighbours etc) because most of them thought that fitting new brake pads, for example, gave them a lifetime warranty on every moving part on the car.
"Oh it wasn't doing that before".
"Well it's doing it now so take it to a garage."
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