Am I just crotchety and old fashioned?

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[CARMandP]

Yes, it should have bothered you and I probably would have called the lazy bum on it. Really? He probably used mommy's money to buy his lazy wife and fat kids the Sonic food as well.

[DewayneP]

No, you're not crotchety and old fashioned. That son of hers would have had a hand across the face in the "olden days" if he didn't stop what he was doing and offer Mom a hand. I know I've stopped what I was doing and driven several miles to help my Mom or Dad or In-Laws if they need help. Also, it doesn't matter if she didn't have money at that time, she could have said "what do I owe you, I don't have any money right now but I will get it to you". It's as much her fault as it is her son's. I've done that very thing a few times and have always been asked "what do I owe you" and I've always said "nothing". It goes toward customer relations, even though she is not a paying customer, she is using a service you provided. Who knows, maybe she'll remember your kindness and become your best customer?

[Gonzo]

Today I had a woman approached me at the service counter telling me she thought she was out of gas and di I have a gas can. The car was at the Sonic Drive-in which is next door. Of course I had a gas can and funnel available but no gas. There is a station about two blocks away. I was busy but thought it was too hot to have the woman (about 55) walk to the station, purchase gas and walk back to her car carrying the can. I took her to the gas station, she paid for the gas that I pumped. I brought it back to her car, pumped it into the car and we got the car started.

 

I then learned that while all of this was going on her grown son, his girlfriend and their two kids were feeding their faces at the Sonic where the car had been pushed when it ran out of gas. This grown son was doing nothing while momma fixed the problem.

 

I spent about 20 minutes of my time when I was busy working. I used my car, my gas, my gas can, and my funnel and all I got offered from the woman was a thanks. That was it. I got no offer of anything for my time or my gas or the use of my stuff. Now if the woman had asked me if she owed me anything or if she had offered me $10 or $20 for my efforts I would have politely declined. But my point is the way I grew up and was taught you would have ALWAYS asked if you owed anything or would have ALWAYS pulled out some money and offered. I basically supplied her with a $20-$30 roadside assistance call for free.

 

My gripe is a lazy son who would let his momma try to solve the problem while he did nothing. There is no way in the world I would have ever done that to my mother. My other gripe is the lack of courtesy and respect that was shown by not offering some compensation or asking. The woman had money because she had to get change to pay me for the gas and she was on her way to Wal-Mart.

 

Am I just crotchety and old fashioned? Should this have bothered me?

 

 

I know what it is..it's a medical condition. It's called Rude-nessinconsiderateta....... People like that are the type that think someone will always help them out... that's probably why the lazy bastard kept feeding his face instead of helping his mom. I think it's in the DNA makeup... some people have it, some don't... But you my friend, show great effort and courage... you should be knighted...

 

I'll bet if the situation came up again.... you'd do the same thing... and... If that lady had the situation come up again... she, would do the same thing too... go figure... the only cure I know for it is a good slap in the face... I'll help...

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[lvroth]

Today I had a woman approached me at the service counter telling me she thought she was out of gas and di I have a gas can. The car was at the Sonic Drive-in which is next door. Of course I had a gas can and funnel available but no gas. There is a station about two blocks away. I was busy but thought it was too hot to have the woman (about 55) walk to the station, purchase gas and walk back to her car carrying the can. I took her to the gas station, she paid for the gas that I pumped. I brought it back to her car, pumped it into the car and we got the car started.

 

I then learned that while all of this was going on her grown son, his girlfriend and their two kids were feeding their faces at the Sonic where the car had been pushed when it ran out of gas. This grown son was doing nothing while momma fixed the problem.

 

I spent about 20 minutes of my time when I was busy working. I used my car, my gas, my gas can, and my funnel and all I got offered from the woman was a thanks. That was it. I got no offer of anything for my time or my gas or the use of my stuff. Now if the woman had asked me if she owed me anything or if she had offered me $10 or $20 for my efforts I would have politely declined. But my point is the way I grew up and was taught you would have ALWAYS asked if you owed anything or would have ALWAYS pulled out some money and offered. I basically supplied her with a $20-$30 roadside assistance call for free.

 

My gripe is a lazy son who would let his momma try to solve the problem while he did nothing. There is no way in the world I would have ever done that to my mother. My other gripe is the lack of courtesy and respect that was shown by not offering some compensation or asking. The woman had money because she had to get change to pay me for the gas and she was on her way to Wal-Mart.

 

Am I just crotchety and old fashioned? Should this have bothered me?

[Gonzo]

Yes! I would do it again. I am the type of person that if you let me borrow your truck I will leave more gas in it when I am done with it then when I borrowed it. That is just they way that my poor, Kentucky, farm family taught me.

 

 

Great, ya need a truck for the weekend... mine is out of gas... sure would appreciate it... LOL

 

(I kinda figured you as that type... nice to know I'm not alone in the world...)

[lvroth]

Absolutely not...unless being thankful and appreciative is also old fashioned!!

You just witnessed, what a society filled with individuals, who have grown up with an entitlement mentality will look like...not pretty!

[Autoshop Solutions]

Dear Crotchety,

 

As I have faced the same situation many times, and felt the exact same as you I can say that you are justified for feeling the way you do. When you volunteer to help someone, most of us are happy to help and don't need the "Thank You" at the end. But when someone walks into your business asking for help and you go out of your way and get left with nothing, it's certainly a let down.

 

Do us all a favor, don't change a thing. You are a credit to our industry, and your reward for your selfless, and sometimes "thank-less" giving will come in other forms.

 

Happy Friday!

[Joe Marconi]

Today I had a woman approached me at the service counter telling me she thought she was out of gas and di I have a gas can. The car was at the Sonic Drive-in which is next door. Of course I had a gas can and funnel available but no gas. There is a station about two blocks away. I was busy but thought it was too hot to have the woman (about 55) walk to the station, purchase gas and walk back to her car carrying the can. I took her to the gas station, she paid for the gas that I pumped. I brought it back to her car, pumped it into the car and we got the car started.

 

I then learned that while all of this was going on her grown son, his girlfriend and their two kids were feeding their faces at the Sonic where the car had been pushed when it ran out of gas. This grown son was doing nothing while momma fixed the problem.

 

I spent about 20 minutes of my time when I was busy working. I used my car, my gas, my gas can, and my funnel and all I got offered from the woman was a thanks. That was it. I got no offer of anything for my time or my gas or the use of my stuff. Now if the woman had asked me if she owed me anything or if she had offered me $10 or $20 for my efforts I would have politely declined. But my point is the way I grew up and was taught you would have ALWAYS asked if you owed anything or would have ALWAYS pulled out some money and offered. I basically supplied her with a $20-$30 roadside assistance call for free.

 

My gripe is a lazy son who would let his momma try to solve the problem while he did nothing. There is no way in the world I would have ever done that to my mother. My other gripe is the lack of courtesy and respect that was shown by not offering some compensation or asking. The woman had money because she had to get change to pay me for the gas and she was on her way to Wal-Mart.

 

Am I just crotchety and old fashioned? Should this have bothered me?

 

Call it old fashion, call it crotchety... I really don’t care...but you are RIGHT to feel the way you do. We have all been down this road too many times before and we get taken advantage of because of our good nature. But the rewards we get for being the way we make it worth.

 

About a year ago a women in her 70’s walked in my shop asking for help. She got gas at the self serve station on the corner and when she got back into her car it would not start. The people at the gas-and-go told her to walk over to my shop to use my phone to call AAA. It was a summer day, hot and humid, about 95 degrees. Why she could not get help from the gas station or use their phone baffles me!

 

Anyway, I let her use my phone to call AAA and after trying to work through their phone prompts, she was becoming increasingly upset over the entire episode. After reaching the AAA dispatch they told her without an exact physical address, they could not dispatch a truck. By now she was drained, I could see in her face that lost feeling. I asked her if she would like me to help her and grabbed the phone from her. After attempting to deal with the idiot on the other end of the line at AAA, I gave up and hung up the phone.

 

I asked the women for her keys and told her I would go to the corner and see if I could help. She asked me how much? She said she was on a very fixed budget and did not have much money. I told her that I want to see what the problem was and for that I would not charge her anything. She seemed to relax and started to calm down.

 

I took a helper down to the corner. The car was blocking the bays and someone from the store shouted to me that I better get that car out of the way soon! I just stared at him with a look that could kill, walked over and told him, “If you had any sense you would have helped the old woman instead of making her walk a few blocks in this hot weather. Now turn around and go back inside”. Without a word, he did just that.

 

The problem was a dead battery. I jumped the car, got it back to my shop and put a new battery in it. She asked me how much? And I asked her what she could afford. She said she had $75.00 on her. I told her to give my $50. She started to cry and told me that she knew it was more than that.

 

The next day her daughter came over to offer me more money. I refused and told her some things are more important than money. She could believe her hears and thanked me.

 

I know each of us have a similar story to tell. These are the reasons we are the best of the best!

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[Joe Marconi]

Joe, I loved that story. A few years ago I had a lady in her late seventies come into the shop. When we check out her 93 Saturn we found she had ran over a parking stop and had badly bent her subframe. She was going to have to have it replaced and didn't have the money and she was in hysteria. I talked to her and told her we could install a used subframe and if she would pay me $300 now that we would let her make payments on the rest. She did and we did and she became a very loyal customer. The last time I saw her was when she had a blow out about 1/2 mile from our shop and was again in hysterics. She had AAA and I told her to call them and I would be there to pick her up. I picked her up and got her and her car to the shop and we put a couple of cheap tires on it for her. Her old tires were dry rotted. A couple of months later I saw her death announcement in the obituaries. Then a week or two later I had a woman come in who introduced herself as this woman's neice who was handling her affairs. She asked me if her aunt owed us anything (she did not) and said she wanted to be sure that we were taken care of if her aunt had owed us money because she knew how kind we had been to her and how well we had taken care of her.

 

These stories really touch my heart and there will be a place for us for doing the things we do. We all work and have a business to make money, but some things transend money and the rewards we get, that feeling we get, you cannot put a price on.

 

Again I need to say, it's reasons like this that I am proud of ASO and it's members. Shop owners are truly the best of the best.

 

What great stories to share on fathers day too!

 

As always thanks!

[GeeZ]

It is the parents' fault for not teaching their kids. Can you imagine what the grandchildren will be like?

[Gonzo]

It is the parents' fault for not teaching their kids. Can you imagine what the grandchildren will be like?

 

 

Geez, got a story on that subject... called "runs in the family" I might post that one next... LOL

[Joe Marconi]

Geez, got a story on that subject... called "runs in the family" I might post that one next... LOL

 

Can't wait to read it!

[RickM]

I had a similar experience just a few hours ago. A Ford Expedition with the doors locked and a very small child inside. The lady called the police but when an officer arrived he told her they were not allowed to unlock vehicles and if worse came to worse he would break a window but that he knew I unlocked cars and would call me and see if I could unlock it. Needless to say I dropped what I was doing and went to unlock the vehicle. While I wass unlocking the car I heard the lady thank the officer for trying and for calling me, but when I got the car unlocked the lady never had a thanks or how much for me. Like xrac I wouldnt have accepted, I did it for the child not the lady but my poor Kentucky family didnt raise me that way either.

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[Joe Marconi]

That is amazing! What is wrong with people? Is letting people like this go without asking for some payment reinforcing this ingratitude?

 

The other day a customer, with no appointment, came in asking for a State Inspection. The inspection was overdue and he was leaving to go on vacation. It was Friday afternoon and we were overbooked already. The service advisor said that although we are booked if you want to hang around we would do it before the end of the day. He said, ok.

 

We got the inspection done by 4:30. After paying his bill, the advisor, expecting to hear a "thank you", was asked by the customer, " What took so long? It's only an Inspection".

 

You can't change people....

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[Gonzo]

My daughter (Katie) who runs my office had one yesterday... this one is going to end up being a story for sure.

 

A lady calls and wants to know if we can work on a VW "Pass-it" because she is having a shortage in it that the dealer looked at and said it was her ECM control module (she said it just like that).

 

Katie told her that we would need to diagnose it... which put this lady in a rage because she would have to pay more money to have her car looked at again. The lady (and I use that term loosely) Started calling her "bitch" and "F-in" this and "F-in" that.

 

Katie ... after quite a long converstation, trying to reason with her.... and had given up....told the lady that she was not welcomed at out shop and that she should take her problem back to the dealership.

 

At that point the phone is at arms length and this lady is still going off... about then a regular customer that was standing at the counter waiting for her turn was backing up against the far wall... totally shocked at the loud profanity coming from the phone.

 

As Katie was hanging the phone up the lady was still screaming... "I'll bet your husband is out screwin around on your ragedy a$$.... CLICK..."

 

The nerve of some people... Katie did the right thing hanging up on her... no respect at all...

You know, there isn't a mental evaluation given when handing out drivers liscences... there should be... Gonzo

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[Gonzo]

Wow! Gonzo I can't believe the customers you get.

 

 

Alligator skin......