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Background history for those who don't know my shop... We are a German Specialty shop and we work mainly by appointment...

 

New customer calls to ask for directions to the shop, ends up being a drive up no problem. Vehicle had a misfire. We didn't have a packed morning so I said we could see his car this morning. 2002 Mercedes C240. Says he got a diag at Pep Boys. Turns out they pulled his codes with some BS printout and the guy ended up paying $50. Felt bad for the guy told him he really shouldn't go to Pep Boys to get any diag work since they probably don't have the proper scanners to perform a lot of needed tests. Anyway get the guy in, explain to him (as per Joe's advice from the forum) that we would charge him to read the codes but we will charge accordingly as we go along with the diag process depending on what tests we need to perform etc.

 

Turns out that he had 2 faulty injectors after 1.5 hrs of diag time (only charged him $50 btw). Recommended to replace the 2 injectors as they were tested and were not working. I also explained to him that there might be other factors that could contribute to his misfire however we need to take care of the known bad components before we could determine if there was anything else to address. I went through this speech about 3-4 times with the same response from this Einstein, "So the injectors will clear my computer RIGHT?" At the end I got a little exasperated and I said, "Sir like I said 3 times before, we need to replace the injectors first then we can continue with our tests." Then the truth came out, "Well I just don't want to spend over $500 on this car otherwise I'll get rid of it and get a new car I don't want to deal with headaches."

 

After that nonsense I booked him to come back in the next day (because this fine gentleman just HAD to drive to work today with his misfiring vehicle).

 

Got a call from the customer about 2 hours later and the conversation goes something like this:

 

Customer: "Heyyyyyyy... I just wanted to know are your SUREEEEE there isn't anything else I need?"

 

Me: "not that i know of sir, we tested your injectors and they were found to be faulty. That is obviously your biggest issue, once we fix that we can move on to diagnose if there is anything else causing a misfire"

 

Customer: "Oh reeaaallllyyyy... well because I have a broken hose here."

 

Me: "Is it a coolant hose or an air hose or..."

 

Customer: "Air hose"

 

Me: "Ok sir well we weren't looking for an air leak because when we scanned the vehicle there were specific codes that came up for the injectors. We tested them and 2 of them were found to be faulty. If there was an immediate indication of an air leak we would have performed a smoke test. If you have a broken hose we can most certainly figure all that out tomorrow."

 

Customer: "Ok but I want to ask you something, can I stay around while you work on the car?"

 

Me: "... Yes you can wait around like you did today, it will take approx 1.5-2 hours to finish.."

 

::::Cuts me off while I'm talking::::

 

Customer: "No I mean can I watch you while you work on my car"

 

Me: "No sir, we don't allow customers in the work area"

 

Customer: "Ok then I can't have you work on my car I'll have to find someone else"

 

I already knew his line of questioning was getting me to admit to breaking his hose or take responsibility for a broken hose without coming out and saying anything directly. At this point I just want to get rid of this guy.

 

Me: "Ok sir thats no problem you can take your vehicle anywhere you'd like"

 

Customer: "Go and see if I can stand and watch you guys work"

 

THE EFFFFFFING NERVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Me: "No sir we don't do that. Good luck"

 

 

Hung up on him before I could get a response.

 

The balls on these people!!! I really think I should go back to my old policy of charging customers for every single little thing we do. It definitely helped to weed out these trouble makers. Does this type of situation bug you guys out as much as it does to me? We are very nice and courteous to customers. Honesty is part of our creed. We have a nice clean shop and one of the only true specialists in the area. I take offense big time to customers who want to accuse us of doing shady work or have shady practices.

 

Just needed to vent I'm sure it'll be fun for some of you guys to read and relate.

Posted

It's a page out of my book.... been there done that... never liked it..EVER!

Posted

I was cursed like a dog early Monday morning just to see if I'd fix a problem for free. So tired of dramatic customers. I can't help but take it personally!

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Posted

The mistake that most shops make is they end up not charging these whiney custors yet never give the good customers a break. If a customer gets an attitude or rude, I charge them full price and ask them not to return. I believe that if someone acts like that then everyone they know already knows how they are so if they bad mouth you it will fall on deaf ears.

  • Like 1
Posted

We have all been down this road, and if there is one thing I cannot take is rudeness and how some people don't respect what we do.

 

If you think about it, the first red flag was the fact that he took his MERCEDES TO PEP BOYS.

 

I am not putting down Pep Boys, but they "target low price, get it done cheap".

 

Most of us do not operate like that, we offer the very best at a fair price.

 

Another lesson to take care of your profile customers, and let some pass you by.

  • Like 1
Posted

We have all been down this road, and if there is one thing I cannot take is rudeness and how some people don't respect what we do. 

 

If you think about it, the first red flag was the fact that he took his MERCEDES TO PEP BOYS.

 

I am not putting down Pep Boys, but they "target low price, get it done cheap".  

 

Most of us do not operate like that, we offer the very best at a fair price.

 

Another lesson to take care of your profile customers, and let some pass you by.

How do you address it once their already your customer? Lol

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted

We had a Toyota Corolla towed in for a busted tie rod end that we replaced. When it came off the truck it was running like crap but we were not asked to address the running issue. The girl's dad called yesterday saying the car wasn't running bad before. It is a constant battle with customers who think you own their car if you touch one thing on it. Last week we did a front hub on an older Pontiac Transport. Would you believe while we were pulling it in an out a plastic heater hose elbow busted and started leaking like an open faucet (we never even came close to that part of the car). Luckily this is a A list customer who understood and was glad it happened in our shop and not on his family out on the road.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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