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"But it was working before"

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mspecperformance Mentor

mspecperformance

Posted
Posted

We all heard the "But it was working before" even when its a blower not turning on and the only thing you touched was a transmission flush LOL.

 

Lets hear the stories and also your best responses! I am always dumbfounded when people tell me this and I am quick to go into defense mode. Whats the best way to diffuse this type of situation.

 

 

BTW I have tried explaining that we have not even been anywhere that part of the car or that system, many times I get blank stares or "Yeah right buddy" type of looks.

 

 

 

ncautoshop Proficient

ncautoshop

Posted
Posted

I've learned not to get defensive. I stay calm no matter how badly I'd like to scream in their faces lol. Once you get defensive you've lost your ability to negotiate and explain the facts. I just say "we're so sorry this has occured, we'll be glad to take a look at it and if we're at fault we'll take care of the issue, of course if we're not at fault we'll have to charge as per our billing policy" then we explain that if their uncomfortable with that their welcome to get a second opinion at their own expense.

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

 

Joe Marconi Grand Master

Joe Marconi

Posted
Posted

In my 40 years as a mechanic and 34 years as a business owner, I have blamed for things I did not touch more times than I care to remember. Perhaps my all time best story is when a customer blamed me for damaging here car, claiming that I scratched the driver's door. Her car, by the way, looked like she used it on the weekends at a local demolition derby.

 

As I walked out to see the car, she points to the drivers door, which was so badly damaged I said to her, "We did this damage to the entire door"? She replied, "No, not the entire door, most of the damage was there already, you guys just did this", as she pointed to one scratch.

 

All I could say was, "You have got to be kidding? The entire car is damaged and you are worried about one little scratch?"

 

Amazing, right?

mspecperformance Mentor

mspecperformance

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Same story I had with a customer and his bumper. He had a scratch and wanted to point it out to me say, "this wasn't there before." Bumper had multiple previous scratches and deep parking battle scars and gouges. If I remember correctly I think I looked at him and walked away. Oddly enough I still see this customer to this day lol

xrac Grand Master

xrac

Posted
Posted

Just got a call from a girl who said that since we did an alignment she has a shaking when she brakes and it wasn't there before. :wub:

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      The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart
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      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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