Gonzo

Great story, I can relate completley because I have been down that same road. I also applaud your spirit in the way you handled the situation. You sound like a man that does not back down. That comes from confidence and pride in the work you do.

Thanx Joe, I'm glad you like the story. The sad part of the story is that we... the shop keepers of the country... have all seen this..... and if someone is reading this now... and hasn't experienced it... you will.. don't worry...

And to add to the "don't back down" Without a doubt... I will not back down. Here's my thoughts on this subject. Draw the line in the sand... stand on that line... If you have done your job correctly and you know your right... then stand there... take the abusive name calling. Because in the long run that type of customer isn't coming back to your establishment anytime soon. More than likely they'll end up at the next shop and try the same thing again.

People, money, and their cars are never a good combination... throw in the dork with a wrench who also sounds convincing.... You've got the makings of disaster soup... and when that pot boils.... holy wrenches... what a mess. It's a part of the job... it's the part of the job that no one tells you about when you open the doors to your repair shop.... you find this out the hard way... experience.

Lastly, yes I'm very confident of what I do,what I know. Without that, I don't think you or I could have lasted as long in private business.

Thanx again for all your comments and replies.... Gonzo

My point exactly, well said!

 

I can't tell my people to put in a 50 hour week and only pay them for 20. I understand the principle of rewarding hard work. But, hard work with no pay makes me wonder. And like you said; is it legal?

 

Many shop owners don’t agree with me but I pay a base wage with a performance bonus. The base pay is usually less than what the tech wants to make, this makes them a little hungry. In good times we all make money, in hard times we tighten our belts a little. But how can you ask a tech to take it on the chin in bad times and then ask him to go the extra mile when it’s busy. It’s the reason why I left the dealer in 1980.

 

If we are ever going to raise the level and image of the auto business we need to find ways to pay a decent wage in order to attract the right people.

I'm like Joe, I pay a base salary... (what I call... "just enough" to get by on $$) then the main focus is on the performance bonus or % of actual sales that they accomplish. I even have an incentive if you manage to stick it out on a slow week where there is very little in bonus/perfomance... be here a whole 40 hours, you get your base pay and a 100 to 150 bonus.. just for being here. That works on the busy weeks and the slow weeks too. It's worked well for years. However, now with the economy taking a dive, and... some of the other shops lowering their labor rates... I may need to come up with a new plan. Cause the guys are staying... and I'm a paying... and the work is off and on...

Hey, lean times, just hanging around waiting for spring... Gonzo

Great story! Congratulations on getting it published. I have met more then one of "my mechanic" who is a complete idiot but whom a customer trusts implictly. It was dumb of this guy to send the customer to you and then for him to question what you had done. In my book if you had been shaving the repair it would have made him look bad for recommending you.

Thanx, glad ya liked the story.... In my book I tried to account for each and any different type of shop situation that I could think of. It makes you think of the situations that you have been in that relate to the story... Interesting isn't it..... no matter what part of the country your in... people, oops, customers... are the same. LOL

Purchase a copy of my book, either from amazon.com, or my website. Or, go to your local book store and ask them to stock the book. Hey, maybe I'll just write stories and sell the wrenches... ah, not any time soon. LOL Thanx again

Hey great subject along the same lines when you sell the repairs is your tech always right or fix the whole problem.I,ve been a tech for 25+ years I thought I had a good understanding of electrial and OBDII always had good luck.But lately I had 2 vechiles that apperently had multiple problems with lean conitions both I found a large vacum hose split.I fixed it and cheaply sent the vechile s down the road but the light came back on 15-20 miles down the road.1 was a MAF sensor and the other a tune valve in the intake.Since then I beleive I could drive longer and look a fuel trims more closley.But the question I,m posing is do you some how leave the repair side open as far as we need to fix the obvious vacum leaks first

Yes, I would never ever call done ... done... I almost always tell the customer that .... this is what i found... hopefully you won't have another problem, but there are so many things that can cause that check engine light to come on. To bad there isn't a check engine light for every different problem but your dash would look like a cockpit... and it would be to distracting to drive on the roads. That usually makes them feel better if the light comes back on after I'm done with the repairs that I originaly found. try that and see if it helps.

Gonzo

Another story published on my monthly column... Another day, another crazy event at the shop.

Gonzo_Regular_Mechanic.pdf

I found this list on an auto repair website. What could/would you change about this list?

 

SherwoodAutoRepair.com offers sherwood auto repair sherwood auto service sherwood auto shop tualatin auto repair tualatin auto service lake oswego auto repair west linn auto repair wilsonville auto repair wilsonville auto service

 

Sherwood Auto Repair subscribes to the following business practices:

 

* To perform high quality repair service at a fair and just price.

 

* To use only proven merchandise of high quality distributed by reputable firms.

 

* To employ the best skilled technicians obtainable.

 

* To furnish an itemized invoice for fairly priced parts and services that clearly identifies any used or remanufactured parts. Replaced parts may be inspected upon request.

 

* To have a sense of personal obligation to each customer.

 

* To promote good will between the motorist and members of the association.

 

* To recommend corrective and maintenance services, explaining to the customer which of these are required to correct existing problems and which are for preventive maintenance.

 

* To offer the customer a price estimate for work to be performed.

 

* To furnish or post copies of any warranties covering parts or services.

 

* To obtain prior authorization for all work done, in writing, or by other means satisfactory to the customer.

 

* To notify the customer if appointments or completion promises cannot be kept.

 

* To maintain customer service records for one year or more.

 

* To exercise reasonable care for the customer's property while in our possession.

 

* To maintain a system for fair settlement of customer's complaints.

 

* To cooperate with established consumer complaint mediation activities.

 

* To uphold the high standards of our profession and always seek to correct any and all abuses within the automotive industry.

All of that is very good... I think we can add some other stuff too.

Like...

A shop should be required to carry insurance... bonded against any traffic accidents involved with customers cars and or disasters in the shop.

A rating system that would inform the customer AT THE DOOR of the level of customer history.. In my published book I gave a reasonable good explanation of how I thought it should... of course it's only one persons opinion. I could reprint that section of my book for everyone to read.. (or buy my book...LOL)

On the other hand, how are we... as the independent market... going to ever get the ability to obtain dealer class level instructions on the latest greates stuff coming down from detroit. What I mean by that.. is... a wash machine tech can put on his sleeve.. "factory trained" a lawn mower mechanic can put on his sleeve "Factory trained" But, a lonely old mechanic is on his own with the perils of daily..." by gosh, by golly... so thats how that works.." I hope I'm making sense.

Let's keep adding to the list... we'll work on the "acutal" list when we have more input. Thanx

We bend over backwards to take care of our customers and have almost no situations where this occurs now, but the few times I have had situations in the past where an unreasonable customer said they were going to call the BBB I almost wanted to laugh because I know what a total waste of their time it is.

Xrac.... I give them the number to the BBB. and say,"Why don't ya do that.... I would appreciate it." But a very rarely ever if not never see the BBB. but it happens... nothing has ever stuck nothing has ever come out of it. (I did sell a copy of my book to the BBB though.... now thats really hysterical... LOL)

I agree on both points, xrac. BBB is a scam, nothing more than robbing money from any business willing to pay the membership.

 

I too cannot believe that selling yourself short can last for long. You may struggle for a long time, but it must take it's toll in the long run. I don't want to see shop owners caving in and get into a price war, that will kill us all.

Intelligent minds think alike.... I thought I was the only one that thought the BBB was a bunch of dues collecting dim wits that only had a dollar in mind. And your right the consumer thinks they walk on water.... dah... what a joke.

The cheap shop is a problem... had a customer stop in ask about my prices and when I went to lunch I seen their car at the cheap shop in line to be repaired... go figure.

I'm so so glad to see we are all thinking on the same lines... lets me know that I'm not the only boat in the water... well, gotta get back to paddlein' more to do today.

Thanx for all your comments. Hearing that we all have the same views is quite a comfort. thanx again.

Wow! This is a side of the industry that drives me crazy!!! There are too many shop owners that should not be in business. They hurt it for the rest of us. Let me ask you a question...How is staying in business????

Joe, the only reason this SOB is still in business is simply PRICE... his shop is jammed full of cheap repairs. I'm sitting over here with 10's of thousands of dollars worth of diagnostic scanners... and having a tough time staying open. If I didn't charge the rate that I do (65.00 to 75.00 hourly which is the norm for our area) I couldn't pay for those scanners... without them I can't work. I can't believe that in todays economy I am going to have to drop my prices to stay in business, and I'm not talking about lowering my prices to suit the downward economics I'm talking about being competitive with other shops in the area. People like this... shop owners and for that matter the mechanic willing to trade his talent in for less than what he should be getting... in my book are nothing but whores of the industry. I worked a lot of hours to build up what I have only to see it go down the tubes because some numb nuts down the street who hasn't invested in the scanners and todays technology, and undercharges for his work...... but draws the customers in. Do ya think I'm a little peeved... YOU BET YA ! !

ame='Gonzo' date='10 March 2010 - 06:45 PM' timestamp='1268246705' post='6262']

 

 

I read your thoughts on page 168 and you are right on point. It’s unfortunate but “sensationalism” will always win over “journalism” and a few bad apples in any industry will always be the focus of the media and the public.

 

I particularly like you comments on the Better Business Bureau. Again, right on point! It’s the number one reason why I will never join. The BBB promotes the negative and never reinforces the positive.

 

Like I said, and will repeat over and over….Our industry is filled with dedicated, hard working people who sacrifice each day to keep this country moving. THEY deserve the respect they have dearly earned.

 

You know what really kills me: The president of the U.S. or a star athlete can commit the most heinous crime and all he has to do apologize and he is made into a hero.

 

Just wait, Tiger Woods will be back and he will get a standing ovation the first time he steps onto the green.

Of course your right again Joe, that's the media, the society and people in general...

But, on another subject... related to this... One of my old employees stopped by to say hi... wonder if I was busy... I'm not... He tells me he is making just as much as he did when he worked for me... but is doing 3 times as much work... and seems to always have more to do... I asked how is that possible... Oh you'll love this....

The shop he is at now... charges 40.00 an hour and cuts all the book times in half to the customer and the mechanics pay... Talk about a screw job .... This is another reason why I don't like the BBB I know this isn't there catagorey... but wouldn't it be nice if the playing field was level... this shop is staying in business because he is undercharging for his services...

Now I'm pissed... again.

Why is it that a “writer” for a magazine is the so-called expert? I agree with xrac. I have read too many articles that are very similar, almost word for word, like this one.

 

The articles always expose the negative things that happen, never promoting the good.

 

The truth is, and I know you all agree, that most shops work extremely hard at insuring that they do the best job they can. I have nothing but respect for my fellow mechanics and shop owners, and resent those with little knowledge of our industry telling the public questionable information.

[/quote

 

I totally agree... it's not the fact that some "writer" wrote this article but the fact that he "umbrellas" the entire independent industry. It would have been a whole lot different if they would have said... "In some cases...." But it seemed to me that they were saying that ALL independent shops work this way.

 

I was really pissed when I read it, and I did send him a msg back. This letter reminds me of how the BBB calls me once a year and wants me to join. I always say no... why you ask... this is what I tell them... "Do you ever recieve a phone call or letter saying how happy they are for services they recieve from a repair shop, or are all/most of your calls from people having a complaint." It's just like this article... all one sided answers....

 

page 168 I think in my book has my thoughts on this subject... Joe, have ya read that section yet... it's not "the golden rule" but at least it's something.... I should post that section.

This is an article sent to me buy one of my regular customers.... read this and let me know what ya think...

I think the guy has had some bad experiences with bad mechanics... you be the judge.

Copy and paste it. If needed.

10 Things Your Mechanic Won't Tell You- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

This is an article I wrote several years ago for a trade magazine.... I think it's still true today... Love to hear your comments.

 

Diagnostics fee or not

 

This has been an issue since day one. Should we charge to diagnose the car or should the estimate be free. Let’s define an estimate first.

 

What is an estimate?

An estimate is a list of all the parts and labor involved in making a repair. With the possibilities of adding supplements to the original estimate if other work is deemed necessary after the initial work has started.

Ok that’s an estimate, or is it…? Let’s try this again.

 

What is an estimate?

It’s a guess……. With the chance that I might get it right but more than likely the final bill will be different than what was original “estimated” at.

Hmm, the two definitions are different but at the same time mean the same thing… What about the diagnostic side? Ok, how about that… that diagnostic thing.

 

What is a diagnostic?

It is the process in which a technician is able to determine the cause or failure of a piece of equipment, vehicle, or appliance.

Did ya get that? … One more time …

 

What is a diagnostic?

It is the process used to determine the root cause of a given mechanical or electrical problem that has become an issue with a vehicle, appliance or piece of equipment.

Sounds the same doesn’t it…. hmm, maybe we are getting to the real issue… MONEY

 

The diagnostics may take some time, may even require a few sophisticated scanners, wiring diagrams, and tools. Time is money as we all know, of course, knowledge, expertise and experience is a commodity that should always be respected no matter what field you are in. A service charge for such “diagnostics” is essential in the continuing financial stability of a shop or for that matter… any service oriented business.

Once the diagnostics has been completed an “estimate” can then be given to the customer for their approval. This should also be noted that if a “diagnostics” is preformed and the problem turns out to be “intermittent” or none exciting a fee still applies. The time has already been spent to figure out that there was nothing wrong. That brings up another touchy issue. For some reason the customer feels cheated if you charge for nothing found… now wait a minute, how was it determined that nothing was wrong… ah…the diagnostics lead to that result. Then the problem isn’t the problem anymore, it’s the time spent looking for the problem that is the problem. To ease the customer’s woes you could always give them a time table for future re-evaluations. (30 days is a good round number) Note; It wouldn’t be the first time I have diagnosed a car for a customer only to find out that their complaint is from lack of understanding of their vehicle or dare I say… their just another fruit basket behind the wheel.

 

Now I’m not in favor of a free diagnostics (if you couldn’t tell already) and I’m not too fond of the free estimate. If there is any “man hours” that are part of any job a “man” wants paid. If that “man” is working on a commission basis, I can assure you that he is going to rush through the “estimate” in order to get to the real money end of the job.

However a diagnostic is a totally different thing, I don’t think I could have made a living without charging for the time it takes to figure out some of the strange pr oblems I’ve encountered over the years. Some things were easy to diagnose, some took hours. But I believe it’s the standardization of a diagnostic charge that would make things a lot easier for the customers to understand the complexities of today’s problem evaluations.

If a tech couldn’t figure out a problem in a reasonable length of time … say an hour… then it’s quite possible the shop is going to be losing money if they kept him on that job. The next best thing would be to move him off that job. Put another tech on who might be able to figure out the problem in a reasonable amount of time. Of course, the shop is already behind the 8 ball, since the first tech didn’t get the job done, but in the long run… it will get done, there will be an estimate for the customer explaining the repairs needed.

 

I don’t know which is more of a problem, the shops out there not willing to charge for estimating… Oops I mean diagnostic time… or the customer who doesn’t feel that it’s a necessary part of the process. Then again, these are not yesterday’s cars.

It’s about time there were some standards that everyone in the industry had to go by, be it from the independent side or the dealer side. Regulation or self imposed limits as to how much can be charged across the board for various levels of diagnostics. Not to say diagnosing a bad ball joint is easier than a battery drain, no, not at all. Each field in the industry would have to come up with a balanced set of standards that those involved could agree was a fair price for that type of service. If all the independent shops charge the same fees in a demographic area it would lead to a more even playing field for the customer. Maybe, we should think about using a different term rather than “independent”… we can be independent in ownership, style, quality, etc… but put the customer’s concerns up front. If I wasn’t in the business and didn’t know where to take my car I would really would like to know that I’m getting quality work done at a fair price at any shop I went to. If there was a way to put an end to the “I can get it done cheaper down the street” escapades… my drive home would be a whole lot more pleasant than in the past. .

 

If that didn’t happen it then only comes down to a question of where to have the vehicle repaired at. Everyone has their favorite doctor, dentist, or restaurant. Which is probably based on location, atmosphere, or “ya just like that particular place”. Price is always an issue, and probably always will be. If you’re not getting the job done right at the shop of your choice… choose another one. How many times a day does your phone ring because you have some “price shopper” who is never coming to your shop because your price is higher than the last shop they called… even though they were referred by a friend to call you.

Maybe we should focus on better instructional classes, more information, and true manufacturer level scanners available to the independent side of the business. Sometimes too much effort is put on the “Be nice to the customer”, or the preverbal “Customer is always right” routine. The old saying; “If the customer knew what was wrong they would have fixed it themselves” still holds true today. But I’m talking about telling them what’s wrong with the vehicle, not how to fix it. With the advent of the computer age upon us the car has become a rolling updateable, flash reprogramming software jungle of information. The cost of these specialized scanners puts them out of the range of most consumers, and a lot of small shops, which, in some ways, also places the shade tree mechanic on the endangered species list.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the same line from a customer’s after I have diagnosed a problem. “Well, I could have done that myself, I would have looked there for the problem if I had the time, and I don’t know why you’re charging me for something so simple. You should give a break on the price because it was so simple. “Hey, I’m a regular customer I should be getting a discount.” My usual answer is… “So if you knew what was wrong, why did you bring it to me to figure it out?” And, I’m not sure that other professional people you deal with such as a doctor, dentist, or the grocer…etc… is going to give you a discount just because you shop with them on a regular basis.

Common sense, the largest lacking component in all of these situations… In my opinion, once common sense is removed from the conversation “stupid” takes its place. I wonder if I could estimate how many times this has happened… maybe so… but I better think about diagnosing it first…

This article was just picked up by Brake and Front end magazine... be watching for it in the April addition... (The story had to be edited to fit, but it's more or less the same.) Gonzo

And they call his business........... A "practice" ......... go figure... If I would say that to one of my customers... I wouldn't have a customer any longer...

I should send you the story I wrote about the differences between a doctor and a mechanic...

Besdides the doctor has never had to deal with Swedish or German or Italian engineering!

And they call his business........... A "practice" ......... go figure... If I would say that to one of my customers... I wouldn't have a customer any longer...

A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a car when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his car when the mechanic shouted across the Garage.

 

"Hey, Doc, want to take a look at this?"

 

The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the engine.

 

The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its' heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $39,675 a year and you get the really big bucks ($1,695,759) when you and I are doing basically the same work?"

 

The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic..........

 

"Try doing it with the engine running."

I think the doctor has it easier.... he only has two models to work with and his equipment keeps improving... wish I had that kind of luck... LOL

Great story you never know what you will run into in this business. Tuesday we replaced a blend door actuator motor on a Mercury Mountaineer and it was back in Thursday because it still didn't work right. We found the problem to be that mice had stuffed the passage from the blower motor with shredded tissue. We removed the tissue and fixed the problem.

Boy, do I have stories about mice... I think I have three stories published in my book... and I have quite a few in reserve...

Maybe I'll put one of those up on the site next... they're hillarious. thanx for the comments....

I think writing these stories down is like therapy.... good for me and a good story for everyone else. Thanx again

Another story for everyone... this one wasn't in my last book... It will probably go into the next one. (I've got plenty more... )

Blowin’ in the wind

Another headlight problem to deal with, this time it’s on an old 280z. Both headlights took their turn going on and off. I’ve seen this problem hundreds of times. My first test is to pull the trim from around the steering wheel and pop off this little plastic guard on the back of the headlight switch. If the headlight switch is causing the problem, all you have to do is take your finger and gently push on the terminals of the headlight switch that you exposed when the plastic guard was removed. In this case, that’s exactly the problem. No further diagnostics needed. Chalk that one up to experience.

After filling out the invoice I gave the customer the news. He was quite startled that I could find the problem so fast.

“I had it at the last shop for hours,” he said, “Until they gave up and sent me here.”

“It’s not a big deal I’ve seen it before,” I said.

The part was ordered and I had it installed in a flash. Simple repair, made simple with lots and lots of experience mind you. After the install, I checked the headlights. All was well, nothing wrong that I could see. I pulled the car around front and filled out the rest of the paper work.

A big thank you and a hand shake was all that was needed at that point. I handed him his keys and he drove off down the street. I figured I just made a new customer… not bad, I look like the genius that I think I am… well, there ya go again… did we forget about the proverbial teeter tooter? Oh, yea, it’s going to slide right to stupid… and idiot isn’t far away.

Several weeks later the car was back, again with the blinking headlights. I went thru the whole routine again… it is absolutely without a doubt, hands down, totally for sure… working just like it should. And I mean perfect. It never blinked it never even thought of blinking. Now I’m getting concerned. This isn’t right. Whose playing games here…? Is there one of those hidden cameras around here? Ok, who put this guy up to it? I’ve got a lot of practical joker friends that would love to pull some stunt like this… but I ain’t laughing fellas!

Since nobody jumped out from behind a bush or a tool box I guess I better consider that this guy is dead serious about his “blinking” headlights. Time to go talk to the owner.

“How often does it do this,” I asked.

“All the time, especially at night,” the 280z owner explained.

(You know, sometimes in a rush I ask the wrong questions. At night, well of course it would be at night. I’m sliding even closer to idiot right now… I hope there’s a safety harness attached to the see saw.)

“Well, I’m having a problem duplicating the blinking at this point,” I said with a bit of confusion in my voice.

“Oh, I guarantee it’s going to do it,” he said, “Just wait, it will.”

I went back out to the shop and pondered over this odd situation. Now I pride myself on being able to figure this stuff out, I hate thinking I’m going to have to end up like the last shop and give up on it. Oh come on, I seen the headlights blink before, that was cut and dry, this I don’t know.

About then one of the tow drivers that brings cars to me came in the shop. Not for a car, just to say Hi. I explained to him what I was up against and I told him I’m running out of ideas on how to solve this one. Not that I expected any help but I could use a shoulder to cry on right about now. He had this quirky smirk on his face… as if he knew something that I didn’t. Something told me he was up to something, aha; he’s the guy with the hidden camera. Ok, ok, I’ll play along.

“Hop behind the wheel and turn the lights on,” my tow truck driving buddy chuckled.

“Ok,” I said, perplexed by his sudden show of diagnostic abilities.

Once I had the headlights on he walked to the front of the car and stood in front of one of the headlights.

“Are ya ready for this,” he said, still laughing his butt off.

“Go for it there Einstein,” I said … not knowing what he was about to do. I couldn’t think of a thing I missed, and how in the world was he so sure of it.

As he stood there looking at me sitting behind the wheel, his legs were lit up with the headlight beam, he reached down and grabbed the bra that was on the front of the car. As he flapped the bra up and down … the headlight… blinked. What the??? I jumped out of the car leaving the headlights on.

“What are you doing, man o’ man, I’ve wanting to see that all afternoon,” totally astonished by now, “What the hell are you doing.”

The bra is fitted into the recess in front of the headlight, and the attaching “Velcro” strips were gone. So, when the car was up to speed the bra would flap in the wind and make it appear as if the headlight was blinking. Now on the other hand, the other side was tight and was holding the bra down just the way it should.

I ran to get the customer, had him sit in the driver’s seat. My still laughing tow truck buddy and I went through our little experiment. The most surprising thing was the owner agreed that was what was happening and it only did it on that one side… which after thinking about it was different than what it was doing with the original switch installed.

At least he understood the problem now and everything was back to normal… except… how did the tow driver know…?

“I was on a call last night and I saw this same car on the highway pass me,” he said, still laughing, “I knew it was at your shop a while back. You couldn’t miss it, what got my attention was the blinking headlight as he came up along side of me, I thought it was some weird emergency vehicle, but as it passed by my truck I could see what was going on. I was laughing the whole time, in fact, that’s why I came by today. I was stopping by to raze ya about it, seems like I came at the right time.”

Well, well, well, I owe him one. Maybe a couple, I’m sure he still laughs about this one even after all these years. That proverbial teeter totter is sure looking heavy on that one side. My bad, I’ll work on correcting that problem, maybe with a little help from a gust of wind and a friendly tow driver.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am leaving for vacation on Sat. That is, if the snow lets up. NYC is getting hammered with snow and I am scheduled to leave 7:00am Sat.

 

I am going on a cruise, flying first to Puerto Rico.

 

Any way, wish me luck to get out ok...

Luck??? Puerto Rico??? I'm jelaous... Here I am stuck in the shop with a wrench in my hand and your off doing what ever it is you do on a vacation.... I think the earth was flat the last time I had a real vacation.

Have a great time... I'll be thinking about ya.... Gonzo

OK guys, I have to admit that this story not only alarms me, it makes me more than a little PO'd. This is liable to get a little long winded but please bear with me while I explain.

The bait and switch portion I understand and I totally agree with BAR. Moreover my upbringing tells me that practices such as these are not only illegal, they are wrong? Legally, morally and ethically wrong..............period. The part that alarms me is that, even though these stores were found guilty of actions that go against everything I know and everything I am, the bait and switch was not the only issue here. There were many references to unnecessary rotor refinishing, brake adjusting and brake cleaning. All of which I sell on a very regular basis. What constitutes necessary? If it is not written in the OE manual as a normal service procedure, does this mean they are unnecessary? I am sure I am not the only one who sometimes see OE engineers as misinformed brainiacs who, on their best day, would likely struggle to accomplish the tasks of an entry level automotive technician. We all know the importance of a brake fluid flush. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means it is prone to draw moisture at the same time copper ions wear from the brake lines and further contaminate the fluid. Replacing the fluid removes the infected fluid and restores fluid with the proper boiling point and helps to protect other brake components from damage. Look at your factory maintenance schedules. Not many require brake fluid flushes. The full article as presented by link on the Brake & Front End website cited instances of brake adjustments being performed on "automatically adjusting" brake systems, we all know how well those work! Brake cleaning? According to the authority's in California the worn material from brake shoes in and enclosed environment must magically disappear on its own. If it does not disappear could it not effect brake balance, efficiency and therefore motorist safety? Do you see where I am going here? Are any of us a official inspection or a undercover sting operation away from a situation that could spell reputation disaster?

Now before you ask,"who peed in this guys post toasties" or wonder if I may be the brother in law of Mr Glad, let me tell you my story.

On a Monday morning in Jan of 2009 I opened for business as normal at 8:00 in the morning. At 8:05 three gentlemen strolled through my door who looked like outside salesmen from any number of companies who have called on many of you through the years. I thought to myself, I must be pretty important to command the whole team, until the badges came out. The Environmental Protection Agency credentials sent a cold chill up my spine that I will never forget. These inspectors were visiting me, all the way from West Virginia on alleged violations of the clean air act. I was ready to fully cooperate. After grilling me for 7 hours, copying every one of my invoices for the prior 6 months (even rolled in their own copy machine) and inspecting my shop, warehouse, personal and employees vehicles, they left at 4:00 pm with the parting words, we will get back to you. Now, keep in mind they could not or would not tell me what they were looking for, why I was targeted or who made the allegations against my company. 2 weeks after the visit one inspector called and asked for a complete list of all the part numbers of catalytic converters I sell. I faxed that information requested and the wait continued. I spent the next few months wondering where we go from here? What do they think? Are they working up a case against me? Have they found nothing and just decided to drop it? Is there a period of time like a statute of limitations that has expired? The longer this continued the less I slept and the angrier I became. These people were questioning my integrity. For years I had hoped that some of my competitors would be caught for illegal activities and brought to justice. Now I was being accused of something, although I was unsure then then even what that something was. Finally, the last week of Sept 2009 The registered letter arrived. At least I would know the charges against me and prepare a defense. I opened the letter and found charges of 27 violations of the clean air act and the corresponding fine of 37K! However as a first time offender I was eligible for a expedited settlement of 14K if I paid in 30 days (kinda seems like extortion to me). What were the violations? 27 counts of selling used catalytic converters.

Now is where things get really interesting. I call the big wig listed on the registered letter and after allowing him to conference call another agent and a supervisor the 4 of us try to decipher this little fiasco. I ask for the numbers of the invoices that show the violations. "I don't have that information" was the reply. "Then how am I to defend myself if I don't know what led you to this conclusion"? This is when the supervisor chimed in and informed me that the invoices in question had 3 part numbers of converters that she was not familiar with and " I am the aftermarket converter expert here" she said and "if those numbers do not exist then they must be concocted to hide non compliant units" WOW, that makes no sense at all was my response. I asked what I had to do to assure those numbers were in fact fully compliant part numbers and EPA certified units? The first agent said "fax me a letter from the manufacturer stating that they are EPA compliant and invoices from your supplier showing your purchases of those same numbers and quantities during the 6 months included in the investigation and we will consider the evidence.

I called Carsound \ Magnaflow and asked for the information the EPA requested which was faxed to me the next morning. i then faxed that letter along with my supplier invoices showing the purchase of those 27 units in a 7 month period to the EPA on a Thursday morning and waited again until Wed of the next week. The caller ID showed US Gov and a out of town area code. Finally a response, and the conversation went like this. "Well Mr Hogan, it seems there has been a mistake on the part of our contracted inspectors. The information you provided clears up this matter and we now consider the investigation closed.

I hope my story makes each and every one of you think about your processes and procedures. I certainly hope that cleaning and adjusting the rear brake shoes on a customers vehicle does not bring "the man" after me again. Mine was a little different scenario that that of the Midas shops but look how the experience turned my life upside down for 10 months. Many sleepless nights that I hope to never experience again.

Thanks for suffering through this lengthy post. Good luck and a prosperous 2010 to you all.

I'm glad to hear you cleared your name and reputation with the paperwork trail. Good job there. But, you left one unanswered question... this one bothers me... WHO CALLED YOU IN??? I don't have a problem with the EPA, but I always run into problems with irate customers. Most of my general repairs are electrical in nature (Auto electric specialist) and I've seen people get bent because of the lack of understanding of how the systems work or over the cost of the repairs.

But, I am always looking over my shoulder for that "crack'd pot" customer that has set his vengance on myself or my company....

So.... did ya find out who it was... or have you started to look over your shoulder too....

I for one, yes much younger than you am glad that we don't have to rebuild alternators, master cylinders and things like that.

 

Great article Gonzo. I agree with you on this article. The problem is training the people who "think" they know what they are doing.

Ah yes, a problem from the time of the model T.... nothing is different ... but at the same time it is completely different. Training is always a problem. I really think the big thing is that the ever changing industry is going to change faster and faster than it ever has in the past. You may find out that being younger (than me) that what you know today is already out of date tomorrow. For me, in my day... at least I might have had a year till what I knew was useless. (I'm laughing at this whole thing... can't ya tell)

It's a throw away era we live in... Like Joe said... we all started out "repairing" cars. Today it's diagnose and replace. Makes me think of the good old days.... LOL

Just think of our business alone: When we started in this profession we rebuilt master cylinders, wheel cylinders, calipers, starters, alternators, fuel pumps, carburetors and many other components. Today, that is a lost art.

It's a shame.... I'm sad to say I have seen the changes... Sometimes I feel like the buggy whip company... sooner or later we all are just another has been part of society. a shade tree mechanic, a buggy whip maker... same thing... history has a way of repeating itself..

My father grew up during the great depression. He did not through anything away; if it broke he would fix it: the toaster, chairs, tables, washing machine, broken tiles in the bathroom, brick work, etc. He would always ask me to help. I guess that's how I acquired my passion to work with my hands.

 

I agree, those days are truly gone. Today we will live in a through-away society. Strangely enough...my father predicted it.

Just think what the world would be like today.... If, back in the 40's or 50's before plastics took over everything... that a law, reform or whatever you want to call it.. that said, ..... everything that was made or imported into the states had to be either biodegradeable or could be recycled and or repaired back to working condition... no exceptions. Now, everyone has to fix what they bought, and, you can't "throw" it away. What a difference that would have made. (dream world of course)

From one dinosaur to another....great article!

 

One of my fondest memories as a kid was those Saturday afternoons when all the fathers in the neighborhood would tinker with their cars. I remember all the hoods open and I would walk from car to car just to see what was going on. Back then, it seemed everyone knew a little about cars.

 

Times have changed. I really enjoyed reading your article.

I was a farm kid, always thought Grandpa was so cool ... cause he could fix anything with a hammer and a cresent wrench. Boy, are those days gone...

Another article I'm working on... thought I would put it out here for the group to review... Love to here your comments before I send this one off.

That shade tree is getting old

Is it fair to say that the shade tree mechanic is a thing of the past…? I think so, that is if we are talking about todays modern cars that we all drive and depend on, and we are trying to get a car repaired by your next door neighbor who is pretty good at fixing cars. But, that doesnt mean you wont see a 68 Camaro or a Model T up on blocks in some guys garage. I think that will be there for a long, long time.

The American shade tree mechanic is now an antique. Years ago it wasnt uncommon that a relative in the family was known as the guy to go to if you had car problems. In some instances that shade tree relative still exists. But dont count on it being the norm these days. Todays cars are so complicated and so much more electronically advanced that youre not going to be able to repair them without a lot of expensive equipment. Which, by the way, depending on the type of vehicle…. might even be as obsolete as the cars themselves. The one thing to keep in mind is that the manufacturers ambition is to sell cars, the independent shop or in this case the shade tree mechanic is trying to make the car last longer. Which is counterproductive to what the manufacturer is trying to do. So it makes sense that technician has a hard time keeping up with the changes. In other words … why else would the manufacturer be so hesitant about handing out the latest greatest scanners and tools required to maintain their cars. (self preservation)

This is probably the leading factor in the evolution of the shade tree mechanic. Not to say the early pioneering shade tree mechanic didnt come up with some innovative way to repair or improve on an existing technology. He did, and that could happen even in our modern times. However, its not wrenches and screwdrivers anymore, its laptops and software. Tuning a car with timing light was yesterday, going through a crank angle relearn procedure with a scanner is today. Hey, thats the times, thats the way it is. For me, Im an old salt of a mechanic now, back in my younger days I would grab a dwell meter and a timing light along with my specially sized screwdrivers specifically designed to get into those tight distributor housings and carburetors adjustments. I would listen to the engine; let it tell me what to do. Sometimes you would have to make a little tweak or slight adjustment from the factory numbers to compensate for a weak cylinder or internal part wear. You might even have to adjust for altitude or octane. There was always something to do under the hood that made the mechanic essential to be there rather than behind a computer screen. The day of the adjustable engine parameters for the sake of argument… have gone into the history books. The computer has taken over and there isnt much use for those old tools and techniques today. I still keep them in a drawer near the bottom of my tool box. Each year they keep getting shoved further and further back into a corner. Oh, probably someday Ill get them out, knock the dust off of them, get all nostalgic and tell those old war stories to that young tech standing next to me. Im sure he probably looks a lot like I did when I was his age. All that young, fresh attitude, eager to learn and wanting to know more and more about cars. He probably looks a lot like me when the old mechanic I learned the trade from pulled out his growler and showed me how to test generators with it. (Now am showing my age….)

Lets face it, change is a good thing. Cars will always evolve and become more and more sophisticated than they are now. Can you imagine the cars of say… 30 years from now?? Customers, or should we call them vehicle occupants of the future still will need some sort of service performed on their mode of transportation.

The idea that cars will drive themselves is still a possibility. Will the cars of the future run on something other than fossil fuel… sure why not, were almost there with the hydrogen systems. Will car accidents be a thing of the past …. Good luck with that one. Could it be that the car can fix their selves… maybe, maybe not, but… whos to say… its all in the future…when we get there, well be able to answer those questions.

My personal take on all this new fangled electronic-self driving-accident avoidance-fix it themselves vehicles is quite simple…..man made them. Theyll break….they always do, nothing last forever. Even Mother Nature hasnt grown anything that hasnt died, so I guess the same holds true with the shade tree mechanic. Sooner or later he will pass into the history books.

Dont give up on those wrenches to soon though…. Were not quite there yet. But I would suggest that you keep one eye towards the future. Its coming…..