Quote:
Originally Posted by drmiller100
From the inside.
Many customers lie. I cynic would start treating customers as the enemy after a while.
Most mechanic shops lie. I see it a LOT. Customers EXPECT mechanics to lie, so they treat all of us like crap.
Like the old lawyer joke goes - 99 percent of the lawyers and mechanics give the rest a bad reputation.
I'm an honest mechanic. I work on anything. I don't know everything. Sometimes it takes me a couple of times to figure things out.
Some customers don't care what it costs, they want it FIXED. Many of us money is important and precious, and patience is needed.
Time. Quality. Price.
Choose two.
Recommendations: :Stay away from chains and dealers. Dealers are getting BAD here locally. I can normally hard price things at half the dealer or chain price, and feel guilty, and make 75 an hour.
Ask for hard estimates when the repair is straight forward. I can ALWAYS give estimates, hard ones, and when surprises come up, cell phones work great to explain the situation and make a decision.
EXPECT to be offered the used parts taken off the car.
I am a professional. If you treat me like crap, it is a sign I'm not charging enough to be happy to see you.
|
Miller, I had the luxury of working on a single model line, mostly Nissan Z cars as well as other Nissans. Makes diagnostics about 100 times easier when you have been there 100 times before. Low fuel level and brake warning lights on, you have a bad alternator, after test plugging in a single relay. Total diagnostice time 45 seconds.
No charge for the diagnostics as long as you let me replace the alternator for .5 hour on the early ones and 1 hour on the later ones, all work guaranteed for a year regardless of the mileage.
Had a guy come in with a dead replacement we had installed. He jump started another car with his engine revved up and melted the power wire about 2 inches from the alternator. I stripped the ends and put a butt connector where the wire was fried and everything was working OK, but I told him he just used up his warranty, but did not charge him for the diagnostics or repair. I think he still had that Nissan factory rebuilt alternator several years later. Anything else would have not survived that abuse.
regards
Mech