Former race car driver, Horst Kroll has likely met
a few less-than-frank clients in his Toronto car repair shop.
a few less-than-frank clients in his Toronto car repair shop.
By Brian Turner, Driving.ca - We're all human, even those of us in the automotive retail industry, and yes, sometimes just the right burr under our saddle can cause us to blow off some steam. So, if you see any of your behaviours in the list below, it just may be a matter of time before you cause someone to slip a wrench.
JUST-ONE-MORE-THING MERV
Merv arrives late for his 10 o'clock oil change and tire-rotation appointment and asks to have just one more thing checked on his daily driver. An innocent counter consultant says OK, and soon Merv has a shopping list of problems that have been pestering him for months, and he now wants to get them all checked and fixed while he waits.
Few shops of any type (dealership, national chain, small independents) operate with a lot of excess capacity in their daily schedules. They book appointments to fill their days. Good shops are almost always busy and with the increase in technician specialization, it's common that an average repair visit will mean more than one tech works on your vehicle.
Keeping your repair concerns a secret until you arrive at the shop means either making another appointment or not getting everything looked at.
Few shops of any type (dealership, national chain, small independents) operate with a lot of excess capacity in their daily schedules. They book appointments to fill their days. Good shops are almost always busy and with the increase in technician specialization, it's common that an average repair visit will mean more than one tech works on your vehicle.
Keeping your repair concerns a secret until you arrive at the shop means either making another appointment or not getting everything looked at.
GOT-TO-BE-UNDER-WARRANTY WALLY
Wally hasn't willingly paid for a repair, adjustment, and maintenance item on his chariot for five years. "There must be some type of coverage!" he cries as he battles the evil forces of the service counter staff.
Wally, the people who set the terms and conditions of your vehicle manufacturer's warranty aren't the people who work at the dealership level. They can't decide what's covered and what's not, nor change the time and distance limits at whim. If you co-operate with your service provider, you might find they will be more willing to go to bat for you if a major problem occurs. Meanwhile, pry open your wallet, let the moths out, and pay for your wiper blades.
Wally, the people who set the terms and conditions of your vehicle manufacturer's warranty aren't the people who work at the dealership level. They can't decide what's covered and what's not, nor change the time and distance limits at whim. If you co-operate with your service provider, you might find they will be more willing to go to bat for you if a major problem occurs. Meanwhile, pry open your wallet, let the moths out, and pay for your wiper blades.
MUST-BE-SOMEBODY-ELSE'S-FAULT FLO
(Cousin of Warranty Wally) She brings in a 23-year-old compact beater with an oil leak, and right off the bat claims it must be the oil filter her shop failed to put on properly six months ago. Not to say that human beings, even techs, don't make mistakes, but really.
You'll get a lot farther by simply asking for help rather than taking an offensive position right from the start. If you really don't trust your shop to do things right, why are you still taking your vehicle there?
You'll get a lot farther by simply asking for help rather than taking an offensive position right from the start. If you really don't trust your shop to do things right, why are you still taking your vehicle there?
FRANK AND FRANNIE FUEL ECONOMY
Fortunately for independent shops, this pair of car crows only croon their miserable caw song at dealerships. As predictable as rising pump prices on a long-weekend Friday afternoon, this type of client can always be expected at the service counter when pump prices soar, moaning about the fuel mileage on their SUV or quad-cab pickup and how it's nowhere near what was advertised when they bought it.
Face it, unless there's a "check engine" light on, or raw fuel is running out the tailpipe with belches of black smoke, there's precious little any shop can do to boost your vehicle's mileage and/or make up for your lack of eco-driving skills.
First, when you're shopping for vehicles, do some smart mileage homework. Compare the U.S. EPA fuel economy ratings website versus NRCan's listings. Just use a conversion table to display it in litres per 100 km. Next, test it right. Fill your chariot's tank to the first "off-click" of the fuel pump, drive at least 300 km and refill the tank in the same manner and check your fuel used versus distance travelled.
Finally, lighten up on the lead foot. If you want power and speed, you won't get reord-setting fuel mileage. Of all the mileage tests I've done for customers over the years, I've never had a problem in getting close to the NRCan or EPA ratings.
Face it, unless there's a "check engine" light on, or raw fuel is running out the tailpipe with belches of black smoke, there's precious little any shop can do to boost your vehicle's mileage and/or make up for your lack of eco-driving skills.
First, when you're shopping for vehicles, do some smart mileage homework. Compare the U.S. EPA fuel economy ratings website versus NRCan's listings. Just use a conversion table to display it in litres per 100 km. Next, test it right. Fill your chariot's tank to the first "off-click" of the fuel pump, drive at least 300 km and refill the tank in the same manner and check your fuel used versus distance travelled.
Finally, lighten up on the lead foot. If you want power and speed, you won't get reord-setting fuel mileage. Of all the mileage tests I've done for customers over the years, I've never had a problem in getting close to the NRCan or EPA ratings.
NORA AND NORMAN NOISE NUTS
This pair is a real mixed bag. On the one hand we in the industry would hate to have a car owner ignore a noise that might develop into a serious safety or function problem, but we also have a big problem when someone brings in a vehicle for a noise and it's loaded with gear and stuff that rattles and bangs on every turn.
We've had vehicles with modified (read extremely loud) exhaust systems and off-road rock-crawling tires you can hear coming from four blocks away and the owner wants us to find some mysterious squeak noise coming from behind the instrument panel.
Advice to the Noise Nuts: when the noise is consistent, make an appointment and bring the vehicle in empty of noisemakers. Arrange to go for a road-test with the tech who will be working on the vehicle so that both sides are on the same noise page.
We've had vehicles with modified (read extremely loud) exhaust systems and off-road rock-crawling tires you can hear coming from four blocks away and the owner wants us to find some mysterious squeak noise coming from behind the instrument panel.
Advice to the Noise Nuts: when the noise is consistent, make an appointment and bring the vehicle in empty of noisemakers. Arrange to go for a road-test with the tech who will be working on the vehicle so that both sides are on the same noise page.
CANCELLING CLYDE/CLARA
These people drive just about any type of shop nuts. An adviser will complete a detailed estimate after a tech has checked out the vehicle -- spending three times the average telephone chat answering all their questions before finally getting an approval. The tech starts in on the job and 20 minutes later Clyde and/or Clara call back to cancel the job.
Clyde and Clara need to understand their vehicle was left on the hoist while the estimate was prepared. As most such services mean replacing some part(s) or fluid, an efficient tech will start removing the required components to fill the order. In 20 minutes or less a good tech can remove a lot of parts.
Unless you want to pay the labour to reinstate worn parts (and keep in mind less robust auto parts will be damaged upon removal), you pretty much need to be certain of what you want before you say yes.
Clyde and Clara need to understand their vehicle was left on the hoist while the estimate was prepared. As most such services mean replacing some part(s) or fluid, an efficient tech will start removing the required components to fill the order. In 20 minutes or less a good tech can remove a lot of parts.
Unless you want to pay the labour to reinstate worn parts (and keep in mind less robust auto parts will be damaged upon removal), you pretty much need to be certain of what you want before you say yes.
LEVI LEAVE-IT-EMPTY
I saved the best for last. This character will bring in a vehicle running on fumes and the low-fuel light on when he or she knows the repair will require a road-test and then will raise a right-royal ruckus when presented with a bill for fuel (often inflated to cover the time of a tech or apprentice to drive to the fuel station). I'm assuming Levi thinks that if the vehicle is under warranty and needs fuel for a road-test, then the automaker will cover the cost. Wrong. No car manufacturer will reimburse a dealership for fuel added to a customer's vehicle. The great majority of dealerships and repair shops do not have fuel on site so it takes time to drive your vehicle to the gas station and add some fuel.
If you want it worked on and we have to drive it, don't bring it in empty. If it were up to me and a tech came to the counter stating the vehicle he/she has to road-test has a low fuel light on, I'd instruct them to park it and notify the owner when he or she came in at the end of the day to pick it up that fuel and another appointment was required.
Thanks for letting us vent. We really do love our jobs, but where's the aspirin?
If you want it worked on and we have to drive it, don't bring it in empty. If it were up to me and a tech came to the counter stating the vehicle he/she has to road-test has a low fuel light on, I'd instruct them to park it and notify the owner when he or she came in at the end of the day to pick it up that fuel and another appointment was required.
Thanks for letting us vent. We really do love our jobs, but where's the aspirin?
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