Are we really just "A Bunch of Overpaid, Dishonest Grease Monkeys?" Hmmm, well…maybe.
I woke up and went into work in a really good mood yesterday. Grabbed a cup of coffee. Sat down at my desk and made sure I pleasantly greeted the middle aged woman when she walked into my reception area.
"Good Morning"! I said with a ridiculously placed smile on my face.
"No it's not" she barked. "And you won't make it any better, so don't even try".
You see, now I'm confused. It typically takes someone at least an hour to dislike me. And this chick has just broken the record.
"Wow! I'm sorry" was the only response I could muster.
"Well, mechanics always end up saying that, so that's nothing new. Just fix my car and try to get it right".
With that her keys were dropped on my counter, and out to her waiting ride she marched. She was gone. Her car was in the middle of my lot, and I was rattled. OK…that's a lie. I was terrified.
I finished my coffee and went out to her car to pull it into an open service bay. The car ran bad. Heck, it ran like crap. And it clunked. And to be honest, the air coming out of the vents smelled like my twins diapers when they would simultaneously offer up a sympathetic poop. All this and it was only 8:10 AM.
But there on the passenger seat I spotted it. And it was thick. Overflowing to be honest. A manila envelope stuffed with old car repair receipts. I grabbed them and went back to my desk.
After reading just a few of the repair orders from dozens of shops, I flirted with ditching any more coffee and switching to vodka. This car…and this woman had been through the mill. A tale of woe like I've never read. And neither she nor her little car had ever done anything wrong. But make no mistake-she had BEEN done wrong. Over and over again.
It seems that she had quite the history with bad, dishonest, and possibly criminally minded, mechanics.
EXAMPLE:
1) Customer complains of right side wheel noise. Check and advise:
2) Mechanic unable to duplicate noise. No problem at this time. Found air filter and coolant need to be flushed. Customer approves repair: $360.00
OR THIS ONE:
1) Customer says car is overheating. Inspect to determine cause:
2) Recommend rear brakes and oil change.
3) Estimate $488.00
HUH??? ReallY?? What about the overheating????
Are you starting to see the problem?
It seemed that every time every mechanic wanted to do what THEY wanted...(which was all too often high priced, high profit maintenance services)… while seemingly NEVER addressing her original complaint and problem.
The analogy would be that of going to your favorite restaurant for a great steak and having the waiter say, "ok…but just eat this salad instead…we make more money on it"
The way she had been treated was wrong. In fact, she had every reason in the world to believe that we, as an industry, suck.
I spent the better part of the day with this little Honda. I replaced the radiator (it was leaking causing the car to overheat). I replaced the right front axle (the outer CV joint was bad and causing a clunk when she turned). I cleaned her A/C evaporator with anti-bacterial which was the source of…well…her malodourous condition. (That's a 50 cent work for stinky!).
And finally, I checked the complete car. Completely. Thoroughly. Some adjustments here. Some minor repairs there.
It was about four in the afternoon when she walked back through the door.
"Did you fix it?" asked my grumpy customer.
"All ready. All fixed." I said.
"And how much did YOU charge me?"
I looked down at the work order. It read zero.
Earlier I had put the much coveted initials "DB" on the work order that were then circled in red. My staff knows that this is code for "No Charge".
I handed her the keys. I explained that she had spent enough on this car. And while I was not trying to exonerate the sins of my peers, I just wanted to be…well….different.
She took her keys. She snatched the zero balance work order. And her parting words were unambiguous.
"Well, we'll see if you know what YOU'RE doing".
She left. I smiled. She had every right to feel the way she does. And I have every right to continue to right the wrongs of an industry that for far too long, to too many people, has acted irresponsibly, recklessly, and dishonestly.
I hope she comes back. Not because I want or need validation. But because I kind of like her. And I want to do better. I want to be better. I wanted to be part of a change…for the better.
Doug Brauner is the owner/operator of THE CAR CZAR AUTO REPAIR shops in Sacramento and Citrus Heights, CA. He is a nationally recognized expert on automotive issues and is the host of THE CAR CZAR SHOW on CW31, KMAX TV every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM.
Coupons for FREE auto repair and service can be found on www.thecarczar.com and on www.facebook.com/thecarczar