Posted by Michelle Steiner on July 10, 2006, 7:31 pm
mike@POSTTOGROUP.invalid (Mike Rosenberg) wrote:
> > I had an opposite problem about twenty years ago. Mechanics at two
> > different shops told me that my alternator was good and that I
> > needed a new battery. Three different stores that sold batteries
> > told me that the battery was good, and that I needed a new
> > alternator.
>
> Geez, Michelle, don't leave us hanging! How did this story end?
The car continued to not start when the engine was hot. The problem was
never properly diagnosed nor was it ever fixed.
We wound up selling it to a friend for $00 (it had about 150,000 miles
on it, and we had had it for about fourteen years), and he sold it to a
friend of his because he's allergic to cats. Don't know what happened
to it after that.
It was a 1975 or 76 Mazda GLC, by the way.
--
Stop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush.
Posted by =?iso-8859-1?Q?mark=5Fdigital= on July 10, 2006, 7:45 pm
>>
>>> From what I've observed, the service manager is hired for his soft voice
>>> and thick skin. His job is to stand between you and two other people:
>>> the guy who sold you the car and made lots of promises in the process,
>>> and the guy who is actually doing (or not doing) the work. Beyond that
>>> he's a paper pusher. When you are charged for something that hasn't
>>> been done, like rotating the tires for example, he's the fellow who
>>> chews the ass off some mechanic in your presence, then laughs about it
>>> with him over a beer after work. My advice? Set traps for them like
>>> putting a small mark on your front tires so you can easily tell if they
>>> were rotated.
>>>
>>>
>> I think it's time to up your dose a bit, Bill.
> Think so, huh? Read about the Jiffy Lube scam here:
> http://tinyurl.com/qov9v
> It's reminiscent of the Sears scam some years back:
> http://tinyurl.com/lszca
> I remember taking my old VW to the VW dealership for a flat-rate tune-up
> that included plugs, points and valve adjustment. The invoice had
> checkmarks alongside each of those items. There wasn't a fingerprint on
> either the distributor or the valve covers so I had them pull a plug.
> They hadn't been changed either. The service manager scolded the mechanic
> and forced him to perform the service with me standing there. Ya, sure,
> you betcha. Use the proper form. The service manager will take care of
> everything, including making excuses and chewing ass.
> I remember the Buick dealer's service manager telling me I needed a brake
> job only two weeks after getting a brake job at a muffler shop. Thinking
> the muffler shop might have ripped me off I had them pull a wheel and show
> me how bad they were. Upon seeing the new brakes, he explained that they
> had confused my paperwork with a different vehicle. Ya, sure, you betcha.
> What dose do you recommend?
Ask for the old parts you stupid dumbfuck.
Posted by Bill on July 10, 2006, 8:54 pm
>>
>>>
>>>> From what I've observed, the service manager is hired for his soft
>>>> voice and thick skin. His job is to stand between you and two other
>>>> people: the guy who sold you the car and made lots of promises in the
>>>> process, and the guy who is actually doing (or not doing) the work.
>>>> Beyond that he's a paper pusher. When you are charged for something
>>>> that hasn't been done, like rotating the tires for example, he's the
>>>> fellow who chews the ass off some mechanic in your presence, then
>>>> laughs about it with him over a beer after work. My advice? Set traps
>>>> for them like putting a small mark on your front tires so you can
>>>> easily tell if they were rotated.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I think it's time to up your dose a bit, Bill.
>> Think so, huh? Read about the Jiffy Lube scam here:
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/qov9v
>>
>> It's reminiscent of the Sears scam some years back:
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/lszca
>>
>> I remember taking my old VW to the VW dealership for a flat-rate tune-up
>> that included plugs, points and valve adjustment. The invoice had
>> checkmarks alongside each of those items. There wasn't a fingerprint on
>> either the distributor or the valve covers so I had them pull a plug.
>> They hadn't been changed either. The service manager scolded the
>> mechanic and forced him to perform the service with me standing there.
>> Ya, sure, you betcha. Use the proper form. The service manager will
>> take care of everything, including making excuses and chewing ass.
>>
>> I remember the Buick dealer's service manager telling me I needed a brake
>> job only two weeks after getting a brake job at a muffler shop. Thinking
>> the muffler shop might have ripped me off I had them pull a wheel and
>> show me how bad they were. Upon seeing the new brakes, he explained that
>> they had confused my paperwork with a different vehicle. Ya, sure, you
>> betcha.
>>
>> What dose do you recommend?
>>
>>
> Ask for the old parts you stupid dumbfuck.
You can always tell when someone is losing a debate. They inevitably revert
to the slurs of their adolescence. Whose old parts do you think I'd get,
mine or someone else's? I'll bet if they had asked Jiffy Lube to produce
the gas filter they didn't change they would have produced one in a
heartbeat. Be nice now. I'll give you a second chance to win this one.
Posted by Jean B. on July 9, 2006, 3:03 pm
mark_digital© wrote:
>
>
>> Spurred on by my miserable MPGs every time my car has gone in for
>> scheduled maintenance, and its failure to even recover from that the
>> last time, I decided to tape a note to my steering wheel re the amount
>> of oil, tire pressure, etc. I got some snide comments from the
>> mechanic, BUT my car is actually getting good mileage again--56+
>> MPGs. I may edit my note a bit before my next visit, but I will keep
>> right on doing that....
>> --
>> Jean B.
>
>
> I think his attitude is understandable. The service manager is the
> liaison between you and the mechanic. Put your requests on the proper
> form.
Which would be what? (I am being serious, not snide.) It
would be nice if such preferences could be part of one's
service record and print out as part of every service request.
(You can see I have no understanding of how such things work.)
--
Jean B.
Posted by =?iso-8859-1?Q?mark=5Fdigital= on July 9, 2006, 8:12 pm
>> I think his attitude is understandable. The service manager is the
>> liaison between you and the mechanic. Put your requests on the proper
>> form.
> Which would be what? (I am being serious, not snide.) It would be nice
> if such preferences could be part of one's service record and print out as
> part of every service request. (You can see I have no understanding of how
> such things work.)
> --
> Jean B.
I don't know if you just show up or make arrangements for service. But in
any case, it's the paper stating the service you asked for, and quite
possibly a disclaimer stating customer requests tire pressure be such and
such. Then you sign it and then the work gets done. Its the same thing if
you were to ask for new brake pads without the rotors turned. They'll try to
sway you if they feel the rotors should be turned (skimmed flat) so your
pads last longer. If the rotors are almost at scrap point they'll tell you.
Sometimes no matter what you want it's not going to happen. They don't want
to jeopardize your life.
Now as far as oil, suppose you asked for 10W-40 and it's supposed to be
5W-30. Don't be surprised to see a disclaimer on the worksheet stating
"Customer requests 10W-40". Later on if there's damage and it can be traced
back to the wrong oil you may indeed voided your warrantee. You won't be
able to say "But you didn't warn me about this" because that's what
disclaimers are all about.
As far as leaving a note, they don't know what's going on in your head. They
don't know if you will owe up to being the one who insisted if something
goes wrong. Like I said to Bill, they see all kinds walk thru the door. In
today's world many people won't accept responsibility when it's their fault
and no paper trail.
Leaving notes bypasses their right to advise you. If you leave a note AND
get it in writing on the worksheet it's demeaning to the mechanic.
Leave a note that says "Thank You". Nothing more.
> > different shops told me that my alternator was good and that I
> > needed a new battery. Three different stores that sold batteries
> > told me that the battery was good, and that I needed a new
> > alternator.
>
> Geez, Michelle, don't leave us hanging! How did this story end?