Meeting people as a mechanic.

[4king]

Had an older guy in a terrible mood with an attitude try to rent a timing light for his 2000 Tahoe because it's just needs a tune up. Its not worth typing what I tried to explain but basically Some old farts only think their generation knows everything. "I've been doin tune ups fer fity years I know how to use a timin light so you got one fer me err not dammit!"

Sorry we only sell them :

[LaserSVT]

Industry lesson here...

I'm betting those other shops that couldn't figure out what was wrong knew that the biggest problem was going to be the customer... She's not going to have the money to fix it and the sob story she's going to give IF she ever pays the diag is going to guilt them into not charging her storage when she finally hauls the thing off.

if she's stupid enough to think the exhaust fluid all leaked out, she's probably too stupid to make decent enough money to cover the repair. safe bet anyhow

I found she has spent several hundred for towing from shop to shop. Spent a couple hundred at each place and the vehicle was never started. When I pulled the dipstick it didnt show any oil on it and after I added 2.5 quarts it was a nice oil color so I didnt put any more thought into replacing the part I knew to be bad. I did feel bad after it started right away and made the noise. Recheck the dipstick and it was milkshake.

I told her what Pick N Pull would give and that maybe she could get some more on Craigslist. She was polite and seemed to understand. She paid her bill with no fuss and had it towed home.

Nice lady, just went to some bad shops.

[LaserSVT]

On that note, had another gentlemen come in a few weeks ago because his Town Car made noise in the front end. I showed him all four ball joints were on the verge of separating, outer tie rods were even scarier and the the sway bar links were just gone. It NEEDS $800 in work right now. He said he will come back latter. I urge him not to drive the car until its fixed.

Move forward to yesterday. Shop is slow, outside smoking a cig, hear a car in the distance making boom boom sounds followed by rattle rattle rattle.... as is the norm in Waco. It gets closer and now I can hear the thug rap, the rattles and lots of squeaks. Town Car pulls in. Now all chromed out, tinted, on Daytons and with an obnoxious stereo. Same customer. Same car. Asks again what the noise is up front. I tell him its the same stuff it was 3 weeks ago. $800. I look down and see his new tires are already showing cords on the inside because of this.
He says he cant afford $800 but can we do it for $200 (I cant buy the ball joints for that) and get it done in an hour because he has to go to Dallas. I laugh, tell him no and ask how much the stereo cost. $2200. How much were the wheels? $1300. Ah, but cant spend $800 to keep from crashing? Nope.
Wonder if he made it to Dallas?

[stephen4785]

The odd thing that I run into every week is people that think they know what something should cost even though they dont know a thing about mechanic work. My wife and father in law are the worst at it. "How much does X cost" or "how long do you think X will take". I tell them and instantly get a "What? Noooooo. It cant cost that much/take that long".
Perfect example is Im looking for a gas powered air compressor big enough to run a 3/4 impact and Im pricing service trucks with cranes. My wife asked me how much the compressor costs and I explain that they're hard to find used so anywhere from $1000-$2500. Her response is "Nooooo, they cant cost that much. You can buy a car for that". Next day she asked me about a truck and I said $20,000-50k for a used crane truck. I got the same response of "Nooooo". I have customers do the same exact thing. Some of them get the attitude that the job cant possibly cost that much.

[dsrtuckteezy]

The odd thing that I run into every week is people that think they know what something should cost even though they dont know a thing about mechanic work. My wife and father in law are the worst at it. "How much does X cost" or "how long do you think X will take". I tell them and instantly get a "What? Noooooo. It cant cost that much/take that long".
Perfect example is Im looking for a gas powered air compressor big enough to run a 3/4 impact and Im pricing service trucks with cranes. My wife asked me how much the compressor costs and I explain that they're hard to find used so anywhere from $1000-$2500. Her response is "Nooooo, they cant cost that much. You can buy a car for that". Next day she asked me about a truck and I said $20,000-50k for a used crane truck. I got the same response of "Nooooo". I have customers do the same exact thing. Some of them get the attitude that the job cant possibly cost that much.

ask her what a nice wedding ring costs. noooo i can buy a years worth of gasoline for that

[Cooter]

while you can't do it with family so easy, I'm just a flat out asshole anymore...

when people balk at a price, I just tell them "Man, it sounds like you have somewhere you can take it that will do it WAY cheaper. I'd probably just take it over there if I were you. Or maybe call the dealership and see what they can do for you. I mean, they made the thing, so they should be able to work on it cheaper than anybody!"

[JC316]

He says he cant afford $800 but can we do it for $200 (I cant buy the ball joints for that) and get it done in an hour because he has to go to Dallas. I laugh, tell him no and ask how much the stereo cost. $2200. How much were the wheels? $1300. Ah, but cant spend $800 to keep from crashing? Nope.
Wonder if he made it to Dallas?

I've run into that a couple of times at the lot. People can't pay me, but when I do the repo, there is a ton of stereo equipment in the car. The hilarious thing is that stereo equipment, custom wheels, and anything else that's wired in/attached to the car stays with the car. I got cussed 6 ways from sunday because I wouldn't remove the back seat to retrieve someone's subwoofers. I just highlighted the section of the contract and told them there was nothing I could do.

[4EyedTurd]

while you can't do it with family so easy, I'm just a flat out asshole anymore...

when people balk at a price, I just tell them "Man, it sounds like you have somewhere you can take it that will do it WAY cheaper. I'd probably just take it over there if I were you. Or maybe call the dealership and see what they can do for you. I mean, they made the thing, so they should be able to work on it cheaper than anybody!"

You've heard the "oh, that should be easy for you" comment I take it? I've heard it a time or two.

[Super Cubano]

You've heard the "oh, that should be easy for you" comment I take it? I've heard it a time or two.

If I had nickle.....

[LaserSVT]

If I had nickle.....

Tell me about it. Its even worse when its a job I have done a million times, bought and made special tools for and know all the tricks. I give the customer a quote thats already cheaper than anyone else in town, they approve it saying its cheaper and I go do the job and 15 minutes latter hand them the bill. "But you charged me for an hour labor and it took 15 minutes." Yeah, cause I have the tools, the knowledge and the lift. If I quoted you an hour and it took two, could I charge you for the extra hour without you complaining? No.
I have been yelled at for charging an hour to do a brake job that took me and my partner 30 minutes. Well thats still one man hour, half hour for each of us. I explain that. Still get yelled at and told I am a crook. LOL
Just cant win sometimes.

Somehow it seems that people know I know the V6 that Ford uses in the Escape and Tributes. I dont really, just familiar with what everyone screws up. They tell me how it went to 2 or 3 places and they charged $200 here and $300 there and it still runs bad. I pop the hood, route the front three coil wires the right way and hand them a bill for $65. Still get chewed out. Look, its $65 for diagnostics and i threw in the repair. Why am I the bad guy for knowing what to look for right away?

[appelingogt]

Tell me about it. Its even worse when its a job I have done a million times, bought and made special tools for and know all the tricks. I give the customer a quote thats already cheaper than anyone else in town, they approve it saying its cheaper and I go do the job and 15 minutes latter hand them the bill. "But you charged me for an hour labor and it took 15 minutes." Yeah, cause I have the tools, the knowledge and the lift. If I quoted you an hour and it took two, could I charge you for the extra hour without you complaining? No.
I have been yelled at for charging an hour to do a brake job that took me and my partner 30 minutes. Well thats still one man hour, half hour for each of us. I explain that. Still get yelled at and told I am a crook. LOL
Just cant win sometimes.

Somehow it seems that people know I know the V6 that Ford uses in the Escape and Tributes. I dont really, just familiar with what everyone screws up. They tell me how it went to 2 or 3 places and they charged $200 here and $300 there and it still runs bad. I pop the hood, route the front three coil wires the right way and hand them a bill for $65. Still get chewed out. Look, its $65 for diagnostics and i threw in the repair. Why am I the bad guy for knowing what to look for right away?

I find explaining the problem and quoting on the high end and telling them I saved them 100 plus bucks, 80% tend to shit all over themselves and come back...and have them drop it off!!!!!

[LaserSVT]

I find explaining the problem and quoting on the high end and telling them I saved them 100 plus bucks, 80% tend to shit all over themselves and come back...and have them drop it off!!!!!

Ah! Pull a Scotty. Nice.

[appelingogt]

Genius.

[stephen4785]

Ah! Pull a Scotty. Nice.

Lol, I use the Scotty approach to billing. I always quote high and hand them a bill for less. What's funny is every time I do this I remember watching this scene when I was younger.

[petyweestraw]

Lol, I use the Scotty approach to billing. I always quote high and hand them a bill for less. What's funny is every time I do this I remember watching this scene when I was younger.

Lol I use that scotty shit at work. I'll tell them x amount of time then tell my boss what I had to sacrifice to get it done in half the time. They think I'm a superhero.