Little rant about service writing....

[BigAls87Z28]

Alright, today sucked. Not in sales, just in peoples attitude. Nothing Big Al cant handle, just people need to understand that its a Sunday, I dont have all of my techs, and for very good reason....ITS SUNDAY!!

The topper today was this GMC Jimmy. Guy comes in early with his wife. Older couple, very nice. He wants to get a set of tires for his son. Nice of him. So we talk about it, and I gave him and estimate for the price of tires. I thank them for there time, and that they can call me whenever they would like to get it done.
Few hrs go by, and then this guy comes in. This guy is standing in front of me, and has this paper in his hand. I ask "May I help you?" and he throws the paper on the desk and said "I need these."
So, I take the paper and look at it. Its the son of the couple that was here before. Very nasty look, but I shrug it off. I am used to people thinking Im ready to rip them off. Whatever.
So I go out to his car and look at it. Tires are BALD and it needs and alignment. Steel belt sticking out, the works. In the rear of the car, his new Pep Boys tires have what looks to be a plug IN THE SIDEWALL!! I told him that the tire was unsafe to drive on, and he told me he wasnt going to throw out a new tire.
This is why I promote Road Hazard coverage.
as I digress.... so he tells me that the trans is messed up, the front end is all bent up and can't be aligned, and other little things that are wrong.
So his car is brought in, and this is where the REAL fun starts.
Now up to this point, I am very civil and listening like a good little CSA.
back to the car.
Car is put up on jack stands as the tech did not put it up on the lift. Its 2 front tires, no need to jack the whole car for 2 tires. So the tech puts the ebrake on so that the car doesnt jump out of gear, or what have you. Tech puts the tires on, no problem. He goes to lower the car, and move it out of the shop. He pulles on the Ebrake handle and it slides right out of the hole....
Tech pulls me over to the side and tells me whats going on. He tells me that he cant release the ebrake, and that the car is stuck. He said that he has been working on it, and cant figure out what is going on with the cable. He says that it just slides out, and nothing happens. Just as he finishes that, the guy and his wife turn the corner, asking whats going on with the car. I tell him that the ebrake release cable has either broken or disconnected, and that I would personaly go out there and check it out. Well, they start going off telling us how we broke it, and how we did this to there car...on and on. So I shrug it off...again...and get back there. I take a look, and about 5 mins later, I see that the cable has been disconnected from the little lever. So I grab a set of plyers, reach up there, and release the cable. I then side the cable back in the little hook thing there, and clamp it so that the cable doesnt come out again.
So after a quick little fix, everything is right in the world. I push the ebrake down again, and test it... bam, it works.
So I come in side and discuss with them what I did, and now that its all fixed and that they need not to worry. Well, Im getting yelled at that my fellow co-workers are racist and that they dont like white people(may I remind the class that I myself am white) and they tell me that I rigged the car to break.
So again, shrug it off, and explain to them what went wrong, how I fixed it, and how It will never happen again. Of course, they dont belive me, so they test it out themselves. The guy comes in, and says is a very low voice as so I cant hear it..."yeah...it works". She starts yelling at me and telling me that if her brakes fail and all this.... So I tell her that there are many problems with the car, and that if she cares for her young infant son, that they would get a new car as there are many many MANY problems with the vehicle that make it unsafe, and I run down the list off all the things I saw from the rear tire, to busted cables, to tranny probelms and front end damage that could effect her steering. So after my little list, again in a civil manner, she kind of steps back and doesnt say anything else. In come the older couple, the guys parents. Again, very nice and they were very understanding about the situation, and they thanked me for fixing the problem. I shook the fathers hand, and wished them all a good day.
Problem solved, day saved, and a return customer from the older couple. When things are all fixed, its a great feeling.

Moral of the story is please dont jump down the service writers throat or get on there case when your car needs way more fixed then a simple ebrake cable. God, I love my job.

[Little G]

Such is life in the world of customer service...

[Tru2Chevy]

Damn...sounds like that guy was a real a$$.

I don't even want to get started with the stories....I was on the phone dealing with problem phone calls for two hours this morning :shakes head:.

- Justin

[Squirrel]

just be like, "bitch, im Matt Leblanc's stunt double, i dont need your crap" 8)
yeah...we get a lot of 'friendly' people at the restraunt too

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by Squirrel

just be like, "bitch, im Matt Leblanc's stunt double, i dont need your crap" 8)

LOL! I suppose he could pass for Matt Leblanc...in the dark...from 200 yards away...

- Justin

[Little G]

yeah...we get a lot of 'friendly' people at the restraunt too

But at your place, they take them out back and break their knee caps

[NJSPEEDER]

i hear stories like this all the time and peopel still wonder why i hide my naturally cheerful and level headed personality in a warehouse where i can not deal with the general public. hehe

later
tim

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

my naturally cheerful and level headed personality

- Justin

[NJSPEEDER]

come on man, i am all sunshine and f'ing lolli-f'ing-pops. i have people skills, can't you see taht?!?!?! i'm a f'ing people person!!!!!

later
tim

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

come on man, i am all sunshine and f'ing lolli-f'ing-pops. i have people skills, can't you see taht?!?!?! i'm a f'ing people person!!!!!

later
tim

I DEAL WITH PEOPLE SO THE ENGINEERS DONT HAVE TOO!!

Yesterday was good because I didnt really work. I did one big brake job yesterday, but when the techs went to bleed the last caliper, one of the hard line fittings blew and brake fluid went everywhere. Oh well, maybe next time.

[BigAls87Z28]

Bwahahahaha...I went back to the very last page to read this. This goes back to when I was still a n00b at work. Ah...I remember that hunk of crap.

[qwikz28]

good story though!

[12secondv6]

Al.... I read the whole post and I am in shock...


You are white?

[Tsar]

wow this is like 2 years old

[93 Trans Am WHAT]

stop whining alex ! lol j/k yeah customers suck btw sorry about the lady with the toyota! as it turns out she needed like 2 grand worth of work to the suspension and what not. I sent her to D&V after u yelled at me.. hey someone has to make money! lol

[BigAls87Z28]

Thats fine, I dunno if I wanted that head ache anyway.
1985 Corolla hits a curb doing 30+mph= get a new ****ing car.

[trashman01]

1985 corolla belongs in the junkyard, thats OLD!

[BonzoHansen]

I had a guy come in with an old escort, like early 80s. Noise in the rear. We picked it up on the lift and the rear suspension fell out, like 1 bolt and brake cables holding it up. He couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t let him drive it home.

[BigAls87Z28]

Oh yeah, love those comments. "Its my car, I do what I want!!"
"Incorrect, sir, the car is in my custody, and I can and will report this to the DMV, and THEY will decide what is gunna happen."

I had a customer come in with 3 blown out tires. We thought easy sale right? Well, obviously not. We went down to the lowest price tire, just 90 day balanced for 4 tires was 150 bucks, and she was like "I CAN GO TO PEP BOYS AND GET THEM 4 FO 80 DOLLAS!!"
She also didnt want to hear about a tow either, so I gave her the keys, and she drove, ON 3 BLOWN OUT TIRES, (yes, 3 steel rims) all the way to Pep Boys, and if anyone knows where it is, you have to go all the way up to West Park ave, take the 2 jugs, and then come back down 35....
I hope she got arrested.

[trashman01]

my boss wont let the car leave the shop, we pull all their belongs out and then call the junkyard and DMV

[BonzoHansen]

Al, I used the term police instead fo DMV. More impact. Also works for guys who sign for service then refuse to pay. Police come in handy.

[trashman01]

my boss is italian, you just dont argue with him

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by 88ta5spd

my boss is italian, you just dont argue with him

Im Italian, but the people I deal with are nuts.