Mazda tried to arrest me

[geomatics_tech]

Sorry for the rant, I just thought this was funny.

I contacted Sunridge mazda to get a quote on a mid pipe install, and there quote was good so I figured why not.

Well, when i went to pick up my car the service tech said they couldnt do it, but they still wanted to charge me 45 min in labor, and I replied questioning him, "for what". He then goes on his blurb about aftermarket parts and how they dont always fit 100%..... ........blah blah blah, so I asked him why they never expressed any of these concerns before they ripped my car apart and gave me a quote for the install, to which he did not respond. The initial quote i recieved was for 45 min (complete install), and now they wanted that same amount for nothing. The problem was that the oxygen sensor was conflicting with the floor boards on the car, and would not fit. I told the tech that it couldve been re-welded to a new spot for a small charge, and the install couldve been completed. There reccomendation to me was, move the cat to where the flex pipe is and put the flex pipe where the cat is and move the oxygen sensor. (smash)

After discussing this issue for about 25min they proceeded to walk me over to the register to pay for the oil change and attemped install. I then told them again that I would not pay for the install, the service manager says are you paying or not and I said not for the install. I wrote a check and left it on the counter for the oil change, got in my car and drove away. (This was on Thursday June 9)

Today I get to my office and there is a message waiting for me on my answering machine, as the friday I was on training all day for civil 3d. It was from the service manager who says "I have contacted the police, and they will press charges and arrest you blah blah blah, if you dont pay me the difference." I immediatly called the owner of the mazda steelership and stated my case, to which he responded "this is the first Ive heard of it, let me go talk to him (service manager)". I later recieved a message from the owner, whom was very polite and helpful the entire time, saying to forget about the charge and that everything was good.

So if you think your mazda service is bad.......

Shaun

[memo79]

Yeah, fuck all those incompetent mazda bitches, except for the guy that was nice.

[Lord_Zath]

damn man that's crazy.

[RallyeRedSi]

i miss my acura dealership :(

[Matthew]

idiots

[BlkZoomZoom]

He attempted to install a aftermarket part and it didn't fit. So he put the stock stuff back on. And now your mad because they wanted to charge you the labor time to do that?? The tech. should work for free because your aftermarket part didn't fit?? You should get a clue. Ignorant people like you should be taught a lesson.

[chuyler1]

They should have stopped the install and contacted you the second the estimate was going to change. At that point you could have discussed other options. If they had done this and you decided not to go ahead with the rest of the work they would be within their rights to charge you for the 45min labor. However, since they didn't do this, the only other option they could have done was offer to do the install again and credit you the 45min. You would have to pay any additional labor costs over the original 45min.

It's a tough one, no one wants to pay for something they didn't recieve but no business wants to take a loss for labor performed. Things like this should be spelled out in the contract you sign when you drop your car off. I'm surprised the owner overturned it and I'm sure the service manager didn't appreciate getting stepped over. However, it wasn't like you were asking them to do the impossible.

[mp3josh]

See the mechanics work off of their time spent on a car. They don't get paid per hour like most think. We are on a flat rate system and we get paid by the job. So that is why you should have paid. I am pretty sure that the tech tried his best to help you out.

[Wiggles422]

whatever happened to "the customer is always right?" he agreed to pay to get a downpipe installed... was it installed? no.

[mp3josh]

If you were a mechanic and this is how you earned your money you would understand. But since your not it means nothing to you.

[Wiggles422]

my brother is a mechanic, so i have a fairly good idea...

besides, he didnt agree to pay for an attempted install; he agreed pay to actually have it installed.

[Shadow102]

Being a tech myself (and in the accesories department no less) i would have:

A: test fit the part first looking to see if there was any general problems
B: Told me service writer if in fact the part did not fit even after taking it all apart at which point he would have called the customer explaining the problem which could have been fixed.
C: put everything back together and gave it back to the customer no charge if they didt/couldnt fix it there and then. I mean seriously how long does it take to put the down pipe back on the car 5-10min at the most plus you know where the customer is going to come when he gets the part fixed ot the correct part....thats right back to you

I bet not only do you find somebody else to put that pipe on for you but i doubt u ever give that dealership you business again plus you will tell everybody you know about the bad experience you had there....now for 45min worth of labor on the dealerships part was it rly worth it in the long run. Plus i bet that tech got paid for the 45 min worth of work anyway the dealership has money put away for problems like that or they make it up to the tech in the long run i have been there many times so far.

[bonesmp5]

what if he never took it apart --- just looked at it and said it dont fit and tried to charged the 45 minutes ????

does something like that ever happen --- and dont flame -- I'm just putting out a question --- thats all --- (drinks)

[YellowMP5]

its a shame car manufacturer's are unable or rather unwilling to do anything about dealerships.

[jurgs01]

The mid-pipe is four bolts, two exhaust hangars, and an O2 sensor. I'm not sure why you had the dealer do it, but I am surprised he tried to charge you after not being able to install it. A mechanic should be able to see that an o2 sensor is in the wrong position before even trying to install it. Attention to detail.

[Shadow102]

what if he never took it apart --- just looked at it and said it dont fit and tried to charged the 45 minutes ????

does something like that ever happen --- and dont flame -- I'm just putting out a question --- thats all --- (drinks)


that a good possibility i know some techs can be shady

bottom line here is though had they kept the customer in the loop everything would have been alot better off in the long run

[xfaradx]

You should have just done it yourself. It's not hard. I'm going to do mine in my driveway if I can't use a lift at work.

[MP3Architect]

what kind of midpipe was it? was it one that a lot of us have? in that case it SHOULD have fit and the dealer was an idiot.

[Matthew]

i agree. ive had shit happen on custom exhaust jobs they called me as soon as they realized the estimate changed from 100 to 118 and thats only 18 bucks diff.

[03.5MSP]

Speaking of Mazda dealers, I want to my service center today, and asked if they could install an autometer oil temp sensor in my MSP. And the tech working there told me no because it is aftermarket and that it would void my warranty. I looked at him, laughed and left. Sorry for the thread jack.

[Sushi-Monster]

Actually, in many cases, alot of these dealerships try not to install aftermarket parts in your cars. Reason? Because they don't want to warrenty the work if anything goes wrong. Many times, the aftermarket parts that they attempt to install are unfamilar to them and they don't want that kind of risk. Sad really, since they make alot of money on labor alone!

[geomatics_tech]

He attempted to install a aftermarket part and it didn't fit. So he put the stock stuff back on. And now your mad because they wanted to charge you the labor time to do that?? The tech. should work for free because your aftermarket part didn't fit?? You should get a clue. Ignorant people like you should be taught a lesson.
Im igornant, try my dealership.

I understand that the mechanics work on a per job rate, but I think the dealerships should have some sort of guarantee, especially if they know its an after market part. They should have contacted me regarding the issue, cause now Im left with nothing. And that nothing cost the same amont as the install I was quoted. Yes, its not a hard install, I could have done it myself, so I dont see why they thought it was so hard. I called another local shop, told them the issue and they said it was not a big deal and they could do it no problem.

As chuyler1 said, the moment the estimate changed they should have contacted me.

Shadow102, I agree 100%

whatever happened to "the customer is always right?" he agreed to pay to get a downpipe installed... was it installed? no.
exactly.

Shaun

[BeNegative]

there's something about aftermarket parts being installed in your car and voiding warranty in 1 of those import car magazines on the shelves this month. there's some sort of law that helps out the consumer and dealing w/ the dealer. if i find the article, i'll post it and/or give the website on the info. peace out.

[Lord_Zath]

If the aftermarket part was installed by a mazda professional, they have to honor a warranty claim for a problem caused by the aftermarket part.

If the aftermarket part was not responsible for causing a problem, the dealer has to honor a warranty claim.

But many dealers don't play by those rules.

[Cellerator]

something moss act, sorry since I can't think of it off the top of my head.

[BeNegative]

yes, dealers do not play by those rules. the article also tells you this and gives advice on what action(s) can be taken. of course, the article goes on to say it may be a frustrating battle that is too time consuming for most. again, if i find the article, i'll post it. peace out.

[vodapas77]

The mid-pipe is four bolts, two exhaust hangars, and an O2 sensor. I'm not sure why you had the dealer do it, but I am surprised he tried to charge you after not being able to install it. A mechanic should be able to see that an o2 sensor is in the wrong position before even trying to install it. Attention to detail.

lol. Can tell you're Navy.

[M_3]

whoa men that really sucks but im with most of the ppl when i got my breaks done at the dealer they call me and told me that the price change from 360 to like 180 and they ask me if i still wanted to do it, the price went down and they call me and ask me for permission, i was like yeah sure go right ahead.

they should allways informed you.



also is he really in the navy or you just guessing

[vodapas77]

also is he really in the navy or you just guessing

It runs in my mind that he has mentioned being in the navy. It's just the "attention to detail" thing. From nearly day one in boot camp "attention to detail shipmate" is drilled into us.

Sorry for the thread jack.

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

If you were a mechanic and this is how you earned your money you would understand. But since your not it means nothing to you.

i was a mechanic, i understand it. i wouldnt have payed either. he was quoted for an install, they got in there and couldnt do the work as stated that they could. so fuck em. dont bite off more than you can chew.

[BlkZoomZoom]

You guys are incredible. This is why I do not, and will not install anything aftermarket on any car at work. Nor will I work on any car that has aftermarket parts on the system that the problem is related too. Thats what the jiffy lube guys are for. If we install it, it magically becomes our problem if it breaks or doesn't work properly.

I showed this thread to a couple of other techs. at work, I cannot write what their responses were....

[anarchistchiken]

Yeah this is really ridiculous. If the tech didn't actually do any work and is lying about it, then that's messed up, but more than likely, he took out the stock midpipe, put the new one in, trie to finagle it into position, and took it out. They should have called you and kept you informed, but it was also well within their right to get you arrested. You walked out on a bill, and they react to that the same as any other business. Wether the charge was moral or whatever is not up to you to decide.

You signed a work release for them to perform labor on your car with the intention of installing a midpipe. They didn't get it installed because it didn't fit, but they still performed the labor that you agreed to pay for. I wouldn't have wanted to pay for it either, but you signed a contract saying you would pay for it, then you walked out on the bill, which is illegal, any way you look at it.

[cbcbd]

I'm sure a dealership would get a lot of return customers if everytime they came in to pick up their car they got a surprise bump in the bill. It doesn't matter what the hell they were doing to your car - doesn't have to be an aftermarket part! Shit happens, maybe taking things apart you find something new that might cost the customer more. Midas freakin calls me if they think the quoted price will change, I think a dealership should too.

I'm sorry, but in the world of business it's all about keeping the customer, not pissing him off. Don't give this crap of "if you were a tech you'd understand", because you'd also be pretty pissed if you came in expecting to pay X and instead they tell you only after the fact that you owe them X+100.


My landlords do handyman jobs around the area. For one job one of the guys underquoted the client and only realized into the project. They just ate up the loss for the day and did a good job - they have had tons of other jobs with this client because of their quality work.

[BlkZoomZoom]

They didnt charge him over the 45mins they quoted him. I garuntee the tech. had more than 45mins into it trying to figure out how to make it work, then gave up and put the old stuff back on.

[Kooldino]

This is why I do all of my own work (with help from my friends).

[cbcbd]

They didnt charge him over the 45mins they quoted him. I garuntee the tech. had more than 45mins into it trying to figure out how to make it work, then gave up and put the old stuff back on.
I misunderstood the thread. After re-reading I see what's going on. I'll have to agree with the tech then.

[jurgs01]

I would have personally paid the tech, because the $$ are not worth the hassle. I still don't see what the tech couldn't see that the O2 sensor was in the wrong position before pulling everything apart. I can see if the pipe was a 1/2" too long or if the flanges were welded in at the wrong angle, but not being able to see that the O2 sensor was in the wrong position? A good tech should not have tunnel vision on the bolt he is taking off. He should be able to evaluate a project to see if it is feasible before even starting. Especially one so simple. I would have paid, but I definately would never have come back to the dealership and would have recommended others against going there.

To answer a previous question, I am in the Navy. Attention to detail might have been the only valuable thing I learned in boot camp besides being able to take shit and folding your clothes so they fit very well in your drawers.

[jurgs01]

This is why I do all of my own work (with help from my friends).

(werd)

[Notorious]

Fine, then don't install aftermarket parts. That's your prerogative, and I believe it to be a wise one especially for someone working at a dealership.

The issue is that he paid for a service to get a part installed. Unless it is expressed in writing that the amount paid is for the time the tech spends on the vehicle and not the job itself he shouldn't have to pay. The service was obviously not complete so he should not pay for it. Anyone can look at a part, say it doesn't fit, then want to charge the labor amount.


You guys are incredible. This is why I do not, and will not install anything aftermarket on any car at work. Nor will I work on any car that has aftermarket parts on the system that the problem is related too. Thats what the jiffy lube guys are for. If we install it, it magically becomes our problem if it breaks or doesn't work properly.

I showed this thread to a couple of other techs. at work, I cannot write what their responses were....

[PhreakV]

I think the issue is that he was given a price quote over the phone before a tech had the chance to look at the part (correct me if this is incorrect). If the tech had looked at the part it should've been evident that there could be an issue and the quote should have then become an "estimate" instead of an installed price...

if the price quoted was an installed price then no, he shouldn't have to pay for anything, that'd be the dealership's fuckup. but if they actually wanted to get paid then it should've been an "estimated installed price" then they should've contacted you to let you know the status of the 'install' and confirm you wanted to continue with the service.

I know how mechanics get paid and its a crappy situation for everyone involved but the dealership/service department could just as easily be at fault for retarded business practices (making guarantees they cannot always deliver) than geomatics would be at fault for walking away. glad to see the owner of the dealership had the sense to realize that 45 minutes of tech work wasn't worth getting ridiculous bad publicity... :D

[chuyler1]

Let's pretend for a second something different happened...

The O2 sensor was in the right place and the Tech installs the part in 20 minutes because it was a perfect fit.

Does the Tech tell the service manager it only took 20 minutes? Maybe.
Does the customer pay for the full 45 minutes of labor? Yes.
Does this happen all the time? YES

This is just another example of how the customer can get screwed. However, there are just as many times that the dealership gets screwed when things take longer than expected. It probably works out even in the end between the dealer and all of its customers. Some customers will benefit while others will get screwed without knowing it.

Unless the the customer signs a contract that says he/she is going to pay for the exact hrs that go into a job, the estimate provided before the job is binding pending the job is finished. The person providing the service may call and negotiate new terms should the estimate change and at that point the customer may be given the opportunity to cut their losses (pay for what has been done so far) or agree to pay more for a completed job. Customers should not go to a service provider that does not do this.

[brianmcd]

So why is it the dealers fault that your part didn't fit? It's just that you don't want to pay for the labor that was done. They did remove your old downpipe, try to put the new one in, and it didn't fit, so they put the old one in. Hell, they probably did more work than if it had fit.

~brian

[PimpDaddyJ]

This is just a friendly reminder that with anything aftermarket that you dont have the time to install or can't install yourself, you should take it to a shop with a good rep instead of a dealership or franchise garage. On one hand I can understand why you would be pissed,but work was done, no matter how unfair it sounds, it was someones time...Could have been worse, could have been like the dealership that fryed my blower fan while changing a switch, and wanted to bill me for it and the labour @ $85/hr to check the electrical system.

[mp5jeff]

reason you install stuff yourself, it's really not that hard...=)

[Sprout]

customer should pay for time spent cause the customer should have known if the part would fit or not in the first place since it was an aftermarket piece. If it were a factory piece and there were problems then I can see the argument.

[mspdfreak]

The moral of the story is this. Buy a car that is as fast as you you're satisfied with from the factory. There are plenty to chose from these days. Leave the modding to the boys at the factory, then make it your own by adding non-drivetrain related stuff.

[BlkZoomZoom]

What car is "fast enough" and cheap?

[Shadow102]

Let's pretend for a second something different happened...

The O2 sensor was in the right place and the Tech installs the part in 20 minutes because it was a perfect fit.

Does the Tech tell the service manager it only took 20 minutes? Maybe.
Does the customer pay for the full 45 minutes of labor? Yes.
Does this happen all the time? YES

This is just another example of how the customer can get screwed.

Actually that is not screwing the customer thats how we make our money from being paid so low...from the 80 sumthing they charge for labor a tech only sees at the very most $20-25 of it (thats a master tech/shop foreman top pay) What you are paying for in the long run is the convience of the job being done either early or expirence Ie. It takes me 2 mins max to program a keyless remote but i get a half our per remote i do however i am one of only a couple of people in the shop that know how to program remotes.

[BlkZoomZoom]

Actually that is not screwing the customer thats how we make our money from being paid so low...from the 80 sumthing they charge for labor a tech only sees at the very most $20-25 of it (thats a master tech/shop foreman top pay) What you are paying for in the long run is the convience of the job being done either early or expirence Ie. It takes me 2 mins max to program a keyless remote but i get a half our per remote i do however i am one of only a couple of people in the shop that know how to program remotes.

Yeah it also only pays 1/2 to do a key. What a pain in the butt, I always mess up on the blinking lights the first time, usually towards the end too..

[peepsalot]

What car is "fast enough" and cheap?
skittles

[geomatics_tech]

I know it was an aftermarket piece, I know they spent time working on it, BUT, they wanted to charge me essentailly the same amount as the quote itself for nothing. If they contacted me when they found out about the issue we could have negotiated a new deal, and I could have arranged to have the piece altered. But instead, they put everything back on, never even phoned to say the thing was kinda ready, and now I have to pay someone to DO THE EXACT SAME THING AGAIN. (yes, I know i should do it myself, but Im working to much right now to do so)

When I asked for a quote they never stated any concerns about the fitment of aftermarket parts, never said they have had problems before, just that they have done it (maybe not the same piece, but aftermarket parts) and it would be no problem. I understand they cant know if there willl be a problem before hand, but when they say no problem one would think they could solve problems if one arised.

I work in land development and have worked on many different types of construction projects, from design work to surveying and even site inspecting. In my line of work there is responsibilities on both the contractor and the developer. If someone says they can do something, but never looked at the project itself and gets the bid, they must complete the work to specification or not get paid, and when the job is completed properly the developer must pay his bills.

I know that they could have arrested me based on the fact that I did not pay the bill, but this just goes to show you how un-reasonable these stealerships can be. They did not even try to negotiate with me after we talked about the issue.

Shaun

[mountjonas]

whatever happened to "the customer is always right?" he agreed to pay to get a downpipe installed... was it installed? no.

i'm not a mechanic but i have been told this many times in my stint at customer service in a retail store. nothing drives me more crazy. no, the customer is hardly ever right. whoever came up with this saying needs to grow up. you agreed to pay for labor. they did labor. you should pay for the labor that was done. should they have called you the moment that it didn't fit? yes. you know what they say about two wrongs...

[BlkZoomZoom]

See the thing is, my Service Manager would have never let you take your car for one, second he would not have let you pay with a check after you bitched and complained. Third there would have been cops waiting for you at your house if you did get your car, lol.

I have never been to a dealership that had a welder and other fabrication tools. They simply are not needed when your job is to put a car to factory specs.

[BlkZoomZoom]

Fine, then don't install aftermarket parts. That's your prerogative, and I believe it to be a wise one especially for someone working at a dealership.

The issue is that he paid for a service to get a part installed. Unless it is expressed in writing that the amount paid is for the time the tech spends on the vehicle and not the job itself he shouldn't have to pay. The service was obviously not complete so he should not pay for it. Anyone can look at a part, say it doesn't fit, then want to charge the labor amount.


Actually a Dealerships Service Department does exactly that, and only that. The service advisor sells you the technicians time, period. The amount the job costs is based soley on that. Parts department sells parts, Sales sells cars.

[Hughes412]

I read most of this thread but couldn't wait any longer. I ran several shops both JEFFY LUBS and full auto repair shops. Both kinds of shops suck, and there isn't one tech mechanic or service writer out there that has never tried at least once to get money out of a customer when they shouldn't have.

First, the service writer should have taken the time to go over the what ifs. The tech should have checked the part befor ever taking off a nut. That didn't happen so what should have happen next is they should have called the customer and given the 2 opitons. Have the part fixed then installed or tell the customer that they will put the car back together but will still have to charge for half of the labor cost. The labor is to remove and replace, all they did was remove.
Second, if when you left the shop they took your money legally they excepted payment for the job. Thats why if you have a problem you always pay cash and get a recept. Yes they could have filed on you if you didn't pay.

Last, and this is why I don't work in the auto industry any more, is yes I'll bet 99% of all shops screw the customers. The dealer here that did my clutch tried it on me. I told them to hand tighten the lugs that if they didnt it would mess up the lugs. I pick the car up the next day take it home jack it up to check every thing. I found on lug lose, one lug only had a 1/4 in of threads left on it and the bottom bolt that holds the exhaust to the tany missing.
I called them and told them what I found and they said to bring it back. Long story short I had to take it back one more time to get the lug replace and get the bolt put in. Both times I was ashored that it was fixed and it wasnt.

I'm sure I'm forgeting something but I've alread lost intrest in this so I'll stop here. LOL Glad to hear it worked out for you.

[YuYuRena]

sorry to hear about your trouble. any dealership is like this. had the same bad service at toyota and honda dealership before. it all depends on the owner and the gm of the dealership

[Hughes412]

i'm not a mechanic but i have been told this many times in my stint at customer service in a retail store. nothing drives me more crazy. no, the customer is hardly ever right. whoever came up with this saying needs to grow up. you agreed to pay for labor. they did labor. you should pay for the labor that was done. should they have called you the moment that it didn't fit? yes. you know what they say about two wrongs...


Some one already hit on it once. The customer is always right, unless he/she is grossly wrong. The amount of money lost on this one job will cost that dealer thousands of dollars. This guy if treated right might have went back for the next item, or even a car. Plus I bet his family and friends will not use them. All for 45 mins, thats what, 75-80 bucks. Last I charged was 80 per shop hr. It all boils down to the tech not doing his job!

[BlkZoomZoom]

Some one already hit on it once. The customer is always right, unless he/she is grossly wrong. The amount of money lost on this one job will cost that dealer thousands of dollars. This guy if treated right might have went back for the next item, or even a car. Plus I bet his family and friends will not use them. All for 45 mins, thats what, 75-80 bucks. Last I charged was 80 per shop hr. It all boils down to the tech not doing his job!

Oh go get a clue. How is it the technicians fault the service advisor quoted a job on installing a aftermarket downpipe that ended up not fitting. He said it was the angle that the O2 sensor bung was welded in made it hit or rub on something. How are you supposed to know that until you put it on?

[jurgs01]

The customer is always right because that's good business, not because the customer is actually always right. I haven't worked in anything customer service since I was in high school, mostly because I can't stand rude people. I realize that if I did choose to work in a customer service job I would have to deal with them with a smile. That's part of it.

The tech could have handled things better, plain and simple. That's not the way you do business. The customer should never have walked out. He should have asked to speak to the manager on the spot, and if the manager had concluded that he pay then he should have payed and filed a complaint. I still think the tech is a tool for not catching the problem early.

[jurgs01]

Oh go get a clue. How is it the technicians fault the service advisor quoted a job on installing a aftermarket downpipe that ended up not fitting. He said it was the angle that the O2 sensor bung was welded in made it hit or rub on something. How are you supposed to know that until you put it on?

For it to actually hit something it would have to be in a different position. Angle would not make it hit anything. How do you not catch that?

[jurgs01]

There reccomendation to me was, move the cat to where the flex pipe is and put the flex pipe where the cat is and move the oxygen sensor. (smash)


Shaun

Does this look like a recommendation that would have been made if the bung was welded at the wrong angle? It was obviously in a different location.

[BlkZoomZoom]

The customer is always right because that's good business, not because the customer is actually always right. I haven't worked in anything customer service since I was in high school, mostly because I can't stand rude people. I realize that if I did choose to work in a customer service job I would have to deal with them with a smile. That's part of it.

The tech could have handled things better, plain and simple. That's not the way you do business. The customer should never have walked out. He should have asked to speak to the manager on the spot, and if the manager had concluded that he pay then he should have payed and filed a complaint. I still think the tech is a tool for not catching the problem early.

So if the MAM tubular manifolds egr pipe was a 1/2 inch off so that there was no way to get it to work, would we have to call you "a tool" because you didn't catch it until you already had it on and were trying to bolt the pipe on?

[Hughes412]

Oh go get a clue. How is it the technicians fault the service advisor quoted a job on installing a aftermarket downpipe that ended up not fitting. He said it was the angle that the O2 sensor bung was welded in made it hit or rub on something. How are you supposed to know that until you put it on?


So your saying that you as a tech would not have called the customer? You would have put it back together and charged him full price for a job only half done. As a tech ( and by some of your post a good guy seems like) I would think you would have the since to call the customer to inform him on the chage. After all it changes the whole out come of what was quoted. Thats just good buisness. You can't expect the customer to understand or care about how the tech gets paid. There for yes it's the techs fault for not covering his own ass.

[brianmcd]

I know it was an aftermarket piece, I know they spent time working on it, BUT, they wanted to charge me essentailly the same amount as the quote itself for nothing.

So, it's unfair for them to make you pay for nothing, but they should have to pay instead? How is that fair? Either, a.) the tech himself didn't get paid so you screwed him, or b.) the dealership paid the tech, but you didn't pay the dealership so they get screwed. You're only looking at this from a "me me me" perspective. Think about the other people involved here. Put yourself in their shoes.

~brian

[BlkZoomZoom]

So your saying that you as a tech would not have called the customer? You would have put it back together and charged him full price for a job only half done. As a tech ( and by some of your post a good guy seems like) I would think you would have the since to call the customer to inform him on the chage. After all it changes the whole out come of what was quoted. Thats just good buisness. You can't expect the customer to understand or care about how the tech gets paid. There for yes it's the techs fault for not covering his own ass.

You've " run shops before" now let me ask you... how many times does a tech call a customer? Me personally, never. That is the service advisors job. In which I have only met one or two that could actually do there job. In which, also, is who he talked too about what was wrong with the downpipe. I have said this many times before, take what your service advisor says with a grain of salt, they don't know what they are talking about.
I caught my s.a. telling a customer over the phone that he needed ignition wires(spark plug wires), of course the s.a. didn't know this and was saying that his car didn't have any power because his ignition switch wasn't getting any power because he needed the wires (boom01).

[mspdfreak]

What car is "fast enough" and cheap?Well, I was mostly being sarcastic, but in December last year people were getting brand new '04 GTO's for 22k out the door. That's fast enough and cheap for me.

[BlkZoomZoom]

Well, I was mostly being sarcastic, but in December last year people were getting brand new '04 GTO's for 22k out the door. That's fast enough and cheap for me.

Gto only run like mid 14's... Is that really fast enough? lol

[Hughes412]

So, it's unfair for them to make you pay for nothing, but they should have to pay instead? How is that fair? Either, a.) the tech himself didn't get paid so you screwed him, or b.) the dealership paid the tech, but you didn't pay the dealership so they get screwed. You're only looking at this from a "me me me" perspective. Think about the other people involved here. Put yourself in their shoes.

~brian


Who cares if the dealer gets screwed? How many times have they pulled some lame as crap job on us. Be it car sells or service. It's not the service writers fault. They obviously install aftermarket parts. Hell the dealer that replaced my clutch (under warranty) also put in my 9lb flywheel and only charged 40 bucks. But the tech messed up the lugs and lost the bolts and tried to get away with it. The lug cost them what $1 each and with the hub off could have put it in in a min. But NOOOO, lets fuck the customer!
Hell if they didn't call him he shouldn't have paid.

[jurgs01]

So if the MAM tubular manifolds egr pipe was a 1/2 inch off so that there was no way to get it to work, would we have to call you "a tool" because you didn't catch it until you already had it on and were trying to bolt the pipe on?

That's a good point. I still think that would be harder to catch than the o2 sensor being in a different position. I would compare it to the manifold having only 6 bolt holes instead of 8.

I think you are bias because you deal with stupid and shitty customers all the time. I feel for you, and by no means am trying to justify the customer's actions. I don't think that justifies the tech doing bad business. You also have to consider the magnitude of this job. I can see the tech doing what he did on a manifold install (where it takes a lot of man-hours), but seriously with a lift the mid-pipe should take 10 min max.

[Shadow102]

The amount of money lost on this one job will cost that dealer thousands of dollars. This guy if treated right might have went back for the next item, or even a car. Plus I bet his family and friends will not use them. All for 45 mins, thats what, 75-80 bucks. Last I charged was 80 per shop hr. It all boils down to the tech not doing his job!

I highly agree the going saying is "salesmen will sell you your first car and the service will sell you every car afterwords." The idea is to make the customer think they are right but also at the same time working in what is actually right. We have idiots for salesman that constantly put idea into customers head about what is wrong with their cars so we always have to figure out a way to correct the salesman without calling them and idoit.

Like its been touched on many times though this dealership went about things completely wrong they should have contacted you the second something was not correct. I know i keep my service writer informed even on status on bigger jobs just incase something happens. It is one of the biggest things that is stressed to us is the communication between the writers and techs it tends to make things go smoother.

[Hughes412]

You've " run shops before" now let me ask you... how many times does a tech call a customer? Me personally, never. That is the service advisors job. In which I have only met one or two that could actually do there job. In which, also, is who he talked too about what was wrong with the downpipe. I have said this many times before, take what your service advisor says with a grain of salt, they don't know what they are talking about.
I caught my s.a. telling a customer over the phone that he needed ignition wires(spark plug wires), of course the s.a. didn't know this and was saying that his car didn't have any power because his ignition switch wasn't getting any power because he needed the wires (boom01).


Well your right there. My techs would tell me and I would call. So I guess both messed up. But do you understand my side. This whole thing was a shame, and I bet you being a tech and how your reacting would have handled it differantly.

[BlkZoomZoom]

You are right, I get soo pissed off for some reason when people say stuff like this. I take pride in what I do, and I love what I do (don't ask me if i love my job tommorow...I have to run a overlay harness in a Golf...) and it upsets me greatly when people talk down to me and fellow technicians. Now I am not saying that all technicians are created equal either...some just kindove ooze through the day.

[Hughes412]

I highly agree the going saying is "salesmen will sell you your first car and the service will sell you every car afterwords." The idea is to make the customer think they are right but also at the same time working in what is actually right. We have idiots for salesman that constantly put idea into customers head about what is wrong with their cars so we always have to figure out a way to correct the salesman without calling them and idoit.

Like its been touched on many times though this dealership went about things completely wrong they should have contacted you the second something was not correct. I know i keep my service writer informed even on status on bigger jobs just incase something happens. It is one of the biggest things that is stressed to us is the communication between the writers and techs it tends to make things go smoother.


Finally!!!!!!!!! You get points sir (first)
I think I have to stop befor I get all flustered. Good night all, maybe!

[mp5jeff]

arguement can go both ways, imo was handled incorrectly on both parties, no offense to anyone...you live and learn. ie. install stuff yourself (2thumbs) , save money and learn new stuff.

[Shadow102]

You are right, I get soo pissed off for some reason when people say stuff like this. I take pride in what I do, and I love what I do (don't ask me if i love my job tommorow...I have to run a overlay harness in a Golf...) and it upsets me greatly when people talk down to me and fellow technicians. Now I am not saying that all technicians are created equal either...some just kindove ooze through the day.

I definatly agree lol it ticks me off about what people assume goes on at a dealership but at the same time this incedent doesnt make dealers look any better or easier to defend. And i agree with you i have only met 1 or 2 good service writers so far...which consequently were just there as an inbetween job. The best service writers know very little about cars thats where if they are good enough they rely on what the tech tells them.

[BlkZoomZoom]

My final point and I am done arguing or defending.
Lets say for arguements sake the tech takes the factory downpipe off, puts the new one on, finds out that the o2 sensor just isn't gonna fit right (for whatever reason). He tells the service advisor. The tech. being at a dealer, doesn't have the tools to move the o2 bung or whatever needs fixing for it to work. Instead of leaving the car apart and disabled, installs the factory downpipe so at least the customer can drive the car home. The s.a. obviously doesn't call the customer, the customer shows up. Finds out what happens, wants to know why he's getting charged, when in reality the tech. does double the work just to make the customer as happy as possible.

[JOS3]

idiots


flippin idiots

[Shadow102]

Finds out what happens, wants to know why he's getting charged, when in reality the tech. does double the work just to make the customer as happy as possible.

Thats when i would be talking to my service manager and making sure i am getting paid for that work. Thats all on the SA and he is going to be put at fault for not calling the customer.

[Hughes412]

You are right, I get soo pissed off for some reason when people say stuff like this. I take pride in what I do, and I love what I do (don't ask me if i love my job tommorow...I have to run a overlay harness in a Golf...) and it upsets me greatly when people talk down to me and fellow technicians. Now I am not saying that all technicians are created equal either...some just kindove ooze through the day.


Yea the old saying Grease Monkey pisses me off. I used to love to work in shops. The last shop I ran we R/R the drive axels on a older 90s honda accord with an auto trany. I saw the tech put the drums under the car to catch the trans fluid but he never filled it up. The lady (a single mom of 3) got about 2 miles down the road and the trany started to slip. She pulled into a shop they checked the fluid and told her it was almost empty. She called me and I had it towed back. I had to call the Distric Manager. The next day she came in and he told her he wasn't going to fix it because the other shop touched it and they could have messed it up. I talked to him for 5 mins and no budge. I turned to the lady and gave her my phone number and gave him my keys to the shop and quite. On the way out I told her to go to small claims court file for the 5k max aloud and I would be her witness. She called me a week later and the next day they brought her a free rentle car and fixed it free of charge. That was the last time I ever worked in the auto industry.

Sorry for the jack, it still pisses me off.

[Rudy23]

Sunridge Mazda in Calgary has quite a bad reputation when it comes to Sales or Service. I have personally never been there since I was cautioned by several individuals against going there. I think that what they did was really poor customer service. For this small amount of money, they lost one customer for service and potentially for a new car in the next few years. Also, all the other people that will hear about this and steer clear.

Personally I perfer North Hill and my experience with them has been pretty good so far. And if you drop your car in the morning, they'll drive you to work and pick you up.

[murph1379]

I showed this thread to a couple of other techs. at work, I cannot write what their responses were....

And this is why technicians don't usually talk to the customer directly. You wouldn't understand customer service or sales strategy if it bit you in the ass. (just like the customer service monkeys wouldn't know a PCM if it hit them in the face) I'm an engineer, and there's a reason I don't talk to the customers at work. There's all kinds of strategy and shmoozing that goes on that I think is stupid, but in the end it helps the company a lot more than my blunt responses would.

"I deal with the customers so the goddamn engineers don't have to! I'm a people person! I'm good at dealing with people!" -- Office Space

[M_3]

look nobody is going to think the same cause we all diff and we see it from diff points of views
but the truth is that everybody mess up.

the mechanic should know that it was going to fit, maybe he didnt realized the problem cause he never took a lil bit of time to look at the after market piece, so that is his fault.

the dealer never call him to tell him crap which they should. so they mess up there.

he mess up cause is the mechanic did actually do all the work than is just not fair that he was the one lossing cause if he was one of the nice mechanics he took his time to do it try an try to solve the problem but maybe there was just no way and he end up being screw, so if it would have be me i would have paid the mechanic his work but just because i know how it feels to do a job and not get paid for it, but remenber that if he would had actually look at the piece and check nothing would had happend so if the costumer doesnt pay nothing he has his right, cause even thou the right thing to do is pay him (talking about morals) , because of his mistake he doesnt have to pay anymore.

[Wiggles422]

he mess up cause is the mechanic did actually do all the work than is just not fair that he was the one lossing cause if he was one of the nice mechanics he took his time to do it try an try to solve the problem but maybe there was just no way and he end up being screw, so if it would have be me i would have paid the mechanic his work but just because i know how it feels to do a job and not get paid for it, but remenber that if he would had actually look at the piece and check nothing would had happend so if the costumer doesnt pay nothing he has his right, cause even thou the right thing to do is pay him (talking about morals) , because of his mistake he doesnt have to pay anymore.

i think that's the longest sentence i've ever read.

[SpicyMchaggis]

all dealerships suck. period.

[mspdfreak]

Gto only run like mid 14's... Is that really fast enough? lolNo, but they're much easier and cheaper to mod.