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A Mechanic's Life - Tales From Under the Hood

2944 messages,  Last post on May 24, 2013 at 10:11 PM

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What is this discussion about? Auto Repair, Hatchback, Truck, Sedan

     This topic is primarily for professional mechanics, current or retired, or ardent amateurs who would like to share the suprises, victories, tricks and challenges of working on the modern automobile. All Forums members are invited, of course, to ask technicians about their work, or comment on your own experiences dealing with mechanics.
 
If you have a maintenance or repair question about your vehicle, please use search to find one of our Maintenance and Repair discussions, or ask a question in Edmunds Answers.

Messages Page 140 of 296

#1383 of 2944 Re: Rates [bartbarter] by thecardoc3

Feb 14, 2013 (2:13 pm)

Replying to: bartbarter (Feb 14, 2013 1:50 pm)
http://yelp-sucks.com/tell-your-yelp-story/
 
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57535140-93/yelp-clamps-down-on-paid-reviews-wi- th-new-consumer-alert/
 
http://www.submitexpress.com/yelp-negative-review-repair.html
 
http://www.prweb.com/releases/paid-yelp-reviews/craigslist-sting/prweb10077116.h- tm

#1384 of 2944 Re: Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit [thecardoc3] by xwesx

Feb 14, 2013 (2:35 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Feb 14, 2013 11:12 am)
I agree on both counts. I have several friends who are techs. Great guys, but they're only satisfied with their career when they're actually working on cars. When the day is done, they complain about the circumstances.

#1385 of 2944 Re: Rates [thecardoc3] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Feb 14, 2013 (5:21 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Feb 14, 2013 2:13 pm)
It's very easy to tell padded or false reviews on Yelp. All you have to do is read with some degree of attention.

#1386 of 2944 Re: Rates [Mr_Shiftright] by thecardoc3

Feb 14, 2013 (8:23 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 14, 2013 5:21 pm)
It's very easy to tell padded or false reviews on Yelp.
 
 
 
 All you have to do is read with some degree of attention
 
That's asking a lot of the "average" consumer.

#1387 of 2944 Re: Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit [xwesx] by thecardoc3

Feb 14, 2013 (8:42 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Feb 14, 2013 2:35 pm)
Great guys, but they're only satisfied with their career when they're actually working on cars
 
I just came from presenting a class for about forty guys who all fit into the main group of loving to actually fix cars, but hate a lot of the nonsense that goes with it.
 
When the day is done, they complain about the circumstances
 
This was an advanced diagnostic class and in the middle of it one of the case studies has a screen capture where codes are pulled from all of the vehicle modules, but the customers reported issue is only an engine performance one. I purposely don't point out all of the codes and hope that the class lets me we slip right past that slide and concentrate on the engine problem. Then after that is successfully dealt with I add the scenario that has the customer immediately complain about the instrument cluster having an issue.
 
By pulling and documenting all of the codes, which includes the communication codes related to the instrument cluster a shop doesn't get blind-sided and end up "getting a bad review" for something they didn't do wrong anyway. If they don't pull codes from all of the modules, then they don't know about the instrument cluster problem and they could likely get trapped into having to fix it for free. Making them practice this is really important and leads to satisfied customers, even if it means the customer is going to have to get more work done than just what they brought the vehicle in for. It all comes down to documentation and communication. if they don't want to fix the cluster problem, that's fine, its their car. The shop needs a record of the vehicles overall condition as much as is reasonably possible.

#1388 of 2944 Re: Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit [thecardoc3] by steve_ HOST

Feb 15, 2013 (6:24 am)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Feb 14, 2013 8:42 pm)
lol, and then the customer review will read:
 
"I took my car to Joe's Garage for a simple engine miss and they tried to tell me my instrument cluster was broken and wanted an extra $400 to fix it. Avoid these crooks like the plague."

#1389 of 2944 Yelp was by bartbarter

Feb 15, 2013 (7:31 am)

an example. No consumer in their right mind would say, ok whatever you want to charge!

#1390 of 2944 Re: Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit [steve_] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Feb 15, 2013 (7:52 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Feb 15, 2013 6:24 am)
So many of these issues wouldn't have become issues if the shop talked to the customer in the right way. I don't think it's an accident that the very best shops I know have very good skills in relating to people.
 
There's even one shop that proves to be an exception to the rule--they are rude, beer-guzzling, loud and obnoxious, but so strange and funny that people love going there just to be part of the freak show----and they repair BMWs for those clients who can cast aside some prejudices and wait for what turns out to be good repairs at a very reasonable price.
 
Not a recommended business model, but it goes to show, you can't generalize entirely about repair shops.

#1391 of 2944 Re: Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit [Mr_Shiftright] by steve_ HOST

Feb 15, 2013 (8:20 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 15, 2013 7:52 am)
I was going to guess you were talking about the Magliozzi Brother's garage of Click & Clack fame.

#1392 of 2944 Re: Diplomacy isn't my strongsuit [steve_] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Feb 15, 2013 (8:41 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Feb 15, 2013 8:20 am)
I'm not so sure they fixed cars very well---much of their advice strikes me as amusing but rather lame. The BMW Brothers I mentioned are far more scary, but time and time again, against all odds, they've stuck with difficult problems and fixed them. I remember BMW telling me that the driveshaft on my 7 Series was not repairable, and by golly, the BMW Brothers fixed it for 1/4 the price---they had figured out a way to beat the system. It was for guys like these that the term "derelict genius" was invented.

Messages Page 140 of 296

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