I wouldn’t expect my mechanic of 20 years to check the fluids during a brake job. If I bring it in for an oil change, he will usually check the fluids, the front end, and the brakes when it’s up on the lift. If it needs any addition work done he’ll call and let me know. He is too busy to come up with unneeded work.
Anyway, I doubt this person’s word has much credence with anybody who knows him.
Ed B.
It’s all too easy to just call the guy names and tell him to jump in the river. Let’s take the high road instead, the one that separates the men from the boys.
You can’t really let the customer go as a retaliation as this is not in the best interest of your business. I have several customers who are bipolar and you should hear the things that come out of their mouths from time to time.
Dealing with unreasonable people is part of your job. Look at this as a challenge rather than feeling bad about it. Think about how fortunate you are to encounter someone trashing you knowingly rather than anonymously. At least you are afforded the opportunity to mitigate the damage.
I know this may sound like a lot of backwash to some people but I always turn bad situations into growth opportunities. You should write this cranky guy a letter and thank him for taking the time to let you know he was dissatisfied.
When you’re dead - You don’t know your dead. It only effects the people around you.
Same thing if you’re Stupid.
The underlying issue here is …bad publicity.
It’s human nature that bad publicity spreads like wildfire and good just sits there like a lone daisy in the desert.
All of the satisfied customers tell no one else…car shop, barber shop, or bait shop.
DIS satisfied customers tell everyone they see !
This is a fact of life.
Referrals from satisfied customers will send in new business but you can go broke in the mean time. In my first year of business my best source of customers was my competition. When the well established shops were overwhelmed with work they would refer new drop ins to me. But they only referred business to me when my flat rate was equal to or higher than theirs and they were certain that the work would be done correctly so as not to reflect poorly on them.
Through the years the local shop owners here developed their individual specialties and although we all were considered full service we each became a “go to shop” for particular problems. Doing so greatly improves the profits for each shop. But this is a small town. Situations vary.
We used to have a secretary where I orked who had a sign on her desk that said: “Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part!” We had several guys in the ofice who did everything at the last minute and then buried the secretaries with “urgent” work.
Some people blame all their shortcomings on others, and mechanics are fair game for dumping on. I agree with others that this customer needs to have in writing what exactly he wants done. No more, no less. With these folks, if a defect was found they are also inclined to blame the mechanic for “finding work”.
Of course a good mnechanic will point out some the things he may discover when the car is on the hoist and will explain whether these things ar urgent, or can be adrressed later.