Any decent mechanic or shop can see right through someone who is claiming to be knowledgeable when they are not.
Believe it or not, some people do. Amazing.
The only time it’s appropriate to ask a mechanic if he’ll install the parts you supply, IMO, is when the mechanic can’t get the part anymore but you have one, or when you want a non-OEM part installed for performance reasons – though on that second it’s really better for both parties if you just bring it to a speed shop rather than a regular mechanic.
The late Carol Channing enjoyed socializing in restaurants, but she was so finicky about her food that she brought plastic containers of her own stuff when she dined out. Because of her fame, her favorite restaurants accommodated her whims, but I wonder how much they charged her for heating her brought-in food and serving it to her.
I only asked him because I had used him quite a while and had seen him doing this for other people. Now we have a garage so we would be able to do it ourselves. I had also told him if he didn’t want to do it I understood. He didn’t get pissy with me until after he’d done it! I had always steered people to his shop. BTW - I didn’t expect him to warranty any of the parts, that I understood. I’m glad he did it as I found a new shop that’s very good and within walking distance!
Many times I have used customer supplied parts, I am able to judge if the parts are acceptable or not. I guarantee my labor, if the failure is not related to the part, I correct the problem at no charge.
It is up to management as to whether or not the profit from the sale of the parts is a concern.
The view point of those outside of the repair industry may not agree with your actual experiences.
Occasionally I’ve asked my mechanic to use specific or self supplied parts when I wanted OEM or higher quality than was commonly available at the local parts store BUT we discuss the reason and I always tell him that I expect to pay more for his labor.
Long time relationship, knows, that I respect his work and that I’m willing to pay for my preferences.
The reason I quit using customer supplied parts is that after several incidents involving those parts the customer ended up irate even thought the issue was not on my end of it.
An example; and this is the first one going way back to the 80s at a Subaru dealer I worked for at the time. A Subaru owner brought a Chevy pickup in with a carburetor problem. He had purchased a Reman Quadrajet still in the sealed box and was quoted a price for swapping it out and adjusting it. It was a Unit Parts item from their plant in OK City.
Once on the truck it was flooding badly; usually the sign of a sticking float needle, etc. Repeated tapping on the carb body accomplished nothing and it continued to gush gas all over the place. I told them it was exchange the carburetor or take the top of it and find out what was going on. They chose the latter option.
With the top off I discovered that the carburetor did not even have a needle/seat in it or a float either. A carb kit with needle/seat could be had from any parts house and the float was available from the local Delco dealer. So the guy (who refused to buy a kit or a float) wanted the old carb reinstalled and then threw a major league fit because he was charged for this musical chairs carb swap.
After several more similar incidents involving flaky parts I just refused to use customer parts because the customer anger when things went south was always directed at the mechanic; not the parts supplier. Their thinking was that since the parts were defective there should be no labor charge.
Another incident involved a customer supplied clutch kit for a Subaru. With engine out it was discovered that he had purchased the wrong kit. The meant a car down taking up space while his aftermarket parts were exchanged or buy a clutch kit from us, the Subaru dealer. He chose the latter and per the usual later claimed we were ripping him off as the OEM kit was higher in price.
I agree there are certain times it’s advisable to use factory parts, instead of the typical standard motor products . . . that’s an actual brand, by the way . . . or airtex
There used to be a restaurant (or maybe still there) a few miles away that was based on the theme of Gilligan’s Island. The big thing was you grilled your own steak. Picked out what you wanted then took it to the big communal grill and finished it off. Or you could have the chef do it for you. I always preferred someone else doing it since I’m not a good cook.
As far as the AC, I’ll stand by my earlier comment. They are going to explode sometime, just a matter of when, and woe to the mechanic that worked on it just before the explosion. Caught by circumstance like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Guilty as charged.
That sounds kind of like Korean bbq . . . which is kind of big here in Los Angeles, but obviously not at the moment
There’s a place like that near Disney World. I go out to a restaurant, then I want someone else to cook.
Hey, I’ve got a place like that nearby. Cook your own steak, serve yourself your own sides, pour your own drinks, wash your own dishes … IT"S CALLED HOME and my wife always wants to go somewhere else.
Like the old joke, what did you make for dinner? Reservations. We had a cook your own seat place near us, all American, salad and hot food buffet also for sides. You grill your steaks and fill up your plates. gone now, another covid fatality.