Tales from the Garge.

[Motu]

You all like to get out in the garge and work on the bike,right? It's so much fun cleaning,add some mods,doing maintenance - but sometimes things don't work out as planned,things go wrong,your life is destroyed.Imagine if the Garge was your whole life,you spent over 70hrs a week in it over 6 days,the chances for things to go wrong has just increased by the power of 100.Just thought I might share a few of my daily challenges - Life in the Garge.

Five months ago a 1999 Mazda Familia failed to proceed at the gas station and I went out to have a look - an Eastern European woman,not too good on the English.The clutch was totaly fried,you could put it into gear without even a noise - this thing was going nowhere.She wasn't too pleased with my diagnosis,so she got the Motu treatment - I just walked off and left her to it.Finaly she came around and we got the car in and did the clutch job - ready the next day to the tune of about $650.

Last week she came in again,not very happy - the clutch has just failed again,and she wants it repaired under warranty.I go up the road and have a look,yep,same again...in less than 5000km.I can't drive it so get it hauled in,and we pull the clutch.Totaly fried as before - I want some backup on this,so call in my supplier who has a look,takes it away and sents it to a 3rd party for an independant report.They find no fault in the clutch,a quality Daiken unit,and no instaltion fault,and the flywheel had been machined of course.Pure abuse by the customer - but she's not wearing this off course,it's all my fault,she's been driving for 70yrs and doesn't ride the clutch - blah,blah,blah.How do I put it across to her that there is no warranty on a component that has been abused,that the only fault is in the driver? in short,the stupid bitch can't drive! I gave her a hard line on friday and she went away steaming,but knowing she was the fault of the clutch failing.

My supplier can see what a bind I'm in,and being a good customer of theirs they want to keep - they have given me a free replacment clutch,and a free flywheel machine.Now,what shall I do,take the hard line,fit the clutch and charge her full price,standing up for my rights,I have all the facts behind me to take it all the way - but is it worth it? All the shouting and arguments,word gets around...even if we go to the Small Claims Court,she may actualy win her case as they are on the comsumers side - like,they might say I should have given her driving lessons on the new clutch.Or do I just fit it for free and get her out of my shop - making sure she knows that if the clutch fails again in short order we won't honour a claim a second time.

I stand to loose at least 5 hrs labour and a tow charge just to keep some customer quiet when they are in the wrong.Someone has to pay for this - do you wonder why you are charged so much for repairs?

[James Deuce]

That truly sucks. I once stood up for a Wairarapa garage when Heather's grandmother attempted the exact same course of action. Her driving style was 6000rpm, select 5th in the Proton Saga and use the clutch to adjust speed. This next bit sounds terrible, but her attitude was affecting the servicing of the farm machinery, so we recorded her heading to the Victoria League one morning. The mechanically sympathetic would faint if they heard it. A quiet word to the husband of one of her mates who heard it sorted the situation, but I don't know how you're going to get around this one. You could turn her business away in furutre I guess, but the word of mouth thing is pretty tough to beat.

If people bagged their doctor as much as they bag their mechanic, we'd have no health system.

[pete376403]

Surely automatics were made for people like this?

[Mr Skid]

If she's been driving for 70+ years, then she won't have that many friends left to bad mouth you to. Those that she does have will probably not have cars or be too senile to remember what she said. And if she's an immigrant from Eastern Europe, then most of the people that would listen to her are back in the old country and still driving 2 stroke Skodas.

If you've already taken a hard line with her about this, maybe you could offer her 1/2 price labour to get it fitted?

You've already got the clutch supplied and flywheel machined for free so unless she knows about that, you could make out that your offering to provide a new clutch free of charge, and discount on labour, without accepting any liability.

I don't know what the costs of labour + machining + parts would be individually, but it could be a way to show a healthy discount on the invoice so it looks like your being really generous in your treatment of her.

You could also make the offer on the basis that it was full and final settlement of any claims.

You might lose a couple of dollars in the process, but it would stop it going to small claims, therefore reducing your total possible liability, and the downtime of having to attend the dispute process. More importantly it would get her out of your shop.

[Stinger]

I think that no matter what she'll bad mouth you now. If you do her any favours then your just going to encourage her I reckon. If it goes to the small claims court then the worst that can happen is that she doesn't have to pay for the labour... pain in the arse, but most people don't end up pursuing it that far.

Being the behaviourist that I am, I think you should slap her the next time she comes in... that'll make her think twice.

[Jackrat]

Like Stinger says,the damage to your rep' has already been done.
If you have the supplyer backing your claims then you shouldn't lose in SCC.
If you accept this persons future bussiness she will try it on again.
Let her go mate,she's going to do the same thing again,it'll be your fault next time as well,she's just not worth the drama.

[Frankie]

tough one....

how ever youve done nothing wrong and its not your fault... you did what you were supposed to and got paid for it...

Its like you installing a new clutch into my Prelude... the very next day I go to Meremere and thrash it.. if the clutch fails then its my fault cause i didnt let it settle in a bit

[Antallica]

Yeah chances are if she's that much of a dick she won't have that many friend to tell anyway. You have the report of the supplier etc. and you stand by that. Fit the new clutch and charge her full price, but just to cover yourself make sure you briefly explain to her how to use it properly.

Peace out brother.

[Paul in NZ]

This all sounds depressingly familiar.

My Father had his own auto repairs business for years and was done over a thousand times by people like this. They don't mean to be (sometimes) but they are trouble with a capital T.

Perhaps there is a middle way? You are already in trouble right? Why not (as someone else suggested) do the labour at a discount 'provided she takes 1 driving lesson with an independant instructor' ie the local AA guy or something like that.

That way it's not you blaming the parts or your work and you get an independant point of view?

If it all goes pear shaped again, it will make you look good in court as well...

Paul N

ps. It goes the other way. Just before we went away this weekend, Vicki thought there was a problem with the front disk pad on the Magna and we were a bit PO's 'cos they were done not that long ago and we thought perhaps the shop (OK I'm lazy but they needed grinding too) had stuck in cheap pads. The guy put it on the hoist, whipped off the front wheels and measured everything, it was fine, gave it a squirt with some brake cleaner and gave it back to Vicki. "How much?" she asked fully expecting to pay something.. "Nothing this time Vicki. You guys have a good break eh!" Vick protested but the guy would not take a cent! "You will be back he laughed"

OMG - Is he being decent or does he know something about our car.....

[Posh Tourer :P]

If ya got the clutch free, charge her labour only, but warn her it wont happen again...

[scumdog]

Get her to pay for what she owes and GET RID of her!!

Tell her to never darken your doorway again, customers like her you don't need, if you are feeling big hearted you could give her the replacement clutch you got for free and tell her to take her car to another gargre!

[MOTOXXX]

Yea sounds like a bit of a tough one there man.
Its always good to never burn your bridges in bizniz and elderly people have nothing better to do other than gossip over a game of bridge. Trust me....waikanae is the retirement capital of nz.

Maybe a solution could be as people said above.
ring her up and say
look mrs_____ we had the clutch tested by an indipendent party and found no fault. The instalation was done correctly. We realy value your custom here at _____ motors. As a gesture of good faith, we will fit you with a new clutch and fly wheel (which has cost you nothing) if you are prepared to pay the two hours labour (or how ever long it is) and we can still continue a working relationship.

Most of the time it can be enough to sway people back over and keep them happy with going the extra mile.

either that or just leave her a length of rope in her car as a hint.

[vifferman]

Some good comments here.

The only one I would make (not to help you make a decision, just because) is that she probably has very little disposable income, and is freaking out at the thought of having to get the car fixed again.
Not your problem, Motu; just an observation.

[Stinger]

Yea sounds like a bit of a tough one there man.
Its always good to never burn your bridges in bizniz and elderly people have nothing better to do other than gossip over a game of bridge. Trust me....waikanae is the retirement capital of nz.

Maybe a solution could be as people said above.
ring her up and say
look mrs_____ we had the clutch tested by an indipendent party and found no fault. The instalation was done correctly. We realy value your custom here at _____ motors. As a gesture of good faith, we will fit you with a new clutch and fly wheel (which has cost you nothing) if you are prepared to pay the two hours labour (or how ever long it is) and we can still continue a working relationship.

Most of the time it can be enough to sway people back over and keep them happy with going the extra mile.

either that or just leave her a length of rope in her car as a hint.

That's actually really good advice, that's practically straight out of "how to win friends and influence people" and would probably have the best result... now if only you could work someway of getting satisfaction into it

[FROSTY:Me]

Motu mate I feel for ya.
Ive been in the same boat
Reality is its gonna cost ya the same amout of time -possibly a heap more if she takes ya to court--if she's an old biddie with nowt else to do......
Ya see where Im coming from -better just do it and get her gone.
BUT>
Due to her concerns about your workmanship -Insist she has a totally independant inspection done on the clutch after its done.
NO inspection-NO CAR.
You have then covered ya ass over further comebacks.
Dunno if itll work for you --but it worked for me.