Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > General Discussions > Off-Topic Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #31  
Old 03-25-2008, 10:30 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Milford, CT
Posts: 19,318
Wow strange guy! Just tell me to F off and he likes it. I wish I could say that to more people.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 03-26-2008, 09:18 AM
t walgamuth's Avatar
dieselarchitect
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
Posts: 38,613
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdvisorGuy View Post
Same said customer made my cashier cry on one occasion berating her over the phone. I had her immediately transfer the call to me. He started in immediately on how the recall battery cover for his S-Class had to be installed tomorrow...
"SHUT UP TODD. You have my cashier in the ladies room balling her eyes out over a god damn battery cover ?!?!?" You weren't around and.... "I don't give a damn !! Totally uncalled for. Bring the car in tomorrow and you'll wait." I want a loaner. "No. You'll wait the 60-90 minutes to get it done."
NEXT MORNING: Make it an hour. "It might be an hour and a half." I'll be in the showroom then I'll be back. "And if you're back in an hour and it's not done, you WILL sit in the lounge til it's done." Back in 45 minutes and I'm ready for a fight. hey Ron, I went on this BMW test drive,blah,blah,blah... Like we're long lost buddies. Five minutes later, his car is washed and on the service drive. "Now we have to go to the cashier you made cry yesterday and get your receipt." I'll meet you there. Goes to his car. Meets me with a bouquet of flowers for the cashier, apologizes to her, hands me a $100 bill with a handshake and leaves...

His wife once told me that he loved to deal with me and she deeeeeply appreciated the way I dealt with him..
LMAO!

Send him over here, he can insult me if he gives me a $100 tip.

Tom W
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 03-26-2008, 09:20 AM
Kuan's Avatar
unband
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: At the Birkebeiner
Posts: 3,841
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdvisorGuy View Post
His wife once told me that he loved to deal with me and she deeeeeply appreciated the way I dealt with him..
Some people are like that. That's the way some kitchens communicate. They're hardass on each other.
__________________
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 03-26-2008, 09:56 AM
Ara T.'s Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 2,075
I read the news today oh boy. About a service writer who made the grade
__________________
1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 03-26-2008, 06:42 PM
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 440
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuan View Post
Some people are like that. That's the way some kitchens communicate. They're hardass on each other.
Exactly the way he was. Pussy foot and he'll steamroll ya. From DAY 1. We were like that and over 4 years. Service director actually had these comments in the system about him:

"Mr Se*** feels that the ownership of several vehicles from Pr****** Motors entitles him to abuse of employees. His behavior will not be tolerated."

My ass. I'm the only one that would deal with him and I told him such. I even on one occassion had both of his Benz' picked up & delivered for service on back to back days. A day later, he drove in (I thought to myself - Here goes an arguement), got out of his car with it running and bee-lined straight towards me. Handed me a $100 bill and drove out without a word.
__________________
Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 03-27-2008, 10:37 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 176
Treat the Mechanics right and they teat you right...

1) The senior Tech is a Classic MB owner
2) The #2 Tech loves the marque as well
3) I send them lots of referral business (my Mother in Law for one).
4) I make a point of treating them with the respect and gratitude that they deserve for the work they do, and as a result they treat me the same way.
5) Both are immigrants - Top guy is from Trinidad and is Indian/Trini mix, #2 is from Mexico.
6) I'm a WASP.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dee8go View Post
I've never been anywhere that was that fast or that cheap!
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 12-10-2008, 05:54 PM
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 440
I had to resurrect this today. 30 degree temps the last few days and I'm condemned to every moron that drives in and calls with "Some light on my dash". Tire pressure light of course.. I really don't know which side of the fence I'm on. Has technology really made people stupid and lazy or is it simply more of the lack of self-responsibility ? Realistically I'd say, 80-plus % of the motoring public are not "car guys". They don't work on them or participate on forums such as this.

What gets me is that people will:
1 - Drive XX miles out of their way to come here to top off their oil because they don't know what the OIL MIN icon means
2 - Do the same for a tire pressure light.

And when we suggest checking the owners manual: "That's what YOU'RE for" was a response one of the other advisors got. Now I know that's kinda "what we're here for" but jesus.... Most every one of these people that come in under these circumstances, are navigating the hell out of their IPhone, Blackberry, Ipod,etc so I'm quite sure they either spent time with the owners manual to figure them out or at least spent some time understanding and learning it's features. So people want and demand thier bluetooth, nav systems, "Distronic Cruise Control",etc but can't be bothered understanding how it all works ? The car TELLS you by way of an OIL MIN light or CHECK TIRE PRESSURE light that you have a problem before it becomes a catastrophe, yet you can't be bothered to understand these systems that are there to warn you before you're doing 60mph on a flat tire ? before your engine seizes ? It just boggles my mind sometimes...
__________________
Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 12-10-2008, 07:01 PM
450slcguy's Avatar
Don't Tread on Me
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 613
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdvisorGuy View Post
Has technology really made people stupid and lazy or is it simply more of the lack of self-responsibility ? Realistically I'd say, 80-plus % of the motoring public are not "car guys". They don't work on them or participate on forums such as this.

...
Stupid and lazy perhaps, but I think totally helpless would be a better description.

Most of those people aren't even aware the have an owners manual in the car. They migh be well educated, but that doesn't mean they are intelligent.
__________________
Question Authority before it Questions you.

Last edited by 450slcguy; 12-10-2008 at 07:08 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 12-11-2008, 08:47 AM
dannym's Avatar
I'm not here
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Deltona, Florida
Posts: 2,360
That's awesome! This is my personal favorite:
"IT'S A GERMAN CAR NOT A GERMAN U-BOAT YOU MORON"

You should write a book.
__________________
1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

(\__/)
(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 12-11-2008, 10:05 AM
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 440
I had a gentleman drive his S500 for ELEVEN MONTHS listening to AM radio because he didn't know how to change bands and was too embarrassed to come in or call.........
__________________
Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???
Reply With Quote
  #41  
Old 12-11-2008, 10:30 AM
Jim B.'s Avatar
Who's flying this thing ?
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: N. California./ N. Nevada
Posts: 3,611
Arrow corrupt Mercedes Benz dealers

There was a Service Advisor a couple of years ago on another forum, I (whose name I won't mention here but I think I remember it well), who was a Mercedes Benz dealer Service Advisor.


He explained that there was a formula in place that put the SA in the uncomfortable position, of recommending work not needed to be done, because he would be paid a commission or kickback or whatever you call it, of 50% of every extra hour of dealer labor he could convince the customer to sign on the work order.


I tend to distrust service advisors. I would much rather speak to the tech himself that worked on my car. amd read his mechanics notes.


When my Mercedes Benz was still new enough to be under warranty, or even out of it, yes I had to go to the Mercedes Benz dealer, but my impression is that one function of a Service Advisor is to keep the customers away from the shop and techs, and to feel free to encourage the customer to order many other profit laden, unnecessary jobs to be OK'ed.

The cost of the service advisor's liason services, the waiting room excellent biscotti and lattes and wide flat screen TV is passed on in the $150 per hour dealer labor charges. (An independent mechanic with a more modest shop without all that fluff can, and often does, only charge $80 an hour.)

For this reason, I would prefer the greasy shop without all those fripperies but run by people who like working on the cars and who will let me speak freely with the tech who does the job, and if I don't interfere, let me watch it.


I suspect my somewhat dim view of Service Advisors is shared by many. I do understand you are a lightning rod for their complaints, and many of the customers are SO retarded that they should hand their drivers licenses back to the DMV with an apology and some are nasty pieces of work, or greedy, tightwads, or cheaters and liars.


The Service Advisor I mentioned said the job is so stressful, with females claiming (Falsely) sexual harassment, their car was not washed right and other things, that the job turnover is very high
__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Last edited by Jim B.; 12-11-2008 at 10:35 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 12-11-2008, 11:25 AM
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 440
On the lines of f***-ups from myself or techs that I've seen:

ME: A million years ago, another tech did a brake job on an original Toyota Van, the Previa's predecessor. It's mid-engined. He used a center-post lift to raise it and cracked the trans pan. My boss asked me to replace it since I had a 4 post lift on my bay. All goes well. As I'm holding the safety latch & lowering the van, I'm looking towards the office when in the corner of my eye, I notice the rear of the van is much higher than the front. Forgot to roll my tool box out from underneath it..... It didn't fall off the lift but my top box still has the impression of the rear diff in it....

"JOE" - Working a 12:30-9:00 Saturday. He just finished mounting 4 tires on an Aerostar. The shop was 35 bays with 2 garage doors on either side of the building for in & out. The middle 20 bays facing each other were pretty much tire & alignment bays. He backs off the lift with rear tires smoking. Across & behind on another lift was a K-car Chrysler New Yorker. HE flew backwards, hitting the bottom of the K car with the top of the Aerostar knocking it off the lift from 6 feet in the air, landin on it's nose 6 feet from me. He launched back forwards headed directly at 2 techs. He cut the wheel to the left clipping an alignment rack, landing the van on it's side with the engine still racing.. All INSIDE the shop.. He swore that he was on the brake pedal and the van ran away on it's own.
__________________
Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 12-11-2008, 11:48 AM
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 440
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim B. View Post
There was a Service Advisor a couple of years ago on another forum, I (whose name I won't mention here but I think I remember it well), who was a Mercedes Benz dealer Service Advisor.


He explained that there was a formula in place that put the SA in the uncomfortable position, of recommending work not needed to be done, because he would be paid a commission or kickback or whatever you call it, of 50% of every extra hour of dealer labor he could convince the customer to sign on the work order.


I tend to distrust service advisors. I would much rather speak to the tech himself that worked on my car. amd read his mechanics notes.


When my Mercedes Benz was still new enough to be under warranty, or even out of it, yes I had to go to the Mercedes Benz dealer, but my impression is that one function of a Service Advisor is to keep the customers away from the shop and techs, and to feel free to encourage the customer to order many other profit laden, unnecessary jobs to be OK'ed.

The cost of the service advisor's liason services, the waiting room excellent biscotti and lattes and wide flat screen TV is passed on in the $150 per hour dealer labor charges. (An independent mechanic with a more modest shop without all that fluff can, and often does, only charge $80 an hour.)

For this reason, I would prefer the greasy shop without all those fripperies but run by people who like working on the cars and who will let me speak freely with the tech who does the job, and if I don't interfere, let me watch it.


I suspect my somewhat dim view of Service Advisors is shared by many. I do understand you are a lightning rod for their complaints, and many of the customers are SO retarded that they should hand their drivers licenses back to the DMV with an apology and some are nasty pieces of work, or greedy, tightwads, or cheaters and liars.


The Service Advisor I mentioned said the job is so stressful, with females claiming (Falsely) sexual harassment, their car was not washed right and other things, that the job turnover is very high
Being a former tech, I'm better than them..

I've worked with advisors that know jack about cars. One was even a furniture salesman prior to that. Yes, we do work on some sort of commission basis.

BENZ - we got paid a high salary vs commission. My weekly salary was based on a 44.5hr week at the "A-techs hourly rate of about $30hr (4 years ago). We got 1% commission on any customer pay repairs and "spiffs" for: add-on cd changer, phone or nav systems ($20 per), $15 for any paintless dent removal, $18 for a complete detail and CSI bonus' ranging from $600 to $1000 per month depending on our ranking. They paid us a high salary and low commission to eliminate clients feeling like we're trying to sell them things they may or may not need.

AUDI/VW - $500 per week and 2% commission on total dollars generated for the month - cash, warranty and internal (new/used car preps or repairs,etc). Audi paid csi monthly plus a quarterly individual bonus if you were in the top 10% csi ranking. VW did not.

CURRENT AUDI DEALER: Straight commission with bi-weekly draw based on the number of hours sold (cash,warranty & internal) per month and not the dollar amount. EXAMPLE:
Base - $X.XX for every hour written.
Plus - $X.XX per hour if my customer pay hour average is 2.5hrs for the month
Plus - $X.XX per hour if we hit csi for the month.

I have a TT in the shop getting a new transmission. It's a $7000 ticket but all I make on it is roughly $60 - based on the 6.5 hour labor and not a percentage of the $7000 total...
__________________
Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 12-11-2008, 12:19 PM
helpplease
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
This is why I work in a lab so I don't have to deal with the public.
Reply With Quote
  #45  
Old 12-11-2008, 12:39 PM
I'm thinkin, I'm thinkin.
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 440
Quote:
Originally Posted by helpplease View Post
This is why I work in a lab so I don't have to deal with the public.

hiring ?!?!?

__________________
Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page