Fixin cars

[stevebfl]

I have read a number of rants about techs/shops and thought you might like a glimpse of the other side. The post that I have pasted from a technician forum is writen by a very good and fair shop owner from the midwest. I know him well and hate to think the changes he will make in his German Independent Shop as a result.

Not very technical but just thought you ought to see it. I won't mention the follow-up posts.

Here it is, enjoy: I have removed the first sentence as it has names.--------------

It reminded me of a story I should have shared with you all before. It's one of those watershed events that has changed the way I do business ever since.

A new customer arrives in a 1994 Volvo 850 with 51,000 miles on the clock. Female/Lawyer/Recently divorced. We perform an LOF as requested and recommend a timing belt (50K interval on 93-4 M/Y). She declines the belt and the recommendation is computer logged on the invoice. Over the next year (and 21,000 miles) we see this car 3 times. Each time "timing belt recommend" pops up on the R.O. Each time she declines. At 71,000 miles she calls from 200 miles away. The belt broke and she wants us to tow the car in.

When it arrives the cylinder head is trash. She asks, "What are you going to do about this". I re-print the last 4 repair orders and show where we recommended the belt be
replaced. She says she is not happy and will get back to us. At this point, although I can sympathize with her situation, I feel very confident we are out of the loop.

Wrong. She writes that I had better get my insurance on board because she's going after me for negligence. At first my insurance agent shakes his head and says "No problem,
she doesn't have a case." Then it gets weird.

She informs the insurance company that my negligence was not in failing to recommend the belt, but failing to adequately inform her of the CONSEQUENCES of a broken timing belt. She states she interpreted the recommendation to replace the belt (on her last 4 repair orders) as an elective procedure, and the reason she now had a broke car was because I, AS THE PROFESSIONAL in this situation, was not diligent in communicating the risk of not changing the
belt.

The next day my insurance company asked who to write the check to. They explain they would lose more money defending the case. I refused to work for her any more so the car went away.

I learned two things from this -

1.Desperate people take desperate measures. Don't assume logic or fair play will prevail.

2.Her statement "You, as the professional, should have warned me…" has changed my outlook on recommending repairs.

A couple of years ago there was a discussion here about how hard to press with recommended repairs and I came down on the soft side. Lesson learned. When it's time to tell the customer what their car needs - be brave! I know they are a new customer and came in for just an oil change to "try you
out" but don't let that stop you from telling the mechanical truth about their car. "This car is unsafe and as a Professional it is my responsibility to inform you of the consequences of ignoring this situation"



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Steve Brotherton
Owner 24 bay BSC
Bosch Master, ASE master L1
26 years MB technician