Why shop owners are so grumpy
A few days ago, our service manager was out with a bad cold. This means that Dad and I write the repair orders and take the phone calls. I was listening to a conversation Dad was having with a customer whose car was dead and I thought, “No wonder shop owners get grumpy.” Here is a guy who has been in the industry since the late 1950s and is about to celebrate running an independent repair shop of his own for 50 years. He has been the chairman of ASA, ASE and NATEF. He has received numerous awards for his technical ability. In fact, I bet he is one of only a handful of ASE Master L1 techs who are 70 years old. So clearly the guy knows what he is talking about. The conversation went something like this:
Customer: “I need to know how much it will cost to fix my car.”
Dad: “Is that your car on the AAA tow truck?”
Customer: “Yes. It wouldn’t start this morning.”
Dad: “OK, the way we handle diagnosis on these sorts of problems is in accordance with the Colorado Motor vehicle repair act and we…”
Customer: “Oh, you don’t need to diagnose it. I already know what’s wrong with it. It needs a cam sensor.”
Dad: “OK, may I ask how you arrived at that diagnosis?”
Customer: “I found it on the Internet. There is a blog that says that when cars like mine don’t start it is always the cam sensor.”
Dad: “In our experience it is unusual for a cam sensor to cause a cold no-start condition. When you turn the key what happens?”
Customer: “Nothing happens.”
Dad: “So, the engine does not make any noise at all, like the starter engaging.”
Customer: “No, nothing. That’s why it needs a cam sensor. It won’t start.”
Dad: “But you see, the cam sensor is not a factor until the starter engages and begins cranking the engine. If the starter does nothing we have to look at battery, cables, starter, ignition switch. There are specific tests we run to pinpoint the problem so that you don’t waste any money on parts or repairs you don’t need. The car fan blogs can be misleading because the people that write on them are rarely professional technicians, and they are certainly not looking at your exact vehicle. They are generally not the best advice for these kinds of problems.”
Customer: “You’re just saying that because you want to charge me for diagnosis. If you call and tell me it is a cam sensor, I am not paying for the diagnosis because I already told you that is what it is.”
The bottom line was that the battery cables looked like a Chia Pet. We cleaned the cables and tested everything and the car started perfect.
It is a constant reminder that despite the best efforts of many of us to raise the image of an industry that delivers an amazing product, we all still are victims of self-proclaimed experts and far too many who are unwilling to bring their skills up to the level necessary to be a real player in the repair environment today.
What I am hoping to say to those of you who read this are a couple of things. First, I know that many of you put on training that is poorly attended. Refine, don’t resign. There are many opportunities to improve your customers’ skills, to reduce your warranty claims and improve sales. Last, many of you are very supportive of your customers and know the skills required to perform our job, and I want to thank you for all of us.
A few days ago, our service manager was out with a bad cold. This means that Dad and I write the repair orders and take the phone calls. I was listening to a conversation Dad was having with a customer whose car was dead and I thought, “No wonder shop owners get grumpy.” Here is a guy who has been in the industry since the late 1950s and is about to celebrate running an independent repair shop of his own for 50 years. He has been the chairman of ASA, ASE and NATEF. He has received numerous awards for his technical ability. In fact, I bet he is one of only a handful of ASE Master L1 techs who are 70 years old. So clearly the guy knows what he is talking about. The conversation went something like this:
Customer: “I need to know how much it will cost to fix my car.”
Dad: “Is that your car on the AAA tow truck?”
Customer: “Yes. It wouldn’t start this morning.”
Dad: “OK, the way we handle diagnosis on these sorts of problems is in accordance with the Colorado Motor vehicle repair act and we…”
Customer: “Oh, you don’t need to diagnose it. I already know what’s wrong with it. It needs a cam sensor.”
Dad: “OK, may I ask how you arrived at that diagnosis?”
Customer: “I found it on the Internet. There is a blog that says that when cars like mine don’t start it is always the cam sensor.”
Dad: “In our experience it is unusual for a cam sensor to cause a cold no-start condition. When you turn the key what happens?”
Customer: “Nothing happens.”
Dad: “So, the engine does not make any noise at all, like the starter engaging.”
Customer: “No, nothing. That’s why it needs a cam sensor. It won’t start.”
Dad: “But you see, the cam sensor is not a factor until the starter engages and begins cranking the engine. If the starter does nothing we have to look at battery, cables, starter, ignition switch. There are specific tests we run to pinpoint the problem so that you don’t waste any money on parts or repairs you don’t need. The car fan blogs can be misleading because the people that write on them are rarely professional technicians, and they are certainly not looking at your exact vehicle. They are generally not the best advice for these kinds of problems.”
Customer: “You’re just saying that because you want to charge me for diagnosis. If you call and tell me it is a cam sensor, I am not paying for the diagnosis because I already told you that is what it is.”
The bottom line was that the battery cables looked like a Chia Pet. We cleaned the cables and tested everything and the car started perfect.
It is a constant reminder that despite the best efforts of many of us to raise the image of an industry that delivers an amazing product, we all still are victims of self-proclaimed experts and far too many who are unwilling to bring their skills up to the level necessary to be a real player in the repair environment today.
What I am hoping to say to those of you who read this are a couple of things. First, I know that many of you put on training that is poorly attended. Refine, don’t resign. There are many opportunities to improve your customers’ skills, to reduce your warranty claims and improve sales. Last, many of you are very supportive of your customers and know the skills required to perform our job, and I want to thank you for all of us.
