People that have no clue.

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Chris142

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Jun 5, 2003
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Apple Valley, California
How do some people get through life? Customer rolls in ,says the heater has not worked in 3 weeks and now that it's cold out she wants heat.

Her boyfriend doesn't seen to care. Doesn't care to learn either. So I feel the heater hoses and they are cold. Remove the radiator cap and theres no coolant, water or even mud in the cooling system.

I add 3 gallons of water and we have heat. I then notice that it's leaking out of a broken Radiator pretty fast. So I get the price for a new Radiator+Labor.

Customer does not want the Radiator repaced. They just want heat but I can't seem to get through to them that the leaking Radiator is why theres no heat. The cooling system is so low that it's not pumping water!

They tell me again to just fix the heater! I tell them that to fix the heater requires a new Radiator. They are baffled and said that if I can't fix the heater they will go somewhere else!


So they drove off in a huff.
33.gif
 
@Chris142:

You're not making this up are you?

Wow the idiot factor is increasing in the US by the freaking MINUTE...

This country is in real danger of sinking into the depths of third world despair ....

The fact is we are actually no longer an actual "nation" as defined by the Webster dictionary. Nothing more than a polyglot now..divided and soon to be conquered.

Sad. But reality.
 
Originally Posted By: 91344George
@Chris142:

You're not making this up are you?

Wow the idiot factor is increasing in the US by the freaking MINUTE...

This country is in real danger of sinking into the depths of third world despair ....

The fact is we are actually no longer an actual "nation" as defined by the Webster dictionary. Nothing more than a polyglot now..divided and soon to be conquered.

Sad. But reality.
++1 They can vote tho. John--Las Vegas.
 
crackmeup2.gif


that's hilarious.


At the other end of the spectrum, there are my clients that come in dumping several quarts of bright green fluid all over my floor. Look in the bed, there are many empty containers of antifreeze.
21.gif

They "can't afford to fix the leak" but they can afford $50 worth of antifreeze a week.
 
LOL! what Chris experienced is not uncommon here in NA.

Trust me: the idiot factor is so rampant on this continent that frankly it makes me wonder where common sense live now? (do people have common sense no more?!)

Oh well, money and fools soon to part ways (that's what momma taught me)

Q.
 
One of my friends just ran his Focus for a week with no heat, and asked me if the heater had anything to do with the cooling system. He's a smart guy but just never had much interest in learning how cars work even though he's had old cars before.
I think he's always found an honest mechanic and let them take care of it.

But arguing about just fixing the heater with the mechanic is pretty silly if you don't have a clue how the car works...
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
How do some people get through life? Customer rolls in ,says the heater has not worked in 3 weeks and now that it's cold out she wants heat.

Her boyfriend doesn't seen to care. Doesn't care to learn either. So I feel the heater hoses and they are cold. Remove the radiator cap and theres no coolant, water or even mud in the cooling system.

I add 3 gallons of water and we have heat. I then notice that it's leaking out of a broken Radiator pretty fast. So I get the price for a new Radiator+Labor.

Customer does not want the Radiator repaced. They just want heat but I can't seem to get through to them that the leaking Radiator is why theres no heat. The cooling system is so low that it's not pumping water!

They tell me again to just fix the heater! I tell them that to fix the heater requires a new Radiator. They are baffled and said that if I can't fix the heater they will go somewhere else!


So they drove off in a huff.
33.gif


Did you show them the water leaking out of the radiator?

Stuff like this makes me think public schools should implement a semester or two of curriculum on auto mechanics along with personal finance.
 
The dumbest and funniest things in life are always true. Chris, I believe this falls in the category of NMP....
 
I work the front desk of a hotel and can say yes some people in this world are unfortunately cluless beyond any hope.
 
I think the problem is that people have the Burger King mentality. They want it their way........

Problem is if they don't understand cars they are in over their heads. They can't have it their way, and will find that out when other shops tell them the same thing you did.

Another thing to keep in mind is those people may be smart in other areas, but not cars. Just like we might be smart with cars but clueless in other areas like tax code, the law etc.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: oilboy123

Another thing to keep in mind is those people may be smart in other areas, but not cars. Just like we might be smart with cars but clueless in other areas like tax code, the law etc.

That's fair. But wouldn't a rapid fluid leak raise a flag in anyone's head? It's kind of like bleeding, no?
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: semaj281
Did you show them the water leaking out of the radiator?

Oh they saw it, didnt care in the least. Just wanted heat.


If they are reluctant to take your advice/word even with a visual indication (pointing it out to them) that they lost heat because of coolant leak and they don't care, well, frankly, I would cordially tell them to go find another mech to fix it for them (you don't want anything to do with them, not even biz).

Even if you are able to make $$ out of them this time, it will be a nightmare for sure (either they will keep coming back biatching about the work, or they will turn around and badmouth you to no end). It's a losing battle and I'd cut my reputation and not take the work (Simply send them away).

Q.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: semaj281
Did you show them the water leaking out of the radiator?

Oh they saw it, didnt care in the least. Just wanted heat.


I have worked with the public for 30 years (God, help me) and I think it's that people get something stuck in their head and they won't LISTEN. They had HEAT stuck in their head and won't listen to the cause.

It's like a friend of mine worked customer service at a retail store and had a person screaming because they would only give store credit for a return without a receipt, not cash. After quite a scene, my friend asked what she wanted the money for, and she screamed "to buy something else in this store." My friend replied, well, use the store credit to buy it. It was like he worked a miracle. I think she was so stuck on REFUND she didn't stop to think that credit was effectively the same thing.

John
 
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Another thing to keep in mind is those people may be smart in other areas, but not cars. Just like we might be smart with cars but clueless in other areas like tax code, the law etc.


That is true, but common sense would dictate that if you know nothing on a given subject, the you should defer to those who do, not argue with them...

I know plenty about many different things, but there's still times I'll take a back seat and let someone who knows better than me, instruct me on something.
 
Originally Posted By: semaj281
Originally Posted By: oilboy123

Another thing to keep in mind is those people may be smart in other areas, but not cars. Just like we might be smart with cars but clueless in other areas like tax code, the law etc.

That's fair. But wouldn't a rapid fluid leak raise a flag in anyone's head? It's kind of like bleeding, no?


+1
 
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