Why the auto repair industry gets a bad rep

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
I absolutely stand by my statement. More so now than ever.


I also stand by my previous statements more than ever.

Unlike you two I have tens of millions of fellow consumers
that back me up. Sure a few customer may cause their own problems, but there is NO way possible that millions more consumers all are the cause of the shoddy work, crookedness, and unprofessional behavior of many shops around the country. You two know this too.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell

I also stand by my previous statements more than ever.

Unlike you two I have tens of millions of fellow consumers
that back me up. Sure a few customer may cause their own problems, but there is NO way possible that millions more consumers all are the cause of the shoddy work, crookedness, and unprofessional behavior of many shops around the country. You two know this too.


No one is saying that there aren't shops that perform shoddy work, or shops that try to rip people off. However, when you post that out of dozens of shops

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell

I've had perhaps ONE where they didn't try to stick it to me in some way, shape or form.


that tells me that something is wrong on your end. Whether it's a complete inability to choose good shops or an inability to relate to other people, I don't know. I'll leave that to a QMHP.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: MCompact


that tells me that something is wrong on your end. Whether it's a complete inability to choose good shops or an inability to relate to other people, I don't know. I'll leave that to a QMHP.


So you better blame millions of other consumers as well.

The problem with a majority of auto repair shops being
shoddy, crooked, and UNprofessional is NOT a figment of our imagination, or the consumer having a "personality problem", it is an industry problem. Considering how limited the choice of truly
"good" quality shops are to be found, it is no wonder there is a plethora of horror stories among so many customers.

The reason it CONTINUES to be a industry wide epidemic is in part because the industry would rather blame the consumer instead of taking a good hard look at itself and finding a way to
reduce the problems overall. You help prove the point
with your own response and attitude.

I want to encourage new viewers of this thread to go back and make sure you read ALL the other posts by so many other consumers that confirm the huge problem this industry has. Thanks.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Totally agree with this.

Remember when I was dating my now wife in 1992. She had a 1987 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z. She took it to a Firestone for an OC and they gave her the song and dance about how bad the brakes were and the damage would be over $700.

I took the car to the shop that did my work. Damage was $145 OTD.
An honest and competent mechanic is worth his or her weight in gold.
I wouldn't let Firestone work on my wheelbarrow.


If the knew then what she knows now, neither would she.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Ditto on the " I run my shop the way that I want comment."

You can run your shop into the ground for all I care, but I still have the right to reasonably visually inspect the work that you did and that I paid for to see that it was completed in a satisfactory manner.


I would GLADLY pull your vehicle in a Service Bay. And check ALL your fluids & go over ANY repairs performed including putting on a lift, With you standing right there, That IS service. I do not like the oil drips from people checking fluids in my parking lot.

Yes, I do run my Shop My Way!


As long as I am present and can visually observe the desired task being completed, I'm fine with that.

 

[eljefino]

The problem with the customer/ repair shop interaction is the customer has zero budget for repairs, and would stare at you with a deer in the headlights look if asked what they plan to set aside each month to budget for repair.

There is probably a bunch of cognitive dissonance going on, after buying something that was supposed to be superior in every way, then having to face fixing it, unlike their ipad/fridge/lawnmower/shoes.

The same goes for home ownership, and the contractor relationships are just as horrid, by reputation.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
You help prove the point with your own response and attitude.


To repeat:

No one is denying that there are a large number of shops that provide substandard service- either due to incompetence, dishonesty, or both.

Likewise, no one is denying that an unacceptable percentage of consumers get ripped-off by those shops.

What I AM saying is: I see a big red flag when someone describes himself as an absolute model customer- yet over several decades can only find one honest shop out of dozens he has tried.

In fact, you are sounding more and more like the Taylor Swift of BITOG- strolling through multiple topics, strumming your ukelele, and plaintively wailing "I do EVERYTHING right- but EVERYBODY does me wrong."

 

[antiqueshell]

We're NOT just talking about ONE consumer/customer here.
I do include my case because most customers are REASONABLE, most of the time, and like millions of others I have had terrible experiences over the years...being a model customer dealing with
poor shops.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: MCompact

What I AM saying is: I see a big red flag when someone describes himself as an absolute model customer- yet over several decades can only find one honest shop out of dozens he has tried.

If it keeps happening over and over, eventually, you have to start looking at the common element.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: Tdbo
As long as I am present and can visually observe the desired task being completed, I'm fine with that.


I would let you observe, A reasonable request!! I have nothing to hide.

 

[Darwin1138]

I think the industry could be summed up in just this one review of a garage that I read some time ago.
Quote:
This is the typical place where the mechanics and other employees lie their behinds off to get you to repair and replace things you don't need. They're one step away from taking a dump in your back seat and charging you for it.

But that is the result of the illiteracy of the consumer, that doesn't know the basic scientific principles that explain how the car works or how to check the oil level.

The enormous revenue of this and many other industries are based solely in the ignorance of the consumer. For example: homeopathy, astrology, etc.

Come to think of it there is a lot of "mechanical homeopathy" to throw around: nitrogen in tires, K&N filters, oil additives, every kind of fuel saver device. 3k mile oil changes, oil flushes, motor honey, etc

 

[Lapham3]

Sure, people being people, have a wide variety of knowledge-or lack of. I think that a dealer "service writer" probably has included in their training, ways to determine 'how many dollars they can extract'. I personally have always disliked this, usually non automotive type person, getting between the customer and car fixer=more overhead plus more likely for miscomunication and problems. Dan Mpls. Mn.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Lapham3
Sure, people being people, have a wide variety of knowledge-or lack of. I think that a dealer "service writer" probably has included in their training, ways to determine 'how many dollars they can extract'. I personally have always disliked this, usually non automotive type person, getting between the customer and car fixer=more overhead plus more likely for miscomunication and problems. Dan Mpls. Mn.


That's what I like about my BMW and Mazda service advisors- they never push unnecessary work. For example, my BMW dealer was performing an Oil Service/HPDE inspection on my Club Sport and my advisor told me, "The low pressure power steering hose is a little damp at one end. I wouldn't replace it until it started to drip- and that probably won't happen for another 50,000 miles."

 

[PandaBear]

Usually this is what I tell them:

If you say this is really this dangerous, put it in writing on your official letter head and sign it. If I found you lying I'll complain to the Head Quarter and the local news.

They usually retract what they try to scare me into.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The problem with the customer/ repair shop interaction is the customer has zero budget for repairs, and would stare at you with a deer in the headlights look if asked what they plan to set aside each month to budget for repair.

There is probably a bunch of cognitive dissonance going on, after buying something that was supposed to be superior in every way, then having to face fixing it, unlike their ipad/fridge/lawnmower/shoes.

The same goes for home ownership, and the contractor relationships are just as horrid, by reputation.


Pretty much. There is another sector where people do not want to spend any money, and then complain like a demon when the person who would do the job for the least amount of money and cheapest materials did a bad job.

When I was younger, I briefly worked as a contractor's assistant, and we would get called to re-do the most atrocious repairs. Conversation went like this every time:

"So who did this work?"

"Oh it was this guy/small contractor/etc."

"Why did you choose them, over a business with a reputation/references/etc?"

"Oh, those guys wanted TOO MUCH MONEY!"

I actually understand the scare tactics as well. Here is a list of problems I showed to customers, in action, that they refused to have repaired:

*Water pump with bearing so bad that only half of the serpentine belt would ride on the water pump pulley. Car was throwing belts. Customer opted to replace only the belt. Ended up stranded on the side of the road, blaming me, of course. ("I've been driving it that way for weeks. Why would it fail now?")

*Radiator with leak that had coolant running over the entire length of the top of the radiator core, and falling to the ground on both sides.

*Fuel filter leaking sizzling fuel onto the engine. (Noticed 2 child seats in the truck, increased my recommendation of preventing an engine fire, and still refused to repair)

*Leaking brake caliper evacuating brake fluid from the system. (Children's toys, diapers, empty baby bottles in rear of vehicle)

*Tie rod with obliterated ball cup, 7/8" of measured play.

*Serpentine belt so badly destroyed by leaking power steering fluid, it looked like the surface of asphalt. (Customer blamed me for erratic voltage. Showing him that voltage dropped to 6.5 volts when steering wheel hit either opposite lock did nothing to change his opinion that the belt was not the problem.)

*Stripped brake caliper bolt, sticking 1.5 inches out of its thread, removable by fingers. (2nd grade school books, Monster High toys in rear of vehicle).

I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't be calling the police in some of these cases.

 

[gogozy]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Originally Posted By: eljefino
The problem with the customer/ repair shop interaction is the customer has zero budget for repairs, and would stare at you with a deer in the headlights look if asked what they plan to set aside each month to budget for repair.

There is probably a bunch of cognitive dissonance going on, after buying something that was supposed to be superior in every way, then having to face fixing it, unlike their ipad/fridge/lawnmower/shoes.

The same goes for home ownership, and the contractor relationships are just as horrid, by reputation.


Pretty much. There is another sector where people do not want to spend any money, and then complain like a demon when the person who would do the job for the least amount of money and cheapest materials did a bad job.

When I was younger, I briefly worked as a contractor's assistant, and we would get called to re-do the most atrocious repairs. Conversation went like this every time:

"So who did this work?"

"Oh it was this guy/small contractor/etc."

"Why did you choose them, over a business with a reputation/references/etc?"

"Oh, those guys wanted TOO MUCH MONEY!"

I actually understand the scare tactics as well. Here is a list of problems I showed to customers, in action, that they refused to have repaired:

*Water pump with bearing so bad that only half of the serpentine belt would ride on the water pump pulley. Car was throwing belts. Customer opted to replace only the belt. Ended up stranded on the side of the road, blaming me, of course. ("I've been driving it that way for weeks. Why would it fail now?")

*Radiator with leak that had coolant running over the entire length of the top of the radiator core, and falling to the ground on both sides.

*Fuel filter leaking sizzling fuel onto the engine. (Noticed 2 child seats in the truck, increased my recommendation of preventing an engine fire, and still refused to repair)

*Leaking brake caliper evacuating brake fluid from the system. (Children's toys, diapers, empty baby bottles in rear of vehicle)

*Tie rod with obliterated ball cup, 7/8" of measured play.

*Serpentine belt so badly destroyed by leaking power steering fluid, it looked like the surface of asphalt. (Customer blamed me for erratic voltage. Showing him that voltage dropped to 6.5 volts when steering wheel hit either opposite lock did nothing to change his opinion that the belt was not the problem.)

*Stripped brake caliper bolt, sticking 1.5 inches out of its thread, removable by fingers. (2nd grade school books, Monster High toys in rear of vehicle).

I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't be calling the police in some of these cases.

I agree with you. Having friends that owns the shop, do the work, and also some that is so cheap that fit some of your description... i see both sides

, hopefully these owners in your examples were not fixing the car because they will take it to junkyard or trade it... and sometimes a sad truth that automobile is a necessity of the life, and yet many actually can not afford to operate safely. many cars on the road in Ontario are being operated without insurance...
as for calling police, I think I heard some news in the past that a shop can refuse to release the car if the shop believe it pose a risk to the safety to the public. maybe this is some law that only in Ontario Canada.