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Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:16 pm

I took a gas tank to the local welding shop to have two fittings welded on. I brought in the tank and the parts and played show-and-tell with the guy for 20 minutes to make sure he had a clear understanding of my needs. I used a pointer to indicate how I wanted a nice clean TIG welded bead around the perimeter of the fittings.

I emphasized that for this sort of "detail" work I believed a TIG weld would be the best way to go. The guy agrees and says the TIG guy won't be in until tomorrow. I left the tank and the fittings at the shop.

I come back two days later and pick up my tank. I was massively disappointed. They didn't TIG weld a god damn thing. They used a MIG welder and holy hell it looks like Mechagodzilla took a shit on my fuel tank. The results are functional, there are no leaks. But WFT?! I have a MIG welder myself...if I wanted an ametur hatchet job I would have done it myself.

I didn't say a thing...just left pissed off. And I'm not sure how pissed off to be. Like I said, the work they did was functional. But certainly was not what I anticipated.

Thanks in advance for you sympathies.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:33 pm

If its not what you asked or paid for take it back tell um it looks like a woodpeckers nest. If it cant be redone ask for a refund. would be nice if you had your directions in writing to show them before asking to have it redone or refunded...

Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:52 pm

you shouldent have paid for that, or taken it.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:42 pm

You guys are both right. And I wish I could have a "re-do" with this situation. At the time though I suspect I was literally stunned into silence.

Truth be told though, I'm not going to go back, I'm not going to complain to them. I just know better than to do business with them again. And I'll let my friends know what to expect.

Without revealing too much let me just say this, I live on the edge of the known universe (20 months until I can leave) where troglidites outnumber humans 100-to-1. I should reminded myself of this, and I should have lowered my expectations. In the end I'll live, it's just going to take some time for the disgust to subside.

Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:54 pm

That sucks , If they were to redo it , there would be a bigger mess after they ground off the welds .
Is it in a place that shows ?

Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:23 am

Luckily no, it won't show...it's on the bottom of the fuel tank. But I still know its there...I can hear it snickering at me...you know what I mean by that?

Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:01 am

FireBug1966 wrote: I can hear it snickering at me...you know what I mean by that?

Like this?

Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:52 am

Lol.

Not quite what I had in mind.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:23 am

FireBug1966 wrote:
. .... The guy agrees and says the TIG guy won't be in until tomorrow. ....

that is the point where i started getting worried

Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:28 am

The guy probably figured it was for an old vw and that you wouldn't know a TIG weld if it bit you in the ass - might make you feel better to tell the shop owner (not the repair man) that you are disappointed in the work and that they should have simply turned down the repair if it was beyond their level of expertise - don't be mean about it, just be honest.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:41 am

i work in a service industry. i am a car salesman. if i have not served a customer properly, i would appreciate not only an opportunity to fix the situation, but an opportunity to make sure that a customer would be able to refer others to me with a straight face.

give them a chance to fix it. don't go in and act like an ass, just go in and express your disappointment in a civilized manner.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:57 am

Sometimes what starts out in your head as a plan is not what ends up in the persons head doing the work for you. The person doing the welding may have thought he was doing you a much better job and you would give him a big hug when you picked your job up. What went from you to the shop manager and later to joe the welder might have changed a few times. Write your instructions down clearly so it ends up with the person doing the final work for you with contact info in case theres any question at all. Id return it and at least explain what you really wanted done and why it was important to have it done that way. Unless the shop is full of guys named Lem Clem and Billy Ray joe Bob and your worried about them beating the hell out of you for complaining Id take it back and in the very least talk to them so someone learns why doing it to detail is important...

Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:12 pm

wsniderokc wrote: i work in a service industry. i am a car salesman. if i have not served a customer properly, i would appreciate not only an opportunity to fix the situation, but an opportunity to make sure that a customer would be able to refer others to me with a straight face.

give them a chance to fix it. don't go in and act like an ass, just go in and express your disappointment in a civilized manner.

By far the best advice, and in general in life. If you aren't happy with the service you knew it then and there, but you let your negative reaction disable your ability to express that the work didn't meet your prior discussed arrangement to have it neatly TIG welded. Its difficult to contain a knee jerk reaction to a situation but it'll serve you well to practice. Going back now you will be able to express yourself, minimize any potential for a controntation. Check any attittude or ego at the door, let the guy know you weren't comfortable when you got it but would appreciate if he would redo it. We're not talking about a big job so I don't see why he wouldn't do it. Give folks the chance to do things right and they will usually take it. Lesson learned though, definitely put things down in writing up front, miscommunications are going to happen, its not a question of if its only when, so in writing your chances of gettings things right the first time will happen, and you'll sleep better in general doing that.

Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:51 pm

This reminds me of a story.
I worked for a Mazda dealer washing cars in the 80's.
My boss sent me down to pick up a car at a Body shop.
It was a new car that got damaged by backing into a pole.
"Wow that looks like shit" was my exact words to the bodyshop foreman.
The bodyshop should have cut the rear panel that the tail lights bolt into off, and welded in a new panel.
But they used a Hyro-set & pushed the panel back & finished with a good coat of bondo.
Being the early 80's all these cars had a rubber part covering from the body to over the top of the bumper to cover the space.
If you didn't get the curve of the back panel correct,
then the rubber bumper cover would not cover the gap and would ride up into a nice ugly hump on the bumper.
The forman being a dick had a smart remark back to me.
So I said there is no way I'm taking that POS back until it's fixed correctly.
I proceeded to tell him the car was a bondo'd POS now,
and there was know way the dealer could sell it.
The forman insisted his shop helper could get the rubber part to fit better.
So he got his helper out there working on the car,
and went back into the shop.
I watched the helper for a few minutes, and then went into see the forman.
The forman was in the process of telling my boss that I was crazy when I walked in the office.
The foreman handed me the phone, and I told my boss "This guy has not seen crazy yet!"
For the next two hours EVERYBODY in that bodyshop was trying to get that damned piece of rubber to fit.
It never got fixed correctly, but everybody in that shop sweat there asses off trying.

Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:18 am

I guess it sums up to the old saying , if you want it done right you've got to do it yourself .
I guess that wouldn't be much good in your case because you dont have a TIG , but I have been in the same situation once or twice
I had a part welded once by a wanna-be mechanic and it fell apart in my hands , he had attempted to arc weld it with a piece of coat hanger . :roll:

Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:24 am

Most gas tank work can be done with an acetlene torch and brazing. And a home garage can afford a torch.
Most fuel system components are joined that way when manufactured.
I work for a manufacturer.

Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:11 am

Hind sight is of course 20/20. When any shop tells you that the guy that does the work isn't there right then, politely find out when he will be there and bring your business back then. You told Bubba exactly what you wanted, but when Jim Bob got the message the next day it was something like "that guy wants those two fittings welded on". I feel your pain. Peace!

Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:22 am

Take it back, explain to them exactly the same thing as you said here, and if they don't want to fix it properly, have them pay for a new tank. Simple as that!

It's like when I went to the lumper yard today to pick up some roof panels, and they had promised me a price of 19 € per square meter. The guy that promised me the price wasn't there then, and the lady behind the counter said it was 19,80 € per square meter, and I said, you lot promised it for 19, and she started acting up like a bitch and told me that what's the matter, can't afford it. Well, sure, I can afford it, but when we're talking 200 square meters then it starts to be a whole lot of money. She still didn't want to budge, so I told her, fuck it, I'll go some place else with my business then, I'll come back in 15 mins, and then I want to see my truck unloaded or I'll dump it on you parking lot. The price dropped in half a millisecond! :D

Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:33 am

you should post up pics of the weld in question, it may or may not be as bad as your making it out to be.

Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:44 am

runslikeapenguin wrote: you should post up pics of the weld in question, it may or may not be as bad as your making it out to be. Yes, to the Ewok you listen. Post pics.