What do customers do that annoy mechanics/techs/shops?

[jimf909]

A previous "rant" from MarkWard made me realize my swing-outs might be annoying the techs in the shop where I take my van. This last time I removed the box so it wouldn't take more space in the lot or generally be in the way. I still need to ask if the racks are annoying because I'd remove them or pay shop rate to have the shop remove them for safety, access or any other reason if the they requested.

Given that good Vanagon shops and techs are few and far between it would be good to hear what annoys shops and their techs. I'd rather have the shop focused on fixing my van than being frustrated with something dumb that I've done. Granted, anyone choosing to own or service an antique needs to have some patience for oddities of the people and the cars (imperfect custom parts, delays due to multiple failures causing a problem, etc.) but some things are just annoying.

Techs, Shop Owners, what do your customers do that are annoy you, waste your time, etc.

- providing crappy parts?
- calling every day for updates?
- disputing every charge on the bill?

[Zeitgeist 13]

Don't talk to me, don't look me in the eye, and don't leave stupid air fresheners in your car.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[MarkWard]

I enjoy all the vw folk and willing to work around the stuff. I charge by the hour.

What makes it difficult aside from my previous rant?

Rear cushions buried under crap. Hey, the engine cover is under that mattress.
Those roof racks and the mounted accessories keep me from raising the van higher. I look like a Russian Cossack dancer under the van.
Did you know if you have the spare in the stock location, vw designed it so you can inflate the spare installed, but you need to pay attention to the position of the valve stem. If you are getting brakes checked, leave the lug bolt key tool on the front passenger seat. Full fuel tanks when it needs to be dropped. These are what come to mind.
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☮️

[tjet]

[Abscate]

[Zeitgeist 13]

I regularly service a Multivan that hauls around a very large hairy white dog. This dog smells. Bad. Every time I lift the lid, that smelly hair gets everywhere. I do not like this. Also, please leave your portable toilets at home.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[16CVs]

I worked on a Soccer Moms Minivan one day that the Air Freshener smell was so strong that I had every door in the van open and threw the smellers in the back seat.
Since I do all of my work Job site, I try and get the key from the customer so I can put the car where I want it. For the people that insist and parking it for me, I'd say that 50% of the people don't know a hard right from a hard left.
I always tell people on the phone what is an acceptable place to work and when I show up the door is against the Rose bushes or the car is half parked in a puddle. I then explain to people that for the next 1.5 that this is my Office and I want it as comfortable as possible.
I also get the people that use Duct tape to close up a window and then are pissy when I return their car with a light oily WD40 film on it after I spent 20 minutes removing said Duct tape. Hey people your car is not a furnace and I don't see any ducts on it. Duct tape is over used like Silicone JB weld.

Ok back to work.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
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Samba member # 14980
Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
Don't let your van end up in an "abortions" thread.

[djkeev]

In my experience, just showing up for repair work is often annoying.
Different customers are welcomed with open arms, others are silently cussed at upon arrival.

“ not a bad job except for the cars and the customers”

Dave
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Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Jeffrey Lee]

Sometime in the 80's or 90's, Car & Driver magazine ran a great collection of readers'/drivers' hilarious encounters with police.

Even better was a few months later when the cops had their turn.

But that's probably another Samba topic ...
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Camp Westfalia
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[tjet]

[Butcher]

[Butcher]

Customers that bring in their own parts. I suspect most that do are cheap and I do not take on a client that's cheap. People do not bring their food to a restaurant so why do they think it's OK to bring their parts to a shop. Most shop insurance will not allow that and most clients complain when their part breaks and they think it's your fault.

Customers that tell me what I should do. 40 years with German cars, there is little I cannot figure out. If I cannot figure it out, I do not charge a penny.

Black Ice air fresheners but any of those trees are pretty bad.

The client asking the same question over and over. Do they think I'm going to give them a different answer? Do they think they are going to catch me in a lie?

As for bad clients, I really do not have any. I always blame it on me if I have one. I can afford to fire clients. Fortunately, there have only been a few.

I only work with clients I like. People wonder why I like what I do. I see my friends every day.

One thing I hate is when other mechanics are bitching and complaining. We all have bad days but if you hate it that much, get out of the business or get rid of the client.

Why does a shop charge a Shop Supply Fee? It's just another way to hose a client. Whenever a client see's that, they know they are getting screwed.

[Glenn]

How about they miscalculated their budget, can't pay the full amount and want their vehicle back. They promise to come back next month and pay the balance.

Or buy a engine from some online vendor and want you to install it... oh and warranty it.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[?Waldo?]

#1 Blame the mechanic for the failure of the power steering rack when it fails 2 weeks after the mechanic replaced the rear brakes...

[Squidfish]

Can't help but laugh at some of the responses and these snoody remarks. I'll keep which ones to myself. Don't worry about your rear rack/swingouts. Go drink a beer all
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1985.5 - Vanagon Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg Edition - LH8U - "Penny"
- 2.6i 5-Cylinder 10v (2004)

[ALIKA T3]

I pretty much only work by word of mouth from other Vanagon enthusiasts that became friends or have a good relationship with.

Nobody annoys me, I do a lot of favors and inspection for free, I have a good eye for details, that gains me trust for fixing stuff later since I don't just do what I have been asked to fix, I pay attention to everything around.
Every van I work on has been bodged here, that's what annoys me, bc I usually know who worked on it before they came to see me.
Some criminal bad workmanship!!
Well that's why I learnt to wrench on my own on my first van, got screwed too hard a couple times.
I always told myself: the mechanic has 2 hands, 2 eyes, one brain: well, he's no different, I can do it. Just got to get the will to do it. First job I ever did was rebuild my transmission, I didn't even know how to replace an injector.... No fear.

The only thing too that annoys me is when there's a pile of shit above the engine when I have to indeed work on said engine but it's quickly removed no matter what. Small potatoes.
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Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[khughes]

The phone call:

"I have a weird noise, no I don't know where it's coming from. No, I'm not sure if its front or back, but my friend says it's probably just a loose doomaflatchie. How much will it cost to fix?"

Answer: "I have a string in my pocket, how long is it?"

Reply: "How would I know?"

Conversation ender: "Exactly!"

My personal favorite, I was elbow deep in a Cadillac replacing a belt when the customer (elderly woman with blue hair) got in the car and started it. When I asked her what in God's name was she doing, she replied calmly, "I wanted to see if you were through yet". Not having 5 full fingers on either hand at that point, I was a tad miffed, but was able to get out unscathed.

In the same garage, back in the '70s during college, we had one mechanic who, to say the least, did not suffer fools well, especially the over the shoulder fools. He rolled out from under a Mercedes and ran into the customer's feet. Next time he rolled out, the same thing. The third time, same thing, at which point he looked calmly at the customer and said "I wish that I didn't have one m*****f*****g thing to do but stand around with my d**k in my hand watching other people work". The customer stood there for a moment, retrieved his jaw from the floor, and wandered away without a word. He came back for years, but always stayed in the office, when he wasn't dropping the car off, and didn't bother anyone.
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'86 Westy FAS GenV Turbo (Marvin)

[jlrftype7]

I’m fairly lucky that my Service Advisors take the heat and not me with problem Customers for the most part.
Occasionally I’m cornered with a test drive and an unhappy customer, but staying calm and listening to what they’re saying often finds me a path to a successful outcome versus a poor one.
Years ago the regional BMW office had an internal saying to just that effect, are you fixing the car or the customer .

Things change with newer customers and cultures.
These days I’m very disappointed to see the bypass seat belt tongues being used so often by people who don’t want to wear a seatbelt but want to shut off the federally mandated gong.
Or, they plug the belt into the buckle and then sit in the seat afterwards if they don’t own one of the cheater tongue devices for the same affect.
The worst is seeing the kid seats in the rear seat on these cars.
The parent is in real danger of going through the windshield, losing control of the vehicle from not being safely belted in, and the poor kids are just sitting ducks in the back, with possibly losing a parent in the process while they maybe stand a chance surviving an accident since they were fully belted in.

When did this stupidity become a ‘thing’ with Modern, multiple air bagged vehicles that have a host of accident survived features built-in, only to have the driver ignore the most basic one of them, the seat belt...
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[Vantropy]

I did an annoying thing to my mechanic last month: dropped off the van for brake work and didn't tell him where the security locks on the wheels were hidden.
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1989 2.1L Vanagon Westy, Automatic, Titian Red

[kamzcab86]

How about the other way around for a second?

If you're a shop owner who doesn't want to work on a vehicle, here's a thought: TELL THE CUSTOMER right off the bat instead of stringing him/her along for a month and never calling a prospective customer back after saying you will.🖕 Getting my van's trans resealed by a pro in time to go camping for my b-day has turned into a major f'n PITA!🤬

/end rant
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~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子