Do shops still sabotage cars for profit?
If you go back to the thread you posted on this set of brakes when you posted it, you'll see that I agreed with you one hundred percent when you posted it. I'm not disagreeing with you, John, if you take a look at the examples I gave you in my previous post on how I've looked over the cars in the past, you'll see I've done a fairly good job of it. Without a courtesy check. To cover my *** and the customers ***. I'm less worried about my *** then the idea that if neglected something, someone might get hurt. Sometimes, though, like you say, that piece of paper can be what stands between us and the liability. Did the customer decline the courtesy check? If so, was it written that he did? Was a copy of the declined courtesy check given to the customer? You and I both know, working in NY, that the customer actually has to physically sign everything, from the original repair order allowing us to bring the car into the shop, to the the courtesy check at the time it's presented at the counter, to the estimate turning the needed repairs in to an RO. If the customer isn't present, then the writer has to sign the repair order on the behalf of the customer with something like "customer approved via phone 1:31 PM." That's actually what protects our liability. Personally, I really won't touch a car without the customers signature or representative signature without it, because of the liability. It's something the DMV has set in place to protect the shops from sue happy customers, and to protect the customers from shops who do unapproved work just to run up the bill.
The example of over hearing a service writer mumble that I look over a car too well. I'm actually proud of that one. It tells me something: that I'm looking the cars over for customer peace of mind, that the business I'm working for is showing an increase in sales because of me, and that I'm profitable to have around, and at the time, it proved the service writer was an idiot who couldn't do his freakin' job.
I can also say with pride that the second Ford dealership I worked with as a tech also saw their customer service survey ratings going up and the service writer loved me for it. That's something I can take pride in, too.
WHOA! I posted that I'm professional as a testament to my integrity at work. The thread started as questioning shop practices and mechanics being thieves in not so many words. In NO WAY was I inferring that you or your skills were at question. I'm sorry if you misunderstood me!
What I don't understand is people not wanting to know what's going on with their cars though..... I mean, would they feel better knowing they need just pads before it becomes pads & rotors...possibly a blown caliper too if neglected long enough?
This is an actual cell-phone picture of a car that came in with a low brake pedal. And no, she wasn't a regular customer.
That's a 2002 Infiniti G-20 that wore away the friction material, metal backing, and ate into the edge of the caliper before the piston popped out, causing her low pedal. This was such an incredible display of neglect, I can't help to think of why she kept driving even after the brakes started screeeeeaching and throwing sparks!
Now, tell me that a person who is stupid enough to get upset about being warned that they might kill themselves or someone else isn't capable of doing this? I bet THEN they'll be looking at someone to blame for not telling them. No one in this day and age wants to be held accountable for their actions. Sue...Sue...sue. That repair order is considered a LEGAL DOCUMENT that can be subpoenaed and if you warned the customer about an un-safe condition, which is the example given, then for the life of me I can't understand why you wouldn't (or shouldn't) cover your butt if the repair is declined and there's trouble. I'm not saying your right or wrong, I just don't see any benefit in not protecting yourself, and your shop, from legal complications. Where I live and work (unfortunately...) we have to worry about assholes passing the blame, which rolls downhill as we all know.
Again, I wasn't trying to discredit you. I know what you have to do for a living all too well. I was justifying my post stating that I personally work honest.
If you go back to the thread you posted on this set of brakes when you posted it, you'll see that I agreed with you one hundred percent when you posted it. I'm not disagreeing with you, John, if you take a look at the examples I gave you in my previous post on how I've looked over the cars in the past, you'll see I've done a fairly good job of it. Without a courtesy check. To cover my *** and the customers ***. I'm less worried about my *** then the idea that if neglected something, someone might get hurt. Sometimes, though, like you say, that piece of paper can be what stands between us and the liability. Did the customer decline the courtesy check? If so, was it written that he did? Was a copy of the declined courtesy check given to the customer? You and I both know, working in NY, that the customer actually has to physically sign everything, from the original repair order allowing us to bring the car into the shop, to the the courtesy check at the time it's presented at the counter, to the estimate turning the needed repairs in to an RO. If the customer isn't present, then the writer has to sign the repair order on the behalf of the customer with something like "customer approved via phone 1:31 PM." That's actually what protects our liability. Personally, I really won't touch a car without the customers signature or representative signature without it, because of the liability. It's something the DMV has set in place to protect the shops from sue happy customers, and to protect the customers from shops who do unapproved work just to run up the bill.
The example of over hearing a service writer mumble that I look over a car too well. I'm actually proud of that one. It tells me something: that I'm looking the cars over for customer peace of mind, that the business I'm working for is showing an increase in sales because of me, and that I'm profitable to have around, and at the time, it proved the service writer was an idiot who couldn't do his freakin' job.
I can also say with pride that the second Ford dealership I worked with as a tech also saw their customer service survey ratings going up and the service writer loved me for it. That's something I can take pride in, too.
