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Funny Story from an unbelievably low class customer !


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So we have a customer come in with a 2010 X6. This is her second time here. Both times she walks in with a fur coat. Second time she brings her husband. Her husband notifies us that he is having issues with his battery/charging system. I explain to them that we would first like to perform a charging system test to ensure there is nothing else in the system that is in need of attention or repair. They agree and by all accounts seem like nice people. He even informs he has a 2006 M6 that he was interested in selling.

 

Fast forward 2 hours later, we call them back and let them know that they would be needing a new battery and the rest of their charging system looks to be working. We had told them to expect that the battery costs between $250-325 and there may be an additional IBS cable that is recommended to be replaced as BMW has released an updated version of said cable. Upon notifying the customer, he gets upset with the price and says, "Wow, I could have just went to the dealer." We tell the customer he more than welcome to come pick up the vehicle since we won't have his parts until Monday if he chose to perform the service.

 

Fast forward another 3 hours, the customer shows up (the wife). We see her pacing around outside on the phone as we are closing our roll down gate. My partner informs me the customer is outside and is probably coming inside the office. I wait 5 minutes and no one comes through the door, I find it odd so I go outside. She is no where to be seen and the car is gone.

 

We try calling them 3-4 times with no luck. She finally returns our phone call screaming saying we are irresponsible for leaving her key in her car and we are going to have to deal with her husband then hangs up. All subsequent calls are not answered.

 

In 8-9 years I've been doing this, I have never had this happen. These people looked like decent folks and seemingly were at least middle income. It amazes me what low class scummy people will do to get over. On top of that she had the nerve to try to make it our fault she stole her own car back LOL. I'm not going to go crazy over theft of service ($49.95).

 

Class has no appearance!!!

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Our first organic customer had an e46 330i and stopped because I had mine parked out front. He had terrible headlights because the projector bowl was bad. I found a repair kit online and quoted him a quarter of the cost to repair than replace like the other shops wanted to do. He was still shocked and asked of we could just wrap then bowl in aluminum foil instead. Good news is all the other customers have been great so far.

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I've had a few customers try to drive away... I've stopped them, a few I believed they have forgotten, a few I am pretty sure they were making a run for it!

 

 

 

With getaways, you have to be careful both ways, we had a service writer release a car and forget to collect payment for a head job on a GTI ($2000+ worth of work)

 

I called the customer and told him he forget to pay, he said sorry and gave the card info over the phone... lucky!

 

 

I had a lady with a mercedes come in screaming the other day asking what we did to her car... (we changed the oil 4 months ago)

 

 

She said that yesterday the car started making a noise, and it never had a problem before.... :wub: gotta love it!!

 

 

I've had a repo guy come to pick up a car, and I said tough luck, pay the bill... he said that what I am doing is illegal and will call the police...he came back with Police for "stealing a car"

 

Police didn't do anything, the repo guy was furious and I asked him to leave the property until he can pay

 

 

the repo guy returned with a check the next day...

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Had a customer like that with a 2004 CL500. Couldnt pay the $3000 bill after disappearing for 3 weeks. Told me he got arrested and facing jail time for being a heroine dealer for the Chinatown gangs LOL. Asked me to give him 3 weeks to pay. He didn't show up, repo company came, told them with storage they owed me $6000. They paid the next day. Owner's friend calls up a week later, tell him car is gone.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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