Gonzo

as they say... you don't like the heat in the kitchen... get out of the kitchen.... my bad... I kinda like the heat, too bad some employees still think it's cooler on those air conditioned tool trucks and the back office... LOL Have a great day buddy...! !

Funny you should mention this Joe. I've had times when I walk through the shop, everybody is busy... I walk through to the front office... but, then I turn around because I forgot something... and as soon as I open the door.... they've disappeared.... where the he$$ did they go??? happens all the time... LOL

Honesty… from the Other Side of the Counter Dealing with customers can be an uphill battle for a technician in the automotive trade. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the underlining mistrust brought on by the "bad" reputation the automotive trade has always been trademarked with. As a technician I'm always wondering if I'll have to defend my career choice with the next turn of my wrenches. To be put into the same category as some of those crooks and unscrupulous people that end up on the 6 o'clock news is just appalling, but some people view the auto repair business that way. As bad as it gets sometimes, I still wouldn't have a problem defending my chosen trade, it's my job… it's what I do. Like it or not, when the TV news wants to expose a criminal or politician in some business scandal they go at them with every microphone and camera they have. It has its advantages for the station, ratings mostly, but they do a great job of uncovering those unscrupulous individuals in our society. Granted, there are few politicians I wouldn't want to be left in the same room with, and probably just as many auto repair shops that I wouldn't even think about taking my kids tricycle to. At least I know about of them, but what about some of these lunatics that walk through the lobby door? Who's checking up on them? They say; it's the customer who should be on their toes when they come to a repair shop? I'm not so sure I agree with that. I kind of think it's the shop that needs to be careful. As a shop owner/technician, honesty in your deliberation with the customer is essential, but this honesty thing goes both ways, you know? The customer has to be trustworthy enough to tell me the facts without exaggerations or false claims. After all the years I've been around this business, finding and retaining customers isn't such a problem. I still get a lot of new customers coming through the door every day. One thing is for certain though; a new customer should always be on guard when they come through the front door the first time, whether they were a referral or not. Not that I expect the customer to know the correct answers when they come in for car repair, but at the same time, I don't want them to try to take advantage of the situation. Let's face it, I don't know them, and they don't know me. As a shop owner I'm apprehensive, probably as much on guard as the customer should be. Then I ask myself, how honest is that person standing on the other side of the counter? Like these situations: The front door opens, "Hi, how can I help you?" I'll ask. "I was in an accident about a year ago. I broke my turn signal lever off and I don't have the money to fix it. So I'm going to claim it on my insurance, I just need you to write it up to say it was accident related," says the customer. I've even had people watch and see when their car was pulled out of the shop and into the front parking area waiting for pickup, and when nobody is looking they take out their extra key and drive off. (In my state, you can't steal your own car… I have to take them to small claims court to even think about getting my money out of them… yea, good luck with that.) Or the guy who tells me his old Corvette has been in storage for years. He doesn't want any service, all he really wants is an invoice dated back to the time he put it into storage, so he doesn't have to pay the extra fees for his expired tags. People have asked me if I would turn the miles back on their cars. Oh, please, really? Yes, really, they actually had the nerve to ask me that? There's no doubt some of these bent wrenches out there have a dishonest streak a mile long. It's just poor judgment on their part to even SUGGEST some of the things I have heard over the years. I could go on with some of the things I've seen or heard from the wacky world out there, but I'm sure you've got more of your own. Anyway, when you have a chance to stop and think about it, it's pretty funny. I'll listen to their stories, and then laugh while pointing towards the front door, usually followed up with, "Now, get out of here". You know, someday those TV news spots need to do a story on people like this. Hey, I'd watch! I've seen enough politicians and auto shops get the third degree, why not a little of it coming from the other direction for a change. I'm not saying stop jumping down the throats of those bad shops and political figures. Absolutely not, I'm sure some of them deserved it, but let's see one of those "microphone in the face" interviews with some of these ditch dodgers of the open highway that drift through the lobby doors. "Buyer Beware." Needs to be updated or at least changed to fit my front office encounters. I'd like to change it to: "Beware of the Buyer." Now that's more appropriate. My customers may pay my salary and keep my doors open, but I draw the line at dishonest people. I've got a job to do, and I want to do it with honesty and integrity. Some of these people have no scruples at all, and I really don't need that kind of work. I'd like to think I won't run across another potential customer like the ones I described. But, you know, they're out there, dishonest, untrustworthy or just flat out criminally minded. I'll keep my eye out for them, believe me, I'm watching. The way I see it, if I could change one thing in this world, it would be to add a little more honesty and integrity back into our society. Maybe some of those old fashion values that our grandparents always reminded us about, and it wouldn't hurt to show a little more of that honesty... from the other side of the counter. These stories are here before final editing and publishing. Don't forget to visit my website www.gonzostoolbox.com also now my Sunday night chat "Coast to Coast Chat" has moved right here to ASO Chat page. Stop by Sunday night 7pm CST. See ya there!! View full article

Yes, I remember it well. I wrote that a couple of years ago. It's been sitting around for a long time. They haven't posted it on the website yet, but when they do you can leave a comment or two. Thanx... Gonz

Which one? I have a couple different articles out this month. I'm so turned around because of vacation I lost track. Gonzo you have a really good article in Brake and Front End this month. Nice to see you man up!

LOL... and I thought I was the only one that heard that... just kidding, actually I'm putting together a story based on that same thing. It's not ready yet, but I'm sure you'll agree with me on it once you read it. Thanx for sharing Frank... you DA best ! ! !

It's Doing the Same Thing What does the same thing really mean? When a customer comes up to the service counter and says, "It's doing the same thing", I have to ask myself… "How do they know?" Is it really doing exactly the same thing? Funny, how it turns out (99.9% of the time), it's NOT doing the same thing. I expect to hear stuff like this from customers now and then, but when my wife starts in on me… Ok, what's the deal? We were about to head on our vacation when the bulb warning light on the dash came on telling her one of the rear lights was out. It was the side marker light on the driver's side of the car. Easily changed and taken care of, and with all the commotion and last minute preparations, the warning light problem became a distant memory. Several states and hundreds of miles later the light came back on. "It's doing the same thing," she tells me. Now I understand there is always the possibility that it really is doing the same thing, but really my dear … you're married to the mechanic. Can we at least re-think how to inform me about such things? Yes, the light on the dash is "doing the same thing", but let's try rephrasing it to: "The warning light is back on, dear." At least that way I won't feel like I'm back at the shop trying to decipher the latest "doing the same thing" dilemma … hey, I'm on vacation for heaven's sake! This time around it was the passenger side marker light that was out. Not to be outwitted by a little warning light, I pulled over at the next stop and added a quick little tap on the lens, which got it working again. (That should do till I get home again.) This got me wondering how many times I've heard the phrase, "Doing the same thing". Over the years I've seen this escalate into complete madness at the front counter. As in my wife's case, the dash warning light on the car didn't state which bulb "exactly" was out, but only which section of the car. The same thing applies to a lot of other systems, however the customer who has laid down a chunk of their hard earned cash doesn't always see it that way. A few weeks ago I had a 1995 Saturn in the shop that had been all over town, as well as to every relative who owns a tool box. No one seemed able to get the air conditioning to cool. Part after part was changed, but still no cold air. When I finally had a crack at it I was surprised at what I found. The connector for the A/C compressor was exactly the same style and type as the low coolant level sensor in the over-flow bottle. Somebody had switched them up. Once I found the problem the cure was simple… just reverse the connectors and "Ta-Da" cold air. All the functions were working, cooling fan, line pressure, vent temperature, everything was great. Even the "low coolant" light was operating correctly (they never mentioned that part) However, a few weeks later they called me back and tell me it's … well, you guessed it… "Doing the same thing". Now, I'm no dummy, I know what they meant, it's not cold again. I informed them it was probably leaking refrigerant or something like that. They weren't buying that, they kept insisting that it's doing exactly the same thing as before. Even after reading the description of the repair on the invoice, and telling me they totally understood it… they still insisted it was… "Doing the same thing" … just sounded impossible. Or let's say you've changed the blower motor for a customer and a week or so later they come back because the air conditioning isn't cold. I'll ask, "When did you notice the air wasn't cold?" "Right after you changed the blower motor." Ok, the next time I ask a question like that, and get a response to match, I'm going to have a guy with a drum set sitting in the background waiting for the customer to deliver the inevitable punch line. Then at that perfect comedic moment he could bang out the classic drum roll/cymbal crash. Priceless moment for sure. It never fails, somewhere in the conversation the customer will say, "You worked on it last." Or, "You put it on the machine that tells you everything about the car. That's what I paid for." I like the ones who actually say out loud, as if I'm not standing in front of them, "Obviously they don't know what they're doing here." Followed closely by, "I should have listened to my friend, and taken it to that other shop." What? Was I NOT supposed to hear all of it, or are they merely talking to themselves out loud, and I'm standing too close. The way I see it, the consumer brought their car into a repair shop for a professional evaluation of the problem. But, as soon as the work is done, and some other problem creeps up the "all-knowing" consumer becomes the expert, and not the professional they originally brought it too. If you study the invoice it says a lot more than what was repaired. It also states how much it cost them and honestly, that's really what has become the issue. There's one thing for sure, getting the customer to understand the complexities of a system. The fact that there are other things that can go wrong can be a huge mountain to climb. With some diplomacy and tact you can get through these situations. Try smiling and be courteous… it works wonders. One thing for sure: the last thing you want to do is send the customer out the door without the problem resolved. There's no doubt if you don't get the car repaired, they'll leave the shop working on a massive headache over their car, and you'll probably go home … … … … "Doing the same thing" too. Thanx for reading ... leave a comment and let me know what you think of it. These stories are here before final editing and publishing. Your comments help me decide which ones get sent on to the editors. Don't forget to check out the website. www.gonzostoolbox.com View full article

I'm no hero, I'm just an American. You guys are the heros... you're brave enough to read my stories... LOL

I certainly felt the same way Joe. I won't call it my best, but it is a great story...

If You've served in the military leave a comment.

Semper Fi Bob was well into his late 80's when I met him. He's quite the talker, and he'll never run out of things to tell you. I like old Bob. We have a few things in common, not much because of the years between us, but just enough that we can relate on quite a few subjects. We both served in the USMC. Of course, the years we served were decades apart, but even with the differences in time served, we still could "talk-the-talk" like two old veterans who just got their discharge papers. Bob had a problem with the horn buttons on his '92 Buick. It was the kind of horn that has its buttons and the air bag all built as one piece. He didn't have the money to replace the entire airbag, but he did want to get that horn working somehow. I thought I could get it to work even if I had to "rig" something up, but that was OK with him. With his advancing years catching up with him, his hands weren't the best. Most of his strength had faded with time, and so did the ability to straighten his fingers all the way out. I had to come up with a way that he could hit the horn button with the palm of his hand, rather than with a finger tip or thumb. Not a big deal, actually if he didn't mind the look of an old style horn button attached to the edge of the air bag (so it didn't interfere with the air bag operation) it could work just fine. Now Bob, being Bob, talking was his gift, and finding somebody with a little military background, and stuck in the driver's seat of his car was all he needed to tell one of his stories. Bob hopped in the back seat and leaned over to watch what I was doing. As I worked on his new horn button, he told me all about his time in the Marine Corps. Fascinating story; I could have listened for hours. In fact, I made sure I took long enough for him to tell his story in full and without any interruptions. He told me about his time in Korea, in Inchon actually. It was a cold winter when he was there. A bitter cold wind and heavy snow was only part of the horrific condition he had to deal with. He went on in great detail how he was just a young kid who didn't know a thing, and how you would be talking to someone one minute and the next minute the fellow Marine sitting right next to him froze to death. When he told me that part of his story I had to stop and turn to him to ask, "That really happened, just like that, Bob?" With a stone cold look on his face he said, "As sure as I'm sitting here talking to you, my friend." I don't think he was kidding. He was dead serious, but it was as if he was telling me a story from a distance, but at the same time, a story where he was actually there in the mountains of Inchon still fighting the bitter cold. I think it's a way for time and age to allow a person like Bob to separate themselves from what was probably a terrible event in their life. I certainly have never experienced some of the things he was telling me about, like the chow, the hours of watching for the enemy, or how his boots didn't have much in the way of insulation, so you put on as many socks as you could along with any straw or grass you could find. Bob made a point to tell me that if you needed to run to the "head" (bathroom for all you none GI type) … well, you tried to wait as long as you could, because exposing yourself in that kind of cold could be the end of you… and I don't mean just "your" end that's exposed. I finished up my little project and gave it a try. It worked just fine. "Hop up here Bob, and see if you can make it work like this," I told him. Bob made his way into the driver's seat and gave his new horn button a try. A gleam came over his face, beaming from ear to ear. He had to try it a few more times, and each time the smile kept getting bigger and bigger. "Don't you know I needed that horn! Mercy, there's some little kids in my neighborhood who get out in the street to play, and I just want to toot my horn to let them know I'm coming. Thanks partner, ya done me right." The old Marine got out of his car and opened his wallet, "How much do I owe ya?" "Bob, it was an honor to do this job for you. I can't take a thing." "You most certainly are, Marine!" he said to me as he palms a twenty in my hand. "Thanks Bob, I appreciate that, but I really appreciate the stories. You know I write a column for a magazine, and I think I'd like to tell your story if that's OK." "Sure, not a problem. Go right ahead. I think I'd like that." You don't shake hands with Bob, because of his crippled hands; his way of shaking hands is to "bump" knuckles. Good enough for me. It's the thought that counts. Then Bob turns to the car sitting in the bay just in front of his car. With whatever strength he had, he did his best to straighten one finger and point at the car in front. "I'll never get over seeing this," he said. It was a Kia Sportage in for a no start condition. I made the assumption it was because it's a Korean car, and I thought it must be bringing back some of those painful memories he had as a young man. "I understand where you're coming from Bob, it's a Korean car. I understand completely; it's something your generation had to deal with on the battlefield where your friends had died. I'm sorry it brings up some bad memories for you." "That ain't it," he said as he walked closer to the car, and pointed directly at the name branded on the back door, "Killed – In – Action." I think my knees buckled a bit when he said that. I didn't know what to say next. Bob waved good-bye, and pulled his car out of the shop, and tooted his horn as he made his way down the street. I see old Bob once in awhile, still driving the same car, still tootin' his horn. I don't think I'll ever forget his story of how he served our country. He's one of the last of that generation, a much simpler time, before computers, before cell phones, and when KIA stood for only one thing. I'm proud to have served my country, I'm even more proud to have met a great man like Bob. We should all be as lucky, and we should all remember what his generation and many others have done to keep this country free. So the next time you see a Kia, think of it as something other than a car, think about my friend Bob. Then, say this to yourself: Semper Fi, Bob, Semper Fi A salute to all who has served our great nation. This country wouldn't be the country we are today if it wasn't for all the service men and women who have put their lives on the line for those back home. I'm honored to be a part of that same group. Gonzo USMC View full article

I couldn't agree more Joe... I've got a real special story to post Saturday morning... I'm sure it will be one you'll enjoy and remember. Gonzo

Yes, I believe that's the law, also, in Florida they are trying to pass a state law making in "unlawful" to repair cars in front of your house or in the driveway. All work must be done inside a home garage or at a approved facility (such as a regulated repair shop/ garage) The garage has to meet certian criteria to qualify or they are subject to fines until such time as they bring up their standards. These standards also apply to your home garage not just professional garages. Things like safety equipment, proper waste disposal, etc... I'm watching the Florida law closely and see if it passes, or gets cut up into something else. Gonz

Nice thought Brian, probably will never happen. As long as there is a place to buy parts and a place to buy tools... people will be "shade-treeing" their cars. Imagine it this way... hundreds of years from now. A guy is standing in front of an Autozone, with a lazer wrench installing a phase shifter, while using the on-board GPS to locate the nearest solar flare to generate the sub-partical fusion reactor. All this to avoid dealing with the dealership or independent repair shop. Because he is either trying to save a buck, or wants to do the repairs himself. So it really doesn't matter if it's a phase shifter,a starter, or some obscure dash problem on a Lexus. People will try to fix it themselves. Always have, always will. LOL... as long as there are people and personal transportation.... somebody out there will think they can do it smarter and better than you or me... It's just a part of the business.

You guys know exactly what I was getting at with this story. I'll have to admit, the direction I took with this guy did not end up with a paycheck, however, I didn't need to worry about a repair that I was not comfortable with. These so called experts and internet wanna-be's really get my blood to boil too Joe. I think the research and information on the net is super.... IF.... taken in the right context. We all want to make sure we are not getting screwed over, but for heavens sake.... verify your information. I'm a car doctor, sure, but I'm not the "All-Mighty-Know-Everything-About-Cars" guy. I make mistakes too. The problem I see is that I know I'm capable of mistakes, I know I can get something diagnosed wrong.... AND... when someone comes in and tells me that their thermostat is going to fix their problem... the mistake has already been made for me. Now...I'm just a stupid idiot that couldn't get a job doing something else ... or as they may think... THAT'S why I WILL NOT DO these type of jobs. Don't make me look stupid... I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself.

All the time ... all the time... An even better situation is the customer who buys a car over the internet because it's such a great deal. Then when they get my estimate their friendly little story about such a good deal becomes, "You've got to be kidding me! I think you're just trying to rip me off!" Just like the guy in this story, good things don't come cheap, and the internet doesn't guarantee you'll get what ya paid for. LOL