WWYD? For this Midwest shop’s loaner car situation, the devil is in the detailing
The customer spends a lot of money with me, so I don’t want to lose him.
What Would You Do?
WWYD? How a vehicle assessment of 'looks good' can create serious problems for careless shops
The customer had an older BMW towed into a shop for a used vehicle inspection (UVI). It never ran after being dropped off, having been stored outdoors for more than three years. The customer…
WWYD? Tech accused of sexual harassment after repairing car
A multi-store shop owner writes the following: Dear TJ: Although I have a written policy that I only allow technicians to work on their own vehicles during off hours, my service manager allowed my tech to work on his “girlfriend’s”…
Customer demands refund after proposed fix doesn't work
I own a shop in a small town and have a great reputation. Recently we had one of our regular customers bring us a 2000 Toyota Camry with over 200,000 miles on it. The…
WWYD: Customer asks for refund after learning warrant should have covered part
A multi-store shop owner sends in the following situation: We recently had a 2015 Ford F150 V8 with 46,000 miles brought into one of my shops with a check engine light on, as well as a drivability problem. My technician…
WWYD: Woman drops off car for repairs, trades in car, tells shop to get repair fee from dealer
A shop owner writes … A woman in her 70s came by my shop and asked if I could repair her 2005 Corvette. I assured her we were capable of doing it. She had it towed to me on Dec.…
WWYD: Customer requests refund after paying fee, later claims shop should have ID'd problem
An electrical specialty shop sends in the following situation: I had a regular customer call requesting us to fix an electrical problem with their motor home. The complaint was that the house batteries would not charge when the motor home…
WWYD: Customer demands cash in amount of factory list price
A customer comes in with a 2003 Chevy Suburban for some routine service work and rear shocks. The following Monday, the customer calls to complain about holes being cut into the plastic inner fender shrouds to gain access to the…
WWYD: Employee manual prohibits it, but employees request 'overlapping' vacation days
A shop owner from Chicago writes: How do you balance what is written in your employee manual vs. the needs of your customers and your employees? My employee manual states that no employee can take more than five days of…
WWYD: Customer complains he could have gotten part cheaper
A first-time customer, who was referred by another customer, came in with a Nissan Pathfinder that had a driver’s window that wouldn’t work. After removing the door panel and testing the switch, wiring and motor, it was determined that the…
WWYD: Customer wants shop to pay for cabs, room rentals after motor home breaks down
A customer called the shop with a motor home that didn’t have working brake or taillights. He was on day three of the family’s vacation and traveling north. The shop agreed to look at it immediately. When the customer arrived,…
WWYD: Should customer receive free battery?
A customer had her ’95 Nissan pickup towed in to our shop and said, “The truck sits a lot, and it won’t start. Just let me know what it needs.” We performed a charging system diagnosis and determined that the…
Customer complains of brake noise, has them replaced elsewhere, seeks reimbursement
An ASA member writes: I have a customer who has spent thousands of dollars with me during the past several years. Eighteen months ago, we installed genuine Toyota brakes on his 4Runner. A month later, the customer returned to my…
What Would You Do
When a service adviser tells the customer a shop tech made a mistake that’ll mean replacing a transmission... ... What would you do? One of our customers came in with a late-model Toyota Camry for some routine service work. Even…
When a customer requests a refund for her inconvenience after the shop replaces a damaged gas tank … ... What would you do?
The following scenario was sent in by Andy Daniels of Frank’s Automotive in Tulare, Calif. “A first-time customer had her 2008 Hyundai Sonata V6 towed in for a no-start condition. We ran several tests and determined that the fuel pump…
If timing is everything, this shop’s ‘trained’ service adviser apparently didn’t know everything
A well-respected ASA shop had the following dilemma: “I just hired a new service adviser and thought I had him trained, but he made a huge mistake. “A customer dropped off his vehicle to have some service work performed, including…
What would you do?
A new service adviser accepts a third-party check from a used-car dealer, and it bounces ... ... What would you do? An ASA shop owner writes: “A new customer came in with a vehicle that would not pass emissions. After…
When a former employee is suspected of cashing shop checks, the owner wonders if he should prosecute...
...What would you do? This is a recent situation from a shop owner in Southern California: “I hired an employee who worked in the office. She only worked three-and-a-half days with me. She told me that her grandfather was sick,…
