Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?

Mike writes:

What would you do?

You accepted a $20,000 bailment to perform a $200 repair. You damaging the
bailment is something you have to cover, and is part of your overhead. So
you eat this loss, assuming the customer isn't a sucker enough to pay.

"Richard J Kinch" wrote: You accepted a $20,000 bailment (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm not a lawyer, so tell me, what is a "bailment?" Is it the fact that you
are responsible for all of his truck while it is in your shop? Have we come
to the point where every job has to be preceded by a "walkthrough," with
both parties noting any preexisting damage?

The problem here is that you gave an inch, and the customer demanded a mile.
In retrospect, you would have been better off had you replaced the fan
shroud and said nothing. Or you could have left it broken, and said
nothing. We all know that epoxy on plastic does not stand up to vibration
very well.

Knowing what a s**t this guy was, the right thing would be to tell him that
you noticed a broken fan shroud, and the truck is unsafe--can't go out like
that. He'll have to pay to have it fixed, or he can't have the truck.

I wonder how many free repairs he has managed to get with that broken corner
of a grille.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the
fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud
was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the
shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a
repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?


Life isn't fair...in the short run, but it all levels out in the long run.
I'd be happy to contract you for jobs and I am sure your customer base
reflects your reputation. Even a bad experience might bear sweet fruit in
an unexpected way. Just keep doing what's right.

Mike wrote:
Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?


Let him stiff me for the repair, and never do work for him again.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Leo Lichtman writes:

I'm not a lawyer, so tell me, what is a "bailment?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailment

In article , Mike says...

He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?

Do, or have done?

Basically it's a done deal, so no sense worrying about
it. I would never work on a vechicle of his ever again
though.

Just tell him it's too expensive for you.

Jim


--
==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

"Mike" wrote in
:

Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs
the fan shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation
the shroud was already broke and epoxied by customer and we just
finished it off. We tell customer we will repair shroud by riveting
sheet metal (metal content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out
stronger than new. We tell customer if he is not happy with the repair
we will replace the shroud for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he
looks over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says
the grill is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is
broken where the screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by
saying we can make a repair by using fender washers which will cover
the crack. He's not happy. We tell him to take the truck and the
repair is free, $200 down the tube. He's not happy, we're not happy.
What would you do?



Mike,
An investment in a digital camera would be a smart move for the future.
When they bring in a vehicle, take a few pictures of any existing
damage/conditions, timestamped, in the owners presence if possible.


--
Anthony

You can't 'idiot proof' anything....every time you try, they just make
better idiots.

Remove sp to reply via email

On 12 Nov 2005 06:42:11 -0800, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , Mike says...

He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?

I would have inspected the broken fan shroud and noticed the old
repair attempt, done the epoxy, backing plate and rivet repair, and
said nothing. (I would make a folded over "clip" of aluminum and
epoxy it on, to avoid the rivet step, but that's personal preference.)

You are still returning the vehicle in better condition than you
received it, and since fan shrouds are not stressed I don't see any
safety issues there.

Of course, you wouldn't have known that he was going to use the
pre-broken fan shroud as a device to get "free" repairs done, either,
or try to step it up a notch to full-on extortion with the cracked
grille "discovery" but some days it's best to let sleeping dogs lie...

Do, or have done?

Basically it's a done deal, so no sense worrying about
it. I would never work on a vechicle of his ever again
though.

Just tell him it's too expensive for you.

If you live in a Big Town, just drop it right there. You can't
effectively spread the word to enough people to accomplish anything.
(I'm stuck in that 'Big City" boat - I'd just have to call it a loss
and move on.)

Though if you don't have one up now, post a prominent "We Reserve
The Right To Refuse Service To Anyone" sign in your office and other
customer service areas, just in case he comes back. CYA.

But if you live in a smaller town and you are willing to "kick it up
a notch" there are other effective ways to handle this, but be advised
they take a little effort and open you up to some legal exposure. But
if you ask around and find you aren't the first person he has scammed,
go for it.

You write up a one-page summary detailing your encounter with this
gentleman. Make sure to have your lawyer examine it thoroughly to
make sure that the wording does not libel or slander the gentleman -
The truth is the ultimate defense. And you need to have all the proof
available in triplicate in case you are challenged.

Then circulate that advisory letter to all the professional
services, contractors, and repair facilities in the area that he might
try to steal from in the future. And make sure the local TV, Radio
and Print media outlets get a copy, too.

The guy might get the message if he has to drive 50 or 100 miles
each time he wants to get a professional service performed, call out
of town contractors and pay extra travel time to get things done at
his house or business, or pay a 50-mile tow charge to call an out of
town wrecker operator and get his car repaired at an out of town
garage...

Do NOT try going directly to him about this without having your
lawyer involved - it would be far too easy for him to turn it around
that you were trying to extort from him, and make it stick.

-- Bruce --

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

On Fri, 11 Nov 2005 20:25:14 -0600, "Mike"
wrote:

We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy.

BULL **** he's not happy!

He's ecstatic - he's just smart enough not to show YOU that. He
knows if you figure out it's a scam too soon your contrite 'customer
service first' attitude will go right out the window, you might get
mad and try to challenge his claims and get paid for the work, so he
will keep the crocodile-tears act up till he's driven around the
corner...

Then I'll bet he's got a ****-eating grin plastered on his face that
you couldn't chisel off. (Here's a chisel, if you want to try...) ;-)
He's just scammed you out of a $200 repair bill, and he'll be bragging
about it over drinks with his friends for months, if not years.

See other post in the thread for effective remedy ideas.

-- Bruce --

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the
fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud
was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the
shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a
repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?



I'll never forget the first time I had something similar happen to me. I
was doing my best to run an honest business and the whole experience was, to
say the least, upsetting. I mentioned what had happened to a business
neighbor. To my surprise, he burst into gales of laughter and said, "I
wondered how long it would take that old son-of-a-bitch to get around to
you. He knows better than to ever come back into my place..."

This is not the same as dealing with an upset customer when you screwed up.
I had one irate lady come in (and she had every right to be irate...)
spewing profanity before she even got the door open. I was in the middle of
working of working on something, so I acknowledged her presence and kept on
working. As she traced my ancestry in colorful and highly improbable
detail, I looked her way now and then, smiled and nodded. Finally, she
started to laugh and said, "I could stand her all day calling you every
damned thing I can think of and you'd just sit there grinning like an idiot,
agreeing with me." I replied, "You're right." The tension was broken and
we were then able to discuss the problem like rational adults and resolve
the issue.

What you need to do is to be reasonable when your customer is being
reasonable. If the customer is a jerk, you can do without him.

In the case at hand, it was your mechanic who did in the fan shroud. The
fact that it was previously damaged had nothing to do with it. Another shop
may have broken and epoxied the old one and the customer didn't even know
about it. Anyhow, you should have replaced the shroud and eaten the cost of
it, but collected for the underlying repair job. That puts you in the
right. If the customer "somehow" became unreasonable, well, you just found
out what category he falls into and you can then act accordingly.

Jerry

In article ,
"Mike" wrote:

Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?

I'd tell him I didn't break it (the grill) in the first place and
will not do the repair for free. You did enough by repairing/replacing
the shroud for him. If he continues to be a pain, kick him out of your
shop.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net

All I can say is, where's your shop? You sound like the kind of guy I'd like
to have work on my vehicle.

I mean that in the nicest possible sense.

John E.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the
fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud
was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the
shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a
repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?

Mike wrote:
Doing some engine repair on a Dodge truck . Mechanic slips and grabs the fan
shroud to prevent falling. Shroud breaks. Upon investigation the shroud was
already broke and epoxied by customer and we just finished it off. We tell
customer we will repair shroud by riveting sheet metal (metal
content)underneath plastic and paint. Job comes out stronger than new. We
tell customer if he is not happy with the repair we will replace the shroud
for free even though it was already broke.
Customer comes in and demands a new shroud and we say O.K. then he looks
over the truck and leaves , comes back 15 minutes later and says the grill
is damaged where it attaches at the top. One corner is broken where the
screw goes through. We didn't do it. I reply by saying we can make a repair
by using fender washers which will cover the crack. He's not happy.
We tell him to take the truck and the repair is free, $200 down the tube.
He's not happy, we're not happy. What would you do?


I would of repaired the shroud and told the customer that the previous
damage that was epoxied had broken during the engine repair and we went
ahead and fixed that for free.

I would of called his bluff on the rest...