Not Impressed With Well Known Workshop

[Big Fella]

It's pretty sad how the trade is going, that's for sure.

I see both ends of the scale, I work arvo shift in a dealership servicing holdens.

They dont blatantly rip people off, but I think a lack of understanding on the service advisors part can lead to confusion, ie repairing minor issues before major ones because of cost.

And then I run my own shop on an appointment only basis. I feel bad charging some customers for what is easy work, or just a check over.

But because my customers actually like me and my service( and the fact that I charge 1/3 the hourly rate of a dealer) they normally insist on paying.

[Stooge007]

i think it is a self fulfilling prophecy almost though

with the plethora of information freely available on the net, more and more people are doing basic maintenance on their cars themselves. this used to be the bread and butter of your local mechanic

as such, local mechanic has fewer customers, and therefore needs to sting people every now and again to make any money

personally, i'm just starting to learn to do things myself and find it quite handy/enjoyable

others don't have the time/inclincation/tools to do so, and therefore have to pay (sometimes through the nose) for the privilage

[shane344]

Two cents, I am a big fan of DIYing, I'll give anything a crack but I can't stand finding other 'things' on the way to getting to the job I'm there for done.

Stress sucks.

I did spark plugs on my Stag recently, found two valley cover bolts that I thought were missing floating in the valley under the coils waiting to fall in.

There was also a stack of little pieces of valley cover gasket floating around in there.

If i hadn't done the slow and steady thing and grabbed my torch for a look instead of glancing i would have big rattley bits by now.

The cam cover breather pipe between the two sides also had a massive split where it had been ripped up and off.

All this was probably caused by the dealer's mechanic when they fixed the massive cam cover gasket oil leak.

Stress, when I needed the car in the morning turned a forty minute job to a 2 hour double check job...

I just alway seem to get in over my head on seemingly small jobs, only way to learn to swim though sometimes.

Another recent example, new clutch and pressure plate with resurfaced flywheel for my stinkin Supra.

Reassembled everything on my garage floor by myself, started it up on stands only to find I cant get clutch to disengage.

Clutch 'expert' who had all my engine/gearbox specs and an old clutch to compare machined too big a step in my flywheel.

Now my unlicensed shitheap that is trying to get sold, has a pedal on the floor that will just only disengage on the end of all the adjustments.

uuuurrrgggg

[southern_tango]

Yep...some are dodgy as F+*=k ,when I got my timing belt done ,famous workshop in Melbourne forgot to purge the coolant system and fill up the coolant...(plus every time I go to a tyre shop they screw my wheels)

So double thumbs up at DYI

[pipster11]

i returned from beaurepairs down here in tas with no split pins in my tierod ends

[GTR-N1]

I don't have any comments to add...

But I do have 3 general questions.

1) How many of you have a mechanic/technician who is willing to allow you to watch the work being carried out (if you actually had the time to stay)???

2) If so, how many are communicative and informative enough to relay to you what they see?

3) If so, how many are willing to go beyond OH&S and allow you to step under the hoist?

I only ask these because I know of 1x BMW, 3x NISSAN & 1x HONDA workshops where I'm able to benefit from the above.

[Daleo]

I don't have any comments to add...

But I do have 3 general questions.

1) How many of you have a mechanic/technician who is willing to allow you to watch the work being carried out (if you actually had the time to stay)???

2) If so, how many are communicative and informative enough to relay to you what they see?

3) If so, how many are willing to go beyond OH&S and allow you to step under the hoist?

I only ask these because I know of 1x BMW, 3x NISSAN & 1x HONDA workshops where I'm able to benefit from the above.

Spot on Terry; my sentiments exactly.

A good mechanic is one who will take the time to explain complex issues in a reasonably non-technical way; rather than talk down to the customer, assuming they won't understand, or trying to bamboosle them with BS.

They are also the ones who will allow, even encourage you to see what they're talking about, because they have nothing to hide.

They are the ones who will happily show you the parts they've replaced; without being asked.

That kind of transparency enables both parties to go away informed; even if they're not always happy.

I hate the old "Car's out the front; pay me $$$" it just doesn't fly with me at all.

[Pft shh 89]

i find it amusing one thing my dad does is say to them, "if the old one isn't in a bag in the boot, the new one doesn't go on the bill" which i think is a good way to do it until you know you can trust a workshop, when i got my clutch replaced they still had it on the hoist when i got there as i was a bit early, and they let me have a look under it, and also showed me the old one leaning against one of the hoist legs, were most informative and even though when they had finished it was after their close still took the time to wait and adjust the pickup point with me so i was happy with it, (as to how far off the floor) so if anybody ever takes a road trip townsville the place to go if you run into trouble with stageas or skylines) is Xtreme Motorsport.

[southern_tango]

When I got me cv boots changed, the bloke let me stay and even had a look under the car on the hoist and see he working.I know it wasn't nothing mayor but that's call selfconfidence(he wasn't thinking that i'm going to start doing cv boots by myself)

so recon was the only time i came out of a workshop fully secure of what happened.

[Raysboostin]

ive had this trouble with a highly recommended brisbane smash repairer. everyone said they were really good, but they were far from it. the panel work was very bleow average and the paint was even worse. stone chips just painted over, overspray on everything and worst of all the colour wasnt even close to matched. $2500 later when all these issues were raised i got the usual BS and no offer to rectify the problems. if i had the tools and knowledge i would have loved to have done it myself. so next time u need any work done, make sure u get everything in writing BEFORE they start and if its not up to par get the office of fair trading involved.