Another mechanics are F!#*ed thread

[Cheap6]

Maybe mechanics can start a "Customers are ****ed" thread, I bet you will get more stories of ********s than this type of thread.

I've been on the other side. I know how it works. All I wanted is the job done right and I would have been happy to pay for that. To do the job right wouldn't have taken any more time, just care.

While I started the post and am therefore responsible for the title and the generalisation, you may note that I also posted that to suggest that all the workshops that are part of the franchise in question are as poor is not fair. Maybe the guy doing my car had a bad day, who knows. I do know that I am not happy with all of what was done and more importantly, the attitude to "creating" work. If I was less mechanically aware or had less knowledge of my particular car, I would have had a large bill for essentially unnecessary work.

 

[Hillerus]

Be aware however, that any workshop will try and "create" work. Any good mechanic should always be on the lookout for potential faults.

Im sure that most people on this forum are mechanically minded enough to know when someone is speaking ****, and should also have a fair idea of whether a workshop is being honest or not.

 

[Low_VX_Taxi]

Its the way they deal with a mistake (if it occurs) that makes a good mechanic, if they simply offer to fix the mistake, and repair any resulting damage everythings ok, its when they play the blame game or lie that makes a **** mechanic (IMO).

 

[Cheap6]

Be aware however, that any workshop will try and "create" work. Any good mechanic should always be on the lookout for potential faults.

Finding work that needs doing is different to creating work that doesn't.

 

[Hillerus]

Finding work that needs doing is different to creating work that doesn't.

Yes, thats right. But I was making the point that any workshop will look for work that needs doing. They are in the business of making money.

If you think they are full of ****, take your car and leave. Simple.

But also remember that you took your car there (to any workshop, good or not) in the first place because you couldn't do the work yourself. Would you claim to know more then a fully qualified mechanic? If you take offence to extra work being needed on your car, do all the work yourself.

 

[Hillerus]

Its the way they deal with a mistake (if it occurs) that makes a good mechanic, if they simply offer to fix the mistake, and repair any resulting damage everythings ok, its when they play the blame game or lie that makes a **** mechanic (IMO).

No, that makes for a poor workshop.

 

[Cheap6]

Yes, thats right. But I was making the point that any workshop will look for work that needs doing. They are in the business of making money.

If you think they are full of ****, take your car and leave. Simple.

I did.

But also remember that you took your car there (to any workshop, good or not) in the first place because you couldn't do the work yourself.

Because, and only because, I didn't (don't) have access to the equipment to do the job, not because I am incapable of doing it or unaware of what needs doing.

Would you claim to know more then a fully qualified mechanic? If you take offence to extra work being needed on your car, do all the work yourself.

I am so qualified (and more) and do do all my own work when I can, precisely because in my experience the job doesn't get done right if I leave it to other people. I don't object to the suggestion that legitimate work be done, but not fabricated work, and I am aware that sometimes decisions are not black and white in terms of what should be done.

 

[Hillerus]

I am so qualified (and more)

It seems odd to me that a qualified mechanic (if thats what you are) would turn around and say ALL mechanics are ****ed?

Especially considering that at Pedders (may as well just say it) there is no guarantee that a mechanic actually performed the work, making the initial statement inaccurate.

I do sympathise with you though, as I have had to deal with them, and I would never take my car to them, or recommend them, for the reasons you have already stated.

 

[Cheap6]

It seems odd to me that a qualified mechanic (if thats what you are) would turn around and say ALL mechanics are ****ed?

Especially considering that at Pedders (may as well just say it) there is no guarantee that a mechanic actually performed the work, making the initial statement inaccurate.

I do sympathise with you though, as I have had to deal with them, and I would never take my car to them, or recommend them, for the reasons you have already stated.

Perhaps I should have put the title in quotes. It is a reference to other threads which claim just that. No one should take it personally. And I was ****ed off when I wrote it. Obviously, as in any profession, there are good and bad operators. I have already said, twice, that suggesting that all mechanics are this poor is not fair.

The work I wanted done doesn't take a great deal of skill but the right equipment is necessary. I made a judgement call that a franchise (any franchise) would likely have that (they do) and be able to use it. For some of the job they did, for some they didn't. I think that what really ****ed me off was the assumption that I would be stupid enough not to know that the other work wasn't necessary and the high pressure "sell" when I told them I didn't want it done.

The judgement call was in part, if I am truthful, due to the (independent) workshop without the grease gun. As it happens, these are the only two times I have let other people work on my cars in 5 or 6 years (other than for W/As or tyres), so I'm 2 for 2 in terms of picking the wrong people.

 

[Scooter79]

I want to give praise to one particular mechanic. Bloke called John O'Brien located behind the 7-Eleven on the Great Western Hwy at St Marys. Not sure if he's still there because It's been a few years since I moved out of the area but he was one mechanic who did things right and would never mess you around. Top bloke.

I've since found a pretty good mechanic where I am now even though I'm much more mechanically minded than I was four years ago. I've had things like a windscreen replaced and an A/C compressor. Things I'm no confident doing myself and they were always great. But after having a P.S pump replaced they kind of left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't have the equipment to do a system flush so I requested them to do it when the new pump went it. I had it back 4 times because pieces of the old pump had broken internally and bloked the valve in the rack. Each time I kept asking them to flush it. After the 4th time they told me they weren't equiped to do a PS sytem flush and it wasn't their fault and when putting the rack back in they left me with a wheel alignment with 34mm toe in. I was very unimpressed. But at the same time the few things they did before were great and at a good price. You can be the best mechanic in the world but all it takes is one stuff up and the customer will take their business elsewhere.