Out of the ordinary customer experience

[RaskyR1]

The old "ever since you" story.

Even after 22+ years I can only recall this happening a couple of times. One guy had me on about putting a horrendous bit dent in the sill of his car even though around the shop (we are up a driveway) there is nothing that would even touch that part of a vehicle. I had to stick to my guns on that one. The other was a engine issue where we didn't touch anything under the hood anyhow. I don't know why people do this but I'm happy to say its not that common.

Aaryn NZ.

LOL! This was almost me a couple months ago!

I had new tires put on my truck back in November. The next day I had brake fluid on my newly coated garage floor and driveway. Admittedly I was immediately suspect that the shop did something, but at the end of the day they had no reason to mess with them as they only did tires. I just took a look at them and it turned out the brake line was loose going into the caliper, which is really odd for a 2 yr old vehicle with 25k on it. I just tighened it up and never called the shop about it, but I really wanted to at first!

[CanadianBacon]

I work at a dealership, and one time this older fellow complained to our general manager that someone had stolen...his coupons, coupons for New York Fries or some other franchise.
Customers leave everything from $20 bills in the console to cell phones, laptops, tools etc in their vehicles. Only person to accuse us of theft has been over coupons.

Another frequent, but very difficult customer brings an often grimy vehicle in for service and demands that we do not brush wash it to prevent swirls. One day one of the lot guys ends up washing it and the customer storms out and races his obviously babied car out of the lot. We ended up doing a light correction and detail for him....

[garyg7133]

I was literally going to start a thread TODAY about this. This actually happened today. One of my regular long time clients had me do a pickup from the office. I get there, she hands me the keys and goes in with a client. I walk outside to get the csr and find a new dent in the front. I proceed with my inspection and take photos. Durjng the inspection I text her and send a picture asking when it was hit. The nature of her business does not allow me to go in when a client is present. I had a second vehicle that I was working on so I left hers alone. After about an hour I get "while you were driving it". I absolutely froze. It didn't matter that I was covered or that I KNEW it had zero to do with me. I called and she did not answer and I requested that she check the time stamp on the photos as it was impossible. I also sent a text and simply said "hilarious, no seriously when did it happen". Nothing. For an hour. Now I am fuming. I tell my wife and she said there is no way that she is blaming me. I was about to bring the car back when I get "hahaha I'm kidding !!!" I wanted to go through the phone. So now I bring the car back ( looking excellent other than her damage) and she says " i got your text in between clients then saw that you had CALLED and thought "oh this is funny. I'm gonna play". It took every fiber of my being not to go bat___t right there. I literally went home and told my wife that the minute the second car in the driveway is done I'm closing up shop.

[brettS4]

I didn't know my ex-gf moved to PA. That sounds exactly like the type of 'joke' she'd pull. And exactly the reason she's my ex.

[Don M]

Way back in the day when I worked at the Detail Shop, we had an old woman and her husband (my boss called them "Mr and Mrs Piranha") bring their car in for a 5-step correction & seal. *I* told them when they brought it that the driver's side mirror was damaged and loose and told them it had been that way for a while due to the oxidation on the break (chrome plate pot metal) and even SHOWED them the mirror housing and the damage.

Fast forward to several hours later when they come in to pick up the car, Mrs Piranha says "Your buffing machines (we used GEM orbitals, the big heavy ones) broke our mirror." I spent over 45 minutes explaining to them that we had gone over this BEFORE we ever touched the car. They refused to believe me and left in a huff, vowing to never return ... of course they came back for a routine polish & seal and never mentioned the mirror again.

Then there was MY ordeal at the dealership. I went in for an oil change/tire rotation and they always drive the car through an a wash before returning it (it's touch-less, so I don't say much other than they don't dry it ... thank goodness). I get the car back about an hour later, get in and start it, and my dash lights up like a Christmas tree: ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control, Cruise Control and a few others.

I call the Service Manager back over and ask him what all the lights meant. HE KNEW they weren't on when I drove the car in. Instead of brushing me off, he asks me to go back to the waiting room and he would be there in a minute. A few minutes later, he comes back and says the Wheel Speed Sensor in my right-front hub was damaged, but he had no idea how it happened while the car was only in for an oil change/tire rotation, BUT since whatever caused the sensor to break occurred AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHILE IN THEIR CARE ... they would fix the issue for free (a $600+ job). I thought that was a very stand up thing for them to do.

[AllanS]

... they would fix the issue for free (a $600+ job). I thought that was a very stand up thing for them to do.

LUC-KY! Very lucky! Rare to see such a stand up business as that. Worth writing a letter to corporate office of your appreciation of them taking responsibility.

At first thought, I'm wondering - WHY is this guy bringing in a nice Camero? Well, seems like it might be a safe place, after all!