Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[TheHire]

LOL, I would have charged $100/hr just to read the emails! 

It's all good - client relations is part of the service advisor's job. I'm happy to be as responsive as necessary to make sure the customer is happy with the work being done, but I'm just pointing out that while there's nothing wrong with anything he's doing, and I'm totally cool with it, it's textbook "shopping around".

[HeliDriver]

I'm embarrassed to say that I've been ignoring a coolant leak on the GTI for at least a year or two now. 

I've never been able to see the leak, but the level in the reservoir keeps dropping. It hasn't been too bad (I've been adding maybe 50-100 ml of coolant every couple of months), but twice in the last month I've gotten an actual low coolant warning, and yesterday I had to add probably close to 200 ml.)

I've been half worried it was something major, so have just been sticking my head in the sand, but today I figured I'd better check it out for real. Thankfully, there was enough of a leak that I could actually see some drips under the car for the first time, and I think I got lucky... seems like it's just the auxiliary coolant pump that's leaking. Lucky because access is super easy, so shouldn't be much trouble to swap a new one in.

I did my research (spent max 15 minutes on the net checking out options and prices  ) and ordered a new one from germanparts.ca. Should be here early next week.

[Dante]

I've had good luck with Spectra Premium rads and heater cores. I have done Spectra rads in my Sonoma, Trans Am & Camaro, great fit, and no issues...The Sonoma one has been in there 10+ years. I also have a Spectra heater core in the Trans Am, 6-7 years on it now with no issues. Plus, they're a Canadian company and readily available locally (PartSource) so no bulky shipping.

I'm all for supporting local companies in the sense that if I can buy the same part from a Canadian online retailer or local store rather than Rockauto, I would even if it's for a small premium.

However, when it comes to the part itself, I tend to trust the established brands for reasons no further than this particular case. I don't have enough experience to tell which brand is local or if the part is good quality, if it's a direct OEM fit, etc... I got burnt more than once so no more second guessing. You certainly have a different perspective from your position, the nature of your job and hands on experience.

And then it's the price - for example the Spectra Premium rad you mentioned is $292+tax at partsavatar.ca after 8% discount ($317 regular). I paid $277 CAD for the Denso shipped, tax in, despite shipping being unusually high for this particular transaction ($85 CAD). The rad itself was $160 CAD before tax and after my 5% discount. I just noticed that partsavatar.ca now has the same Denso P/N in stock selling for $276+tax....

I could've also bought Nissens for $222 CAD shipped, tax in, but decided to go with Denso option instead hoping for better quality and fit given Denso's status as OE manufacturer and a Toyota owned company.

I admire your tenacity, but I seriously wonder what you value your time at with the amount of price shopping that you do...

You seem to constantly promote the wrong idea that I'm "price shopping".... I spend time shopping as necessary when I need something just like everyone else and of course I get to check out prices, make comparisons, etc...  Just because I acquire some info in the process, doesn't necessarily mean I spend a lot of time doing so. Not sure about you, but for me it only takes few min to check few sites I have bookmarked and get an idea of the parts available for what I need, stock, prices, P/Ns etc.... make a decision and place an order.

For us mortals, who don't have our own shop and people to delegate to this trivial nonsense called car maintenance and the associated costs.... well, we have to do it ourselves....

I mean, I also do my own research, but you're one of the most particular people I've ever met. It's not a bad thing necessarily because it means your vehicles are always perfectly maintained - you're definitely the kind of person I'd buy a car from.

Let's not forget, when we did your first service when you got the car, which was effectively a brake job and fluids, there was a 68 email thread (not exaggerating) to ensure that the exact part numbers were used for all parts, the specific brands you're looking for because those are what you'd like, and that it's exactly what you'd be paying sourcing it yourself. Let's not kid ourselves though, it's 100% price shopping.

I get it that you don't want to be ripped off or overpay for something that you can source yourself online cheaper, and I'm not trying to insult you - I think it takes a lot of patience to be particular to the level that you are. I used to be this way when I had more time on my hands, though not to the same level, but I have an obsessive spreadsheet for all my cars' maintenance schedules and every little thing I do to them down to rust proofing / tire rotations. You're right - I now just delegate the actual labor, but I do shop around a couple places quickly and ensure I get the best price for the part(s) I want.

Not sure why you insist on repeatedly bring up the email correspondence we've had over a two weeks period and create an inaccurate narrative here, but it's your choice. Anyways, I refrained in previous occasions to say why some of those emails were necessary and I will continue to do so as I don't think will benefit anyone here to respond so I will leave it at that.

Yes, I asked for specific brands/parts to be used - I don't see anything wrong with that as I believe any car person has his/hers preferences and there was nothing special with what I asked as all parts were common and and widely available (rotors/pads, filters and a P/S reservoir essentially). All this happened BEFORE I brought the car in, YOU said yes, I can supply them all and it all ended there.

Yes, I had a spreadsheet readily available from my previous research/budgeting exercise and I attached it with the idea that it will help with ordering. I had prices in the spreadsheet as well and YOU said you can source them all at those prices (they weren't the best as they were from Germanparts.ca) and it all ended there as well. Nothing out of ordinary I believe to make a shopping list and put P/Ns and prices beside the items in the list, but you or others can think otherwise.

If you were to be fair and accurate, you would also recognize that I did not "price shop" in any way shape or form AFTER the car was in the shop and I asked for additional work (belt, idler, tensioner) or had to buy parts that were not planned (dust shield, sway bar, ground cable). I merely accepted whatever price you gave me on the spot (I already knew the prices from Germanparts.ca on those few items anyway as they were in my extended shopping list already). I still asked to have specific brand, which again, were very common parts for this car and wildly available.

To this day, I fail to understand why do you repeatedly make our dealing sound like I was unreasonable or a PITA to deal with. Maybe next time we meet you make me understand over a beer 

Am I specific on the brand of parts I use in my cars (if not OEM)? Yes I am.
Am I shopping around for part prices? Yes I am (who doesn't?)
Do I expect to always to buy parts at the absolute lowest price? No, I don't.
Do I ran away if a shop doesn't give me the absolute lowest price I found myself? No, I don't.
Do I think it over if the shop gives me a much higher price than what I can get the part for myself? Yes, I do.
Do I educate myself on parts, prices, work involved, work effort estimate before going into a shop for service? Yes I do (quite enjoy it actually for the time being)

If any/all of the above make me a PITA to deal with, so be it.... You (and others) are free to have your own opinion.

[tortoise]

Based on that long winded post I can see where he's coming from!

I don't think he ever said you were a PIA, but 68 emails is a lot.

[Gurgie]

Based on that long winded post I can see where he's coming from!

I don't think he ever said you were a PIA, but 68 emails is a lot.

I couldn't even read the entire post, too long on my phone & I'm enjoying some Zacapa while playing online poker with 7 buddies.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[Dante]

Based on that long winded post I can see where he's coming from!

I don't think he ever said you were a PIA, but 68 emails is a lot.

Actually never looked to see if that number is even accurate.... I assumed it is...

Curious, when you guys need a part for your car, don't you look around and try to get the best option all facts considered? Do you just hand over your keys to the shop and say knock yourself out and hand me the bill?  What am I doing differently that warrants this whole (repeated) reference?

[ArticSteve]

Is the AC working?

[rrocket]

Based on that long winded post I can see where he's coming from!

I don't think he ever said you were a PIA, but 68 emails is a lot.

Actually never looked to see if that number is even accurate.... I assumed it is...

Curious, when you guys need a part for your car, don't you look around and try to get the best option all facts considered? Do you just hand over your keys to the shop and say knock yourself out and hand me the bill?  What am I doing differently that warrants this whole (repeated) reference?

Service centers tend to dislike informed customers.  They can't make as much money off of them.

That being said....I'll look for a specific part (for a repair).  If I can find it quickly, I will.  If I can't, I move on to option 2.

I don't spend that much time on general repair parts.

If you sent me 68 e-mails, I'd probably want to burn your house down.      On the other hand, I've been to some service places where you'd need 68 e-mails to make sure they did the job right!   

[Gurgie]

Based on that long winded post I can see where he's coming from!

I don't think he ever said you were a PIA, but 68 emails is a lot.

Actually never looked to see if that number is even accurate.... I assumed it is...

Curious, when you guys need a part for your car, don't you look around and try to get the best option all facts considered? Do you just hand over your keys to the shop and say knock yourself out and hand me the bill?  What am I doing differently that warrants this whole (repeated) reference?

I go on RockAuto, pick the best priced OEM part, or equivalent, or best suitable replacement for the car & buy it. Depends for which car as well, the E90 gets better parts, the kids Mazda 3's get cheapo parts, the 951 when I had it was harder to find parts, so you were stuck with what you got. The Passport is new, no parts required yet. The SLK has needed only maintenance so far, no parts.

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[Firm]

It's very rare that I bring my vehicles to a shop, but when I do, it's always a shop that I trust, so I hand them my keys and say 'fix it'. They bill me and I pay it, end of story.  I am OK with that because if I am bringing my car to a shop I've already determined that I either (a) don't have the equipment or skill to perform that particular job myself or (b) I need it repaired ASAP and my situation (schedule, weather, whatever) prevents me from doing the job myself. If I can't do the job myself, and I am going to pay someone else to do it, then I let them select the parts because I want to be able to hold them accountable to the work. If they do the work, and they select the parts, then they've got no excuses if things to wrong.

Last time I had a car in a shop it was the XKR, at The Hire's shop for a transmission service. Handed him the keys, picked it up at the end of the day and paid the bill. Didn't ask what parts he used, or question the price, because I know that if something went wrong when I drove outta there, he'd stand behind the work that was done.

Edit: If I am doing the work myself, then I check CTC/PartSource (for obvious reasons) and RockAuto. Choose my brand/price and order away. Exception for the oddball cars where neither of those options have anything....I've been ordering Morgan stuff lately from the UK out of a paper catalogue 

[tortoise]

I basically do the same as Gurgie.

I'll look at some Canadian sites but they are never close in price.

Or I just let my mechanic pick whatever part they want, just did that for the Highlanders alternator. I've been going to them for fifteen years and I trust them.

And they don't seem to mind if I bring the parts, probably because I bring them good parts that always fit.

I also bring them a 6'er of beer or bottle of wine when they've gone above and beyond.

[PJungnitsch]

...I've been ordering Morgan stuff lately from the UK out of a paper catalogue 

   Remember touring that plant in Malvern. Parts of it were like a furniture factory

[Triple Bob]

Didn't ask what parts he used, or question the price, because I know that if something went wrong when I drove outta there, he'd stand behind the work that was done.

This is a good point. If you take it to a place you trust, you don't need to send them a spreadsheet full of parts numbers and prices. Just let them get on with it.

[rrocket]

Didn't ask what parts he used, or question the price, because I know that if something went wrong when I drove outta there, he'd stand behind the work that was done.

This is a good point. If you take it to a place you trust, you don't need to send them a spreadsheet full of parts numbers and prices. Just let them get on with it.

Exactly.

But this was his first time there, so he had to test drive them!   

[Dante]

Didn't ask what parts he used, or question the price, because I know that if something went wrong when I drove outta there, he'd stand behind the work that was done.

This is a good point. If you take it to a place you trust, you don't need to send them a spreadsheet full of parts numbers and prices. Just let them get on with it.

You seem to miss the point that I only did this ONCE (out of 3 visits at TheHire's shop) and only because I had it handy and I thought (wrongfully it appears) that it would be handy. Exception not the rule.

Also, there is more to the story that you probably don't know about (not that you should) but I will not get into details.....  I went in with full trust and I did not see how asking to have specific parts put in is a sign of mistrust....YMMV

[Dante]

I basically do the same as Gurgie.

I'll look at some Canadian sites but they are never close in price.

Or I just let my mechanic pick whatever part they want, just did that for the Highlanders alternator. I've been going to them for fifteen years and I trust them.

And they don't seem to mind if I bring the parts, probably because I bring them good parts that always fit.

I also bring them a 6'er of beer or bottle of wine when they've gone above and beyond.

Pretty much the same here... For FGCs I use Germanparts.ca as a local reference but most of the time I end up with Rockauto - if they carry the part I need. Their prices are unbeatable in most cases. Still bought stuff from Germanparts in few occasions when the prices were close or from partsavatar.ca one time.

For me, the issue is with the shop as until this year I used to take all my cars to the dealer, even the Outlander which is old, so I don't have a long standing relationship with an indy shop...

Taking the BMW to TheHire's shop last fall was a first in 18 years I think.

[Dante]

Is the AC working?

Yes Sir it does but it better do since the compressor is new.

[Dante]

If you sent me 68 e-mails, I'd probably want to burn your house down.      On the other hand, I've been to some service places where you'd need 68 e-mails to make sure they did the job right!  

Ha ha!!! ...    No, I did not send 68 emails - this would eventually be the total for the thread; I received probably as many as I sent... And then there was some of that too... Not the actual job per say, but stuff around it which I did not initiate yet had to deal with ...

[Ex-airbalancer]

Based on that long winded post I can see where he's coming from!

I don't think he ever said you were a PIA, but 68 emails is a lot.

Actually never looked to see if that number is even accurate.... I assumed it is...

Curious, when you guys need a part for your car, don't you look around and try to get the best option all facts considered? Do you just hand over your keys to the shop and say knock yourself out and hand me the bill?  What am I doing differently that warrants this whole (repeated) reference?

In your job what would you be pissed if a client sent you 68 emails about a minor job , I would be and probably drop them as a client
If you dealing with a lawyer , would you send 68 emails knowing you are charged for each one he reads ?
I take my car to place that I trust , go over the price before the work is start to make sure it fair

[TheHire]

Clarification, in fairness, the entire thread was 68 e-mails, not just Dante!

Regardless, you can't always make everyone happy, but I'm proud to say that most of our clients are regular repeats, and I've taken it upon myself to regularly ask customers for feedback given I'm fairly new at running this place. If there are people that have been around for years that have seen any changes that they don't like, I'm happy to look into them. I'm just looking to learn and make it a great work environment for my employees, and also a place that customers can trust and enjoy their experience at.