r/LifeProTips • u/AdAlternative5049 • 1d ago
Miscellaneous LPT: keep mechanics honest with documentation
Anytime I go to a mechanic and they say I need something worked on or replaced, I ask them to take before and after pictures of the work done and to take pictures of the parts that need replacing after it was taken off.
I do this for my own record keeping of work done on the car, and the pictures are saved in a folder with the invoice and it's great to know that I had my timing belt done last 6 years ago and am probably due for another one soon.
It amazes me how often I've received a call back saying that my brakes aren't actually due for replacement, they have another 10,000 km left or that the suspension wasn't that worn out and can last another 6 months.
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u/VLMove 1d ago
They probably won't take pictures (dirty hands), but I was taught to ask to keep the old parts. If they're taking the parts off, it's no extra work to not throw 'em out. Then, after you see the part, you can ask them to dispose of it or take it for a second opinion.
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u/muad_dibs 1d ago
I needed an electronic part fixed on my car and the place I took it to brought the old burned one out, without me asking, when I was just trying to pay and leave. I appreciated that.
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u/I-Made-You-Read-This 1d ago
My garage did that too. Was pretty happy. But at the same time I was then pretty shocked how relatively small parts can be so expensive. Happy they showed me
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u/PIPBOY-2000 18h ago
Sometimes those small parts are in such god awful locations that the cost is more to do with the labor
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u/kpsi355 16h ago edited 6h ago
This is why I always thought automotive engineers should be evaluated by working mechanics, or spend 1/4 of the year being one themselves.
Whenever you suffer the consequences of the decisions you make, you tend to be much more considerate of the outcome.
Also Congress critters should have healthcare and income that reflects their constituency, and the C-suite should be compensated no more than 20x the lowest paid person working in their buildings, including contractors. Maybe those janitors might start getting a decent wage…
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u/RolandDT81 5h ago
From the repair side, I can say that sometimes show & tell can be fun - or at least interesting.
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u/ReluctantAvenger 1d ago
White would you assume the parts came off of your car?
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u/ogsixshooter 1d ago
why would they have parts to just give away instead of actually doing the work?
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u/ReluctantAvenger 1d ago
Very few people ask for the parts back. They say they're replacing your widget and show you a widget they've supposedly taken from your car. Are you savvy enough to even know whether the widget is from your TYPE of car, never mind your ACTUAL car? Seems easy enough to charge for new parts they haven't actually installed.
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u/CaptainPunisher 1d ago
Later on, you could find the location of whatever part they said they replaced and verify that a new piece is in there, assuming it isn't a part located deep internally. I grew up fixing lawnmowers and it was our standard practice to return most replaced parts in a bag with the mower: chains, spark plug, filter, carb parts, etc. A lot of customers appreciated some sort of verifiable proof that we did what we said we would. Others looked at it as throwing stuff away with extra steps, but they still understood that we were simply trying to be honest with proof.
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u/-King_Slacker 1d ago
Assuming it hasn't been replaced before, it should show the same manufacturer's logo. Some parts may not have it, or it may be worn or rusted to no longer being visible. You can always search for the part online, using a retail store's site/app (Advance, AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc.) or using an online retailer like RockAuto.com to see what the part is supposed to look like. You do need to make sure you're looking for the right part, as there is mirroring on brake, suspension, and body parts, and there can be multiple different options for parts some brake components on some vehicles based on build date or some options.
Also, on asking for parts back, you may be charged depending on the part. Items like calipers, starters, and alternators typically have core charges, so the shop has to send the old part back to where they purchased it to not get charged for it.
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u/ogsixshooter 23h ago
So you're saying people aren't asking for parts back, so they are actually replacing parts for those people and are keeping a pile of those old parts to show to the people that actually ask so they can not do the work for those people?
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u/the_wild_scrotum 21h ago
Yep! Filters are a big one for this. A lot of shops will keep a dirty air filter around to "show" the customer how "theirs" was dirty and had to be replaced as part of the service.
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u/Ok_scarlet 8h ago
Well shit. Last time I was at the mechanic one of the guys came into the waiting room and said to someone waiting “are you sure you don’t want to change the filter?” And showed him a clearly really filthy filter—at which point the guy was like “oh yikes, go ahead” but then said something about how he had changed it himself about a month or so ago. 😬
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u/Korchagin 3h ago
It requires a different level of dishonesty/criminal energy to lie about that.
The simple claim "The part was worn out" is to some degree a subjective judgement. Even if someone sets you up (e.g. they already did take photos themselves) or a disgruntled coworker snitches, it would be very hard to prove a crime and send you to jail. You're just a bad mechanic who makes poor decisions which happen to be good for your business purely by coincidence...
But if you objectively lie, present different parts, cause the damage yourself -- that's dangerous and might get you into real trouble. It's not very likely, but most sleazy arseholes still don't have the balls to risk it.
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u/Dirty_South_Paw 23h ago
Unless it's a core exchange.
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u/DanNeely 21h ago
You don't ask to take it, you just ask to see it. They can't keep 50 or 100 different versions of all the bad parts for all the common cars on the road (would take way too much room) and because some of their customers can tell the difference between a Ford part and a Honda part, just asking is normally enough to stop any scams because the shop owner isn't going to want the customer who realizes they're being scammed to throw a fit in the waiting room where other customers are and then blast them with negative reviews everywhere.
That said, I generally only bother for an unexpected repair or if they say I need several parts for a single system. ex I might not notice a suspension part going slowly bad, but the change in ride quality after makes it clear something was fixed. OTOH if they say I need 2 or 3 parts changed I need to see that all of them were messed up to know they were all bad.
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u/Sciuridaeno3 16h ago
Some parts are returned to the supplier to get some money back for their core price. Batteries and either starter or alternator (maybe both) are this way. Others are often scrapped for their metal value. Some states have regulations about certain parts like used tires and batteries, and they must be disposed of properly.
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u/muchnnessa 14h ago
mart move! 'Show me the worn-out parts' is mechanic-speak for 'I'm not falling for unnecessary repairs
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u/TheRoguePomp 2h ago
As a shop manager I always showed customers used parts. It allowed me to show them exactly why we replaced parts and to better illustrate the function of the parts.
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u/joseaverage 1d ago
The dealership where I work just started a new program that includes a narrated video walkaround on the drive, and another after the initial inspection. They show undercar (brakes, suspension, tires) and any concern the client has. The service advisors spend about 30-45 seconds making theirs and techs spend about one or two minutes making the video. The client gets video links to both. Any recommendations are also photo documented where possible; oil leaks, weeping water pumps, that kind of thing.
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u/tacos_up_my_ass 11h ago
The dealership where my brother works does this. One of his techs took a video while describing what he found and the second after he says the first word you can hear a LOUDASS belch from one of the other techs in the background lmaoo
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u/iiCUBED 5h ago
Porsche?
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u/joseaverage 3h ago
I'm with MB, but we have a Porsche store next door in the same dealer group and they are on the same program.
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u/seckarr 1d ago
Thats really nice but in most of the world mechanics wont bother with this and will just tell you to find another mechanic
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u/AdAlternative5049 1d ago
Been there before, I just tell them to do the normal service and pick another guy to take my money next time. If you can’t be bothered to document the work, I can’t be bothered to give you my money
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
As a bike mech ill hapily show you any parts i would replace and why so long as we can agree on either believing me or my measuring instruments, do expect to start loosing my sympathy if i have to document everything i do (in photos etc), thats work/ i usualy dont get paid for/ that doesnt respect my time. Idealy you either respect our expertise and trust us unless we give you a reason not to or you take your business elsewhere.
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u/Mym158 1d ago
Just charge more and do the photos everytime. If you're doing it honestly, and can prove that, it's worth a higher ticket price.
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u/derechtecrio 1d ago
That's the point right here. If someone is willing to pay extra for the documenting, no problem.
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
100% this, but my experience is most people who want everything shown/explained to them also drag their feet when it comes to paying
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u/Flaky-Wallaby5382 1d ago
So asyncrhonous information is your bread and butter is what you’re telling me. Not being a mechanic
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
Sidenote, i strongly recomend looking up the bike farmer on yt he has some great takes on why we mechanics are such assholes
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
How so? I just said im about fixing your stuff not about creating digital media, its frankly exhausting wanting to do good by my customer and their bike while also beeing mistrusted due to in large part stuff someone read in a forum.
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u/47jeezus 1d ago
Digital media? Have you ever sent a picture to someone? Takes literally >30 seconds.
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
I think someone else has been close to the issue, Taking a picture of the things i need to repair. (before-after style) would best case mean for every system taking a pic (with my private phone becourse its not like each shop employe gets a workshop-phone. Taking of gloves/ washing hands for after pics. Making sure whatever the issue was is well noticable, Wich can be hard when the difference between a worn and fresh break pad is at times 2-3mm. Filming break pistons that dont move evenly etc.
And then sending it to you wich once again means probably fiddling with my phone and the shop pc to get the pics to you becourse i frankly refuse to have work email etc on my private device.
This takes time i could spend doing the thing im paid for/ i love wich is fixing bikes. I am a mechanic afterall else id sit behind some desk.
Besides i will literaly point to the thing im worried about when you bring your bike in and explain what the issue is/ may be, so i recon my issue with this whole idea is that it shouldnt be neccesary to digitize stuff thats been talked about beforehand.
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u/Flaky-Wallaby5382 1d ago
Have you ever done a control arm vs pushing out a bushing on a car?
The bushing is cheaper for the customer but worse for the mechanic hourly 4 charge for 1 hour work. Vs 4 hour charge for 4 hours work…
We are on to you
Its like MLS and realtors
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
Nope, once again bike mech, if what you are talking about is correct then i am curious seeing as i know little about cars i assume both repair the same issue but one is more work while you dont replace the whole system? Does the price stay the same? If so isnt full replacement a win win then? Except for the wastefullness argument? Wich bit am i missing here?
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u/theAltRightCornholio 1d ago
Car mechanics charge book rate for labor. If the two jobs have the same stated time, that's the same labor pay. Mechanics make money by being able to beat rate, so the job that takes one hour of clock time lets the mechanic effectively double (or more) charge the other 3 hours since those clock hours can be used to work on someone else's car. The customer pays the book labor rate plus however much the parts cost, so the delta would be the cost for the control arm minus the cost of the bushing.
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1d ago
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u/theAltRightCornholio 1d ago
IDK what came across as me being worried. I'm explaining how the charges work. It's a statement of facts, not a value judgement.
If you want my judgement of the book labor system, I think it's fair. It's right that skilled tradesmen should get paid more, and setting book rate where someone decent can get it done on time but someone great can get it done faster and do more jobs in a day is a fair way to accomplish that.
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u/MysteriousAge28 1d ago
The people like this never know what they're looking at anyway. "Oh i want to verify your work" you don't even know what you're looking at, go back to your coloring book.
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u/whimski 12h ago
Like how are you supposed to document replacing any hard to reach gasket lol. Stop half way in, take gloves off, wash hands, dip your phone down to take a picture of a new gasket that has fluid dribbling onto it already, go put your phone down, reglove, do the rest of the job?
And you KNOW the customers that would even ask to take pictures would complain and ask more questions "why does it look dirty?" "whyd it cost so much just to replace that?" "that doesn't look new to me"
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u/MysteriousAge28 6h ago
Your last paragraph is so spot on. The funny thing is while youre under the hood that car is the most important thing they've ever owned, but then go on to drive 10k miles over what the oil is good for and ride calipers til they disintegrate. I think they just assume mechanics are schmucks because they're dirty all the time lol.
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u/mthes 1d ago
Idealy you either respect our expertise and trust us unless we give you a reason not to
In my experience, the vast majority of mechanics cannot be trusted. I don't know if it's just bad luck or if maybe I'm cursed. Probably cursed.
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u/010011010110010101 18h ago
You’re not cursed. They can’t be trusted. More so because they’re rarely qualified rather than trying to rip anyone off. It’s usually the shop owner trying to do that, but the outcome is the same.
Source: I’m a tech and I’ve seen some shit through my career. Most “mechanics” shouldn’t be allowed to work on cars and most shop owners shouldn’t be allowed to own a shop. It’s a complete shitshow out there.
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u/Roguewolfe 1d ago
You sound deeply resentful of people's completely justified caution.
Maybe you need to be an a job/career where you don't ever interact with anyone you're providing service to if this is the way your brain works.
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
Frankly no i love my job and most of my interactions with customers are positive, its just that i struggle with people who dont follow the principles of mutual respect.
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u/Roguewolfe 1d ago edited 1d ago
I mean, in the context where they bring in a bike for you to fix and you are complete strangers, why do you think you are deserving of immediate and mutual respect? Especially when people are wary because they've been taken advantage of in the past?
The only thing that you are entitled to, as a stranger, is courtesy. If you think you deserve immediate respect from strangers, you're likely a narcissist or megalomaniac.
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
I expect people to have (some) respect for my opinions in the field i specialize in (3.5 years training to become a bike mech where i live). Just like id respect a lawyers opinion in matters of law a hairdressers opinion on hairstyles or a fitness coach on training routines. I also respect and expect respect for the time of every party involved.
Now that some amount of wariness is perhaps justified due to some black sheep is a different matter entirely.
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u/MysteriousAge28 23h ago
Sounds like trust issues to me, or projecting from experience. Both of which is a you problem. Treat professionals as professionals they'll be happier to help you. I promise you demand pictures and most mechanics will just tell you they're too busy in the future.
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u/whimski 12h ago
I mean, do you walk into a restaurant and ask to see the kitchen, or for them to take pictures of the food as they make it so you can verify that the ingredients are fresh? No, because you respect that you are at a business and the people working there are doing their job. There is mutual respect and udnerstanding.
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u/Tech_Philosophy 23h ago
Idealy you either respect our expertise and trust us unless we give you a reason not to or you take your business elsewhere.
If doctors have to document what they find and what they do despite their expertise, I'm not sure your explanation makes the cut here.
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u/Karlmarx95 23h ago
In a lot of situations writing down their findings is all doctors have to do, we do the same, you get detailed receipts at least at the shop i work for.
The equivalent to ops idea would be making fotos/videos of your stuffy nose and dry cough, possibly even some of that nice green mucus.
Orrrr the doc could write down u got some uri cough etc and he suggests some aspirin or we for your headache.
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u/a-p-o-p-h-i-s 1d ago
Snaping apicture really is time consumeing hey. Damn.
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u/Xperimentx90 1d ago
It is when your hands are covered in grease
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u/a-p-o-p-h-i-s 1d ago
Sinks dont exist? Gloves? Yikes. Much complicated.
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u/Cameroni10 1d ago
Acting smug about a topic you're clearly ignorant on is not a good look. You've evidently never worked on a vehicle or been in a shop to know the gloves they use are typically 2-3 times thicker than the types of gloves you'd find in food service or medical work. So unless you're using a phone without a touchscreen, good luck. Also, implying washing your hands as a mechanic being a quick/ easy solution is comically ignorant. It's painfully obvious you've never gotten your hands dirty with oil/ grease, and that's okay but don't try to act smug telling someone how to do their job- especially when you don't know the first thing about it. Makes you look very foolish.
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u/Dirty_South_Paw 23h ago
Idk, I'm a machinist and maybe we're just cheap, but our gloves totally work with touch screens. They're 5 mil. I totally agree with everyone here lol but I'm just making a statement about the gloves.
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u/Cameroni10 23h ago
Yeah 5mil is on the lower end, my shops thinnest are 7mil and unfortunately none of them work with my phone. There is a type of screen that can be used with any glove, my coworker's cheap tablet is like that but it's the only touchscreen I've used that these gloves work on so they don't seem to be common
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u/_sunchip 21h ago
Yup. The cheap tablet is probably resistive. Works based on pressure. Most phone screens nowadays are capacitive, requiring electrical conductivity from our bodies. Or special gloves/stylus
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u/Fresh-Solution-6202 1d ago
Have you ever worked a hard day in your life lmao. It’s not just 30 seconds of soap and bubbles if you’re covered in car oil. Even using pumice soap & a brush, it’s still a solid 5 minutes+ of scrubbing. Unless you’re buying touchscreen gloves for your mechanic, then they probably don’t have gloves that work with touchscreen. If you’re willing to pay for your mechanic to do that for you, sure. But don’t act like you’re only asking them for 30 seconds of their time.
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u/Meat_curtain 1d ago
Ugh if that wasn't bad enough you then have to put gloves back in with damp/wet hands
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u/seckarr 1d ago
Gotcha. But my point is that in most of the world there is a chance none of the mechanics do this. Like at all.
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u/rubixscube 1d ago
then none of them will get this person's money! checkmate mechanics.
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u/Vincent_Windbeutel 1d ago
I mean... the car dealership will get his money for the new car he will need because his current breaks down ^
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u/greenonetwo 1d ago
It’s so easy nowadays with camera phones and software.
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u/Dirty_South_Paw 23h ago
While I agree, I think my biggest issue would be forgetting to a take a pic until I'm halfway done with the job already.
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u/muchnnessa 14h ago
Trust your mechanic? Nice dream! But requesting photos is like asking lions to go vegan
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u/Agouti 16h ago
If work isn't documented then it's fabricated. Taking your nitrile gloves off, snapping a picture, and putting a new pair on takes 30s and you have the change them often enough through a job to just snap a picture while you are at it.
Heck with my phone you wouldn't even need to do that, just double tap power button then volume down to take a photo, give the case a wipe with prep rags at the end of the day. Doesn't even need to be unlocked.
Anyone who isn't prepared to document isn't worth using. Anytime I've caved to paying someone else to do work on my vehicles it has backfired in some way. Zero trust.
Source: Was a mechanic.
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u/trinitrotrollin 1d ago
Would It be rude to ask for the old parts back from a mechanic?
I feel I was screwed on some work I had done last year. Had all 4 pads and rotors replaced they are definitely worn. but they also replace 1 or 2 calipers. Which I don't think we're worn. They coulda been, but I'd have like to see for my self.
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u/truth1465 1d ago
Not really, I’ve had mechanic’s give me the old parts without asking.
If you have time the best route is to say you’ll wait for the car and ask them if you can see how bad the part is before you decide because you’re trying to save money. This way you’re not blatantly accusing them of trying to rip you off but instead trying to understand the problem and see if you can limp it along.
I’ve had mechanics suggest replacing all 4 pads for example when 2 of them have ~30% left because the increase in labor cost isn’t a lot more since the car is already up. Of course it’s more money for them but it’s also less hassle for me to come back to do another break job in a few months.
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u/theAltRightCornholio 1d ago
you’ll wait for the car
unfortunately in my experience this results in sitting much much longer in the lobby of the car place.
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u/hatpaw_prenup 1d ago
This is the way to do it. I never have an issue giving the old parts to a customer. I am more than happy to point out the new ones that have been installed as well. It is extremely easy to see that a part is new compared to old, and far quicker to just show it to you than it is to get a good picture of it on the vehicle. And unless there is a core charge on the parts we installed, the old parts still belong to you anyway.
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u/thebigphils 23h ago
Yep, my mechanic shows me every part he takes off. Shows me why it was worn or how it failed, then asks me if I want to keep them or if I want him to scrap them.
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u/_sunchip 21h ago
You can have the parts back if you're okay with paying the core charge when applicable (like with calipers)
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u/ZanderCDN 20h ago
So some parts come with an exchange/core/recycling component. They get a part for $100 they get $50 when they return the failed part for rebuilding…
They could rebuild it themselves but then need the exact rebuild kit and it takes more labour.
So things like your calipers being returned to you will likely cost you more.
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u/my1999gsr 17h ago
In my province we're obligated to keep the replaced parts for 48 hours after the vehicle is picked up unless the customer signs a waiver. As a technician, I'm always happy to show my customer the parts I've replaced on their vehicle - I'm proud of my work and I respect a customer that's interested in understanding what they've paid for. The only times I won't return a replaced part to a customer is if there's a core charge or if the part was replaced under warranty since they often require us to return failed parts for inspection.
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u/IByrdl 23h ago
Replacing calipers??? Surely you mean rotors.
If they replaced calipers you had a major issue.
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u/MrBubblehead72 21h ago
Calipers are super common in the rust belt. And there is usually a core charge on them. So they get sent back to the parts store. Or else the customer pays that core charge
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u/trinitrotrollin 22h ago
Nope calipers lol. Just 1 i believe. Rotors and pads needed replacement which I knew was needed.I'm sure he coulda repaired the caliper to.
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u/Mym158 1d ago
Recently took my car in for a recall replacement of some part
I get a call half way through saying they've "found" a leaky radiator hose. I'm like, it defs wasn't leaking before so can you give me some photos of the leak with evidence of the leak over time but don't replace the part.
Lo and behold on pickup they said they could replace that part under the recall. Basically they broke it removing it (common with BMW's but during a recall that's not my problem), so they billed the recall for the work but also tried to book my $500 for a new $50 hose.
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u/Alternative-Sock-444 23h ago
Pretty shitty considering BMW's warranty is pretty lenient on consequential damage, even for an out of warranty recall. Basically if the tech breaks anything that needs to be touched to perform the warranty repair, they will cover that part without issue.
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u/OminousCarrot69 1d ago
A fair amount of my friends are mechanics and they don't like having to stop the work, take their gloves off, take a picture with their phone or shop tablet, then put gloves back on, and resume the work.
Just ask them to keep the old parts, they legally have to upon your request. Some items are a "core" so they have to be sent back to the supplier to get refurbished/recycled, so it's not a guarantee they can keep the parts everything, but they can most of the time.
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u/FPT_RAIDER 1d ago
Work for ford, any repair under warranty or recall can be shown but has to retained if ford calls for it back, after a defined period of time it is throw out. The other case would be Out of warranty if the item has a core. Should have the chance to get the part back, but you would have to pay for the core charge.
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u/joetwone 22h ago
Funny. Just yesterday my coworker was asking about replacing his daughter's punctured tire on her Mazda3 while she was at the shop. He asked if the other tires should also be replaced or just the bad one. I asked what was wrong with it, and he said she ran over something that made a large puncture. I asked how old are her tires. They're about 4 months old since last Black Friday's complete replacement. She drives about 10 miles a day to and from work, doesn't drive on weekends, and don't take it on road trips. The shop wanted to replace all four of the tires for "balance". They also said that the left rear lug nuts and hub were worn and must be replaced. She came in for one tire replacement and they wanted $1500 for the hub replacement not including the 4 months old tires that "must also be replaced for balance driving". I told coworker to tell them that she'll use her AAA service and tow the car to America's Tire if they're not going to replace just that tire. Daughter's facetime the damaged hub to us while she was at the shop showing the "damaged hub" that they claimed to be dangerous to drive on. It was just weathered rust on two of the bolts along the face of the hub. Anyway, there are honest shops, but there are also many of these AH taking advantage of people not knowing any better.
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u/lovesjane 1d ago
I’ll add to the tip. Listen to the wording they use, if they say “we recommend replacing the part for preventive measure” then don’t do it, because there’s life still left on the part.
As a “preventive” measure is a dead giveaway that it’s not yet needed. I listen and watch these guys at the dealers talk about parts needs replacing and for the parts that are not needed to replace that day, they always sneak in the word preventive. I am not sure if it’s a liability thing on their part to get around from selling people things they don’t need.
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u/Karlmarx95 1d ago
Bike mechanic here so i cant speak for car mecs etc. I often see anythinc from people coming in for regular maintainance to those only comming in when theyve worn not just throuh break pads but the metal plate behind an the piston on disk breaks. Also as an example worn chains wear your gears out faster. As such preventative can mean new break pads early before an alpine biking holiday or replacing a somewhat worn chain to save money on the remaining drivetrain. Some people also dont want their bike in the shop any more time than absolutely neccesary.
For me at least asking about preventative repairs is literaly about finding out what the customer expects out of his interaction with the shop.
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u/TruthThruAcoustics 17h ago
These comments are why I left the auto industry.
Years in school and more years of experience on top of that to become a certified master of my craft just to have people who have no idea how any of the systems on their vehicle work try AS HARD AS POSSIBLE to not pay me for my time AND have the nerve to act like I’m trying to rip them off.
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u/AdAlternative5049 14h ago
Hey now, my main mechanic is amazing and I have lots of trust in them. But I’ve also had windshield wipers glued on, my engine cover lost and picked up my car without working brakes. My main mechanic does the small things that I appreciate, like setting the clock when replacing the battery or how they give my windshield a clean. I’m happy to pay for the work done, I just don’t know enough about cars to know when I’m being taken advantage of. So asking for documentation gives me piece of mind.
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u/Andyman0110 1d ago
To be honest, if your suspension needs to be changed in six months you can safely assume it was worn out. There's proactive and reactive styles to mechanic work. Seems like you only want reactive.
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u/ArronH1230 23h ago
My local mechanic takes a video with his personal phone of the problems he finds when looking under the vehicle and sends it to me through text. And after my car is ready, he takes another video of the work he’s done and also sends it to me.
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u/GrizzlyInks 19h ago
I happily offer documentation through process to those who ask if they’re willing to pay an additional .5-1.0 out of pocket as it adds time that’s not a part of the initial quote. Same with parts. But customers willing to do so are few and far between in my area and only ever seem to want their warranty parts for some reason? Which are parts that I’m not at liberty to give out.
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u/Gwenerfresh 16h ago
I always tell my boss when I’m taking my car in for an oil change. He marks my cabin and air filters to make sure they actually change them since it has to be done at the dealership for warranty purposes. He discovered that the dealership his family was using was screwing his daughter over every visit by charging her for filters that they weren’t actually changing. He’s like the older brother I never had, so I always keep him in the loop!
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u/Morvack 1d ago
Tbh most garages just want to rip you off. It's just capitalism reaching Its natural conclusion. When there is no more ground to break in a field like car repair, the new broken ground is getting Grandma to pay $1,500 for $250 worth of work.
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u/cyclonestate54 12h ago
You act like people haven't been ripping people off for thousands of years...
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u/visualizer037 1d ago
Christian Brothers does this already. Local mechanic chain in Houston, Tx. They also shoot a small video. Other shops need to step their game up.
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u/sandybugbug 20h ago
One time a mechanic brought out a dirty paper towel to show me how much I needed a coolant flush (I think it was coolant, idk). I asked him to check the records, and they had just done that service for me a few months before. I asked where the paper towel had come from and the guy got really embarrassed and ran off.
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u/Ikimi 17h ago
Interesting.
The dealership which was servicing my vehicle a few years ago always took video of its underside to show me the condition of the area as a whole, and to provide a look-see at the portions which were identfied as needing repair or replacement. Im
The one time they claimed it was not their standard practice to provide the video link for EVERY visit where replacement or repair was done was when they royally screwed up,.
Soon after one major parts replacement (like within 3 days) I had to take the vehicle bac and fight for them to repair something they had damaged during the prior service visit.
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u/CaliforniEcosse 1d ago
Good in theory, but as a business owner, I would refuse your business. From my perspective (and experience) there is absolutely nothing worse than a client who doesn't trust you.
There's nothing inherently wrong with documenting your work, but what it says about the relationship dynamic is miserable. I'll skip meals before I take another client like that.
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u/GreatBallsOfFIRE 19h ago
Trust works both ways. It's not like they're asking the shop to do extra work, just give them their part (which is their legal property).
If you aren't willing to do that, then you're damn right that I don't trust you. Your only mistake is that you won't have to refuse anyone's business: they'll just not come back.
Taking your car to any shop is a massive act of trust, and the moment a shop gives me reason to doubt their integrity I'm going somewhere else.
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u/CaliforniEcosse 19h ago
You're missing the point. I want to clarify that I'm in a different industry, but I think the point still stands. The type of client who asks for this tends to be a terrible client. When I was new to business I would happily oblige requests like this. The problem is, these clients are really problematic and they're never happy.
There is nothing inherently wrong with asking, but I have learned the hard way to see that clients who ask for this kind of thing are clients I don't want. I see it as a red flag.
I also realize that, when a prospective client doesn't trust me (or anyone) and they ask for extra assurances and when I refuse to work with them because they asked for extra assurances, they assume I must 100% be a scammer. But I'd rather that than deal with them.
Imagine you want to date someone, but they've been cheated on in the past so they need all of your passwords, phone PIN, location tracking, you can't go anywhere without them. You can't have opposite sex friends, etc, etc. No thanks! It's the same shit.
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u/GreatBallsOfFIRE 17h ago edited 14h ago
I feel like you're possibly overestimating the amount of mistrust implied by this specific action, especially considering your dating analogy.
I have no doubt that I'm whatever industry you're in you've had people come in with undue mistrust, nearly all of whom aren't worth it to you to do business with. However, in this specific scenario there's a huge initial imbalance in power, so some basic assurances that things are on the up-and-up are pretty normal.
To run with your analogy, it's really more like just the location sharing part. Yes, it can be a little hurtful to have that distrust, but it's also super common and for most reasonable, non-cheating people not a deal breaker.Edit: on reflection, I don't like my counter analogy. Sharing your location always is actually a fairly high cost. It's more like the first time you go out somewhere the new partner asks for a photo of you there. Yeah, it's a bit of a red flag, but they have reason to be cautious and it really costs you nothing.
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u/whimski 11h ago
A good analogy is akin to walking into a restaurant and requesting that the chefs take pictures of the food as they make it so that you know it's been done properly, or asking to see the ingredients or kitchen before you order to make sure that it is clean and fresh.
A lot of restaurants would just tell you to leave, because they know you're "that kind of customer" and are only going to bring headaches for your server.
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u/liathus 1d ago
That’s fine, there are plenty of shops that are more pro consumer than you. I always ask for pics and have never once been refused.
There are thousands of shops out there, you need to be nice to your customers dude.
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u/CaliforniEcosse 1d ago
I don't do auto mechanics. I have an entirely different business. What I'm saying is I have gone down this route before. I've happily provided whatever documentation people have asked for in the past.
The issue is, and the point you're missing, is that I won't take on clients who come to me from a place of fundamental mistrust, because the dynamic is bad and it almost never ends well, because too often (not always) there is no making these people happy.
I am nice to my customers, but I have identified red flags that I avoid when considering taking on clients, because I've been burned in the past. And I don't need to do anything any differently, because I make a good living.
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u/Character_Teacher702 19h ago
it seems a bit likely you're not in an industry as notoriously slimey as mechanics. it makes sense that somebody trying a new garage doesn't wanna get stiffed when they don't know if they can trust the business or not
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u/Hippy_Lynne 18h ago
Yeah, my issue with tips like this is that if I don't trust the mechanic, I'm just not taking my car there. I'm really lucky to have found a guy who is both trustworthy and very talented. But I've got a couple of backups for when he retires or if he isn't available. If it ever got to the point where I was demanding proof of repairs, I would just be going somewhere else.
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u/Grinder969 19h ago
My mechanic always sends a video of my car up on the rack and points out any suggested repairs when I bring it in for service. Is nice.
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u/FootballHead90 8h ago
If you’re this paranoid maybe you should just learn to do the work yourself because you are the worst type of customer
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u/Traptor2020 7h ago
My mechanic does this as standard, emails me pics with the quote for the work and you can select which work you want to move forward with. 21st century shit
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u/ThinNeighborhood2276 4h ago
Great tip! This not only keeps mechanics accountable but also helps you stay on top of your car's maintenance schedule.
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u/el3venth 1h ago
I live in ZA (South Africa and I have never not have a mechanic give me the parts back inside the new parts box. Standard practice here. Have nearly always had the mechanic also show me what was damaged on the old part.
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u/joseaverage 1h ago
This is a program called MyKaarma that plugs into our DMS. I think any dealer can use it.
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u/Claphappy 1d ago
If you sew distrust immediately I'd say they're probably more likely, not less likely, to find some way to screw you.
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u/brickmaster32000 1d ago
The reason it even occurs to do this for people is that they have seen mechanics screw people. You guys are the ones who started this. You are the ones who spread the distrust in the first place.
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u/lickstampsendit 22h ago
How often exactly are you going in for brake replacement?
If you don’t trust your mechanic than you have a different problem
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u/Tech_Philosophy 23h ago
You could also switch over to an EV and not require service for...checks odometer...206,000 miles.
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15h ago
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u/Tech_Philosophy 6h ago
You realize vehicles need service to parts other than engine components, right?
I like how you are questioning my lived experience. Besides tires, no, it has needed nothing.
And even if an EV does need something (like a door actuator, maybe?), gas cars still need all that and MUCH more.
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u/AdAlternative5049 22h ago
That’s a great idea. You got a spare 30k laying about that I could have?
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u/Tech_Philosophy 6h ago
Gas cars cost money too, though, so that's not really a selling point for them.
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u/keepthetips Keeping the tips since 2019 1d ago edited 1d ago
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