Rant: That customer who told me how to do my job on a Monday morning

Last month a guy in a Tesla pulled into my shop off I-35 in Austin. He told me the dent on his fender just needed a quick paintless repair. I looked at it and saw the metal was creased bad, not just a simple pop out. I explained it would need body filler and a repaint to look right. He got loud and said I was just trying to jack up the price. I stood my ground and told him PDR would leave a wavy mess. He left mad but came back two days later after three other shops said the same thing. Has anyone else had a customer fight you on the repair method like they know better?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_bailey15d ago

Did you read that study from a few years back about how people trust their own gut over expert advice when it comes to car repairs? I swear it's like some folks think reading a YouTube comment makes them a certified mechanic. Customers like that are usually just scared of the bill, but they should know arguing never fixes a creased panel.

martinez.paul15d ago

Has that whole "trust your gut" thing ever actually saved you money on a repair, or is it more like you just hate the feeling of being told your car needs work? I mean, I get being skeptical (especially with some shady shops out there), but your story about the tires is a perfect example of gut feeling being plain wrong. At what point do you think people should just accept they don't know as much as the guy with the tools and the training?

jamesc7915d ago

I remember when I stopped at a Firestone outside of Vegas about five years ago to get an oil change. The guy behind the counter told me my tires were down to 3/32 and needed replacing. I told him I just had them checked in California and they were fine (which was a lie, I just didn't want to spend money). He showed me the tread depth gauge reading and explained how bald tires get dangerous on wet roads. I argued for 15 minutes before driving off, then almost slid into a guardrail that same night during a flash rainstorm. Sometimes we really don't want to hear bad news about our stuff, you know?