Could I get some opinions on this? Here's the story, the place where I have gone for years to do my state inspection was really pushing the automatic transmission flush a couple years ago. I do pretty much all my own work, so they really only see me for inspection and they asked if I wanted a flush and stated it is a good idea (they use the type of pump that uses the vehicles transmission pump). I wanted some more info, so I did some searching and found about 50/50 pros and cons. This year I decided to have them do it on my Durango.

They get finished and as I am paying the owner states that I should get the correct line put on my cooler. I asked what he was talking about (I know my vehicles well), and he stated that after they were done with the flush they couldn't get one of the cooler lines to stop leaking at the fitting. Long story short, it wasn't the line that needed to be disconnected that was leaking. The worker bee (the mechanic that did the job) is sitting there explaining a quick connect fitting and how it wasn't sealing correctly when he put it back on (I just let him go cause I wanted to hear what he had to say). I looked at the line and stated "That isn't the line you needed to disconnect." He stated that was correct (the owner was busy with another customer).


So I get back to the owner and informed him I was pretty stunned that I had brought my truck in for an inspection and flush and now I was leaving with a rubber hose where a pressure line used to be...and they felt no responsibility at all to fix the damage. They were so matter of fact about it, my mouth was on the floor and I just stared in silence for a second. I then summed up all the calmness I could muster and stated "You guys broke a line, that you didn't even need to touch and you expect me to pay for having it fixed." When the owner looked at me in wonder about my comment, I stated "You didn't need to touch that line." He looks at his mechanic and says "That wasn't the line for the flush?" The mechanic shakes his head.


The owner then informs me that he would get me the part at cost (of course that has nothing to do with labor or anything else). I still am stunned. Oh, by the way I got under my truck when I got home and from the tool marks I'm pretty certain the mechanic hit the fitting when he was trying to get the correct line off. I watched through the little window when he made a dash for his toolbox from under my truck. At the time I thought he was just trying to hurry and had left a tool. Now I wonder.

So my question to you guys is, do you think I am being unfair in expecting them to pay to have the line replaced? I won't let them do it because I now don't trust their work and have already got the price from the dealership.

 

I would make them fix it for free. They are the ones that cause the problem, not you. So you should not have to pay for it. especially since it is something that did not need to be touched.

 

No way in h### I'd be paying for that!! If they continue to refuse report then to the BBB and then stand at the doorway and let every potential customer know what they did and I bet so many of them will turn away they will give in and fix it just to make you go away. Or you can take the approach that I usually do since I have no patient and just blow the F up on them in front of a bunch of customers! I find I get the results I want %100 of the time that way lol

 

That actually works WONDERS LOL! Customer is always right, if not, they lose other customers cause that one is pissed.. LOL

 

That's pretty much my approach on it no one wants to be near the 6'4" 240lb pissed off screaming guy so they all leave

 

I'm glad im not the only one that had freak outs in the store to get my way... haha after seeing what certified mechanics do to my vehicles the few times ive brought them there...no thanks

 

see, i'm not that big, i'm only 5'10 and 155, but, I am agressive LOL

 

doesn't matter how big you are, so long as they thing you're unstable.

 

LOL yup, and when you are suposed to be on 5 different meds for mental disorders, and you are not because of insurance... haha

But back to the subject at hand... Make them pay, Their fault, not yours.

 

Thanks folks...I'm retired Army (NCO) and I am usually very good at helping people see the error in their ways. However, this one really had me flat-footed. Not because customer service in general has seem to go the way of the Dodo bird. But because it's a small town shop, pretty nice people and they have always been the type that show they are happy to have your business.

The part that caught me completely off guard is you could tell there was honestly no way they could understand my reasoning. They honestly didn't see it as their fault. Matter of fact the owner tried to explain to me that these things happen. He gave me an example on sometimes when their doing brake jobs, something breaks that wasn't part of the specific brake item to be repaired, so it is standard practice to charge the customer for it. I've done more brake jobs than I care to remember, from the most basic pad change to the more involved. I'm listening to him tell me this and I'm thinking to myself......Huh?

This one had me so off kilter that I told him I had to "process" this. For the life of me I could not see his side...not even a little bit. Normally I can see the other guys side...though they're always wrong But this was like him pointing to a clear blue sky and saying "See, the sky is purple with pink polka-dots." I walked out of there scratching my head thinking "Boy, I must be a real a**hole or something."

There is no way I'm letting them touch my truck. They will have to pay the bill to have it done (I'm not touching it, I'm having the dealer do it on this one).