[WolfyOne]

Selling auto parts for 15 years makes me understand why real mechanics are needed. So many times customers would come in, tell us what's wrong with their vehicles and expect us to diagnose the problem. Most times a neighbor or relative will do the work. I've often said, when whoever does the work tells you what part you need, come back. These people are called parts changers and will keep coming back to spend more money to fix a simple problem that their parts changer can't figure out. I always welcome these people when bonuses are given out. If they went to a real mechanic, I'd of made less.


Once a guy with a Caddy came in and said he had his front brake pads changed a month ago and couldn't stand the squealing anymore. I asked who did the work and he told me the garage, but he bout the pads himself at Auto Zone. I asked how much he paid and laughed when he told me. All I could do is go to the back, get 3 different sets of pads. Took them out of the box and lined them up on the counter. Showed him good, better and best. When he asked me about prices I thought he'd faint. I finally told him to make up his mind, I had other customers. Eventually he took the best ones I had and they weren't cheap for a Caddy, but you get what you pay for. In his case, it was paying to have his front brakes done again.


Sometimes you have to feel sorry for those that don't know much about cars and trust the people they know to do them right.

When I was a service manager at a garage and I'd have to tell a customer what was wrong with their car, all I'd hear is I don't have that kind of money and isn't there something else we can do to get them running. We call it putting a band-aid on a wound, but letting them know it will only last a short time and they'd have to come back again for another band-aid.