Vent: Had a customer tell me I was 'overthinking' a timing chain job

This guy rolls in with a 2012 Ford Escape, saying his mechanic said it needs a new timing chain. I start pulling codes, checking oil pressure, looking for slack, and he says 'just throw the parts at it, stop wasting my time.' I changed my approach right then to always explain what I'm checking and why before giving a quote. Has anyone else had a customer push back on your diagnostic process just because they wanted a quick fix?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_foster5329d ago

Man, the "just throw the parts at it" crowd drives me nuts. I had a guy with a Chevy Silverado where the check engine light was on for a misfire. He wanted me to just replace all the spark plugs and coils without looking at anything else. I showed him the fuel trim numbers and explained how a vacuum leak could cause the same symptoms, and he got all huffy. Ended up being a cracked intake gasket that would've been way worse if he'd just thrown parts at it. After that I started showing people the actual data on my scanner screen before even talking about repairs. It doesn't always work, but most people chill out when they see the numbers with their own eyes.

emma68429d ago

Yeah, that "just fix it" mentality is the worst. @parker_foster53 I've had the same thing happen with a Ford F-150 where the guy was dead set on new coils when the real issue was a bad ground strap. I've started doing the same thing with my scanner, it's like a magic trick. Once they see the fuel trims jumping around or the O2 sensor readings all over the place, they usually back off and let me do my job. I had one guy who was about to buy a whole set of injectors until I showed him the live data for the crank sensor. It's like they trust a little screen more than a mechanic's word sometimes.