Mechanic bill........what would you do?

[Bucks45]

I've asked for help on here with an overheat problem to the point it makes me nauseous. You guys were awesome, but I couldn't find the problem. I decided to check out a shop about 1/2 an hour from my house. Called them and spoke to the service manager. Explained the situation, he said we charge $85/hr, but shouldn't take us more than an hour. Great! I took the boat over, talked to him again, he confirmed that it shouldn't be more than an hour. He called me today and told me that while they had the drive off they saw I need a new gimbal bearing. I told him that I have a brand new one at the house and will bring it right over. While I was there he mentioned that they have about 2 hours into the boat. They had already replaced the gimbal bearing with one off of the shelf. Said they would probably have a total of 3, maybe 3 1/2. I was polite, but said what happened to 1 hour. He really didn't have an answer for it. He called tonight, said they found a couple of obstructions and the boat was ready to be picked up. I asked about the bill. He says, "Well, we've got 5 hours into it"! I just said, "Well, I'll be by in the morning". I'm not cheap, but I went into this thinking it was going to cost about $100. When it went to around $250 I didn't cause a stink, but now it's over $400. I'm not sure what I should do. Do I pay the bill and shut up (the wife will kill me. We have two kids graduating in two weeks, I told her this would only be $100), or do I go in and politely raise hell? What would you guys do? By the way, I've never used the shop before.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Pay the bill ,live and learn.
I think you got a very reasonable bill actually.

Its more common to hear " I spent $1200 and the problem isn't fixed".
I see that in the repair forums all the time.

 

[DJ]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

If it's fixed, you're out cheap. You paid for expertise. That is hard to quantify.

 

[sprintst]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Obstructions cleared and gimbal bearing replaced for that price is a good deal.

Next time you'll need to get the quote in writing as that happened to me as well once before. As long as the quality of work is good then you're all right.

 

[DJ]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Obstructions cleared and gimbal bearing replaced for that price is a good deal.

Next time you'll need to get the quote in writing as that happened to me as well once before. As long as the quality of work is good then you're all right.

I don't disagree but an "obstruction" can be a bit nebulous and difficult to diagnose.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

The only thing in your description that seems out of line to me, is in your approval of 1 hour in labor, only to find out that parts were replaced and additional time was spent, without your apporval. If the shop did not at least call you to give a complete description of the problem, plus an estimate to fix it, they are out of line.

On the other side of things, if you feel confident that their diagnosis is correct, you would most likely have paid as much anyway. You should also not bank on the thought that a repair shop will install your parts - many won't. Even those that do, usually will not warranty the repair at all.

My take on this, is to take your boat home and enjoy it for the summer, but I would have a chat with the service manager or owner, just to tell him that I didn't appreciate an unauthorized repair job. You might also tell him that this is true in general and especially so, because you were reserving funds for graduation related expenses.



???

 

[DJ]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

The only thing in your description that seems out of line to me, is in your approval of 1 hour in labor, only to find out that parts were replaced and additional time was spent, without your apporval. If the shop did not at least call you to give a complete description of the problem, plus an estimate to fix it, they are out of line.

On the other side of things, if you feel confident that their diagnosis is correct, you would most likely have paid as much anyway. You should also not bank on the thought that a repair shop will install your parts - many won't. Even those that do, usually will not warranty the repair at all.

My take on this, is to take your boat home and enjoy it for the summer, but I would have a chat with the service manager or owner, just to tell him that I didn't appreciate an unauthorized repair job. You might also tell him that this is true in general and especially so, because you were reserving funds for graduation related expenses.



???

Agreed. We don't know if there was communication. If there was-no issue. If not-issue.

Anyway, a lot of marine dealers could learn a lot about customer service techniques.

The dealer I deal with is absolutely top shelf. I'll give them a plug.

Surfside Marina-Logan-Martin Lake, Alabama.

 

[Bucks45]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Agreed. We don't know if there was communication. If there was-no issue. If not-issue.

Anyway, a lot of marine dealers could learn a lot about customer service techniques.

The dealer I deal with is absolutely top shelf. I'll give them a plug.

Surfside Marina-Logan-Martin Lake, Alabama.

All of the communication was after the fact. That's the part that I have the problem with. If they had told me that it would be atleast 5 hours at $85/hr I would have still taken the boat in, but may have waited until after graduation. The boat was still usable. It only overheated at idle. Also, I completely agree about supplying my own parts. I was suprised when he said to go ahead and bring it in. What I didn't mention in the first post is that I'm not sure they even fixed it correctly. He told me that they had to take the thermostat out (which was new). I had a bad connection and I'm not sure if he said he put it back in or not. From everything that I've read on here, you don't want to run your boat without one.

 

[DJ]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Understood. In that case, that is just a poor business practice. as stated, marine dealers, in general, need some "education".

Yes, you NEED a thermostat.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Yes you need a stat. Awful though it may sound if you have a verbal agreement initially with a dealer write it down and you both sign it before the work commences. Keeps everyone honest.

 

[kend301]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Alot will depend on state laws. In NC in the Automotive industry a repair order is a legal document . It has to be signed to be valid. Sounds like some mis communication . The quote of 85.00 was most likely for diagnostic time. You should have gotten a call with a repair estimate once they determined the fix.
Your best out is to go talk to the service manager in a very calm way and tell him you were expecting a hundred bucks or so , then ask why you never got a call with an estimate for repair . He might give you a break on the bill but the problem I see is when you went back in to bring the part he told you you were over the 1 hr quoted . The money issue should have been addressed and clarified then. Also look at the repair order , Some have a spot to sign that states Repair as needed.
So just be polite , and also have an idea in your head of what you think is fair if the shop is willing to work with you .

 

[JustJason]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

I would see if they would be willing to split the bill. Lack of communication is not your fault, it's theirs, and unless you force them to see that, they will do it over and over to you and everybody else.
You agreed to 1 hours worth of work, that's all you should be charged for, unless you gave authorization for any extra. If you didn't give authorization, then it's on them.
As for the gimbal bearing, tell them you didn't authorize it and to put the old one back in. They won't be able to do it as they get destroyed when pulling them.

The way I run my business is I do a "call if over amount".
If a customer calls and states a concern like your own, overheating, i'll go out to the boat and look at it first. Then I will give a ballpark, but never a firm estimate.
I will then get a customer to agree to a "call if over" amount. I tell them, I can't stop the job and call you every time I need a clamp or hose or something like that. I tell the the job should run XYZ dollars/hours.
If hours start to pile an I get close to the "call if over amount" Only then will I call him, otherwise i'll just to the job and the boat will be fixed.
The only time dollars go up is because of excessive corrosion, broken bolts, fixing somebody elses work, or finding catastrophic damage and or other wear n tear once apart. I make every customer well aware of the fact that there is some disasemmbly required/labor hours just to make an assesment of what is good and what is not.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

I have work order signed. anything we find afterwards, the owner has to approve.

 

[rlc3854]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Agreed. We don't know if there was communication. If there was-no issue. If not-issue.

Anyway, a lot of marine dealers could learn a lot about customer service techniques.

The dealer I deal with is absolutely top shelf. I'll give them a plug.

Surfside Marina-Logan-Martin Lake, Alabama.

Isn't that a long drive from Arizona?

 

[aspeck]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

I disagree that communication is the responsibility of the repair shop. It takes two to communicate and communication is the responsibility of both parties.

It does sound like miscommunication on the parts of both ... expectations and allowances. When you talked with them about the gimbal bearing at that point you knew there were more hours involved, and more of an expense. Did you question? Did you ask them to call in advance if the bill got to a certain point or if so many hours are spent? Running to the phone to call for every little thing adds to the time of the repair.

Yes, the shop should have asked if you wanted a call if the hours go to certain point, or the bill got to so much, but you have just as much responsibility to tell them what you expect. You wanted it fixed, and it is (supposedly) fixed.

I would advocate a discussion withe service manager. Let him know where your disappointments are. He should want your return business and can explain where they were coming from and why they did what they did. It will be an education for both of you, and a step at learning more about each other so the mechanic/client relationship can grow and mature into one where you can trust each other and rely on each other.

Good luck, and talk, but don't go in getting them on the defensive right away, just talk.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Get a written detail of all the repairs, and have them be specific. "cleared obstructions" doesn't cut it. Get a detailed breakdown of parts and labour.

You now have a document showing exactly what work they performed, how long it took and what parts they replaced etc. May come in handy of you need to make a warranty/workmanship claim against them.

 

[jwp]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Go back and talk with the owner, explain your position and listen to his. If your still not satisfied just mention that you'll pass this experience on to other's you know in the area and hope they pass it on to other's they come across. He may change his mind with a gentle nudge

 

[Bucks45]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Well, I went to the shop today. The owner was there. I spoke to him and the service manager. I explained that I wasn't happy that the quote went from 1 hr, to 3 hrs, to 5 hrs, and it was 6 hrs by the time I got there today. I told them that I understand that they're in business to make money, and I don't want anything free, but thought it was a little ridiculous. The service manager was polite, but it was obvious that he wasn't happy that I was speaking to the owner. I didn't do that on purpose. The owner came up and asked if he could help me. I told him, in front of the service manager, that I thought everyone was extremely polite and, that I wasn't trying to be an a$%. The owner agreed with me. He didn't think the lack of communication was very professional. The second problem was the fix they came up with for the boat, they just took the t-stat out. We came to an agreement. I will pay the 5 hours labor (plus any parts if necessary). They are going to fix the boat right, without charging me any more labor. I'm happy with the outcome and as long as my boat is fixed, I will probably return. The owner said that he didn't want to lose my business. Once the boat is fixed he said he will personally call me so we can take it on a lake test together. He also said that he would make sure that it was done by Friday so I could enjoy the holiday weekend! Thanks for all your replies. I didn't have any intentions on going in to be a jerk. I was just really frustrated by the lack of communication, and in my opinion, professionalism. The funny part of the whole thing was me jumping off the bow, getting my shorts caught on a cleat, ripping them completely in half, and cutting the hell out of my foot.:redface:

 

[JustJason]

Re: Mechanic bill........what would you do?

Glad to hear your happy with the outcome of it all. If your nice to people in your conversations you'll find that most folks aren't unreasonable.

Now you need to read a few books on NLP and start working on your wording of sentences to make more conversations "go your way"