Originally Posted By: occupant
I don't go to auto service shops because they don't like me watching them to be sure everything is done. If they want to offer an oil-filter-lube service with a 45 point inspection for $29, I expect them to do it and do ALL of it.
Not greasing the chassis points on my wife's Durango = fail. Not doing 30 of the 45 points of inspection = fail. Offering to sell me an $18.99 air filter when the old Mopar one in their right hand is as clean as the new generic POS one that's in their left hand = fail. Trying to upsell me on synthetic oil on a 200K mile truck with a 150K mile engine = fail.
That Valvoline shop in Waco doesn't like me. I won't be going back. But I sure will buy up Pure One filters and take it to my local mechanic. He does the oil change for $20 if I bring my own filter. He uses Pennzoil yellow bottle 5-30, 10-30, or 10-40 depending on what the oil cap or customer says. He greases the chassis. He tops off the fluids like power steering, brakes, washer water, and checks for leaks all under the vehicle. He's the one we go to to fix anything on the wife's truck.
He has only really let us down once, and he took care of it right. When he put the used engine in, something was amiss with the TC to flywheel bolts and they backed out in a few months and made quite a racket. We took it over thinking the oil pump let go and he would have to pull it, have me exchange it at the junkyard, and have him put it back in. We were prepared to pay a $550 labor bill for this and the junkyard was prepared to give us another engine. But he went under and poked around and said, "aw dang, those TC bolts backed out, I'll get 'em right" and $0 later our truck was quiet again. THAT is why we trust him with anything on that truck.
Good thing he's an honest guy, he IS the only mechanic in town. And he's within pushing distance of our house. And we HAVE pushed a 3/4 ton Suburban over there (fuel pump fail).
sounds like you do take your vehicle to a service shop, otherwise you'd be doing it your self.if you feel the need to watch someone do your oil change you should probably go somewhere else, but it sounds like you have the mindset going in that it will be done wrong, this is exactly what is being discussed in this thread. if and when they screw up then beat them up over it but when you go in with an attitude it will cause them to be defensive and they will have an attitude with you and you'll probably get poor service, if someone came to your place of work with that kind of attitude towards you, you would surly feel the same. it's good you have someone you trust, when you find someone like that it makes things better for both customer and the tech.
