Ticket to Service

The BF is a mechanic and, as such, we spend a lot of time talking about being a mechanic. The last few nights, he’s been particularly irritated by the number of customers they’ve had who have been mad at the shop for not doing stuff that the customer didn’t tell them to do.

For instance: Customer brings car in because the “service engine” light is on.

Service Writer writes up a work order asking the Mechanic (the BF) to check the light, clear codes, etc., etc., and has the Customer look that over and sign the order.

Mechanic hooks up car, checks for codes, writes down whatever is required to clear those codes, and gives work order back to Service Writer.

Service Writer contacts Customer and explains what the problem with their car is and what needs to be done to clear the codes, gives Customer an estimated price quote and asks for authorization to complete the work order.

This is where your Mechanic (my BF) goes home to talk smack about you — Customer hems and haws about cost of repairs. Says something along the lines of, “Just do an oil change” because he doesn’t want to pay $1,500 (the BF only works on BMWs and Mercedes) to do the service that the manufacturer recommends at that point in the vehicle’s life. Which may involve all kinds of things like wires and harnesses and plugs and filters and various computer modules and cost $1,500.

Service Writer writes down instructions for the Mechanic. Mechanic looks at work order, shakes his head and wishes there was a such a thing as an Automobile Rescue Organization and that he could take custody of your vehicle under some sort of “cruelty to cars” law... but he does the oil change. Puts the completed work order in the basket and has the Service Writer call Customer to get his car and pay his bill.

Then the Customer complains that the “service engine” light is still on....and writes a scathing Yelp review about how terrible the business is.

The BF goes through yet another rendition of a recent episode, then looks at me and says, “I’m surprised your industry hasn’t gotten to the point where you’re required to write service tickets too.”

Hmmmm. Would that be better or worse for our industry? On one hand, it would certainly be tedious. On the other hand, would it make it easier to prove incompetence and/or negligence when a client says she has “gel” nails but it’s really acrylic? She could pull out her work order that would clearly show she requested, and paid for, gel nails. When confronted, it would be hard for the offending salon to claim that the client knew she was getting acrylic.

But then, service tickets haven’t solved the problems in the automotive industry. I suspect they wouldn’t solve ours either.