Is this typical Australian?

[Kit_e_kat9]

Getting a quote done for solar installation.

Out of 3 whom I contacted, only 1 has replied and then when the required home visit rep hadn't turned up 1/2 hour after appointment time nor called, I left him a note on the door that said:  Your late - Your Fired - No Sale.

Now, I need to keep looking for someone that actually calls back and then turns up on time.  I gave my re-roofing job to one bloke because he called and turned up on time, the boys doing the job were 5 minutes late and apologised and did the work in the time they said it would.  Admittedly the end of the guttering leaks all the way around the house, but I short paid the final payment.  I reckon we are square if they ever question it.

Kit_e

[Bird]

Can't get your car serviced in China...

My old boss at the bike shop closed his doors for sales after 30 years in the 1 spot. Very successful business, but the internet has killed his accessory business.

He has now moved to a new factory complex doing only servicing.

He said the same as you, you cant get servicing from China or the interwebs.

[Marschy]

I have found the best way of getting a service done, is to specifically tell the mechanic what you want done. When you receive the inevitable phone call saying, this or that needs replacing, simply tell them to do the job they were asked to do, then shop around for quotes to get the other work done (if it needs it at all).

When you get the other work that may need doing you are better prepared for what it will cost you and you'll find it is sometimes a problem that can wait.

My son recently had the bushes replaced in the front suspension in his ute, this ended up costing him close the 3K after the alternator was replaced and a few other bits and pieces were replaced as well. As soon as the gravy train starts, it seems to never stop.

Always, and I stress always, ask for the old parts they are replacing, particularly if it is not a reconditioned part. Quite often your broken/worn part is reconditioned then resold (alternators spring to mind). Buying a reconditioned part is often a case of trading in your old part for a lower cost compared to an original part.  If you are getting new for old, get the old part. This tends to keep them honest. If they say this or that is cracked, ask to see the cracked or broken part in-situ on your car, not after it's taken off.

[lilstookie]

We're currently stuck in Cairns because the Holden service centre in Warragul don't know their own models Had timing belts replaced by them (they weren't the cheapest, but we wanted the work done by someone who would do it right so we wouldn't be stuck in the middle of nowhere....). A part they said couldn't be replaced actually IS readily available (10 min research and we found that out, unfortunately not until after the fact), they set the timing belts incorrectly, did not replace seals that should've been replaced and all this after asking them to check over the car as we're travelling oz. Was quoted $800 and ended up paying $1300. Now we have to pay another 8hrs labour for the same work they should've done properly in the first place. Another part has also been damaged, which means we are carless for another week while the (awesome!) mechanic we're dealing with now sorts out their mess :/ Needless to say, we've called ACCC for advice as the dealer principal doesn't want to cover the labour bill as we haven't given him the opportunity to fix it...we're STUCK in Cairns idjit!!!! Everyone we've spoken to have said don't take it to the Holden dealer up here or something else will be buggered :/
We're just SOOOO lucky we made it here AND that more serious engine damage didn't happen.

We try to get the best value service/equipment/accessories/etc, not necessarily the cheapest.

Lil


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[Kit_e_kat9]

When you receive the inevitable phone call saying, this or that needs replacing,

You mean they actually can call you?  No Way?!   

I always found they just added everything they could to the bill (without even doing it) then argued with you when it came time to pay for it.   

Kit_e

[Marschy]

I always found they just added everything they could to the bill (without even doing it) then argued with you when it came time to pay for it.   

Hence the need to get a hold of the part they are replacing.  If nothing else, if the part is recondition-able, you might be able to get this done yourself should the same problem occur again.

Cheers, Marschy

[Hairs]

they just added everything they could to the bill (without even doing it) then argued with you when it came time to pay for it.   

Kit_e

Hi Kit_e
Reminds me of when my Father and myself owned two cabs, our cabs were spotlessly clean, needed the computer looked at in one of them.
We got the bill in the mail at the end of the month.
$90.00 for cleaning the engine bay WTF
When questioned, the answer was, it is a standard charge.
All engine bays are cleaned after being worked on.
Around the same time Holden were advertizing that they would leave the replaced part in the boot so that we knew they had replaced it.
Several times we examined the part, only to find that there was nothing wrong with it.
My Father was a Diesel Mechanic by trade, we did all our own work except for the electrics.
 
Hmmm

[Squalo]

I went to a so called reputable mechanic that is affiliated with a 4wd magazine, and after 2 weeks of phone calls and emails, due to the fact I was on Fraser Island at the time, I had informed the sales guy of exactly what I wanted. 150K service and change the timing belt while you are there! simple. Got back hours later after trying to ring and getting no answer and about to pay for it when he told me the price. "WOW thats cheaper than you quoted" I says. "Did you change the timing belt?" "No, we weren't sure cos its only done 148K." "Didn't think to ring me and ask me?" "Take a seat and we'll do it now. It's a 4 hour job but I've done it so many times I can do it in one hour."
"So why the hell am I paying for 4 hours??"
I wouldn't go back there if I lived next door.

Gimme an A! Gimme an M! Gimme an M! Gimme an S!

 

I can pick that shop instantly, have read so many poor reports on them...

[UTE 701]

Yes that shop is the worst ... stay away everyone ....

And tell that guy that does all the magazines and dvd's that he needs to be more careful about who he promotes .. makes him look stupid .

I unfortunately donated to their next dvd trip with alot of work which included their diesel chip which should really be called ROOted systems . And the customer service was the worst I have encountered ever .... >:(x10

Still they never fixed it , and I cut my losses and won't go back . There is a price on being humiliated like that ever again . 

Anyway , back on the subject ... I have experienced so many recent poor service experiences , but they are getting that bad , that these aren't even to counter customers , these are suppliers to a business . They don't deliver on the promised day , so then my schedule is stuffed . They don't supply the entire order , and don't tell me when it will be fulfilled . Then they wonder why you take the business elsewhere . 

[WilSurf]

A colleague had his R51 TD serviced at a Nissan dealer.
When picking up, he read through the invoice.
"Can I see the spark plugs you replaced?" he asked the mechanic.
It was on the invoice, for a turbo DIESEL.

[McGirr]

I have to say the mechanic I use is unbelievable GREAT 

He does not charge a fortune and will do extra things no charge. He explains everything and I am happy for my daughter to take her car there.

I have used a lot of mechanics from reputable companies, T......A,  K....T, and they were a joke.

Mark

[cancan]

we have a local mechanic who has done work for us...ended up being an electronic fiscal problem so taken the car to electrician and did not want any money for his part....he has fixed a few things no charge and didn't fix things that we were told needed fixing by dealership.....good to have a car that i can take back to him now