A Dealership Tech Gets Taken By A Small "Shop"
 

Okay gentlemen, by now I'm sure most of you regular visitors know me very well, so I'm sure you'll all understand the scenario I'm about to describe has played out for me today. Here it goes:

A 2006 F-550 was booked in as an appointment for me to diagnose an intermittent hard start/no-start issue today. In it comes with the engine running (apparently it won't start back up if the engine is shut down). So I roll it into my and scan it for DTCs as a preliminary diagnosis. The only DTCs I get are P0672, P0674, P0676 and P0678 in memory (which are DTCs for cylinders #2, #4, #6 and #8 glow plug circuits respectively). Upon opening the hood, I see the underhood harness broken, and dangling on top of the turbo as well as the pushpins, driver side battery cover and air deflector on top of the fan stator all missing in action. So, I monitor the usual no-start PIDs to determine very quickly that there is insufficent ICP for the engine to start. As I submit a quote for a set of dummy rail plugs and STC fitting (along with all the broken/missing "cosmetic" pieces that make it look like whoever worked on it last should've taken up in a carreer in your local Sobey's meat department as opposed to being a mechanic) is when I am now informed by the service advisor that it is a "shop" that brought this truck into us for a "diagnosis". I am also now informed that THEY have already replaced eight injectors, eight glow plugs a used FICM ......... and God only knows what other parts while trying to "play with it" for the last two weeks. I then get told by the advisor to "talk to" the owner of said shop to explain why it needs the work I quoted. You guys see where this is going, right?

Well, the owner of the shop arrives, and after a brief explanation of how the high pressure oil system works and what typically fails on these engines, he then tells me, "NAW, the owner of this truck is not going to want to pay anymore for this...." and proceeds to pay the diag fee.

You guys know what's going to happen, RIGHT? THEY are going to do the job themselves (which they will probably pay for the parts out of their own pocket). And when it's done, they will hoop the customer for all the above mentioned parts and be the ones to look like the "heroes". God forbid anyone would ever go to the "stealership" to get the issue diagnosed right the first time.......

So, now I ask you gents, how should I handle any future situation like this that might come up?

Should I continue to be honest with my quotes, or should I beat around the bush and pretend to need further diag time? Should I start doing the same, and quote eight new injectors on every truck that rolls into my shop along with what is REALLY needed to fix a concern?

I await your responses with interest.

Really to me it's the customer's fault for not taking it to a reputable shop in the first place...

I'd stay honest and the customer will eventually figure it out on their own, or they can get used to being ripped off.

m-chan68, u did everything right by the book and u stood by ur integrity to inform the customer of the real prob. unfortunately, scuzz-bags like them make ur honesty and integrity look bad. i wont be surprised when they tell their customers tat "their" ford tech diagnosed it and presented them wif a list of probs, and they proceeded to chop their customer, all the while quoting "their" ford techs diagnosis. heck they might even come up wif a magic number too.

i can speak from experience wif an independent ford master tech who ran his own shop and charged me 5 times the amount on a standard oil cooler, egr cooler, ipr screen, dummy plugs / standpipes, and stc fitting. i mean, he charged me labor fees of about $9000, excluding parts. so i know firsthand, wat it means to be chopped by these "shops". i should've brought my baby in the first time to a reputable ford dealership. one of my good friends works in a big ford dealership bout 15 mins from home. dang.

oh well, u live and learn. keep up the good work, m-chan68. u know ur a straight shooter and ur an upright person. let those "shops" deal wif their karma.

Cody got it right. STAY HONEST. Your reputation means a LOT more than money and will go a LOT further in the long run, not to mention that you'll be able to sleep at night.

I guess thats the same F250 that had an identity crisis when I was there with my Ex. I see this all the time in my business too, its not any different being in any field. Stay to your roots, what goes around comes around and usually has a way of making things fair again.

We need more people like you and the other on here on the forum!!

Do you ever check the registration card in the glove box for the owners name to see if it matches the name of the person bringing it in?

Tim picked the right answer. Don't lie and you don't have to remember what you said. It will come naturally. I have an honest tech and dealership which is the only reason I did another, and last, extended esp.

You know, it's very funny you should ask that. I had asked the advisor why he wouldn't just speak to the owner(s) of the vehicle directly. The reason being, I hate relaying information third hand becuase that's how things end up getting twisted up. But hey WTF would I know, right?

To me that SA screams dishonesty and is NOT someone I'd want to deal with. The owner will eventually find out unless he/she is a complete idiot.

If I went to a shop for an intermittent no-start and the guy came back saying 8 new injectors, I'd kick him in the nuts. He'd better have a lot more info to back up that diagnosis.

Wow makes me want to take mine to a dealership with any serious issues

AMEN, Bryan, AMEN

X2:-X22 Leave the creeps to their own devices...and hopefully demise. I appreciate having you (and Cheezit, and a few others) around m-chan68...stay straight-up...thats the best way in my opinion!:-drink

Were you paid for diagnosing the truck? Another example, a person brings his vehicle to a state inspection service shop or Ford dealer, The mechanic checks it out and informs the owner the vehicle needs ball joints, shocks and brakes all around. Is it OK for the owner to decline the repair by mentioning he will do the work himself, then bring it back to be re-inspected?

That is actually in the sa's job description. I think I'd watch out for him.