My brother runs his own business. It was just a motorcycle garage, but he's now taken on the car garage at the front of the premises so it's cars and bikes combined. Rural site, mostly rural customers. He's already got a good reputation for fair work at a fair price (not just saying that, I've heard things from people who don't realise he's my brother).
Here are some of the recent things people have tried.
1, Chap comes in, in a car, and it needs an engine re-build. He's quoted a price. He baulks at the price and leaves.
Several days later, a chap who does repairs in a shed on his property, pops in to the garage and asks to borrow certain tools, because he's doing an engine re-build and hasn't got the right tools...through conversation it transpires he's doing the job on the car that the chap had taken into the garage for a quote....he was sent on his merry way...without the tools.
2, Chap asks about the price for a tyre on a motorcycle. He baulks at the price and leaves. Several days later he comes in again, with a new tyre on the bike and asks for a balance to be done and that the garage that had fitted the tyre 6 miles away had recommended he go there. He'd got it done for a price difference of a fiver, but the garage quoting for less hadn't splashed out on an expensive bike tyre balancing machine...he was sent on his way as well, with the advice to get it balanced at the place that supplied the tyre.
3, Chap's father turns up and asks for an MOT to be done on his son's car, as his son is skint, has kids and is driving around with no MOT. Granddad is unconformable with this and is willing to pay. Car fails the MOT and needs a load of work. Granddad says go ahead, do the work, so a load of parts are ordered. Parts turn up. Before work is started, son rings up and states 'don't do work, I can't afford to pay father back', so parts sent back, some bits put back on car, no payment and car is collected. Several days later, granddad rings up, son has got mate to do some work in his agricultural machinery barn, but they can't do some of it, not enough knowledge and/or tools..can car come back again?
4, Car fails MOT, needs brakes and tyres. Chap wants to negotiate on price of tyres and is unhappy with the end result of the negotiation 'his mate can get them cheaper'. Can the garage do the brakes, fail the car, he'll drive it elsewhere for tyres, then bring it back for a re-test?
Are these people for real? I know times are hard, but is it me or are they being exceptionally rude and unrealistic. If the garage was 'dear' in its prices, maybe...but it isn't....people are just after the ultimate bargain, having no regard for the overheads, staff costs etc and the expense of paying for all the right equipment.
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