Your car needs discs and pads sir...
Discussion
Sheepshanks said:
To be honest I'd take 20% to mean "as new".
It's always seemed very random to me - had to take daughter's car for new rear pads and discs last week as they'd worn out - yet they were 60% worn at last service so should have lasted another couple of years. The fronts look knackered and last week they were reported as 50% worn.
They probably mistook it for a Porsche. It's always seemed very random to me - had to take daughter's car for new rear pads and discs last week as they'd worn out - yet they were 60% worn at last service so should have lasted another couple of years. The fronts look knackered and last week they were reported as 50% worn.
ChocolateFrog said:
I'm amazed we don't get more people admitted the offenses from the other side noting how widespread it is.
There must be 10's of thousands of people blatantly ripping people off every single day.
The whole industry is corrupt. We had a warranty admin guy doing the rounds at my ford dealer who wanted a chat with all the techs along with the whole service staff to discuss procedures etc. The question come up from said guy asking what im employed to do. Thinking well service, mot, repair, diagnose vehicles.There must be 10's of thousands of people blatantly ripping people off every single day.
Apparently this was the wrong reply and it was to sell hours. Wasnt aware i became a car sales person all of a sudden.
Its unbelievable how the industry hasnt been investigated for blatant fraud it does however the problem comes when techs stand up and say no. The moment we do there is major backlash and you create a rod for your own back we are not given the time of day to speak or explain the issues and even with annual surveys with dreadful results nothing is ever done of it.
You then end up with techs are just there to not give a s
t and sell discs and pads on every car motabilty and lease cars are murdered for discs and pads on 1-2 year old vehicles who then cream a lot of money with bonuses sometimes up to 1k a month. The others who dont do it get all the s
t nasty jobs who struggle to even hit base targets who then get constent pick ups on why they arent performing to bullst targets.Its now taking its toll as techs are leaving the industry in huge numbers and almost all dealers have tech roles to fill which is proving hard to find not surprisngly. The big bosses in these mega dealer groups have no knowledge of the job and dont give a s
t about us techs or even customers or in our case now called guest.The model, as I understand it, is that the franchisee is given a pretty hard deal from the manufacturer.
They have to create a premises to a certain spec, sell the cars and deal with customers. Not a lot of money is made from this front of house operation.
It is left to the franchise to make their money on the service side.
They have to create a premises to a certain spec, sell the cars and deal with customers. Not a lot of money is made from this front of house operation.
It is left to the franchise to make their money on the service side.
MG CHRIS said:
sell hours.
This is what I don't really get.I booked my car in for some work a few weeks back and the first free slot was June, which was 6 weeks away, but then I realised it actually said JULY not June, so 10 weeks wait.
So why the need to fabricate extra hours when all the slots are filled with genuine work?
It doesn't quite make sense to me.
BOR said:
MG CHRIS said:
sell hours.
This is what I don't really get.I booked my car in for some work a few weeks back and the first free slot was June, which was 6 weeks away, but then I realised it actually said JULY not June, so 10 weeks wait.
So why the need to fabricate extra hours when all the slots are filled with genuine work?
It doesn't quite make sense to me.
BOR said:
MG CHRIS said:
sell hours.
This is what I don't really get.I booked my car in for some work a few weeks back and the first free slot was June, which was 6 weeks away, but then I realised it actually said JULY not June, so 10 weeks wait.
So why the need to fabricate extra hours when all the slots are filled with genuine work?
It doesn't quite make sense to me.
BOR said:
This is what I don't really get.
I booked my car in for some work a few weeks back and the first free slot was June, which was 6 weeks away, but then I realised it actually said JULY not June, so 10 weeks wait.
So why the need to fabricate extra hours when all the slots are filled with genuine work?
It doesn't quite make sense to me.
Was the “some work” a warranty job?I booked my car in for some work a few weeks back and the first free slot was June, which was 6 weeks away, but then I realised it actually said JULY not June, so 10 weeks wait.
So why the need to fabricate extra hours when all the slots are filled with genuine work?
It doesn't quite make sense to me.
On the hours front, upselling work, so extra hours sold, is extremely profitable. Your hour long basic service takes 20 mins, front pads and discs about the same (I stood and watched both being done on a Golf).
I know a young garage proprietor.
He is dead straight and would never try to sell you anything that the car doesn't need.
However, six weeks into owning the business he has already decided not to take on any work that involves finding random and difficult electrical or mechanical faults, but instead stick to routine servicing. He does all the work on the service schedule properly and finishes all jobs on time, as he knows how long they will take. Fault finding jobs just clutter up the workshop and, at worst, tie up the ramps for days.
His customers love him.
I know another, much more experienced, garage proprietor in my own village.
His attitude is exactly the same. He too is dead honest and won't do work that is not required.
His workshop is immaculate, his personal car likewise.
He is well rated by the local car owners and he has done an execellent job on my cars.
But he doesn't want the fault finding jobs and tries to put me off by quoting long waiting times for such appointments.
And my old sheds do tend to throw up random problems.
He would much rather use the time and make a living servicing 4 year old Honda Jazzes.
His customers love him.
He is dead straight and would never try to sell you anything that the car doesn't need.
However, six weeks into owning the business he has already decided not to take on any work that involves finding random and difficult electrical or mechanical faults, but instead stick to routine servicing. He does all the work on the service schedule properly and finishes all jobs on time, as he knows how long they will take. Fault finding jobs just clutter up the workshop and, at worst, tie up the ramps for days.
His customers love him.
I know another, much more experienced, garage proprietor in my own village.
His attitude is exactly the same. He too is dead honest and won't do work that is not required.
His workshop is immaculate, his personal car likewise.
He is well rated by the local car owners and he has done an execellent job on my cars.
But he doesn't want the fault finding jobs and tries to put me off by quoting long waiting times for such appointments.
And my old sheds do tend to throw up random problems.
He would much rather use the time and make a living servicing 4 year old Honda Jazzes.
His customers love him.
The dealer pay for warranty work and diagnosing faults is crap so routine service work and upselling brakes is hugely profitable and most customer would never question it. We are constently pushed to upsell brakes to the point i told my team leader(service manager) that if he continues to push on it i will walk out and publish the fact.
ive brought it up so many times in surveys and to senior managers to zero acknowledgement. In the end you either give in and follow orders leave or ignore the push for it to the downside of earning less.
ive brought it up so many times in surveys and to senior managers to zero acknowledgement. In the end you either give in and follow orders leave or ignore the push for it to the downside of earning less.
Once a good garage is found it’s like gold dust, a local to me I have used for at least 15 years knows loads of his clients because of repeat buisnes.
Has in the past said to me if you ever want to use the ramps if we are not busy I am happy to give you some time( he knows I like to tinker but I am no mechanic) an example of which was wire brushing and sealing under the cat he offered me some time on the ramp(free).
As a consequence he gets all the Family cars dropped off for mot’s and any work I can’t tinker and is told to sort whatever is needed. I know him and his staff won’t rip me off and I have never had cause to question any work.
There are good guys out there but tend to be non franchise.
Has in the past said to me if you ever want to use the ramps if we are not busy I am happy to give you some time( he knows I like to tinker but I am no mechanic) an example of which was wire brushing and sealing under the cat he offered me some time on the ramp(free).
As a consequence he gets all the Family cars dropped off for mot’s and any work I can’t tinker and is told to sort whatever is needed. I know him and his staff won’t rip me off and I have never had cause to question any work.
There are good guys out there but tend to be non franchise.
QBee said:
But he doesn't want the fault finding jobs and tries to put me off by quoting long waiting times for such appointments.
Another cause of the "cars becoming disposable" circus.What boils my piss is that
(a) there's a cost of living crisis for many;
(b) we've become a disposable society, which sucks in many ways; and
(c) there's a ton of emissions (all kinds, not just CO2) and waste involved in building a new car, yet we as consumers (!) are being hammered on emissions and told to be environmentally friendly.
...so it would be more environmentally friendly in the short term (and possibly medium-term) to keep perfectly servicable cars ON the roads. Yet the industry clearly doesn't care about that as it doesn't make them as much money and the government is just a fake face for big business.
M4cruiser said:
Sheepshanks said:
On yours though, if it's lease / pool car, why did you even take it in if it wasn't calling for a service?
The dash said "oil change needed" so I took it in. They said it needed a "dry" service" !!!!!!Mikebentley said:
Just taken my 2022 Defender for its first service at 14k miles and 2yrs old. I will be having an oil and filter change every 12 months between two year services as a precautionary measure in future as I feel 2yrs is too long. Tech video advised all tyres on 5mm so advisory to change only 3 of them? Cost £325 each so including fitting I think it was £1063.00 very odd though as they are all apparently the same wear. They have between 10 and 15k miles left on them at least and what they don’t know is I have 3 in the garage I paid £75 each for so no up sell there.
The salesman who sold me the car though is brilliant and is replacing the aftermarket tread plates they sold me from Vulkan (now defunct) free of charge and has had a set of plates (personal reg) made up for me too.
Another bonus was when we dropped it off I was given the keys to a brand new 25 miles on the clock P550e Autobiography FFRR in Belgravia Green with Caraway Leather interior and headlining. Kept it for 6 hours and 150 miles. What a car and a decision made to get the same spec car when it’s 4 yrs old. All round a happy customer.
14k for a 1st oil change is a very bad idea, imo.The salesman who sold me the car though is brilliant and is replacing the aftermarket tread plates they sold me from Vulkan (now defunct) free of charge and has had a set of plates (personal reg) made up for me too.
Another bonus was when we dropped it off I was given the keys to a brand new 25 miles on the clock P550e Autobiography FFRR in Belgravia Green with Caraway Leather interior and headlining. Kept it for 6 hours and 150 miles. What a car and a decision made to get the same spec car when it’s 4 yrs old. All round a happy customer.
I cannot JLR reccomend it.
A young friend came round to moan about the pre-mot check her Aygo went for a couple of days ago. They wanted to charge her a grand for new tyres & brakes on each corner. I took a look & clearly it won’t need any such thing for quite some time.
It does however need a wiper blade & a bit of welding but they didn’t mention that.
Apparently her mum has been using the same garage for years so i dread to think how much she’s been taken her for.
It does however need a wiper blade & a bit of welding but they didn’t mention that.
Apparently her mum has been using the same garage for years so i dread to think how much she’s been taken her for.
POORCARDEALER said:
Porsche needs new rear tyres , they are on 3.5-4mm - ie half worn ?????
7mm on some high end Pirellis when new. Contis start at 8mmLegal limit 1.6. Realistically they wont be shifting much water below 3mm on a motorway.
You don't have a lot of leeway on wear really. Especially on a high performance vehicle.
MG CHRIS said:
The whole industry is corrupt. We had a warranty admin guy doing the rounds at my ford dealer who wanted a chat with all the techs along with the whole service staff to discuss procedures etc. The question come up from said guy asking what im employed to do. Thinking well service, mot, repair, diagnose vehicles.
Apparently this was the wrong reply and it was to sell hours. Wasnt aware i became a car sales person all of a sudden.
Its unbelievable how the industry hasnt been investigated for blatant fraud it does however the problem comes when techs stand up and say no. The moment we do there is major backlash and you create a rod for your own back we are not given the time of day to speak or explain the issues and even with annual surveys with dreadful results nothing is ever done of it.
You then end up with techs are just there to not give a st and sell discs and pads on every car motabilty and lease cars are murdered for discs and pads on 1-2 year old vehicles who then cream a lot of money with bonuses sometimes up to 1k a month.
The others who dont do it get all the st nasty jobs who struggle to even hit base targets who then get constent pick ups on why they arent performing to bullst targets.
Its now taking its toll as techs are leaving the industry in huge numbers and almost all dealers have tech roles to fill which is proving hard to find not surprisingly. The big bosses in these mega dealer groups have no knowledge of the job and don't give a st about us techs or even customers or in our case now called guest.
Its all so tragic. When I started at my current employer (prestige main dealer) some years ago we had a great group of techs. Really talented and honest. Had a small number of idiots. Over time the management have ground down the good guys who've mostly left. The company have struggled to hire the correct type of techs. So have basically gone with the strategy of "if they turn up for interview and have ever held a spanner we'll hire them" so we now have over half that are frankly dog sApparently this was the wrong reply and it was to sell hours. Wasnt aware i became a car sales person all of a sudden.
Its unbelievable how the industry hasnt been investigated for blatant fraud it does however the problem comes when techs stand up and say no. The moment we do there is major backlash and you create a rod for your own back we are not given the time of day to speak or explain the issues and even with annual surveys with dreadful results nothing is ever done of it.
You then end up with techs are just there to not give a s
t and sell discs and pads on every car motabilty and lease cars are murdered for discs and pads on 1-2 year old vehicles who then cream a lot of money with bonuses sometimes up to 1k a month. The others who dont do it get all the s
t nasty jobs who struggle to even hit base targets who then get constent pick ups on why they arent performing to bullst targets.Its now taking its toll as techs are leaving the industry in huge numbers and almost all dealers have tech roles to fill which is proving hard to find not surprisingly. The big bosses in these mega dealer groups have no knowledge of the job and don't give a s
t about us techs or even customers or in our case now called guest.t. Work quality has fallen through the floor. Return to workshop is at an all time high. And the managers do nothing about it to get rid of the people REPEATEDLY leaving oil filter housing loose and dumping oil over customers driveways. Or in one case leaving calliper bolts loose so they fell out. Scratching cars through incompetence. Or ripping off customers fitting the same part of every car they service as "its a good earner" for the monkey who can charge 1.2 hours and fit it in 20mins. (In this case this one idiot fitted more of these parts in a week than the whole workshop had sold in 12 months! And although it was obvious to all and sundry, the management ignore it!) I'm reminded EVERY single day now of that meme "when there's no punishment for dodgy workmanship / dishonesty you soon end up with a company full of people who no longer care about your customers or the work they churn out"
And of course all it does is demoralise those who DO care still.
I did laugh at MG Chris saying he reported all this in the employee surveys. You should know better by now...
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