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Best comments from repair customer
#1
GetTechnicalWithJd
GetTechnicalWithJd
Hi All,
I've search the Forum for a thread like this but have managed to find one so forgive me if this has already been done.
I'm sure all of you have had some classic remarks from customers regarding their equipment / problem. Any of you wanna share them with us?
Looking for better one than the usual remarks we hear like "It runs fine but is doesn't start" or "I have only used it once" (When the air filter is choked and the oil is sludgy).
I've search the Forum for a thread like this but have managed to find one so forgive me if this has already been done.
I'm sure all of you have had some classic remarks from customers regarding their equipment / problem. Any of you wanna share them with us?
Looking for better one than the usual remarks we hear like "It runs fine but is doesn't start" or "I have only used it once" (When the air filter is choked and the oil is sludgy).
#2
reynoldston
reynoldston
Just had a customer that ran his mower without oil in it. He said I check my oil every year
#3
pugaltitude
pugaltitude
The classic is "I can get my car serviced cheaper than that".
I say well if your car can cut grass then you are going to be a millionaire!
I say well if your car can cut grass then you are going to be a millionaire!
#4
GetTechnicalWithJd
GetTechnicalWithJd
Brilliant! Keep them coming!
#6
MBDiagMan
MBDiagMan
Well, I've never done mower service for a living, but when I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, my Dad had an independent auto repair shop, a "Garage" as we called it.
I was only a little kid, but I remember very well a fellow coming in asking my Dad if he would replace the exhaust system on his Buick and the customer said he would provide the parts. In those days exhaust systems didn't last any time at all, as they do today, so even though the car was only a couple of years old, it was plausible that it could be in need of an exhaust system. My Dad gave him the normal warning about his doing work without supplying the parts making the possibility of charging labor costs in the case of failed parts.
The next day, the guy showed up and left his '54 Buick and a pile of exhaust parts. My Dad said he didn't think they were the right parts and once he got the car in the air, he quickly figured out that none of it would fit. The guy came back that afternoon to pick it up and my Dad asked him about the parts. The fellow told him that the exhaust system he bought was for a '54 Mercury. When my Dad asked him why he bought a '54 Mercury exhaust system for a '54 Buick, the guy replied "my neighbor has a '54 Mercury and I like the sound when he races the engine.
It takes all kinds.
Larry
I was only a little kid, but I remember very well a fellow coming in asking my Dad if he would replace the exhaust system on his Buick and the customer said he would provide the parts. In those days exhaust systems didn't last any time at all, as they do today, so even though the car was only a couple of years old, it was plausible that it could be in need of an exhaust system. My Dad gave him the normal warning about his doing work without supplying the parts making the possibility of charging labor costs in the case of failed parts.
The next day, the guy showed up and left his '54 Buick and a pile of exhaust parts. My Dad said he didn't think they were the right parts and once he got the car in the air, he quickly figured out that none of it would fit. The guy came back that afternoon to pick it up and my Dad asked him about the parts. The fellow told him that the exhaust system he bought was for a '54 Mercury. When my Dad asked him why he bought a '54 Mercury exhaust system for a '54 Buick, the guy replied "my neighbor has a '54 Mercury and I like the sound when he races the engine.
It takes all kinds.
Larry
#7
Carscw
Carscw
I like when people on here say my mower will turn over but won't crank
(( cowboy up and get over it ))
(( cowboy up and get over it ))
#8
Fish
Fish
I had a lady come back, the day after she picked up her husband's chainsaw that was in for sharpening.
She brought it back saying, "My husband says that you must not be much of a mechanic if you put the bar back on upside-down!!"
She brought it back saying, "My husband says that you must not be much of a mechanic if you put the bar back on upside-down!!"
#9
pugaltitude
Yes had that one before.
trying to do them a favour by saving money and you get grief.
pugaltitude
I had a lady come back, the day after she picked up her husband's chainsaw that was in for sharpening.
She brought it back saying, "My husband says that you must not be much of a mechanic if you put the bar back on upside-down!!"
Yes had that one before.
trying to do them a favour by saving money and you get grief.
#10
pugaltitude
pugaltitude
Has anybody had someone looking for 710?
#11
C
cashman
C
cashman
Customer ststed he was just mowing along and the mower quit. Looked under the mower and the crankshaft was bent so bad the blade was sticking through the deck. The blade had a 3/4" X 3/4" gap on one end of it. The customer said that should be covered under warranty!
#12
Fish
Yes, that was an old one. Upside down that is!!!!!
Fish
Has anybody had someone looking for 710?
Yes, that was an old one. Upside down that is!!!!!
#13
Fish
Fish
I had a guy drop off his MTD so I could replace a locked up spindle, he was a friend of the owners so I was to fix it while he went to lunch with the owner, but he was a known pain in the arse.
They went to lunch, I looked at the tractor, and the engine shut right down when I engaged the PTO. I Pulled the belt off
and tried it again, and it did the same thing. Since the jerks did this to me when I was about to go to lunch, I left and went to
lunch as well.
He asked why I didn't replace a spindle, I said it didn't need one.
He said sure it is, and hopped on and demonstrated, it shut right down.
He exclaimed, "SEE???!!!"
I held up the belt...........
They went to lunch, I looked at the tractor, and the engine shut right down when I engaged the PTO. I Pulled the belt off
and tried it again, and it did the same thing. Since the jerks did this to me when I was about to go to lunch, I left and went to
lunch as well.
He asked why I didn't replace a spindle, I said it didn't need one.
He said sure it is, and hopped on and demonstrated, it shut right down.
He exclaimed, "SEE???!!!"
I held up the belt...........
#14
GetTechnicalWithJd
GetTechnicalWithJd
You guys ever get any "Since you.." Customers?
"Since you change my engine oil the battery keeps going dead"
"Since you change my engine oil the battery keeps going dead"
#15
pugaltitude
pugaltitude
Yes always get that one.
I also get my mower wont start after you serviced it last week.
I look up invoice details and it says "sharpen blade only".
I also get my mower wont start after you serviced it last week.
I look up invoice details and it says "sharpen blade only".
#16
Fish
Fish
Yes, since you replaced a belt, they try to get you to sign in for all of it.
Well you just replaced the belt last Sept, and that spindle!!!!!! But sir, this time it is the transmission belt!!!!
But you should have fixed it last year!!!! Well sir, you argued for an hour over the bill last year just to get it running. The
tractor is 12 years old and still has the original oil filter.........I put an edge on the remains of the old blades because you
refuse to replace anything!!!
That is why I gave up and just sell on E-Bay!!!!
Well you just replaced the belt last Sept, and that spindle!!!!!! But sir, this time it is the transmission belt!!!!
But you should have fixed it last year!!!! Well sir, you argued for an hour over the bill last year just to get it running. The
tractor is 12 years old and still has the original oil filter.........I put an edge on the remains of the old blades because you
refuse to replace anything!!!
That is why I gave up and just sell on E-Bay!!!!
#17
ILENGINE
ILENGINE
How about the customers that blame you for anything that goes wrong. I have a customer that could break an anvil. Two years ago she called me up and threw a fit that I didn't install the deck belt correctly on her Kubot T1880. Went to install the belt again, and had to pick the sticks out of the deck. She had been using it as a bushhog to mow elderberry. Last year she calls me up and says the welding job on did on her deck didn't hold. I asked her what color the paint was on the weld that broke. She said it was orange. I said that is a factory weld. She has broke the deck twice in the last year from hitting pipe pieces that the oil field employees leave laying around the wells.
She doesn't check the area before mowing, and figures if she hits something it is somebody elses fault. Back when she was using the old rear engine snappers, she kelp complaining that the deck belts that I was installing were junk because they didn't last very long. She was mowing a 20 acre hay field with it.
She doesn't check the area before mowing, and figures if she hits something it is somebody elses fault. Back when she was using the old rear engine snappers, she kelp complaining that the deck belts that I was installing were junk because they didn't last very long. She was mowing a 20 acre hay field with it.
#18
Fish
Fish
Yeah, it is kinda like fixing brakes on a car, and they come back blaming you about the air conditioner not working next May...
#19
Kodie's Lawn Service
Kodie's Lawn Service
As I don't fix mower an other equipment for a living but I have made some $ doing it every now and again.
Okay last spring a man ask me to replace the oil an filter as so forth so I did. Only think not replaced was spark plugs an that cause he didn't want to replace them if they were good so I left them alone. 2 weeks later one spark plug went bad. So he got some cheap Chinese plugs for it an put we put them in 3 months later one brakes off inside the motor an just kills it. He came back to me an blamed me for messing up I told him that I could not make the spark plug not break so. He argued for 4-5 weeks I told him it was his flat for buying the cheap plugs.
So long story short I told him u get what you pay for. Makes me wonder why people blame you when they are one that does not keep up on there mower condition :confused2:
Okay last spring a man ask me to replace the oil an filter as so forth so I did. Only think not replaced was spark plugs an that cause he didn't want to replace them if they were good so I left them alone. 2 weeks later one spark plug went bad. So he got some cheap Chinese plugs for it an put we put them in 3 months later one brakes off inside the motor an just kills it. He came back to me an blamed me for messing up I told him that I could not make the spark plug not break so. He argued for 4-5 weeks I told him it was his flat for buying the cheap plugs.
So long story short I told him u get what you pay for. Makes me wonder why people blame you when they are one that does not keep up on there mower condition :confused2:
#20
GetTechnicalWithJd
Reminds me of a restaurant owner who decided to serviced his own Briggs & Stratton (54series) generator with Automatic Mains Failure panel. After the service the generator would start and shut down with numerous errors on the controller. So he called a 'fly by night' generator repair shop and they told him the panel was faulty. So they replaced it ( USD 1200). Still the error. So they replaced the AC power alternator (USD 900). Still the generator would start and shutdown with 'over volts' or 'under volts' or under frequency. So the Tech disappeared.
Eventually they contact me and we head out to site. I listen to the above story from the owner and stood for a minute taking in the information. That's when I noticed that the engine had a non original oil filter and they guy said the problem started immediately after the service. That got me thinking... if he serviced with non original filters I bet they did not use the correct spark plugs.
So I checked and they had used chinese non resistor spark plugs.. these were causing interference with the digital generator controller and causing it to malfunction. So I quietly changed the spark plugs out. All the while with the owner is in the background telling my Apprentice "he's wasting his time, I've already change the plugs!.. the problem is with the AC generator not the engine".
Once I had changed the spark plugs.. I packed my tool bag up, pressed start on the control panel and walked to my vehicle to pack up and do the paperwork. The generator started and ran without fault.
The restaurant owner came running to my vehicle and said what was the problem? I told him it was the spark plugs and gave him my bill (USD 80) and he said "I'm not paying that much just for spark plugs... the one's I bought only cost USD 2.50." I said no they didn't, they cost you USD 2100!!!
Strange how people will pay idiots thousands of Dollars for essentially doing nothing.. but for travelling 100 miles and actually fixing the generator I get asked to justify my bill.
Reminds me of the story of the ship engineer who knew where to tap!
Knowing Where to Tap
GetTechnicalWithJd
As I don't fix mower an other equipment for a living but I have made some $ doing it every now and again.
Okay last spring a man ask me to replace the oil an filter as so forth so I did. Only think not replaced was spark plugs an that cause he didn't want to replace them if they were good so I left them alone. 2 weeks later one spark plug went bad. So he got some cheap Chinese plugs for it an put we put them in 3 months later one brakes off inside the motor an just kills it. He came back to me an blamed me for messing up I told him that I could not make the spark plug not break so. He argued for 4-5 weeks I told him it was his flat for buying the cheap plugs.
So long story short I told him u get what you pay for. Makes me wonder why people blame you when they are one that does not keep up on there mower condition :confused2:
Reminds me of a restaurant owner who decided to serviced his own Briggs & Stratton (54series) generator with Automatic Mains Failure panel. After the service the generator would start and shut down with numerous errors on the controller. So he called a 'fly by night' generator repair shop and they told him the panel was faulty. So they replaced it ( USD 1200). Still the error. So they replaced the AC power alternator (USD 900). Still the generator would start and shutdown with 'over volts' or 'under volts' or under frequency. So the Tech disappeared.
Eventually they contact me and we head out to site. I listen to the above story from the owner and stood for a minute taking in the information. That's when I noticed that the engine had a non original oil filter and they guy said the problem started immediately after the service. That got me thinking... if he serviced with non original filters I bet they did not use the correct spark plugs.
So I checked and they had used chinese non resistor spark plugs.. these were causing interference with the digital generator controller and causing it to malfunction. So I quietly changed the spark plugs out. All the while with the owner is in the background telling my Apprentice "he's wasting his time, I've already change the plugs!.. the problem is with the AC generator not the engine".
Once I had changed the spark plugs.. I packed my tool bag up, pressed start on the control panel and walked to my vehicle to pack up and do the paperwork. The generator started and ran without fault.
The restaurant owner came running to my vehicle and said what was the problem? I told him it was the spark plugs and gave him my bill (USD 80) and he said "I'm not paying that much just for spark plugs... the one's I bought only cost USD 2.50." I said no they didn't, they cost you USD 2100!!!
Strange how people will pay idiots thousands of Dollars for essentially doing nothing.. but for travelling 100 miles and actually fixing the generator I get asked to justify my bill.
Reminds me of the story of the ship engineer who knew where to tap!
Knowing Where to Tap
#21
M
mowerman05
M
mowerman05
Installed a windshield in a ladies car a few winters back, she came to pick it up and when she started it she heard a sound from in the dash. she came back into the shop to ask if we may have dropped some glass down her defroster. I being the tec on that job went to see what had happened and started the car, sound was coming from under the hood, opened the hood and there was a cat in the fan. showed the problem to the lady as she looked under:confused2: the hood she said to me why would you put a cat in my fan
#22
GetTechnicalWithJd
I worked at Lexus many years back and one of the clients brought he IS250 back as the aircon ducting was jammed.
The techs stripped the dash to find a CD stuck in the ducting... it has slipped in to the duct in the cubby. Ironically the CD was "Slow Jams". Client had a good laugh when he collected his vehicle and the handed him the CD.
GetTechnicalWithJd
Installed a windshield in a ladies car a few winters back, she came to pick it up and when she started it she heard a sound from in the dash. she came back into the shop to ask if we may have dropped some glass down her defroster. I being the tec on that job went to see what had happened and started the car, sound was coming from under the hood, opened the hood and there was a cat in the fan. showed the problem to the lady as she looked under:confused2: the hood she said to me why would you put a cat in my fan
I worked at Lexus many years back and one of the clients brought he IS250 back as the aircon ducting was jammed.
The techs stripped the dash to find a CD stuck in the ducting... it has slipped in to the duct in the cubby. Ironically the CD was "Slow Jams". Client had a good laugh when he collected his vehicle and the handed him the CD.
#23
Kodie's Lawn Service
Kodie's Lawn Service
So weird how original part work better rightReminds me of a restaurant owner who decided to serviced his own Briggs & Stratton (54series) generator with Automatic Mains Failure panel. After the service the generator would start and shut down with numerous errors on the controller. So he called a 'fly by night' generator repair shop and they told him the panel was faulty. So they replaced it ( USD 1200). Still the error. So they replaced the AC power alternator (USD 900). Still the generator would start and shutdown with 'over volts' or 'under volts' or under frequency. So the Tech disappeared.
Eventually they contact me and we head out to site. I listen to the above story from the owner and stood for a minute taking in the information. That's when I noticed that the engine had a non original oil filter and they guy said the problem started immediately after the service. That got me thinking... if he serviced with non original filters I bet they did not use the correct spark plugs.
So I checked and they had used chinese non resistor spark plugs.. these were causing interference with the digital generator controller and causing it to malfunction. So I quietly changed the spark plugs out. All the while with the owner is in the background telling my Apprentice "he's wasting his time, I've already change the plugs!.. the problem is with the AC generator not the engine".
Once I had changed the spark plugs.. I packed my tool bag up, pressed start on the control panel and walked to my vehicle to pack up and do the paperwork. The generator started and ran without fault.
The restaurant owner came running to my vehicle and said what was the problem? I told him it was the spark plugs and gave him my bill (USD 80) and he said "I'm not paying that much just for spark plugs... the one's I bought only cost USD 2.50." I said no they didn't, they cost you USD 2100!!!
Strange how people will pay idiots thousands of Dollars for essentially doing nothing.. but for travelling 100 miles and actually fixing the generator I get asked to justify my bill.
Reminds me of the story of the ship engineer who knew where to tap!
Knowing Where to Tap
#24
M
Mini Motors
M
Mini Motors
Okay, so I witnessed this at my local repair shop. And I'm sure it isn't all that uncommon.
The customer had bought his mower at a big box store, and had already done it in and gotten the big box to replace it once already, but the new one clearly had been run with no oil. I can only guess he was embarrassed to go back again. The service guy was saying that he needed to put the oil in it when he un-boxed it at home. He stated that he had done exactly this. The service guy asked where he put the oil, and the customer pointed to the air filter. I'm guessing that the answer wasn't that funny to the service guy, but I couldn't contain myself, and couldn't stay to see what the air filter looked like.
The customer had bought his mower at a big box store, and had already done it in and gotten the big box to replace it once already, but the new one clearly had been run with no oil. I can only guess he was embarrassed to go back again. The service guy was saying that he needed to put the oil in it when he un-boxed it at home. He stated that he had done exactly this. The service guy asked where he put the oil, and the customer pointed to the air filter. I'm guessing that the answer wasn't that funny to the service guy, but I couldn't contain myself, and couldn't stay to see what the air filter looked like.
#25
S
sgmgarden
S
sgmgarden
Some very entertaining customer comments, bet you'd get some right laughs working in a store like that :laughing:
#26
EngineMan
EngineMan
The one that I remember best is......" it worked when last used "
#27
GetTechnicalWithJd
We had a customer phone us complaining that the fuel tank capacity on the Briggs & Stratton powered 15kva petrol generator we supplied him was too small. As the machine was equipped with a 50Litre fuel tank I was naturally confused. So I asked him why he need more than 50Litres to which he exclaimed "50Litres!! I've put in less than 3Litres and its already overflowing. So I asked him if perhaps someone else had filled the tank before him and he guaranteed me he was the only person to have touched the generator since it was delivered the day before. So off I went to site only yo find that the guy had poured fuel in to the OIL filler cap not the fuel tank. :laughing:
GetTechnicalWithJd
Okay, so I witnessed this at my local repair shop. And I'm sure it isn't all that uncommon.
The customer had bought his mower at a big box store, and had already done it in and gotten the big box to replace it once already, but the new one clearly had been run with no oil. I can only guess he was embarrassed to go back again. The service guy was saying that he needed to put the oil in it when he un-boxed it at home. He stated that he had done exactly this. The service guy asked where he put the oil, and the customer pointed to the air filter. I'm guessing that the answer wasn't that funny to the service guy, but I couldn't contain myself, and couldn't stay to see what the air filter looked like.
We had a customer phone us complaining that the fuel tank capacity on the Briggs & Stratton powered 15kva petrol generator we supplied him was too small. As the machine was equipped with a 50Litre fuel tank I was naturally confused. So I asked him why he need more than 50Litres to which he exclaimed "50Litres!! I've put in less than 3Litres and its already overflowing. So I asked him if perhaps someone else had filled the tank before him and he guaranteed me he was the only person to have touched the generator since it was delivered the day before. So off I went to site only yo find that the guy had poured fuel in to the OIL filler cap not the fuel tank. :laughing:
#28
GetTechnicalWithJd
GetTechnicalWithJd
I just received this via Em-mail from a Facilities Manager at one of our large national banks. They are trying to sell me their secondhand 350kVA Volvo generator.
"Generator has full service history 4 X Annual services (3 x Minor / 1 X Major).
Generator indoors, very low run hours Average load capacity 35 40%.
Installed new in 1996."
Something wrong with the maths here:
Installed new in 1996 and has had 4 annual services... 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.... what about the other 13 annual services?
"Generator has full service history 4 X Annual services (3 x Minor / 1 X Major).
Generator indoors, very low run hours Average load capacity 35 40%.
Installed new in 1996."
Something wrong with the maths here:
Installed new in 1996 and has had 4 annual services... 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.... what about the other 13 annual services?
#29
A
afoulk
A
afoulk
I had a road call one day for a Hino truck that the driver said was overheating. I get out there and it didn't look like it had lost much coolant. I climbed in and started it and I could here this ticking noise that sounded like it was coming from the top end of the engine and the oil pressure light was on. I shut it down right away and checked the oil level, it was good. Had it towed back to the shop. Hooked a lap top up to it in the shop and found that someone had over revved the engine to 5200rpms, these things redline at around 2700rpms. I started tearing it down and found that the ticking noise was actually coming from the turbo, the compressor wheel was hitting the housing because it was not getting oil to the bearings. Found that when they over revved the engine, it spun all the main bearings, so almost nothing in the engine was getting oil pressure. Wound up getting all the parts and putting together another engine for them (hino did not offer a long or even short block at the time). They claimed they had loaned the truck to someone over the weekend and that they must have over revved it. I just found it funny that the driver claimed the engine was overheating, but had paid no attention to the low oil pressure light lit up right in front of his face.
#30
A
afoulk
A
afoulk
The dealer I work for is no better either. We have a 2000 Chevy 3500 as our service truck with the 454. We told them since the truck was only a year or 2 old that the intake manifold had an external coolant leak, but they never took it to the chevy dealer to get fixed under warranty. Well, one day, when the truck was about 7 or 8 yrs old, one of our techs punched it to merge onto the high way and lost oil pressure. Turns out the intake gasket was leaking coolant internally also, and the coolant finally wiped out the bearings and this one spun all the bottom end bearings as well. I was the lucky one that got to pull the engine and disassemble it. the main bearings spun so much it actually turned the webbing in the block blue. I thought for sure they would want to put a crate motor in it. Nope, they had me put a new $1200 crank in it from GM and replace the bearings, and if they checked out good when I plastigaged them, they were gonna run it. They had me add lucas oil additive (complete snake oil garbage in my opinion) to the oil for good measure. Well, it made it 200miles and spun all the main bearings again. So, they finally decided to put a crate motor in it from GM, which of course did not have a piston installed right something, so it had to go to our local chevy dealer for engine work a third time. The dealer ship in the process managed to smash the transmission pan with their lift, so when we got it, it would not shift into 2nd gear because the pan was pushed up against the tranny filter. It got fixed, but the truck has never run right and had the same power it did when new. In the end, if they would have just taken the time to take it to the dealer when it was still under warranty, they would have avoided all of this.
#31
GetTechnicalWithJd
GetTechnicalWithJd
Back in my days in the Motor Industry we had a common customer 'complaint'.
People would come in and complain that their engine management light was faulty. When we asked why they thought the light was faulty they would say "Its on!".
When you try to explain to them that it could be a faulty sensor and we need to plug the car in to check the fault they would ask "Can't you just disconnect the light, the car is driving fine. The light must be faulty".
People would come in and complain that their engine management light was faulty. When we asked why they thought the light was faulty they would say "Its on!".
When you try to explain to them that it could be a faulty sensor and we need to plug the car in to check the fault they would ask "Can't you just disconnect the light, the car is driving fine. The light must be faulty".