What would you do?

[5523Pathfinder]

Ok, its like the title says, what would you do?

 

Here is the situation. I was just given a car to work on, its a older Q45 that does not start. The customer came in being very adimate that the problem was that he used a unprogrammed key(yes, a chipped key) and the system will now not let him start the vehicle. He stated he only wanted to pay for the programming because he "knows thats whats wrong". So I grab my programming tool and head out to the car. I plug it in and turn the ignition, dead battery. Ok, go grab the jump box. I go to hook it up and notice loose battery cables. I fix them up quick so I have a good connection and proceed with my key programming. I verify the key is programmed, but the engine will not start. I was told by my Service Advisor to not do anything else if programming the key does not get the car to run. She said she needed to call the customer as they requested. So, in the meantime, I start poking around. I dont have much else going on so what the heck. I find that someone has been working on the car and left the Cam Position sensor and the Mass air flow meter disconnected. I also find loose coolant hose clamps(actually, they were not installed at all). I make the connections and try start. Sure enough it runs. So I speak to my advisor and tell her what I had found(while I was getting a update on another car), and she stated she already called the customer and left a message. A few minutes later after I had left, he called back. He as upset that programming the key did not fix it, and his friend swears that is the problem. He said forget it and put the car out so he can have it towed away. While this was happening, I was trying to find some history on the car. It had been almost 9 years since the car was at a dealer and was never a customer here. I was told to put everything back the way it was and finish my paperwork. I did perform a courtesy inspection as well and found the car needs a lot of work and has almost 200,000 miles on it.

 

So what would you do knowing this person is never going to be a customer, he came in and wanted only one specific thing done, and is towing the car out of here? Should I just fix it for free? Let him go knowing he wont be back? Let him pound sand? What?

 

(note that we charged him for a hour and I spent a hour dealing with the programming, battery and inspection)

Edited September 14, 2011 by 5523Pathfinder

[smoke]

Im not a licensed machanic, but I do lots of repairs for people on the side. If I ever find something that needs to be addressed I photograph it and make notice for the said customer...If it was me in your shoes I would note that what you found in the courtesy inspection and list all that should be replaced/fixed. Most dealers I have come into contact with do this trying to get you to pay more. But I would also not risk your job. So list what you found and leave them a note in the paper work to check these items next.

[5523Pathfinder]

Thats pretty much what I did, and what I normally do.

[Precise1]

Exactly. Leave a note detailing the immediate issues and what the solutions are, that you can do that for them if they wish (at the dealership of course) and that they probably shouldn't let the last person working on the vehicle work on it again.

 

Oddly enough, it almost sounds like some sort of test.

 

When are you going to move close enough to be my mechanic??

 

B

[nunya]

Basically covered my suggestion... cover your own azz but make a note on the repair order of "noted things to check/problems found" Don't put yourself at risk but still be inforimitave and helpful to the customer and although you may not get this particular job, they may possibly come back due to the honestly or at least even pass along that you and/or the dealership your at are not a typical "stealership" and actually put some effort out to be helpful

[5523Pathfinder]

When you move up here! Plus, I wont be your mechanic, I will be your teacher!!!

[5523Pathfinder]

Thats basicly what I am getting at here. I work at a dealer and take pride in that. I was trying to see what others would do if they were in my shoes. Giving away diagnosis for free does not pay the bills. Fixing things for free does not pay the bills. Yet some people will take drag thier rig all over looking for the best deal, and yet they are ones screwing up the car. I figure out whats going on but not fix it, does that make me the bad guy. If he was a regular customer, or had spent some other money on other things, he would be driving it away instead of towing it away.

[Precise1]

When you move up here! Plus, I wont be your mechanic, I will be your teacher!!!

Other than the moving part, that's one of the better offers I've heard in a while. Need any machining tutoring??

 

B