Tales from the Auto Shop: No, just No

[ladyjaneinmd]

I know every shop is different, but what if the customer had the part that needed to be installed (and he got it cheaper than what you could have). What would you tell him?

The shop I work for has a 'no customer-supplied parts' rule. I tell people that it's a liability issue, mostly because we get young guys who buy a catalytic converter on ebay and want us to install it. Oh no, that's not going to happen. However, we will let people bring their own tires, and in some very rare cases where we know the customer well, other parts, but nothing as big as a radiator or cat converter.
So, the biggest thing is 'ask'. If we say no, then no.

[RealUnimportant]

My cars are old, and a lot of stuff isn't on the books any more, so I kinda have to supply a lot of my parts. However if they're still available then I'm also happy to allow the garage to source them. But then, I also understand that anything I supply is my own responsibility and if it goes wrong I'll have to pay for another one to be fitted.

[Nunavut Pants]

I have asked if I could supply some specific parts for my old cars. The mechanic told me that if I did, there was no warranty whatsoever on the work. He explained that he had no control over the quality of the parts if I supplied them, which meant that I would have to eat the labor cost if they failed in short order.

That made a great deal of sense at the time. I think I elected to supply parts only once after we had that discussion. Later, after I got to know several shop owners, I came to realize that the mark-up on parts was also one way that the mechanics kept the lights on in their shop...

Since that point, the only parts I supply to the mechanics are tires, and only after their say-so. I also let them know I have contacts and may be able to find parts, so the mechanic I mentioned earlier asked if I could get a used part for my transmission that was not available new and he didn't have access to any at that moment. I got the part, used it, and everyone was happy.

[sirwired]

I guess I generally patronize shops that let me supply my own parts, but they all trust me not to give them some bottom-dollar eBay-sourced junk, and trust me that I won't hassle him if the part fails. My parts are always as good as, or better, than jobber stuff. (I drive a 12-yr-old VW, and jobber parts vary widely in quality vs. ordering online from specialty parts houses.)

I will say, it does annoy me when a shop clearly low-balls labor in order to collect a parts markup. A friend took her minivan for an estimate on brakes to a shop that advertised only $50 labor per axle! Yeah, that's great... 300% vs. MSRP for mid-grade NAPA parts (they supplied the part numbers.) I know that if the shop supplies the parts, I'm going to be paying MSRP for them (vs. whatever discount the website's offering that day), and the shop is going to score a discount that they aren't passing on to me... but sheesh!

[Ben_Who]

"Yeah, hi, is this Starbucks? Listen, can I bring my cappuccino maker over and make myself some coffee? I just really like the ambiance and--what do you mean, NO??"

There was a recent NotAlwaysRight story where a hostess let a gaggle of little old ladies into a restaurant and the waitress served them the rolls and water, and returned to take their order only to discover they didn't want any food - they'd taken crackers and spreads and snacks out of their handbags and were having a little picnic right there in the restaurant.

Needless to say, that didn't fly with the managers, and the little old ladies got quite shirty when asked to take their luncheon party elsewhere.

Having worked for over a year at a McDonald's near a church, I BELIEVE IT.

[raudf]

Once had a customer buy a lawn tractor belt from a big box retailer for cheap and wanted our lawn and garden tech (aka my Dad) install it. That didn't fly when my Dad put the belt on and showed the ijit why the belt from the retailer was cheaper.... it broke within moments of use. The ones we used at MW were a bit... sturdier in construction and would at least last the mowing season. If the guy hadn't been one of our regulars, Dad would have just told him no and moved on to the next work order.

[Evandril]

If they didn't understand the liability issue, I could totally see asking, assuming they were bringing in their own tools and the like. IMO, sounds more clueless than truly sucky, but that's me

[Sparklyturtle]

Decades ago when my brother was stationed in England, the steering cable on his Capri went out. Apparently it would either have taken a long while to get another one over there, or was impossible to get since it was an American-built car, so he called us in California and gave us the particulars. I went over to the local Ford place and got a cable for him (cost about $20) and mailed it and the paperwork to him. However, this was a special situation, as he was in another country without easy access to parts. In the U.S. I'll take the dealer-supplied parts.

[Sparklyturtle]

There was a recent NotAlwaysRight story where a hostess let a gaggle of little old ladies into a restaurant and the waitress served them the rolls and water, and returned to take their order only to discover they didn't want any food - they'd taken crackers and spreads and snacks out of their handbags and were having a little picnic right there in the restaurant.

Needless to say, that didn't fly with the managers, and the little old ladies got quite shirty when asked to take their luncheon party elsewhere.

Having worked for over a year at a McDonald's near a church, I BELIEVE IT.

When I was a waitress we'd often get people who would bring their own tea bags and just order the hot water, or ask for crackers and put their own cheese on them. The first time I saw this I couldn't believe it. The manager told them to either put their food away or leave the restaurant. One of my co-workers once had someone take some uneaten toast off of a table where the customers had just left, then demand she bring him butter and jam.

[greek_jester]

When I was a waitress we'd often get people who would bring their own tea bags and just order the hot water, or ask for crackers and put their own cheese on them.

I've actually done something similar, although in my case I bought a pot of tea and asked them to use my teabags (have you any idea how few places sell redbush or decaff tea?) I actually ended up in a really weird argument with one stallholder at a car boot sale where I kept trying to pay but she didn't want to take the money; she'd had to pay for the cup, milk and power to heat the water, so why shouldn't I pay, just because I supplied the teabag?

[XCashier]

Allowing John Q. Public to work on his/her own car in your shop leaves you open to massive liability, and insurance usually forbids such things.

Yes. This even happens at the fabric store, believe it or not. I've had people ask if they can use our scissors to cut their fabric. Gosh, let me think about th--no. Not just no, but Hell No! Our corporate and insurance provider would mess their pants if we let that happen. And you just know some yahoo will deliberately injure him/herself with the scissors to try to bring a lawsuit against us.

Yes, there are a lot of people waiting to get there fabric cut, and only a few of us behind the cutting counter. No, you cannot use our scissors and cut your own fabric. Take a number and wait your turn!

[Jay 2K Winger]

Allowing John Q. Public to work on his/her own car in your shop leaves you open to massive liability, and insurance usually forbids such things. Auto-repair garages are dangerous places even for professional mechanics. It's why they generally don't want customers in the work areas unless escorted by an employee.

Also, just because you work in a garage (or something similar) doesn't mean you can bring in your own car to work on it there yourself.

This dumbass who used to work at the wholesale club tried to take apart his exhaust system or something in the store's tire bay one day, and assured his CWs that the SM said it was okay. When they told the SM, the SM fired him on the spot.

[Shalom]

Decades ago when my brother was stationed in England, the steering cable on his Capri went out. Apparently it would either have taken a long while to get another one over there, or was impossible to get since it was an American-built car

Pretty sure the older Capris were in fact made in England... well the 4-cylinder ones were, at least. The 6-cylinder versions were German. It's certainly possible that the cars made for export would have had different parts, though, especially where steering was concerned, given that the UK domestic models had theirs on the other side.

ETA: My mechanic, who (together with his father, before his retirement) has been servicing my cars since about 1998, does let me bring in my own parts for repair. Sometimes it's the only way to find them, if your car is 28 years old. He does advise me on which brands to get, though, and it's clear between us that if one of my parts craps out, he's charging me the labor to replace it the second time, and any warranty claims are between me and the vendor.

Sometimes the parts just aren't available. Go find a battery tray for a 1988 Chevy S10 Blazer, for example. There are still a few vendors who have them, but when you get them you find out that it doesn't fit if you have the 4.3 engine (the 88 was the first year with that motor). Now I have to find a guy with a plasma cutter and have him shave off about 1-1/2" off the left edge so it'll clear the radiator.

[katzklaw]

... Sometimes it's the only way to find them, if your car is 28 years old.

i feel your pain... i currently have a 38 year old truck as my daily driver...i've had some interesting conversations with various shops... and more than one place has had to modify something else, cannibalize something else, or run down to the nearest junkyard for a part.

[pzychobitch]

buy an oil pan, do the job yourself in your garage, and take it to an auto parts store. i know the autozone by my house will take your used oil free of charge. dunno about in Op's story of course