What would you do??? Business issue/Maintenance Problem.

[David Fermani]

Probably not worth contacting your insurance company for such a little repair though, but good rationale with the invoice showing cause.

 

[Jons6.7]

I will go on the other side and say that offering him his money back was not crazy, too generous yes but the kind of thing you do when you don't want a client leaving with a feeling of getting a nice clean, less functional car than when he got there.

I would contact him right away and just make sure it worked for him or that he is getting it fixed. This shows responsibility on your part and will leave him knowing that your a stand up business/guy/owner who cares about his customers.

I do agree with the guys that he should have told you he would fix it or take it somewhere (some guys have less than 0 mechanical skills and we sometimes forget that) to get it fixed and let you know if you where the cause. Rather than take the money. But multiple offers do get hard to say no to and if he wanted to screw you he would not have given you anything back.

Chance you will get a bill very small but then you take ownership of the problem if it is in fact your fault.

Read my other short stories.... ok thats long winded and has some great run on sentences, my old teachers would be mad.

 

[Bates Detailing]

I'm sorry, but LOL to chubb's driving home in the "All The Way Forward " position

Call him up, or better yet, track him down and take another looksy. Make sure none of the electrical connections have become disconnected during cleaning, and also jiggle the hell out of that handle. This has happened to me on numerous occasions and I have yet, had one not become opertable again. Once you get it going, it will preform as it should.

There is a chance that the switch could've played out. If this is the case, see if there is anyway you could arrange to pickup his car on Monday morning and get this taken care of. If you don't already have a wrench you use. Let your fingers do the walking in the Yellow pages for an independant Mazda repair shop. It will be much cheaper then the dealer and knowing the way you hustle, you probally will be able to pick up work from them

Thanx for the help FLash - you put alot into this thread and I appreciate it.

How did you not notice that the seat was all the way up when you were finished? I always return them to normal/average position.

I normally do as well - or train my guys to, but apparently my guy either noticed it didn't work and didn't want to say something/or he forgot - either way this will be gone over to all my guys. Final look over the car looked great - but didn't notice the seat being up.... so I too need to stay on things a bit more than trusting my guys with basic jobs I suppose.

I had this happen on a Volvo recently,

I had the car turned on and could not get the seats to budge and the switch would not take it back.

Turned out all I had to do was recline it back and then the power seats would work.

I actually do not think you messed up the seats at all.

Yeah... sure they are fine - but that doesn't stop someone from wanting to do something scandalous about the situation.

Sounds stupid...but if you sit in the seat, and give it a good bounce. Sometimes it will move again. I've had the happen a few times. But I've always gotten going again.

As for him taking half the money you EARNED. I think that's kind of an ass move on his part. Your detailing has nothing to do with that. I mean unless you went under the seat and snipped wires...that's not your fault. Electronics go all the time. Cleaning someones vehicle doesn't make you responsible for failed gadgets.

I would have said, we've done nothing out of the norm with your electronics except use them for their specific function. If he wanted to take it somewhere to get it fixed...and they actually said it had something to do with you (which they wouldn't)...then that's different. I can't believe he took half his money! lol, that just sounds crazy to me. :bash:

Learning experience I suppose - but again the guy was a nice guy and this is not the first time I have done his vehicle..... everytime he tosses extra money and it only felt right to take the less legal/business guy route and offer the money back - Now if the guy was a picky blah blady blah blah type of guy.... then maybe I would've treated the situation a bit different.

Might want to check the fuses as well. I've had this happen to me a couple times and like everyone says usually if you mess with the lever a little bit it will start up again. Also, check the connections under the seat. You could have caught it with the vacuum and simply loosened it up.

On another note does the back of the seat lean back and forward?

I checked the wires and pushed and tugged and everything the seat - I may need to do the jiggling deal and hope that helps - I think the seat came off slightly one of the tracks - cause one side would move but the other wouldn't.. It leans forward and back electronically as well.

Sounds like you explored all your options to him. I wouldn't have offered money back. Seems to me he took his money back because you offered twice. Which essentially gave him time to think "oh hey i'll just take it... then fix the seat myself when I get home". Yeah, no need to panic about this sort of situation. If you burned through his paint it may be a different story.

As for any repair,

You earned the damn money that you were given.

I would have told him to bring me a bill stating the likely cause of failure and if it were determined water or cleaner got in or on something that I would have just contacted my insurance company.

I definitely wouldn't bring it to insurance for sure - unless he came back and said,"That'll be 10,000!" Then I would just hire a laywer. I'm probably taking all this way out of proportion - Im just not accustomed to anything going wrong - which I know it will - but still not a good feeling.

I will go on the other side and say that offering him his money back was not crazy, too generous yes but the kind of thing you do when you don't want a client leaving with a feeling of getting a nice clean, less functional car than when he got there.

I would contact him right away and just make sure it worked for him or that he is getting it fixed. This shows responsibility on your part and will leave him knowing that your a stand up business/guy/owner who cares about his customers.

I do agree with the guys that he should have told you he would fix it or take it somewhere (some guys have less than 0 mechanical skills and we sometimes forget that) to get it fixed and let you know if you where the cause. Rather than take the money. But multiple offers do get hard to say no to and if he wanted to screw you he would not have given you anything back.

Chance you will get a bill very small but then you take ownership of the problem if it is in fact your fault.

Read my other short stories.... ok thats long winded and has some great run on sentences, my old teachers would be mad.

Thank you - more of how I looked at the situation at the moment.




Thanx to everyone's responses - really helps to ease my mind and understand better what to do when the next issue arises.

 

[Joe@Superior Shine]

I wouldn't have returned any money. If he demands you fix the seat you now have less of the money to do it with.

Also, we always return the seats after we detail to as close as possible to how we found them before we started. If the seat quits working only we would know. It will give us time to fix it (wiggling, a little push, etc.....)

We also carry insurance. My deductible is $500 but I could see a repair exceeded $1000 easily.

 

[Audi X2]

It has been a while, but for many years I was employed in the mobile electronics industy. I have seen or heard of countless issues relating to quirky vehicle problems.
These things happen and there really is not much that could have been done to prevent this. Even if a liquid was involved in a 12 volt system it would have to be pretty wet to cause the seat to quit working and this most likely was not the case.
I understand that you feel bad that your company may be responsible, but do not take it personal. This can be fixed and it should not be a big deal to take care of.

Just the fact that you treated the customer with concern over this and posted here to do the right thing speaks volumes of your business and code of ethics.

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

For the people talking about insurance do you find it worth it? I mean how often are you going to mess up a vehilce, mechanical or otherwise? I've damaged one vehicle in 5 years and it cost me$ 800 out of pocket to get fixed. If I had carried insurance that whole time I would have paid more than 5 times that amount for the premium. Just a thought.

Obviously this doesn't apply if you are driving the vehicles, only detailing.

 

[Kristopher1129]

For the people talking about insurance do you find it worth it? I mean how often are you going to mess up a vehilce, mechanical or otherwise? I've damaged one vehicle in 5 years and it cost me$ 800 out of pocket to get fixed. If I had carried insurance that whole time I would have paid more than 5 times that amount for the premium. Just a thought.

Obviously this doesn't apply if you are driving the vehicles, only detailing.

I hear that. It costs me about $400 every 3 months for insurance. And really, it's more for coverage of peoples vehicles left inside my shop, and covers my equipment, products, etc. in case of a fire or something of the sort. Also covers me for damage done to a vehicle...but, I'm with you on that. It's less costly to just pay out when it happens. Cause when does it really happen?

But honestly, there's times where I go without insurance. It really does seem pointless. Cause I'm paying thousands of dollars to cover stuff...that costs thousands of dollars! lol. And if something happens to a customers vehicle...definitely cheaper to just pay a body guy, or have the part replaced. Plus, I know a body guy and he hooks me up whenever I need something done. So if something did happen...I wouldn't have to pay much anyways.

It's funny you bring this up...cause I've been on and off with insurance since I've owned my business. The more I think about it, the more it seems pointless. Plus, I rent my shop...if I owned, then I would would obviously wanna cover my shop in case of a fire or such. But being that I rent...it's not my problem.

 

[Perfections]

I know you probably already did this, but while vacuuming in a rush I've disconnected the power under the seat, did you check to see if it was still plugged in? I know it sounds to simple, but its the simple things that kill us

 

[Bates Detailing]

It has been a while, but for many years I was employed in the mobile electronics industy. I have seen or heard of countless issues relating to quirky vehicle problems.
These things happen and there really is not much that could have been done to prevent this. Even if a liquid was involved in a 12 volt system it would have to be pretty wet to cause the seat to quit working and this most likely was not the case.
I understand that you feel bad that your company may be responsible, but do not take it personal. This can be fixed and it should not be a big deal to take care of.

Just the fact that you treated the customer with concern over this and posted here to do the right thing speaks volumes of your business and code of ethics.

Good to hear man.... And thanx for the compliment there.

I know you probably already did this, but while vacuuming in a rush I've disconnected the power under the seat, did you check to see if it was still plugged in? I know it sounds to simple, but its the simple things that kill us

Yeah.... actually checked it.



The crazy thing is that I can tell who views my website and this guy has viewed it 3 times tonight...... may not be a good sign! And no fluids got on the electronics whatsoever - it is a case where it was adjusted all the way forward - and didn't want to go back.

 

[Flash Gordon]

The crazy thing is that I can tell who views my website and this guy has viewed it 3 times tonight...... may not be a good sign! And no fluids got on the electronics whatsoever - it is a case where it was adjusted all the way forward - and didn't want to go back.

Wonder what thats all about (3 views in 1 night) Have you called him back since we have discussed this issue?

 

[Bates Detailing]

Wonder what thats all about (3 views in 1 night) Have you called him back since we have discussed this issue?

No don't have his number - because he works directly next to the fleet I service and just comes out and asks me for my services when Im there.... not the first time I have done his car. That's why I felt really bad about the situation - he has always been really nice and tosses extra money everytime I do his ride. Now that I have slept it off Im not as worried about it - just stressed from a super long day and ALOT of work and this issue - I will be out there next week to finish up some cars and will talk to him then. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Flash Gordon]

No don't have his number - because he works directly next to the fleet I service and just comes out and asks me for my services when Im there.... not the first time I have done his car. That's why I felt really bad about the situation - he has always been really nice and tosses extra money everytime I do his ride. Now that I have slept it off Im not as worried about it - just stressed from a super long day and ALOT of work and this issue - I will be out there next week to finish up some cars and will talk to him then. We'll see how it goes.

I would make his office my first stop come Monday morning (assuming he is not off 4 Pres day) and get this resolved once and for all

I had a very wise man I know who I respect greatly tell me once. That every night he makes a list of the things he must accomplish the following day. On the top of the list, he puts the least desirable thing and accomplishes it first. I've been practicing this method myself for a number of years now, and can testify it sure makes the rest of my day go alot smoother then having this nagging thought in the back of my mind all day

Regards,

1/3 of 1 cent (my depreciation factor is at an all time low) Im the MAN

 

[Bates Detailing]

I would make his office my first stop come Monday morning (assuming he is not off 4 Pres day) and get this resolved once and for all

I had a very wise man I know who I respect greatly tell me once. That every night he makes a list of the things he must accomplish the following day. On the top of the list, he puts the least desirable thing and accomplishes it first. I've been practicing this method myself for a number of years now, and can testify it sure makes the rest of my day go alot smoother then having this nagging thought in the back of my mind all day

Regards,

1/3 of 1 cent (my depreciation factor is at an all time low) Im the MAN

Thats actually a great saying there - I may have to start trying that.

 

[slimnib]

Mechanical parts break/wear out all the time. That's why there's repair shops all over the place including dealerships. There is no evidence that you created this problem unless you got it wet? Could this be the case? I'd suggest that he take it to a shop to diagnose the problem and get back with an estimate for repairs. They need to determine the cause and origin and go from there. If it's due to water, then you should pay. If not, it's not your problem.

How did you not notice that the seat was all the way up when you were finished? I always return them to normal/average position.

Boy are you wrong. You have the car so it your fault. You would pull the tipical cop- out of the type of people if would never recommend or deal with.

 

[Flash Gordon]

Boy are you wrong. You have the car so it your fault. You would pull the tipical cop- out of the type of people if would never recommend or deal with.

I have to disagree with you. No one has stated how old this car is. It could very easily be a part that just natrually gave out. Just because the car was in this person possesion does not mean he should automatically assume fault. That ridicoulous

Me and David tend to disagree on practically every subject we touch on, but I will have to say that IMO, if something like this happened to him, and it was proven to be his fault, he would own it.

 

[slimnib]

I have to disagree with you. No one has stated how old this car is. It could very easily be a part that just natrually gave out. Just because the car was in this person possesion does not mean he should automatically assume fault. That ridicoulous

Me and David tend to disagree on practically every subject we touch on, but I will have to say that IMO, if something like this happened to him, and it was proven to be his fault, he would own it.

If you take my car to work on and return it to me broke. It is your fault. I would not want a refund ( unless you did a poor job).
If you do not pay to fix it or get it fixed before you return it to me, I would haul you into court. I have dealt with too many people who do not take responsibility for anything.

The only way to handle is to let every you know about how they do business and then sue them.

You are entitled to get you property back in good order.

 

[Bates Detailing]

If you take my car to work on and return it to me broke. It is your fault. I would not want a refund ( unless you did a poor job).
If you do not pay to fix it or get it fixed before you return it to me, I would haul you into court. I have dealt with too many people who do not take responsibility for anything.

The only way to handle is to let every you know about how they do business and then sue them.

You are entitled to get you property back in good order.

This comment is what I am worried about - people think like this..... suing is the answer for many people - I personally wouldn't sue anyone over something so small.... but I don't put it past anyone else. I was raised to return anything back to the owner in better shape than I received it - which has alot to do with my feeling bad about this happening, my fault or not. I don't mind paying for repairs if there are any - customer service is number one to me. But comments like this about taking people to court is the only reason why I worry. People are to damn vindictive and want some easy money - especially when it comes to taking it from a company. Many people don't see the 5th kid on the way, or the life I'm trying to build for my kids..... instead they see an easy way to make an easy buck. This is why all I can do is give the best customer service I can and hope they aren't the suing type. Probably make WAY more out of this than it actually is..... again my first issue in years, so it hits hard I think.

 

[PAR Detailing]

The only way to handle is to let every you know about how they do business and then sue them.

I love America and so many things about our nation, but our ambulance chasing sue happy judicial system is a joke.

Our families business has been taken to court over bologna 3 times by 3 different spineless ameba and we won all 3. They were Bull Hockey reasons and the ameba was trying to pin his mistake on us. Oh ya we still had to pay our lawyer to prove we were still right and that was ALOT of our hard earned money.

I think if we could some how get rid of the sue happy ameba and the spineless lawyers our nation would be so much better

Sorry for the rant Not trying to start a fight just a "sensitive" subject in our household.

 

[slimnib]

I do not sue people for an easy buck. In fact I have not sued any one in years. Most people are honest and take care of theirs errors. Professionals carry malpractice insurance to cover their big errors. In terms of detailers, mechanics, repairs people I would not sue them over a small item. I just would never use them again nor recommend them ( if they did not make good).
Be that it many, no one should need to pay for someone else's goof, unless they feel charitable.

I once left a car with a mechanic over night, when I came to pick it up there was a large dent on the hood. When I ask what happen, he went blank and made up story of how it was not his fault. Was it mine? Him I sued and won.

Interesting conversation. Have a great weekend.

 

[Flash Gordon]

If you take my car to work on and return it to me broke. It is your fault. I would not want a refund ( unless you did a poor job).
If you do not pay to fix it or get it fixed before you return it to me, I would haul you into court. I have dealt with too many people who do not take responsibility for anything.

The only way to handle is to let every you know about how they do business and then sue them.

You are entitled to get you property back in good order.

hmmm, you sound like a very stable minded individual :laughing: