Pay Attention To What Your Doing!!

joshbuys · August 31, 2010

Had my first 6.7L in the other day, CEL on - customer is WAITING....First off, I don't know how many times I've told my advisors - WAITING is not an option on a truck with CEL - it's never an 'easy' fix!! Guy wanted an oil change and fuel filters while it was there....So I pull codes - P0299, check oasis and there's an SSM for wastegate adjustment/check - performed check - starts moving at 12"HG - needs adjustment - so I go to get upper intake gaskets on order and filters for services. So I go out and change the fuel filters, drain oil and change filter, fill oil, and then advisor comes looking for some answers on the truck....So I get distracted and leave the Oil fill cap off, and leave a couple wrenches on the cowl....I totally forgot about, advisor took truck back around for customer, a few minutes later I'm cleaning stuff up and realize I'm missing these 2 wrenches - realize where they were - look out front - trucks gone. Tell advisor my wrenches are on the cowl - so he calls the customer - leaves a message....customer calls back - and is pissed 'cause the oil fill cap is left off. I got one wrench back, but now customer is taking truck to another dealer to have wastegate adjustment done..... Posted Image

mchan68 · August 31, 2010

If I'm under the hood of a truck (or any other vehicle for that matter), I will NOT answer pages to service or pages for phone calls. I got burned once that way before. On one vehicle I was replacing a couple of injectors on a 6.0L. I was in the middle of installing the high pressure oil rail when I got paged to service. After, I buttoned up the valve cover, only to notice the nine TX-30 bolts for the rail sitting on my bench!!!

After that experience, I figure if it's important enough, a message will be left if it's for a call, or the advisor can walk their lazy ass legs out to my bay if it's THAT important (which nine times out of ten, it wasn't).

Not too long ago, I was in the middle of timing a 5.4L 3-valve after installing a set of phasers, during which time I must've been paged at least FIVE times to service. When I finally decided to see just what was so important, the advisor tells me, "Mike I have a diesel that needs one of the light bulbs changed and the customer is waiting....." At that point, I didn't even let her finish her sentence before I tore a strip off her right in front of all the customers with my reply, "Aww c'mon!!!! Is THAT what you paged me five million times for, while I was in the middle of timing an engine? You mean to tell me you can't get someone else to do it?!!!! Get a fucking life!!!!" And I stormed away extremely pissed and annoyed.

I can relate to you very well, trust me.

Keith Browning · August 31, 2010

At that point, I didn't even let her finish her sentence before I tore a strip off her right in front of all the customers with my reply, "Aww c'mon!!!! Is THAT what you paged me five million times for, while I was in the middle of timing an engine? You mean to tell me you can't get someone else to do it?!!!! Get a fucking life!!!!" And I stormed away extremely pissed and annoyed.

An opinion if you will allow me...

A - Not a very professional thing to do. You made yourself, the department and the dealership look unprofessional. Think about the implications of that. I know we all get busy, make mistakes and get frustrated. We even have to deal with stupid on occasion but we need to act like professionals.

B - I am constantly reminded that "waiters" are a fact of life in our business. We need to be mindful that all customers deserve our attention and respect regardless of whether or not it is convenient.

C - Having learned the hard way myself, I can say that if you want your coworkers to give you respect and consideration you need to give them respect and consideration. You may need to set the example or you may learn from someone else's example. Think of someone you highly respect and think about how they might have handled such a situation. Instead of getting into this service advisor's face you could have tried taking him/her aside and explaining that pages and interruptions are distracting to your work and that perhaps you would prefer them to walk back and talk to you. Work something out or this will continue to be a problem for you.

Posted Image

Mr.Meanwrench · August 31, 2010

I have the customers up here that think i'm a sideshow and they are breathing down my back as I tell them as politely as I can that they need to go for a walk while I evaluate the vehicle. Pisses me off when the same fucking idiot does it twice though... Posted Image

mchan68 · September 1, 2010

A - Not a very professional thing to do. You made yourself, the department and the dealership look unprofessional. Think about the implications of that. I know we all get busy, make mistakes and get frustrated. We even have to deal with stupid on occasion but we need to act like professionals.

Yes, Keith I hear you LOUD and CLEAR. You are absolutely right it wasn't a very professional thing to do. At that particular time, I wasn't even thinking about implications when I lashed out. I lashed was because of the fact that I got paged to service for something SO stupid while I was in the middle of a very tedious task at the time, while there were others in the shop standing around with their hands in their pockets. This particular advisor is someone who is a ROYAL PITA to deal with, but for reasons I can't fathom, she somehow has some kind of "strangle hold" on our dealer. And to set the record straight, she paged ME to service because it was a "diesel" (which it wasn't, it was an E-450 gasser bus probably a V-10). I was later told by someone else that even the customer called her a bitch (which is something I would've paid money to witness because I needed a good laugh after that).

Originally Posted By: Keith Browning

B - I am constantly reminded that "waiters" are a fact of life in our business. We need to be mindful that all customers deserve our attention and respect regardless of whether or not it is convenient.

Yes, they are. Unfortunately in my world, I'm only one person who can only be in one place at one time. And I always do give attention and respect to the good customers with very legitimate concerns that they would like me to address. However, if I'm in the middle of a very tedious task that demands 100% of my attention that there is ZERO margin for error, I ain't stopping to go a road test with a customer to chase an intermittent noise that may or may not occur in bumper to bumper traffic (which I'm NOT getting paid to do either). I always tell them, I'll get to it when I get to it.

Originally Posted By: Keith Browning

C - Having learned the hard way myself, I can say that if you want your coworkers to give you respect and consideration you need to give them respect and consideration. You may need to set the example or you may learn from someone else's example. Think of someone you highly respect and think about how they might have handled such a situation. Instead of getting into this service advisor's face you could have tried taking him/her aside and explaining that pages and interruptions are distracting to your work and that perhaps you would prefer them to walk back and talk to you. Work something out or this will continue to be a problem for you.

Understood Keith. But having this conversation with this particular advisor is a lost cause. And yes, unfortunately this will ALWAYS be problem unless this advisor gets HER way all the time.

LARRY BRUDZYNSKI · September 1, 2010

Now mind you I'm not saying to kiss her ass, but you may be due for a little Pow-Wow with the Chief, You and her/him. If this is turning into a common thing it should be addressed. Do it diplomatic. Ask for suggestions from them and give the same from you. Maybe there is a common ground you can both work on together. I'm not there and not exposed to it nut it might be worth it, if not for anything else but to actually voice your opinion to the boss. It might wake him to the little B/S thats pissin you off and help you. We all get called from what were doing but try to be a little more layed back with it.

Jim Warman · September 1, 2010

Mike... I think you need to grasp the idea of "team player"....

Start with your tag line.

Aaron · September 1, 2010

I usually put the keys in my pocket for the vehicle I am working on, if I get called away.

Had a 6.4 truck have the hood closed, and driven outside by an advisor when I walked away to take a whiz. Truck had no oil in it.

And another one, 6.0, had the oil line off the turbocharger on that one. Wow did that ever make a mess. So the keys go in my pocket, or when I pull 'em in the bay, after I'm done my diagnostification, I throw the key up on the sunvisor, out of sight.

Jim Warman · September 5, 2010

I find it hard to believe some of this stuff.... The truck isn't finished until you hand them the RO.

FWIW.... If they ask me "How long...." and I say something like "45 minutes", you can bet your ass that when they walk away, something else will occupy an hour of my time.

Life's a bitch..... and then you die.

sixturbosix · November 3, 2010

My answer to "How Long" is "well if everything goes right it will be done between now and 5:00".

scott1984 · December 24, 2010

I have always like when the service advisor comes and asks " When well that truck be done." I nicely says when i am finished with it.

Jim Warman · December 24, 2010

Back in the 80s... this would be the first time I worked at this store (different DP at that time) we had one crusty old guy in the shop. The SM asked him when the customer could take his truck.... Bear in mind that, at this particular time - the wheels are off... the brakes are apart and the front diff is laying on the bench.... Ol' Bill says... "He can fucking take it right now if he wants it bad enough".

Now that is one fucking funny story... but it serves no purpose. We are all members of the same team - much like your favourite sporting team. It takes everybody to be a winner.... if one person fumbles the ball and somebody isn't there to pick it up (ooooo, it isn't MY job....) - EVERYBODY looks bad.

When will the truck be done? Your service advisor needs something a little more definitive that "when I'm done".... The SA is asking because the customer is asking (remember the customer... the guy we are here for? ). You think "If I told you I would have to kill you" is a reasonable answer?

Let's say your toilet is broken... you can't take a crap.... let's say that the plumber answers your question "you can take a shit when I say you can take a shit... fuck off". Feels good... dunt it?