Why do cars attract so many *****?

[Sonicriot13 0]

I've always wondered this. There just seem to be so many people I've dealt with at garages, dealerships, and just in general, that are just w**kers. There are just so many car scams, people that think they are all big and clever cos of the exhaust they have, cow boy mechanics, and miserable people. The amount of times I've phoned places up and the person on the end of the phone has had all the people skills of a psychopath, and customer service is just non-existent. Obviously there are a great many exceptions to this, and I would never think that just because someone worked in the motor trade that they were like this, but it happens so often.

[fla 9]

Hate to agree with this but i've often found the same. Some hgarages feel they're dpoing you a favour and you should be privileged to even talk to them. Arrogance just doesnt go far enough I'm afraid. This also seems to be typical of the transmission places that feel they are even more superior. Strange, but a shame.

[Jay2 0]

Why do garages give you a price and then add VAT on top at the end? :shock:

 

Where else would this happen, I think the checkout at Tesco/Asda would be a really fun place if at the end the checkout person then said "plus vat".

 

If at some places the labour rate is £50+ per hour, how much more do I have to pay not to be looked at like 'doggy doo doo'! :lol:

[bristolbaron 10]

I work in car sales and we have to be nice, we don't get paid until a car is handed over, so we wouldnt get away with anything less.

A lot of the industry is poorly paid and garages wont pay more for someone with a good personality..

 

I don't think it's necessarily a trate just true of the car trade though, how many people dread dealing with insurance companies/builders/fast food staff etc

[shawshankkid 1]

how many people dread dealing with insurance companies/builders/fast food staff etc

Yes....all have social skills of piranhas.

[Sonicriot13 0]

I work for an insurance company.... :lol: Fortunately I work in underwriting and not customer service, but I have to admit, when I go down to the call centres and listen to the guys on the phone I wonder how the company survives. They sound like robots. Mind you, they do the same phone call, over and over again, reading out a script. I'd have a hard time sounding happy doing that. I guess I'm wrong in this, but I guess I just expect all people who deal with cars to be doing that because that's what they really want to do. It's a vocation. Not like being sat on the end of a phone talking to someone about how much of their vet fees we're willing to pay. For a lot of those guys it is just a day job like any other and are probably just as unhappy in their job as I am in mine. I don't like working for an industry that's the biggest con going, but on the occasions where I've had to deal with members of the public I am always polite.

[Alexander 0]

I totally agree - I once went to a tyre place and stood there for literally 10mins getting ignored by every grease monkey in the place! I actually had to physically collar one of them to ask if I could perhaps get some tyres fitted if it wasn't too much f*cking trouble!

 

That said, my mechanic who does all the work on my GTI is a sound lad, always fair with the prices and I can trust him. I guess you've just got to vote with your wallet and avoid places that think customer service is optional!

[StuartFZR400 0]

Cowboys - doesnt this apply to most industries?

 

There will always be honest/lairs, thick/clever, helpful/useless, motivated/lazy, people in this world all looking to help or scam us.

[Critical_Mass 10]

I totally agree - I once went to a tyre place and stood there for literally 10mins getting ignored by every grease monkey in the place! I actually had to physically collar one of them to ask if I could perhaps get some tyres fitted if it wasn't too much f*cking trouble!

 

That said, my mechanic who does all the work on my GTI is a sound lad, always fair with the prices and I can trust him. I guess you've just got to vote with your wallet and avoid places that think customer service is optional!

 

Always stick to the small, privately owned garages if possible. In my experience you get a better value for money, more quality in work and a honest polite service. Though i suppose there could be exceptions to that.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Cowboys - doesnt this apply to most industries?

 

There will always be honest/lairs, thick/clever, helpful/useless, motivated/lazy, people in this world all looking to help or scam us.

 

Yep, spot on. I would say conveyancing lawyers get more people's backs up than a miserable tosser behind a partco counter...... they take 3 months + to sell a house with no onward chain. They don't talk to you. They do a crap job. They always get paid regardless, so complaining achieves diddly....

 

As for the motor trade, well, trying to explain to a Halfords cashier that the air freshener they scanned isn't a Momo Steering wheel is always fun, but there are good suppliers/garages out there and halfords trips become a distant memory. It's called the internet..... take the berks that annoy you out of the equation, simply really!

[Supercharged 2]

trying to explain to a Halfords cashier that the air freshener they scanned isn't a Momo Steering wheel is always fun, but there are good suppliers/garages out there and halfords trips become a distant memory. It's called the internet..... take the berks that annoy you out of the equation, simply really!

 

Haha - I remember what your on about...

[StuartFZR400 0]

can just imagine kev squirting his Odour-de-Cheese air-freshener in the Dirty Grey Old Bastid. :lol:

 

I must admit though I do appreciate a good old rant, as our thread-starter does. I've been in the VW show room a few times, while waiting for the Parts Dept to go find this strange old item for this strange old car... what is it... Carraeodoo somthin. The Sales Women in the Cov branch meet me with hesitation, as Im dressed in my jeans, ready to work on the C. She then wonders if I want to look at the Eos, as Im pulling at bits off the GTi. Then they hurridly shove a broschure in your hand and say have a nice day, just as you're getting into the Golf to see if it feels good. They cant tell you anything about teh car, nor are they any help. Too many visits like this and I've avoided buying another VW. Maybe one day I'll return, but for now I only like my old Dubs.

 

Halfords - ha ! "You know you can get two for one on the Halfords own brand mate" ... no thanks. "and we're doing half price on the chrome polish" .. no , really, Im not interested. "AND THEN....." lol

 

sorry, got carried away