Do you wait at your mechanics ? Small shops, do you take waiters ?
 

Would like to hear opinions from both sides .

For the indie I has used for over 25 years I do not since it is not usually routine stuff, which I generally do.

I have known Bill since 1990 when he worked on my 1983 SC transmission. He is a great, honest man who prefers you drop off your car and scoot.

My son worked for him for two summers - he now prefers to work alone :)

I had my last "free" inspection on my Tundra at the Toyota dealership this morning, 35K.

They have a nice lounge, very fast wifi, coffee and snacks: I reserve the 0730 slot, get a donut and coffee then work admin stuff for my company on my laptop. Back in the truck by 0900.

no.

as a customer i never wait. does nobody any good. i hate sitting on my hands and i'm damn positive the wrench doesnt want me to watch, ask questions, or add suggestions.

i've walked to bars, theaters, home..

and they never ever say.."hey, i'm really busy..you mind using my lift and tools and doing it yourself"..:D

Doesn't it depend? For a small job that's going to be done right away, where am I going to go/what am I going to do for just an hour? But if it's going to take several hours or all day, I've got better things to do than sit in one place. Would also depend on whether or not I had a ride to go somewhere--you've got my wheels, after all.

I wait if it is at a dealership (warranty or free service on newer cars) and they have WiFi. I just work from the dealership for that morning or afternoon.

At a small shop, I'd never wait if it is anything more than tires or an oil change. I do not think it is good for the wrench either, having you stand around. Often projects take longer and disappointing the customer that the car won't be ready after they have been sitting there for 4 hours would be bad.

G

For a short wait about an hour I wait in the lounge at the indy shop. Longer I walk back or take my bike and ride it back.

In the Lexus dealership I either wait and get a free breakfast at the local Holiday Inn or take a loaner. Last time I got a loaner it was a Lexus NX200t. Just like a fancy Rav4. Lexus dealership treats us right. They have free manicure service, wash you car for free but probably pay for all that stuff indirectly.

But overall my indy shop is basic and just supplies coffee. What he charges for the work he does is very reasonable.

I have another indy shop on the south side of Edm who does my Miata. I wait while he does the work like a PPI or putting on snow tires. He has the patience to show me in the workshop what he is doing and that to me is special. Very seldom do I get invited into the work area. :)

1 hour, yes. Longer than that, no. They should locate barber shops near auto repair/tire shops so if it is a small job you can get groomed while the car is being done.

No. I do most work on my cars myself, but if I need to take it to a shop I drop it off. The shop I like that I've been using in Chicago is a couple of blocks from my office, so dropping it off there is easy - they work on it while I'm at work, or if it's longer I bring a bike with me or take a bike-share bike home. Having options is nice!

I usually drop off and have one of the guys from work pick me up. Also my mechanic has a few beater cars he'll let you take if it's going to be a few hours.

I try to do a drop off whenever possible.

Hate sitting and waiting.

Helps that I have more DD's than licensed operators in the home so there is always a vehicle available.

Yes! I've used Aase Motors from 20 years and Jeff Erickson has become a good friend. After I moved 103 miles away nine years ago, we had to make it work. He clears time and I drive down in the morning. If it's an easy fix I hang out. If it's all day, I go to the local golf course and play 18 holes or use his car to run shop errands (parts runs, p/u lunch, beer, etc).

When I use my local guy I throw the bike into the back of the truck and skedaddle.

Nope.

Always a well choreographed drop-n-go.

No, almost never. I've used the same mechanic for years, they use to drive me home, or to my parent's because it is 10 min away. If its something small, I call first and make sure they can perform the service and I will just wait for 20 min. Any more then that, I usually drop it off and pick up when schedule allows. My wife btiches about driving me over there.

No waiting for me. I do most of the work myself. Some big jobs like replacing A-arm bushings on the upper and lower a-arm of the El Camino I take to a shop and they have the alignment rack right there. I drop off the car, they take me to work and come get me that afternoon when it is done.

I have a bike mount on my roll bar. IF I do a drop off, that is my way to boogie off. Hasn't happened for many years as my ride is in good shape and loves me.

I wait if it's something quick. I watched a tire place try to change a rear wheel lug bolt on my Tundra a few years ago. The mechanic was trying to take the brake drum off by wailing on it with a 4 pound hammer. I told the manager to tell that kid to stop beating on my truck, and we got into an argument about how to take a brake drum off. I finally told him how to take it off and told him if he didn't do it right he could put the wheel back on and I'd take it home a change the lug bolt myself. He told me he couldn't let me drive with only five lugs, liability blah, blah, blah. The kid was still beating on it and about that time the drum came off. I told them if it was cracked or warped they were buying a new one - it wasn't on me because I told them the proper way to remove it. The kid put the new lug bolt in an slapped the drum back on. The brakes vibrated on the way home and I was sure they had effed up the drum, but it turned out it just had a bunch of runnout from the rust flakes the kid left on the flange when he slapped the drum back on it.

So that's what can happen if you watch.

Me=no, wife=yes... however my wife is a prolific knitter and can spend hours fooling with her phone.

Exception for me is getting tires... I will walk across the street to the strip mall and shop or kick back in McDonald's and mooch off their free WIFI for an hour or so while they put new shoes on my baby.

Never wait. Even for a 1 hour job. I have better things to do. Plus, the mechanic knows he can get to it at his convenience. I'll come back at the end of the day.

Because you, the guy who takes drums off , maybe once, or twice a year, knows better than the guy who does it every day. Toyota drums suck to get off in the rust belt. There is no lip to grab on the outside, and they get HUGE ridges on the inside of the drum, and you either strip out the threaded holes, made to pull the drum, or you rip apart the rear brakes while you are trying to remove it. Oh, and the adjusters are always rusted stuck, so you have no chance in hell of backing them off with the drum still on .
That being said, I love you man! , that is just how it is. I have pounded lots of these off myself , Trust me , that kid was not pounding the hell out of your drum because he wanted to piss you off.
I would have told you," here , have a go at it"!