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"!

No, never wait, always drop off and wait for a call.

I can't stand people sitting there waiting on me to get done. I don't have a shop, but if I did, I wouldn't have a waiting room.....just saying !

i don't have a waiting room. Great minds ......
And sorry, WD, did not mean to come off like a smart arse to you, your post made me chuckle a bit

Nothing worse than when I wrench in the bike shop having a customer stand over me and tell me how to do it or ask a nonstop stream of questions. If they want to watch and learn, quietly ok, or if they want to talk music, fine, but otherwise get outta my way.

I offered. They wouldn't let me under the truck. The kid wasn't pounding the hell out of the drums to piss me off, he just went to the last resort first and figured, "What the hell, if I eff it up he'll just have to buy himself a new brake drum." I didn't want to buy a new brake drum, would you?

We call the waiter jobs "Burn the mechanic while ya wait" jobs. I have gotten used to it over the years and don't let it bother me too much. Although, there are some jobs I really would not want someone standing over me while I work on their car.

I grew up in my dad's jewelry shop. When i was old enough to pick up a file, I worked for him after school doing all the simple stuff like setting stones and learn the art of making jewelry, by hand (PITA as a kid). We didn't to deal with the public, only trades or retailers. At times, there are customers who ask/demans to see how their stone is set. These are the retailer's clients, so we were obligated to allow them in the shop. Some are a royal pain. They watch like a hawk, standing right behind us (they cant see the damn thing because the items we are working on is just too small to see from three feet away) as we set their $1200 :rolleyes:stone. Some would scream when they see us light the torch, or pick up a file to smooth the prongs out after the stone is set. My father decided no more. They ask a million questions and take up 1/2 hour yapping about their POS.

Now, I tell my clients, watching and helping will be a 30% education fee tacked on to the final bill and many laugh about it. I walk them through the job every few days just to show them what's going on and that eliminates them asking my workmen about their job right in the middle of doing something dangerous or break their required intense focus. It never fails, when you are about make a complex and dangerous cut on the table saw, here comes someone, what are doing? That's interesting, where does it go? They stop, shut off the saw, and yap. Turn saw back on and cut the piece too short or the wrong side. Never fails. Oh fook! Sorry man, just cut a $50 dollar piece of lumber short. :eek:

I have two places who work on my vehicles, if I'm not doing it myself.
One is a one man place. I've known him since he was a kid. He used to work for a dealership, then went out on his own maybe 15 years ago. When he's working on the truck, I'm usually helping out.
For the VW, I take it to the place which has been working on my VWs for thirty years. They used to be a little dealership but went indy close to 15 years ago. Again, I know the principle and remember when he was a kid washing the cars on his dad's lot. His dad is still around from time to time and still goes to the auctions to pick up a few cars. Ed is the main sales guy now and I know if I mention a particular car on the lot the offer of keys and a dealer plate will be made. I also know he may ask a few questions about my impressions of the vehicle but will not ask if I'm looking to buy it.
If I can't wait for my vehicle to be worked on, there will be a loaner for whatever time I need it.
I have had only two complaints about their service in all that time.
Both issues were resolved immediately. I don't need to watch.

Best
Les

Depends

Mostly drop off and come back later. Actually, mostly I do stuff myself, so if someone else is doing something, it is going to take a couple hours. Going for an alignment on Saturday morning, will just hang out and read car magazines for that one.

Tires, sure. I'll wait.
Mechanical, nah. Drop and go. Wait for the call.

If a hole in the wall semi-retirement/hobby shop counts as a small indy, then I am talking.

I have a couple of lady customers with limited means. They have waited for several hours. I don't care for it. However, they are troopers. One gal rolled up $30 worth of change in my junk drawer while waiting.

What chapped my butt is when I used to get sucked into an "I'll help you" scenario. I don't mind the them helping part, some dudes are seriously good (and younger/stronger). It's when their spouses blow up their cell phones asking when they will be finished that frosts me. I am cutting the guy a break and he is still getting harassed.

Given my personality, I feel guilty that his frammitz valve or kermit palzer is so far gone it can't be repaired. Therefore, in my mind, I am keeping him from his wife and kids. I internalize these annoying phone calls and finally scream, "Tell that farking batch to get of your back" while he is on the phone.

Kind of thins them out. :D

I do 90% of everything myself. But I don't do my state authorized safety inspections (yet :) ) so I go to the same place as I've been going to for 20 years. The main mechanic and I have got to be good friends and I guess I'm one of the few customers allowed in the workshop area. We stand around talking about what we've been up to since the last meeting, and he's pointing out things I need to fix before the next inspection, gets me to pump the brake pedal etc. Really good.

Yep most of my waiting is for tires or smog inspections which go pretty quickly. If a repair can be done in an hour I will do it myself. If it takes longer, I'm out!

Timely topic. I was at my indie mechanic today for an oil change and a battery. I booked the appt. a week ago. He doesn't mind that I hang out. He even suggested I wait. I buy the shop coffee and play with the dogs.
I live 2 bus and 2 trains away from these guys. If anything more than an oil change I'll leave it for a few days.

We were taught/trained in automotive school to hit the drums on the flat side with the biggest hammer you could find if they didnt slide right off. Been doing it that way for many years as does everyone else in the industry.

Never, ever, ever. Because when I was a wrench I wanted to punch the dispatcher when the shag put a car in my stall and yelled "WAITER!" at 6:30 in the morning.

This is the w ay I was taught by my Autoshop teacher.

Waiting for your car to be repaired
 

Hi,great topic.I had a shop for 35 years.I always encouraged people to wait and watch.It is a lot of fun to do something technical and make it look easy.I never had a place for the customer to sit other than over my shoulder.Nothing better than the truth.Fred Apgar Apcar Inc.Pa.

I hope everyone else in the industry doesn't, but I may be wrong. I was very happy to discover Toyota provided an alternative to the "beat the hell out of it until it falls off" method. I would hope a mechanic working on one would use it. I had to take the drums off my Tundra annually to free up the notorious e-brake pivot . I never had to take a hammer to them.

Waiting
 

Outside of 1 or 2 oil changes first thing and tires mounted on rims for a swap I prefer them to leave the car. Shop flow/hoist requirements and part delivery times really start to affect things after that.

Regarding the brake drums and hammering, thats what I do. Having to fix threads makes you a bit more careful. Apperentices, I make them use the air hammer with a flat rivet bit around the flange. They pop everytime and I never have to fix threads or replace studs. Lots now have 2 threaded holes and you use use a couple bolts. Piece of cake.

My indie shop I go to doesn't have chairs. I have to hang out at a Starbucks 2 blocks away or just leave.

I think that's better for them. Let them concentrate on the work rather than chit chat.