How do I sort this situation without grovelling

LegacyUser

Not really a motoring or a consumer issue so I have decided to post here.
I have an intermittent but serious and possibily expensive problem with my car.
I went to my own garage who couldn't do anything for me.
Main dealer is unsure what is wrong and is talking close to €1,000 with no guarantees that this will eventually sort the problem.
I was referred to an Auto Electrician cum Diesel Specialist, everyone I spoke to said he was the very best. He sounded nice enough on the phone and made an appointment for last Tuesday. Unfortunately I forgot the appointment and didn't turn-up until last Friday morning. When I left the car in I had some stuff I had printed off from the internet as I thought it would help. He was smart and dismissive and suggested that if I wanted to fix it over the internet that I should take it elsewhere.
Finally I rang on Friday evening just to enquire how the job was getting along and if he found anything. I know he is busy but I badly need the car for work. He completely exploded on me and told me basically to f...off and take my car somewhere else. I felt in bits over it. Surely businesses like this should be more customer friendly.
The car is still at his place and I still need it repaired. Should I go back and apologise and leave it there until he gets around to it or try and go elsewhere.I don't wan't to lose face by grovelling but am stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I am in Cork but don't want to identify either myself or the garage.

MrWalsh

You forgetting the appointment was bad form but there is no way Id be handing over money to a business who told me to eff off.

Personally I would have walked away at the smart dismissive attitude when you left the car in. If someone cant behave reasonably towards a customer the first time they meet them then it doesnt bode well for future interactions.

Id go in now and take the car back, pay him for whatever he did - if anything - and take my business elsewhere.

Hombre Lobo

It was unfortunate you missed your appointment but no professional service should speak to a customer like that. It's just not acceptable.

If I were you I would maybe bring a friend along for support if you can and just ask for your car back.
Maybe you could ask some of the forum members in the Motoring section for any recommendations of garages in your area that might be able to help or offer an alternative.

LegacyUser

I wouldnt panic at this situation.

By missing the appointment you put yourself on the backfoot with the mechanic. This is not to excuse his communication with you though.

I do know most mechanics as in most other professions almost take offense at people with no qualifications in a certain field leaving "useful" print outs from the internet. Good intentions it maybe but it almost devalues the mechanics expertise and his own qualifications.

To leave the car in on a Friday morning and ring up for an update Friday evening, realistically this was never going to go down too well. Again this does not excuse the way he spoke to you. He had allocated a slot to look at your car on the Tue and you came down on a Friday, the start of a bank holiday when he would be under pressure to finish his existing customers that had booked in etc.

When you say he "basically" told you to F off did he actually say this as such? You didnt unintentionally sound a little pushy when you rang on Fri evening as you need the car back for work soon?

I would go past today and start a fresh, apologise for missing the appointment and bringing the car up, nothing too deep, just keep it light.

Maybe you both got off on the bad foot with each other and it can be resolved amicably. If he is as good as people say it might be worth doing so.

If he is still rude and hasnt calmed down, collect the car and try somwhere else

jimmycrackcorm

I'd go and take my car back and tell him that I'd be making and shaming him in the internet so that potential customers searching about his reputation would know about him.

If that's the attitude he has then how can you think he would do a good job.

Colser

Id post this up on the Motors forum..Someone may be able to help or recommend another mechanic in Cork.
Take someone with you to collect the car.I think the print offs from the internet may have hit a nerve as I would be annoyed myself if someone gave me advice on how to do my job even though I know you were trying to help.

BTW I have found some garages to be a bit dismissive of women(not all)but Im not sure if that applies here..Ive had experience of that myself but I soon sorted them.

Faith

Ah now, you had an appointment for Tuesday and you just didn't show up, by the sounds of it. No communication to let him know you wouldn't be coming? That wasted his time. Then you showed up on Friday - had you even made a new appointment and apologised for missing the first one? Then you give him "helpful" printouts that imply "Hey, I assume you don't know how to do your job!" and expect an update mere hours later, on a Friday evening, despite knowing it's an extremely complicated problem that several others have already washed their hands of. You sound like a nightmare customer, to be blunt. He shouldn't have exploded or sworn at you, but it does sound like you were being extremely difficult to work with.

You have two choices: Don't apologise, collect the car, pay the man what he's owed, and try to find someone else; or, GROVEL. Apologise for being difficult, explain that you were stressed and apologise again. Ask him if he would agree to continue working on the car, and trust him to actually do his best this time. There's a pair of you in this, both acting as poorly as the other, IMO.