Advice needed: client was happy with repair then blasts me on social media

[Setnev]

I am looking for advice on how to handle a situation tactfully to help save my reputation as a mechanic.

 

Whole story: About 7 months ago I had a local club member and friend approach me about doing some work on her STI. There's only a few of us in the area who specialize in working on Subies and know what they're doing. She offered me $1,000 to replace the head on her car because someone fucked it up trying to helicoil it and it wad causing loss of compression. At least that's what she was told. I obliged and took the job.

 

To replace the head, the engine had to come out of the car. I removed the engine and started doing an inspection on related systems that should be checked when doing this scope of repair. I found the clutch was very worn to its last millimeter before the rivets would catch the flywheel and I promptly let her know. Her rear main seal was also leaking, the turbo inlet was ripped, the oil separator plate was leaking, and the car was due for a timing kit replacement as it had 86,000 miles on the odometer. I insisted she purchase a OE clutch and flywheel from the dealer but she was short on cash and brought me an AutoZone clutch kit and wanted to reuse the flywheel, which I warned her she might have issues down the road because they cannot properly handle the power she is pushing and the flywheel at a minimum would have to be surfaced, which I ended up eating the cost of.

 

There were a few other gaskets, seals, and hoses that I told her she needed to replace that I paid for out of pocket. She upped the fee to $1,500 when I had to purchase new valves because her loss of compression was due to burned exhaust valves. I finished the job, car went back together, she was happy to have her car back making full power, no issues.

 

Three months go by and guess what? She starts having clutch issues to the point where it won't disengage the clutch. It seemed to me that the throw out bearing came out of the pressure plate. She also developed an oil leak that seemed to only happen at or near wide open throttle and under boost. She takes it to a specialty shop 150 miles away, whom I trust, because she was already in the area for a dyno tune to support the mods she had already installed. The shop tells her she needs a new clutch and a bunch of other stuff. They basically told her I used inferior parts and should have never reused the flywheel. To fix everything I told her she needed to have done would cost her about $3k. Suddenly she has the money after getting a promotion to pay this shop $3k.

 

A few days ago, she posted a pic of her car on Instagram saying she is sad she can't drive her car and posts a picture of her bank account with $5000 in it saying that she'll spend all the money she has to make her dream car whole again. When one of her friends asks what happened, she tells them that "she took it to a trusted mechanic friend and the shop where the car is has to fix all the things he (me) did wrong". She doesn't mention me or my business by name, but she has posts in the past that says who fixed her car and how happy she was to have it back.

 

What would you guys do? I'm at a loss. I'm furious that she'd blast me on social media for her obviously being a cheapskate.

[BDII]

You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away.

 

You should have stopped repair work and put the motor back in the car when she cheaped out. Cut your losses.

 

Do you want to be known as the mechanic who refused to install inferior parts and leave a customer with a ticking time bomb or the mechanic who fucked up a car? Perception is reality, regardless of reality.

 

Also, changing the TOB is a pretty standard procedure anytime the clutch is out. It's what? $30-$60? That's on you.

[bigleben]

She doesn't mention me or my business by name

 

IMO Until she does, do nothing.

It's easy to make a story look ''good'' when only one side is told. It sucks for you since you paid some from your pocket.

 

I'm pretty sure she's mad at herself since she didn't listen your advises and now she needs to pay again.

[DrD123]

if you have documentation indicating you had advised an OEM clutch kit, etc., and that she refused, then brought her own parts (junk), etc. and you basically were just supplying the labor, then I'd probably reach out to her and basically say WTF - basically everything you told her would happen, happened, and now it looks like she's blaming you.

 

If you don't have any documentation, just let it slide and walk away - it's just going to turn into a pissing contest, and too many folks are going to side with the consumer, irrespective of what the repair person says.

[dgoodhue]

Personally, this is what I would do.

 

As long as she does not call you out by your name or business, I would just leave it be. Most people are lazy and don't do intensive searches for that kind of information. Most topics on social media get lost and buried pretty quickly.

 

If she does call you out by name I would just do one fact based response (like above) and leave at that and not engage in any back and forth back.

[Brady]

Also, changing the TOB is a pretty standard procedure anytime the clutch is out. It's what? $30-$60? That's on you.

 

No one said that he didn't replace it. He did say that it was a very cheap Autozone clutch kit. Could have just been a failure of the replaced part.

[CapnJack]

There are several options, all with varying outcomes depending on what you are looking for. Unfortunately, we've entered an age of guilty until proven innocent. Social media is much faster than word of mouth and has some lasting repercussions. Ask anyone in Hollywood right now.

 

If you want this problem to go away and make everyone happy, there is only one way and it's going to be expensive on your part. You have to accept that "the customer is always right" as much as it hurts.

 

Call her up and say you saw the post and feel terrible about what happened. Explain to her that you warned her about this in a VERY tactful way, but want to make things right. After all, your reputation depends on it. You fix her car for next to nothing or help fund the repair at the other shop. You gain a lot of respect, get more business, and get your money back you spent to fix her car by stepping up in a big way and gaining a larger customer base. You make your name as a mechanic that can still be trusted. Yes you are out some money, but consider it part of your advertising budget and write it off on your taxes.

 

After that, you change your policy so that you will only install OEM parts and stand firm on recommendations for the work you are to perform. If people ask you why you changed your policy, give them this story. While it will help, you will probably still have problems. You can't always make everyone happy. You just have to choose the ones that you do to protect your ass-ets.

[BDII]

No one said that he didn't replace it. He did say that it was a very cheap Autozone clutch kit. Could have just been a failure of the replaced part.

 

99% positive he didn’t

[Brady]

But ... even the CHEAPEST Autozone clutch kits show that they come with a throwout bearing. There's no reason to suggest he didn't replace it.

[Setnev]

It was a complete clutch kit for AutoZone, including TOB. The pilot bearing failed and bits of metal were caught in the TOB as well as grease and oil from an oil leak. Nothing was reused, except the flywheel. She called me up about two weeks ago, before she posted up the rant, and I tactfully told her that the clutch kit she used was cheap Chinese crap. I have text messages to her telling her she needed a new clutch and to go OEM. She told me she was broke but she would see what she could do. I know this is 100% on her, and she has acknowledged responsibility, I just couldn't believe she'd indirectly blame my quality of work on her negligence. I think for the time being unless someone says anything to me about it, I will remain silent about it. I offered to help her but the car was already at a different shop and she was adamant about flaunting her money to repair other issues, so I didn't press further.

[dgoodhue]

Some people are just cheap, it doesn't matter how much money they have. I have a friend who is self admittedly cheap but would always says that if he had the money that he wouldn't be so cheap. My friend makes decent upper middle class money to begin with. Last year, my friend came into $300,000 from a settlement and inheritance. He bought a new car, renovated his house and is planning on buying a muscle car, investment property and vacation home and now complains he doesn't have any money. He nickeled and dimed the auto dealer when he bought his new car. He argued money the contractors renovating his house. He has unrealistic expectations on what he is going to pay for the muscle car that he wants. He has made low ball offers on homes. He wants a deal on everything and is never happy. My friend will always be cheap.

[BarManBean]

If you want this problem to go away and make everyone happy, there is only one way and it's going to be expensive on your part. You have to accept that "the customer is always right" as much as it hurts.

 

Um, no. In the automotive repair industry, if you want to provide your own parts there is almost never seems to be a warranty. Whether she physically purchased the parts here or not, she chose them against the advice of the mechanic working on her car.

 

It ran fine for 3 months. Clearly there doesn't seem to have been any issues with the labor / installation.

 

She didn't mention you by name, just leave it be IMO and learn from this. Act professional in every way and you will run into fewer issues--this includes not eating costs associated with additional repairs that are required. Additional things needing attention pop up all the time, and as long as you are honest and up front about what needs repair you should be fine. If someone can't pay for what needs to be done, you need to walk away.

 

Good luck.

[CapnJack]

Um, no. In the automotive repair industry, if you want to provide your own parts there is almost never seems to be a warranty. Whether she physically purchased the parts here or not, she chose them against the advice of the mechanic working on her car.

 

It ran fine for 3 months. Clearly there doesn't seem to have been any issues with the labor / installation.

 

I COMPLETELY agree with you BarManBean!!! Unfortunately, many people today will not accept responsibilities for their actions or poor choices when they can blame someone (or something) else. (#marchforourlives #Justiceforbradswife) She did choose to take the cheap route and it SHOULD be on her. However she can spin it anyway she wants depending on how the story is told to help herself save face.

 

Scenario 1 - She tells the world that she was a cheap skate and put cheap parts in her car against the mechanics recommendation. It failed. She tells the internet her car is dead again. They ask why and she tells them what she did. She gains notoriety on the intrawebs as a chick that doesn't know about cars and gets flamed and looses all credibility and is never taken seriously. Jokes about making sandwiches and kitchens ensue.

 

Scenario 2 - She tells the world that she just got her car fixed and leaves out some of the details about how she did it. Three months later, her car 'splodes. She tells the intrawebs and they ask what happened. She tells them that a "trusted mechanic" let her down, but doesn't name who it is. Pity ensues as its "obviously" not her fault. Topics then shift to "her new build". Everyone is excited for her and living vicariously through her. The audience only gets half the information and the sheep follow. She gains notoriety as someone that can build a sweet car and is a chick.

 

Yes there are other scenarios, but I've been on message forums long enough to see how things play out and the two above always seem to be most popular.

 

Social media can spin things however they want to in order to make someone(ie business owners) look bad. At the end of the day, if someone wants to figure out the OP was the person that did the work they can. They are not going to research what 'really' happened, but start bashing the owner, because it's easier. Look at the Cracker Barrel V Brad's wife story. If the OP wants to get out of this free and clear, they fix it for free. The other option is they see if anything else pops up and hope it doesn't. One is riskier than the other.

 

The days of a customer accepting responsibility for their mistakes is gone. While the courts will agree with the shop owner, society will not because they will empathize, right or wrong. It's sad but true.