Trade secrets

Motor,  Dec 2001  by Cerullo, Bob

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But the Paranoids insisted on my repairing the car and sending the bill to Jack. All I could think of was that if I were Jack, I wouldn't like that arrangement at all. Surprisingly, however, Jack agreed. And I almost agreed, too, until I overheard Mr. Paranoid criticize Jack because of his refusal to compensate the Paranoids for their inconvenience over and above his eating the cost of the repair. It seems they wanted to be reimbursed for what they shelled out for cab fares, as well. (I wonder if the phrase "pain and suffering" ever entered their heads.) They also vowed to report him to the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs.

Now, here's a shop owner who I thought was more than cooperative in offering to dispatch his flatbed at an hour that certainly would have kept his driver on overtime. Then when this odd couple refused that offer, he agreed to pay me to repair the car even though the problem may not have been related to the work he had done. Jack was a straight shooter; unfortunately, he was dealing with a couple of unfairly demanding customers.

The next day, the Paranoids came to the shop and asked me to go ahead with the work. They volunteered that after the car was repaired, they were going to sue Jack. I've never met Jack but have been in his shoes more than once over the years. After thinking about it a bit, I decided to pass on the job.

To put it mildly, the Paranoids were not pleased. There were whys and wherefores and all sorts of questions, along with hints of reprisals. I told them simply that I thought Jack was offering them the best solution to their problem-and a fair one, at that-and I didn't want to be a part of turning a simple warranty repair into a big deal. Mrs. Paranoid indicated that the proper authorities were going to hear about my refusal to repair their car. The Paranoids drove out in a huff and I suspest will not darken my door again.

The Trade Secret is to make a judgment about who you're dealing with before you get involved in a job. Doing auto repairs is not like selling groceries. You become involved with the driver as well as the vehicle, and you accept a certain degree of liability for any car you touch. If someone looks like a problem customer, smells like a problem customer and acts like a problem customer, chances are he is a problem customer. And that person is likely to stick you with a problem you'll anguish over for days, you can bet on that!

Bob Cerullo would like to hear from you on any issue. If you feel you'd like to share a story or simply your thoughts, e-mail Bob at bobcerullo@aol.com, or write to him c/o MOTOR Magazine, 645 Stewart Ave., Garden City, NY 11530

Copyright Hearst Business Publishing Dec 2001
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