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Monday, September 27, 2010

thisis How you deal with a dodgy mechanic

Hello ScoFans!

"Would you grow up? There's no room for truth on the Internet"
Howard Walowitz - The Big Bang Theory

I have been having trouble with my mechanic lately. I went in and saw him in May and about two weeks ago he started sending me accounts telling me I didn't pay him on the day. Accounts which were for totally different (lesser) amounts than the ones I paid, and which completely different invoice numbers to the one I was given.

As you can imagine, I got quite angry about the whole situation. I've been running around town badmouthing the place, telling coworkers and clients not to deal with them, I've written letters to the local papers telling them about the situation.. and I've even written letters to not so local papers.

On Friday I went in there and I didn't care that there were customers he was talking to as well as others waiting, I walked right past him and told him exactly what I thought of the stunt he was trying to pull.

I told him I knew I always paid him on the day, and he must have been fucked up on something to think I wasn't going to check a/ my bank account and b/ the previous invoice when he started sending me demands for payment. I called him a con artist and asked him how many other people he had scammed pulling this stunt, who couldn't be bothered double checking and just paid their account because it came in the mail.

He became quite flustered and kept stammering and backtracking and mumbling and really didn't have any answers.

And now for the truth...

I have been having trouble with my mechanic lately. I went in and saw him in May and about two weeks ago he started sending me accounts telling me I didn't pay him on the day. Accounts which were for totally different (lesser) amounts than the ones I paid, and which completely different invoice numbers to the one I was given.

As you can imagine, I found the whole situation quite humorous. I've been having a bit of a laugh with some people about it (mostly people who don't live in the area, but with those who do I'm careful to never name the place).

On Friday I went in there and I waited patiently while he dealt with the other customers who were there before me, even though one of them just seemed to be an old guy who was up for having a chat and not actually doing any business. I walked up to him and nervously pulled out my original invoice as well as the accounts he'd been sending me.

He checked the computer system and told me my original invoice was for all the work done to my car on that day, and that someone had raised a second invoice for some unknown reason which was for only part of the work done. He apologised about 1,000 times and I told him "It's okay. These things happen. No system is perfect and we all slip up ones in awhile"

He seemed to be a bit embarrassed about the situation, but told me he was going to look into how it happened. (I hope I didn't get anyone fired)

I'm not the sort of person to get to worked up about things or abuse people for mistakes. We're all human, we all make them, and my way still gets results.


Thinking of you always,


ScoMan

26 comments:

  1. at first i was like, wow sco got so pissed. then i got to the "here's the truth" part. then i got confused.

    i guess it's time for me to find some cookies to munch or something.

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  2. I liked the not-so-true story better! I love throwing hissyfits to random staff when I have the right to. ^^

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  3. nice turn of events! it is good to know that kindness pays and to recognize we all make mistakes.

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  4. Is the word "mechanic" Australian for cosmetic surgeon perhaps? Because I didn't think you had a car. Thought you walked everywhere. That and the fact that you don't actually go anywhere that would require a car. Or do you? Maybe you're just holding out on us . . .

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  5. Patience and kindness will(or should) get the best results. At least, that's how I hope people would treat me when I mess up.

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  6. I'm not! I would go in with an Uzi and demand a total refund...and maybe aerate the ceiling a bit for good measure.

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  7. As Darlene said, do unto others... I like how you set up this post. Very clever. :)

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  8. I was going to be really impressed with your bad ass attitude but at the same time, I was totally shocked. I mean, I'm sure you have it in you but you don't strike me as someone who angers easily.

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  9. It's always good to blow off steam at home or in a letter that you don't send, so you can get it out of your system before you deal with it.

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  10. Nice to see someone else has that hell cat in their mind that never actually comes out. Tim told me "don't get in a fight" today and I told him that if I had the balls to get in a fight I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. This situation being that people ask me to do crap at the last possible moment and I still say I'll do it.

    P.S. I didn't get in any fights today. In fact, I wussed out. Again.

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  11. I agree! You get more done if you don't sweat the small shit. One time while working at a department store, i made a huge mustake (which was corrected right away). It was my 3rd day on the job and everything. The customer still felt that it was necessary to insult me and called me dumb. I was very upset and asked him if he had never been new at a job. He didnt answer but even after he left mt day was ruined.

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  12. For some reason i cant post a comment on your previous post. I vote for mug number one! I got a shirt that said "normal people worry me!"

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  13. Sometimes, the truth IS better than fiction. Glad you dealt reasonably with the guy. Apparently, that works!

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  14. Well you're definitely a better person than I. Of course I'm too lazy to send letters or bitch, I still would have been pissed that I was inconvienced. But then again, I'm an extremely lazy person.

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  15. You live in a sorta "ideal world," ScoMan, where everyone is at peace with one another, shaking hands with one another, sharing apples with one another...

    You're awesome. =]

    And hey I liked the "not the truth" part! It's like you're in a movie!

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  16. That happens to me all the time. (The bitching and raging in my head while I'm smiling at the person and saying 'no problem'.)

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  17. I'm definitely the second kind of person. Even when I feel I shouldn't have to wait in line.....

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  18. The first story had so much more intensity! I am like you, I enjoy giving people the benefit of the doubt.

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  19. Aww you're a nice guy, Sco. Haha. As usual my solution would be "punch that dude" but oh well, violence is never the answer right? or something like that..

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  20. I loved the two versions of this story. I'm the same way. When I first notice an injustice I get all irate and steamed up, but then after I have a chance to think about I'm able to deal with it calmly. I think too many people don't think about things, or don't have the ability to.

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  21. You should have gone right down the middle of the two approaches i.e Fire bombed the place then apologised about 1,000 times telling him "It's okay. These things happen. No system is perfect and we all slip up ones in awhile" and then promise to look into it.....

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  22. *happy smile* This was kind of inspirational. :) It is frustrating to deal with mechanics (ok well it is for me!!) and I think you set a good example by keeping your cool. (And I think sadly many people would have been the first way for REAL)

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  23. Hey sco! How have you been? I miss u lots. I hope you come back to blogosphere soon. Wishing you well always. =)

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