How We Turned a Hostile Call into a Happy Customer

Every interaction at our auto repair shop often begins with a phone call. Sometimes these calls are pleasant, sometimes they are challenging, and other times, they start one way and end up completely different.

Let us share a story from the first week of January, when we had the privilege of working on a 2011 Chevy Tahoe with a Diesel engine. The vehicle was towed in with a major coolant leak. After diagnosing the issue, we identified a broken radiator and quickly got approval from the client to move forward with the repairs.

As part of our commitment to thorough service, we always recommend performing a full vehicle inspection as a courtesy. The owner agreed, and after documenting everything we found, we completed the repairs, ensuring the Tahoe left our shop in great condition.

The Call: "Ever Since You Worked on My Car..."

Fast forward a few months, and we received a call from the same client. This time, the conversation started on a tense note. He told us, “Ever since you worked on my vehicle, the air conditioning hasn’t been working. It was fine before, so you must’ve caused the issue.”

Answering these kinds of calls is always a balancing act. You can’t jump to conclusions, but you also need to show empathy and willingness to investigate. As the client explained, he had a friend who wanted to be a mechanic, and that friend suggested the radiator repair might’ve caused the air conditioning to fail.

How We Handled It

While speaking with the client, we pulled up the vehicle's repair history in our system. There, under the recommendations, we had noted that the air conditioning system wasn’t working well even before the radiator repair. We calmly pointed this out and asked the client to review his copy of the repair order.

The moment he saw it, his tone shifted. The conversation became less combative, and he agreed to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic work on the air conditioning, at his own cost.

Diagnosing the Real Issue

When the vehicle returned, we performed a full diagnosis and found that the air conditioning compressor had a leak at the front seal. Interestingly, the system had been previously charged at another shop, but they hadn’t fixed the underlying issue.

In the end, what started as a tense phone call turned into a great working relationship. By addressing the client’s concerns with professionalism and care, we turned a potential conflict into another success story.

Why Attention to Detail Matters in Auto Repairs

This story highlights something we see often: customers become very aware of their vehicle’s issues after they’ve had repairs done. It’s only natural for them to associate new problems with recent work. That's why our team always provides comprehensive inspections and clear documentation, ensuring our clients know the exact condition of their vehicle before and after every service.

If you’re experiencing vehicle issues or just need an expert team that you can trust, give us a call today. Whether it's diagnosing an air conditioning issue or handling a major repair like a radiator replacement, we’re here to keep your vehicle running smoothly.

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Key Takeaways for Vehicle Owners:

• Always ask for a courtesy inspection when your car is being repaired—it can prevent surprises later.
• Review your repair orders to keep track of your vehicle’s condition before and after service.
• Trust a shop that values transparency and clear communication with its clients.

For expert auto repair services in [Your City], contact us today!

Another video from ABC Auto Care in Ventura, Ca. 93003

The value of a thorough vehicle inspection

I got a phone call and the callers asked me to quote on a set of 4 tires and rear brakes. I asked "what is wrong with the ones you have on the car now?"

 The client was traveling through town when she heard a loud noise while applying the brakes on her car. Turns out, she had it at another shop and wanted another quote on the suggested repairs. I offered to give her my opinion and then, upon inspection, I'd provide a quote. 

She came in for the inspection and she did need both suggested items. This is were things went in different directions between us and the repair shop that had the before. One side of the rear brakes pads were metal to metal.

Tires were down to the steel belts on the inside but had about 60 to 75 % left on the center and on the outside. 

The difference was that the other shop did not to look any further beyond her original complaint. We did. The rear brakes were metal to metal because one of the rear calipers had stuck in the locked position. The tires were down to metal on the inside due to worn struts causing the suspension to sag. Without extra repairs, the replaced components would have failed soon, once again . After we showed proof to our claims, she approved the work. Our client is glad we noticed the underlaying cause of the failed components. Soon after that, she approved the work.

When something fails on your vehicle, ask yourself and your mechanic this question ... "What caused this component to fail?"

 A few years ago, I was having a conversation with an expert in the field, an old front end and alignment man. So Lee, he said, when is the best time to suggest an alignment to a client?

I said for me, it was after I inspected the tires for abnormal wear, and it indicated the need for an alignment. To which he replied, “why would you want the tires to get damaged first before you recommend the alignment? Would not be better if you suggested an alignment before damage took place to those tires and thus allowing them to go their full-service life?

I had to agree as it does make sense. Whether you do it before or after tire damage, the client is still paying for an alignment. Then why not do it before the tire is damaged?

Today, my business suggests the suspension be inspected for alignment once a year. For those who think that may be too frequent, Tesla recommends their vehicles be inspected for alignment every 6 months. 

Again, if you had asked me some time back, if an Asian* car (Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Infinity, Subaru, Mazda, Kia and Hyundai to name a few) would need to have the engine valves adjusted when they are not noisy, I would have said NO!

Today I know better, a lot of Asian car engines, when the valves fall out of adjustment, they tighten rather than loosen up. That is why they do not become noisy when they need adjustment. Once they tighten up, the car develops stalling problems, erratic idle, no power, poor fuel economy and a check engine light with P0300 misfire codes. All of which are difficult to accurately diagnose. Ultimately, the engine will develop burned valves and then the repair becomes very expensive. 

Finally, I suppose the oil change does the same thing. You do it before the engine fails and cost you a lot more. 

The old saying about you cannot teach an old dog new tricks may not be entirely accurate. I have learned new tricks!

*Whereas I enumerated all the Asian brands, the ones with the valve issue are Honda and Acura.

Porsche 911 and Mercedes Benz cars at ABC Auto Care and Christensen Perf...