Some mechanics must think people are stupid!

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by DAZZLER351

Actually yift and i BOTH worked for KTAS doesnt matter if its QLD or VIC... its easy to speak the truth after the fact !!

anyway back on topic ...........

Doesn't matter if it's QLD or VIC...are you for real?
Just because you've had a bad experience with a workshop, doesn't mean that every K-mart Tyre & Auto workshop in QLD, VIC or anywhere else in this country is useless, untrustworthy and does crap work!



Oh and fwiw, I don't work for KTAS but get my car serviced there and only there. Why? Because the Service Manager at that specific workshop knows what he's talking about and does good work, as do his employees.
I know that may be hard to take in at first dazzler, but hopefully you're not too shocked!

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by 8-WORKN

I know that may be hard to take in at first dazzler, but hopefully you're not too shocked!

Im glad you have had an awesome experience with KTAS..

BUT you havn't worked for them therefore you are not privvy to what goes on behind the scenes OR qualified to judge on OUR personal experiences ..

Agreed ??

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by DAZZLER351

Im glad you have had an awesome experience with KTAS..

BUT you havn't worked for them therefore you are not privvy to what goes on behind the scenes OR qualified to judge on OUR personal experiences ..

Agreed ??

I'm not judging your personal experiences at all, far from it.
And you're right in saying that I haven't worked for KTAS, but have you worked in every one of their workshops in Australia to put them all into one negative category?

If you used to work at a shop that wasn't up to a certain standard and did things you didn't agree with then that's unlucky for you, but saying that every KTAS in the country is crap is untrue and absolute rubbish.

[shedcoupe]

".... what do you expect to achieve jumping up and down? ......"
Evil flourishes when good men do nothing.

Though evil also flourishes when people don't get their facts straight and wrongly hassle some poor tradie who's trying to do the right thing.
Many years ago a mechanic mate rebuilt a 2.2 diesel Hilux motor (an example of the devil's work) for me and it cooked while running it in.
I found a heap of solder balls in the bottom of the radiator, so I went to the mob that rebuilt the radiator and stuck it up the big boss, who to his credit offered to pay all costs if they were at fault.
Turned out that my genius mate had put in the wrong thermostat (the correct one had two ports to seal).
I got him back when I did a cable run for him and stupidly miscalculated the voltage drop and put in undersize cables.

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by GTENVY

Well, I have never had this prob before but there is always the first time. Purchased a car to be used as a shopping trolley late last year and took it to a reputable suspension business to get it checked out as I felt there were some items that needed attention. Turns out that the I was correct and I was glad I negotiated the price down because of the items i suspected. Needed need front shocks, need pads front and rear, discs front and rear needed machining badly and some bushes needed replacing.
Well I recently took the said vehicle to another 'reputable' business to get the 200k km service done, they come back to me with a list of things wrong with the car, 'inlcuding' front shocks worn WTF!!!
So I go home thinking that's not right, I am sure I had them replaced etc etc. Went through the filing cabinet, found the invoice and sure enough I have paid for new shocks already. So I got the torch out (was at night obviously) and had a look at the front end and they are brand new front shocks.
I am thinking what the hell are they trying to pull??
Anyone else had this type of experience??
I am seriously considering calling them and discussing it with them. Unbelievable.

Take action, if you have them saying the shocks are worn on the quote/receipt whne in fact they aren't, threaten legal action or call the ACCC. Hate low life scum such as this.

[vanman_75]

Lol just move on , I get the same treatment from my local Toyota dealer , bunch of idiots at the desk mainly , got a good mate who is a head teck at Toyota and he is very switched on ...its a pity its too far for me to take my car there ( I service and repair all my other vehicles but the prado is lease ) I have encountered both not so smart and brilliant tradies .I'm at a guess your shocks are fine , but another independent test may reveal a pair of duds , which is not unheard of either so good luck either way ..

Ps all the anger in.threads lately needs to settle down .

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by 8-WORKN

I'm not judging your personal experiences at all, far from it.
And you're right in saying that I haven't worked for KTAS, but have you worked in every one of their workshops in Australia to put them all into one negative category?

If you used to work at a shop that wasn't up to a certain standard and did things you didn't agree with then that's unlucky for you, but saying that every KTAS in the country is crap is untrue and absolute rubbish.

Sooooo you dont believe all KTAS in Australia work to the same std then ?

I have worked for 7 different stores alone in QLD and took all stores from mid teens to No 1 ...

You don't know what you are talking about mate, trust me ....

[fordomatic]

i say once the check has been done and you find out that everything is fine fry them. i have had many issues with mechanics, i wont go into heaps of detail but my best one is below.

i had ford in townsville take my xr8 on a spirited test drive when i put it in for a service. i was at the traffic lights about 500m from the dealership and i saw this nice green xr8 doing some rather spectacular fish tails up the street. i really enjoyed it until i realised it was my car, i kept my cool for that moment. they rang me a while later and told me it needed all this work done about $600 worth. one of things was a carbon clean even though i did it myself about a week before, must have been those burnouts they did that built it up again. i proceeded to tell them to do all the work. when i went to pick the car up i calmly told the service manager that i would not be paying, and i outlined exactly why. the bill was around the $800 mark, i then took my keys and drove away. i never heard anything from them again, not even that friendly reminder they send you when its due for a service

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by PRODIGAL SON

Sooooo you dont believe all KTAS in Australia work to the same std then ?

I have worked for 7 different stores alone in QLD and took all stores from mid teens to No 1 ...

You don't know what you are talking about mate, trust me ....

They should all work to a certain industry standard ofcourse, but you seriously cannot think that every single K-mart Tyre & Auto service centre in Australia works exactly the same. You get the good with the bad, it all comes down to the people who work there.

You've obviously had some bad experiences with KTAS in the past which has left a bitter taste in your mouth, get over it and move on..

[2011G6E]

We have a very trusted mechanic back in Bundaberg (Powerhouse Auto...shameless plug... ). The only problem is that it's now 460km away from us...we still take stuff there occasionally when back in Bundy on a visit.
The hardest part about moving to a country area is finding a mechanic you can trust. I get work done now by the husband of a woman train driver I work with who is a former mechanic and has everyones dream: a driveway garage with a pit and hoist... .
It's nice to be able to trust you won't get ripped off.

I've told my wife for years that if we have to go to a dealership or some other mechanics shop for work if we can't go to the usual place, if the guy says "so do you know much about cars?", to answer "yes, my husband does up cars and motorbikes and I help" (which is true). Only once has she ever been asked "the question" and the guys face fell when she told him.

It still happens, and isn't just an old cliche...

As for the dealership taking your pride and joy for a "spirited test drive", when we owned our 1971 Cortina GT, I left it with Ford to do some work replacing the steering column (as we had an account and wouldn't have to pay for it right away, and I was surprised you could still get brand new parts). I went off with a friend of mine who is a professional photographer to a surf day down at the coast where he was taking photos for people. As we stood there, he said "isn't that your car?", and past it went with two young guys in it, one in blue overalls, and two girls in the back seat, as it tore around a corner down the road. We packed up his gear and went back to Ford, where I was told it was all finished and I could pick it up. I casually asked if it drove OK, and they said yes, it had been test driven around the block a few times. This was when I blew my stack. I heard one of the apprentices had "borrowed it" to "go get some parts and see if it steered properly". I refused to pay for the work, just the parts, which were cheap compared to the staggering labour bill. I ended up getting that deal, and I heard the guy got dragged over the coals for it.

[buggerlugs]

Definately need to get on to Today Tonight, A Current Affair, George Negus. They also love weight loss stories to.............

[SEZ213]

I decided to get a major service prior to driving from Brisbane back to Portland. I booked into a mechanic at Mt. Gravatt - the major service included getting my spark plugs changed and my clutch cable replaced. Long story short, all was fixed (to my knowledge), the clutch cable was left on the seat as were the spark plugs, in total $550 for the lot. Halfway back to Portland my clutch started to feel a little too soft...I rang my parents, and booked into my local mechanic down south (fantastic man - if he couldn't fix something, it didn't cost you anything until it was fixed).

When I went to the mechanic, it turned out not only had my spark plugs not been changed, but the clutch cable nut had been hand tightened, and was so loose, I barely had one.

I don't have a problem with mechanics, but clearly this guy thought he could pull the wool over my eyes (which he did quite convincingly). I'm very cautious now, and ask to see the work that's been completed (new plugs, etc). Sometimes it pays to take a bloke with me as well, it seems to ensure I don't get hoodwinked.

[MarkAW]

Originally Posted by 8-WORKN

They should all work to a certain industry standard ofcourse, but you seriously cannot think that every single K-mart Tyre & Auto service centre in Australia works exactly the same.

What you fail to understand is a thing called "company policy". A policy may be quite legal, but you might find it ambiguous in its instructions, very open to interpretation and possibily immorale. Many many retail companies use policies like this in dealing with their customer. In not saying that KMTA have a policy like this, but this is a way that retail companies seem to think they suck the most number of dollars from their customer. Sooner or later customers will se through the scam and word will get around. The old nitrogen in the tyres scam comes to mind at this point.

[vibe_xr6]

lol, they have tried me plenty of times at the local fraud dealer, but one day i got my revenge on another mechanic, got my standard cat changed with high flow for $50, took him 4 hours, $50 bux

[yift]

Originally Posted by 8-WORKN

They should all work to a certain industry standard ofcourse, but you seriously cannot think that every single K-mart Tyre & Auto service centre in Australia works exactly the same. You get the good with the bad, it all comes down to the people who work there.

You've obviously had some bad experiences with KTAS in the past which has left a bitter taste in your mouth, get over it and move on..

you as a customer will not see the company for what me and prodigal son did aswell as other current and ex employees.

yes there are some good and some bad but its the culture and influences of the company outside store level which brings us to our comments.

if a company like that changed the way they operate they would be even more profitable without having to resort to scare tactics and other means to extract every cent from every customer.

i never left the company on bad terms, i actually still have many friends who work for them still and im not scared to stick my head in and say hello to them either.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

i say once the check has been done and you find out that everything is fine fry them. i have had many issues with mechanics, i wont go into heaps of detail but my best one is below.

i had ford in townsville take my xr8 on a spirited test drive when i put it in for a service. i was at the traffic lights about 500m from the dealership and i saw this nice green xr8 doing some rather spectacular fish tails up the street. i really enjoyed it until i realised it was my car, i kept my cool for that moment. they rang me a while later and told me it needed all this work done about $600 worth. one of things was a carbon clean even though i did it myself about a week before, must have been those burnouts they did that built it up again. i proceeded to tell them to do all the work. when i went to pick the car up i calmly told the service manager that i would not be paying, and i outlined exactly why. the bill was around the $800 mark, i then took my keys and drove away. i never heard anything from them again, not even that friendly reminder they send you when its due for a service

Have heard nothing but bad rep at "comical" Ford here in Townsville for the past 10yrs (service wise)..

[StrokedXT]

A Ford dealer at Brookvale called me to tell my my injectors needed cleaning when it was in for some unrelated warranty work, when i pointed out i had put new injectors on it less than 100 kms ago they didnt even flinch just said ok must have been a mistake sorry.

[GTENVY]

Well I spoke to Daniel at Pedders in midland today, all booked in for next friday (due to work) to check to get the shocks tested. Standby everyone lol.

[Rodp]

I'm not a mechanic and I think people are stupid.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by StrokedXT

A Ford dealer at Brookvale called me to tell my my injectors needed cleaning when it was in for some unrelated warranty work, when i pointed out i had put new injectors on it less than 100 kms ago they didnt even flinch just said ok must have been a mistake sorry.

That's just the snakeoil they peddle. Whenever Peter Warrens called for a follow up survey, my feedback was always the same. Please stop getting the girls to call me while my car is in for a service to sell me injector cleaning and some other bollocks that I had tuned out as I'll take my business elsewhere.

Next two services, same crap. Last survey, won't be returning due to the snakeoil peddling.

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by Rodp

I'm not a mechanic and I think people are stupid.

Post of the week haha.

Either way...if you didn't pay, don't stress about it....be like going to a restaurant and reading the drinks menu and complaining about the price of a beer you don't intend on buying because your beer is already full.

Or something like that.

[TheSneakiness]

Got quoted $669 by Bitsaremissin in Southport for a 75,000km service. Nearly died then and there. I asked them what the bloody hell do I get for that price?

Answer. Oil and filter changed, air filter changed and valve clearance check.

That's it. I can imagine the valve clearance check would be the bulk of that quote but the only reason I got a quote was cause I found out they introduced capped servicing cost.

[302 XC]

You guys reckon shonky mechanics pull the wool over ya eyes
You wanna see some of the tall stories they try on the minister

[Iggypoppin']

I've never generalized all of something based on a bad experience at one. Unless you have seen first hand every single shop, you shouldn't comment(even if you worked at 1 or 7 shops in a state) on shops in SA or WA or whatever. What if an employee is on here and really takes pride in his work, or a manager/franchisee owner is on here and takes pride in his business, and sees people bagging his shop out based on info from someone who worked across the country from him? Seems a bit farfetched to me.

[Auturbo6]

Being a motor mechanic, i can say that this kind of deception is very rife in the automotive industry. It's my personal honesty, that attracts a lot of customers my way. A few dollars lost being honest now, will inevidably make me a lot more money in the future, replacing parts that actually require attention. On wednesday, a customer brought in a magna, told me that he was told to replace the front pads last service (another workshop), he'd checked them at home and didn't agree. Checked the pads as part of the service and they were not even half worn. Only a small example of things i encounter on a regular basis. Buyer beware.

[Giant Cranium]

my sister needed two tyres for a 06 corolla and was charged $600 and didint even question it for the factory spec tyres.

i blew a nut went down for a quote and was quoted 550 for 4.

nearly wanted to deck the bloke but went down with my old man and its always interesting to see how they deal with two 6 foot 5, 120kg blokes demanding money back.

they ended up giving my sister 400 back out of 'goodwill'

[XH-Fan119]

its a shame to hear of such poor tradesman not valuing their trade, in the end its their reputation that suffers the greatest loss

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by XH-Fan119

its a shame to hear of such poor tradesman not valuing their trade, in the end its their reputation that suffers the greatest loss

Yes it is a shame. Don't these guys care about repeat custom? I'm glad I can trust my mechanic. And for that, I recommend them to everyone I know. Business 101 really; not rocket science.

[svo supporter]

Question begs ove the shocks. How did the "shop" determine they were stuffed to begin with? Generally the way to tell, is the old bounce test, or look for leaks round the shock seal. Did the "shop" put it on a shocker tester, or did they just say they're knackered and hope you'd fall into the trap?

As for how Kmart Tyre tread employees. Who cares. Geez, I work in the tyre game and some employers treat their employees like crap, yet they treat customers with the utmost respect. It just means, as an employee, you just don't work for the knobs.

[TK-421]

when i had an ed xr6 a few years ago it developed a vibration from under the car, i took it to the local midas where after inspection was told the exhaust from the cat back was shot. anyway i was quoted $1000 to replace it. the manager even offered to remove the metal plate under that cat for free, which all the problem was.

i ended up taking it to a local tyre fitter that also does exhaust and mech repairs, he fitted a complete redback exhaust for $270. Luckily i didnt let midas butter me up with the free offer. needless to say i never darkened thier door step again.