Dear Car Talk:
I have an Emily Post question that falls into the category of appropriate customer behavior when visiting your mechanic’s place of business. I’ve been going to this particular shop around where I live for several years and have given them quite a lot of business because I drive a very old car that I have been rehabilitating part by part.
The day after an expensive set of belt and pulley related repairs recently, I noticed there was still a squeaking noise coming from the area.
Since I needed to drive over to the shop anyway because I left my credit card there the day before, I parked the car out front and opened the hood as a courtesy to whomever might come out to listen to the noise it was making. I was not expecting an immediate repair, but I did want to know if the vehicle was unsafe to drive.
In less than a minute, the manager of the shop comes running out and says, “If you want to royally tick off my guys working the bays, drive in and open your hood as you just did.” He was polite about it, but nonetheless did a really good job of making me feel like I had committed a mortal sin, so I closed the hood and apologized to him and to his crew, who eventually did fix the car (crankshaft pulley) on another day.
Did I commit a major faux pas? And did I miss a lesson in garage etiquette in all my years of driving? — Tom
I think the manager of the shop was having a bad day, Tom.
He may have overbooked the shop, had two guys call out sick with hemorrhoidal flare-ups, dropped a car off the lift, and taken a sip of transmission fluid instead of orange soda with his burrito at lunch.
A manager not having a bad day (or with better people skills), would have said, “Hi Tom, we’re pretty slammed today, are you able to wait awhile, or make an appointment and come back?”
You sound like a considerate guy, Tom. I mean, you even left your credit card there. That’s a sure sign of goodwill. They could have outfitted the shop with an array of wide-screen TVs on your dime. So, I think the manager overreacted.
To be fair, I’ve had customers who are not considerate. And sometimes it’s a matter of body language. I’ve had the rare customer drive right onto the shop floor, open the hood and stand there with hands on hips, making eye contact with every mechanic, waiting for people to drop what they’re doing and provide immediate service. That’s a faux pas. But that doesn’t sound like you.
My hope is that the manager of the shop regrets his overreaction. But now that you know this guy is particularly sensitive, leave the hood closed and end every sentence with “if it may please you, my liege.”
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