Open Letter to My Mechanic

It was nice, cool, and cloudy this morning but the sun came out.  As I've told you before, the skies are not cloudy all day here in the Southwest Desert.  I arrived home after doing my morning errands.  I walked in the gate just in time to see a dove fall into the yard.  Did a hawk injure it?  Did it fly into something?  I hope it was not poisoned because the dog was on it in an instant, undistracted by my entrance.  I walked over quietly to observe the old dog kill the dove, pick it up in its mouth, and move it to a more open area.  He dropped the dove, looked up at me briefly with his mouth full of little feathers, then continued to tear the chest of the bird open and rip out its innards with his teeth.  He then carried the bird to the place he buries bones and eats dog biscuits to continue his meal.  I figured he must have needed some fresh organ meat.  I also figured that was an auspicious sign that I should write today's blog: an open letter to my mechanic.  My mechanic's bills have been troubling me for months.

Dear (let us use the fictitious name) Economical Lubricant Mechanic (not intended to be associated with any real mechanic of similar or same name if any such exists),
As you know, I have not been pleased with the last job you did for me.  I paid over $800.00 and the car would not start the next day.  You gave me a song and dance about how much our family's business has meant to you over the years, how the family patriarch was with you since almost the beginning, how you considered him a personal friend, how sometimes mechanics make mistakes, you are not always perfect, but you will do whatever it takes to make it right, etc.  Yep, those were pretty words.  And I said, "Look at it from my point of view.  When you say you put in parts, I don't know how long it really took you when the labor charges are more than estimated.  I don't know whether you really installed new parts or used parts.  Heck, if you showed me parts and said those were the old parts you took out of my car, I wouldn't really know whether they were or not.  All I now is my last two bills were nearly $1,600 and I am not to happy with the work.  You charge as much as the dealership, and generally they are considered high priced.  The way I feel, you don't need to bother working on the car, you can just take your biggest wrench, club me over the head, and take my wallet."

I realize those are harsh words.  Let me explain some of the reasons I feel that way.  I trusted you.  The family patriarch took his vehicles to you exclusively for over a decade.  On several occasions when his son was in town Patriarch would send Son to you to have his, i.e., son's car worked on.  But lately, things have been going sour.

First of all, an Interstate battery was sold to Patriarch 2 years ago.  Interstate inscribes the date the battery is shipped on each battery.  Batteries are to be installed within 3 months of this date.  The battery sold to Patriarch was installed over 3 years after the date inscribed.  Interstate's national policy is that their batteries be recharged every 3 months if not yet installed.  The recharge ensures the freshness and quality of the battery and is to be indicated by a 2 digit code branded on the battery's cover or on a small round label on the battery cover.  Neither the branded code nor small round label was on Patriarch's battery.  Your only explanation of why or how a 3 year old Interstate was installed was, "We gave you a free replacement battery at no charge."  Thanks guy.  The battery had a 75 month warranty.  Maybe if a fresh battery were installed 2 years ago it would not have died this untimely death.

Second, I recently paid over $700 for a front wheel struts and pads, with labor.  I was told I would notice the difference in the drive.  I did not notice improvement.  I did not have time to come back into the shop and let you look at it (what were you looking for?), so time went by.  Another vehicle wouldn't start, wouldn't start with a jump, and was towed to you by my insurer's roadside service.  They provide only one free tow per problem, so one has to have the work done at the venue the car is towed to or pay for the second tow.  I trusted you to fix whatever needed fixing.  The fix was over $800.  The next day the car would not start.  So, I had to take it down to the shop again, kill more of my time waiting for you to do some mechanic's hocus-pocus, and hopefully say the magic words that would make the car start this time and every time.  There was more sweet talk about how much you care, work is not always perfect, if the car won't start call you so you can see it when the problem occurs, etc.  But I was still bothered by something...

The owner's manual for my fancy-dancy American sedan indicates the car has a computer system that tells me when to change the oil.  There is not a 3000 or 5000 mile time to change oil, nor is there a period of months, because the need for an oil change is based on a number of variable factors.  Thus, if the system is reset every time there is an oil change, the "change oil soon" light will remain on when it is time to change oil.  The mechanic said the system is reset after every oil change.  I notice I usually do not see the "change oil soon" light on when I change oil on or after the mileage or time the mechanic's reminder sticker on my windshield indicates.  I cannot know for sure whether uber-frequent oil changing is good for the car, but I can state that is good for the mechanic's wallet.  Again, I assume the oil has been changed at the shop.  I do not really know. 

On a hunch, I went to the mechanic across the street.  They are a franchise, or corporate, or some such disparaging thing.  I went in asking for an estimate on struts and pads for my car.  Their "out the door" price was over $100 lower at mechanic across the street.  I asked whether those are the cheaper struts.  Answer: price quoted is for the better quality struts; the next grade down costs slightly less.

Have we been getting lubed at the Economical Lubricant for years?  While we have been giving you our business, have you been giving us the business?

What can you do to make it up to me?  Refund the $100 dollars and throw in a free oil change or two.

Sincerely Yours,
Southwest Desert Blogger

P.S.  You understand I will have to get an estimate from the mechanic across the street before I have work done here in the future.  And if I ever change mechanics, I will have to get a second estimate from the shop across the street, down the block, or around the corner from them.