[Arawan]

so, i posted last night how my car broke down on the way home from work. So, i had it towed to my local mechanic. I've always brought my car to this shop because I trust their work and they are friendly guys. However, the problem they've always had was that they are always really busy, which means they don't always have time to call or speak to customers when convenient to the customer. Up till now, I've understood that and actually took their business as a sign of the fact that other people think they do good work, too.
So, anyways, I had my car towed to the shop last night and called first thing in the morning to describe what happened. I talked to the owner then (8:00am). We left the conversation with saying that they would read the codes to see what the problem was and they'd call me back with results and we'd go from there.
So, i hadn't heard from them yet at 3:30pm, so i gave a call to see what was up. I talked to their receptionist who said she thought they looked at my car, but she didn't have any paperwork. She said they'd call me back when the paperwork was done. Fine.
At just past 5:00pm (they close at 5:30pm) I called again to see what was up and I got the owner on the phone again. He was saying how busy it is there and he's got a bunch of people in the office so he can't talk right now. He sounded annoyed at me.... So, i just politely asked him if he could call me back sometime this evening because i need to make arrangements for tomorrow and at this point i still have no idea what's wrong with my car. He agreed, but still sounded annoyed that I wanted to make sure he understood that i wanted a call back this evening.

Now, first of all, am i wrong to have my car towed to them in the first place, unannounced? Also, am i wrong to expect to hear back from them with a diagnosis within the next business day? I understand it is not work they were planning for today, but i am not expecting it to be fixed. I just want to know what's going on. Am i right to be annoyed right now, considering it's almost 6:00pm and i still have no idea what's wrong with my car???

thx

BRC

yeah, i'd take my bee bee gun over to the shop and shoot out his window!!!

AEBlessed (1.8G)

yes...you should be annoyed but not surprised...

Mica

Paragraphs.

[Arawan]

oh crap. it's the grammar police. [runs and hides]

RKA

use their cars to get to work/school/whatever. In other words...no car = stuck at home waiting for mechanic to call (or some level of inconvenience). If you're a regular customer, they should make an effort to at least set some expectations by the end of the first day at the shop. Whether it's a day, a week, or several weeks, they should let you know what it's going to take to get the car fixed, so you can plan.

None of this is news to the guy running the shop. All hope might not be lost though. The owner may be staying late to return all those phone calls he hasn't returned yet. If he doesn't, then I suppose you'll have to have a word tomorrow, but honestly, I wouldn't bother. I'd probably find a recommendation for a better shop, and tow the car right off his lot.

MyaLover

If I have problems I leave my car at my Mech's garage the night before.

[Arawan]

i was on the phone with him yesterday to discuss getting these things done next week:
clutch replacement
headlight washer pump replaced
inspection/emissions
oil change

this was all before my car went kaput last night. you would think with all of this potential work i have lined up for him, he'd be more accomodating....
and yes, i'm a regular customer. i've been bringing my car there ever since it went out of warranty.

i still plan on hearing from him this evening, as you mentioned, i hope he's returning phone calls right now... if i don't hear from him tonight, i will be asking around here for recommended mechanics in the philly area...

the bright side of this is i have a friend who is going to let me borrow her car for the rest of the week. very cool of her.

RKA

The Audi Shop. Yes, I know, it's a hike. However the prices were VERY good. With the amount of work you're having done, you might call them for an estimate on the known repairs. The cost savings may offset the towing. Also explain the situation to them, and ask them if they might be able to hook you up with a towing company with a good rate.

Sorry, I don't have contact info for the shop. You'll probably need to call information to get that (or a white pages search).

grey-2002-ar-6sp

Aren't you in Woodlawn range?