My latest complaint is about the mechanics who use my vehicle for personal use while it is in for service.
I had my pickup truck at a body shop to fix a dent last month. A few days after I dropped it off, I was driving through town in my wife's car and saw my truck parked at the local diner. I mentioned it when I picked up the vehicle and they said they always test drive after they do the work. I asked why a test drive was necessary to fix a dent and why take it to a diner? They had no answer, but knocked a few bucks off the bill.
I picked up my car from the dealer two years ago, and found the speed indicator showed a top speed of 93 mph and a total distance traveled of 0.5 miles. So, max distance traveled from dealership was 0.25 miles, and there's no road within that circle with a speed limit above 35 mph.
I went back inside after seeing this on the performance indicators, and mentioned it to the service rep I always deal with. His words, "wait right here, I want my manager to hear this."
So, the service manager comes out, and I'm asked to repeat all this for him. He looks at me and says, "I have a tech to fire."
That wasn't really my goal or my concern, my only gripe was that the dealer is in a residential neighborhood I drive through daily, and I didn't need neighbors calling the police to report my plate number and claim I'm ripping thru their neighborhood at 90 mph. Heck, I drive fast enough to get myself in trouble, but not
that fast past any place where people might have their kids playing in the front lawn.
I told the service manager I really didn't want the guy fired, unless he was a repeat offender / problem employee. The service manager said, "let me calm down a bit, think about this, and call you later."
I got a call from the service manager later that day, and he said the tech who'd done that fessed up to it immediately, saying he was sorry, and he shouldn't have done it. Manager said he was a young guy, but a "good kid", and if I wasn't going to make an issue over it, he'd like to give the kid a second chance. I was fine with that, I'd done plenty of my own stupid crap when I was his age, and received plenty of "benefit of the doubt" or "second chance" opportunities from others ahead of me.