"Our insurance won't allow you in here."

Oblio13

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
'05 Passat
I've heard that statement more than once, most recently when I stopped at some little garage with just a leaky valve stem. Yet both the local VW dealership and TDI guru seem happy to have me standing right under the car with them asking stupid questions. So is it BS or what?
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
I've seen those signs too. Then I ask, "Hey can I look under there too?" and every time it's been "sure, come on in".
 

ruking

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Location
San Jose area, CA
TDI
2003 VW Jetta, 5 M, Reflex Silver: 09 Jetta, 6 Sp DSG, Candy White: 12 VW Touareg, 8 Sp A/T, Flint Gray
Oblio13 said:
I've heard that statement more than once, most recently when I stopped at some little garage with just a leaky valve stem. Yet both the local VW dealership and TDI guru seem happy to have me standing right under the car with them asking stupid questions. So is it BS or what?
In line with the threads and your question, what REALLY prevents them from installing a video camera? So say a customer could... watch?

As for a old line long time local Toyota dealer that I have been dealing with for 23 years, they do have the required sign, but @ any time I have always been able and invited to get under my car while it is in on the rack or being fixed or disassembled. I have been to the VW dealer twice in 2 cars and 150,000 miles. Whille I had a good experiences.. why tempt fate?;) :eek:
 
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VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
A lot of shops will let you in, but some are sticklers. I can understand both sides of the argument... some people just shouldn't be in a mechanic's shop. They can be dangerous places if you're not careful.
 

Zedbra

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2006
Location
Squamish, BC
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI
here, customers would not be covered if they were injured in a work place - so the owners would be liable. i used to work in a shop and we allowed customers in - the problem is that some customers just won't leave and let you get your work done! so i would start dropping heavy tools and metal down by their feet. they decide then its a good time to back away.
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
Discount Tire installers have ruined (broken tabs) two of my center caps in the last year. Now I go watch them (actually tell them how to install them). The caps don't usually come off until I am blasting down the highway.

Next time I am in for a tire rotation, the center caps will be in MY garage;).
 

turbocharged798

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Location
Ellenville, NY
TDI
99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
A couple months ago I was at the Ford dealer having a recall done on our F-350. The way the building was designed, there was the service counter and parts counter on the left side and the working area on the right side. I just walked over to the working area to see what they were doing to my truck and promptly got yelled at for being there.

Look, I understand the fact they don't want idiots getting hurt and then suing. But at the same time, they have my truck and I should be able to watch them work on it, right?

The dealer was pretty shady too. The guy talked to me like I was an idiot.
 

pgenis

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2006
Location
WASHINGTON DC
TDI
JETTA 2006
turbocharged798 said:
A couple months ago I was at the Ford dealer having a recall done on our F-350. The way the building was designed, there was the service counter and parts counter on the left side and the working area on the right side. I just walked over to the working area to see what they were doing to my truck and promptly got yelled at for being there.

Look, I understand the fact they don't want idiots getting hurt and then suing. But at the same time, they have my truck and I should be able to watch them work on it, right?

The dealer was pretty shady too. The guy talked to me like I was an idiot.
That is why I only go to the places i trust, and they are so hard to find. And even at these places, there are clowns breaking things and telling me that's how it was. One of them broke my little cute engine cover and damaged clips for the stick boot. At least no damage to the engine or MT yet. :rolleyes:
 

40X40

Experienced
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Location
Kansas City area, MO
TDI
2013 Passat SEL Premium
turbocharged798 said:
A couple months ago I was at the Ford dealer having a recall done on our F-350. The way the building was designed, there was the service counter and parts counter on the left side and the working area on the right side. I just walked over to the working area to see what they were doing to my truck and promptly got yelled at for being there.

Look, I understand the fact they don't want idiots getting hurt and then suing. But at the same time, they have my truck and I should be able to watch them work on it, right?

The dealer was pretty shady too. The guy talked to me like I was an idiot.

See the posts above that reference asking before entering the work area. If you ask, you are more likely to be welcomed. If you just walk in, you failed the test and they yell at you....
You have NO intrinsic right to be present when anyone works on your vehicle unless you negotiated that point when contracting for the work to be done.

Bill
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Amen brother.

I have no problem with people watching. If you bother me.....I'll give you the look. If you don't STFU, I'll tell you to go sit down.

What REALLY galls me is I have the front 40 ft of the shop where I fix cars on the left side. The right side is the main entrance, the waiting area, the head, and MY office/parts storage area (walled off) The point being there is a PRIVATE sign for the storage and an ABSOLUTELY no admittance beyond this point sign for the area to the rear. It's not hard to spot but people feel free to just wander wherever they want. I mean do I come to your frickin' house and go through your closet? I have gone out to get UPS and come in and found people in the back of the shop looking at my motorcycles, or lifting car covers looking at cars in storage, or rummaging through parts carts. :rolleyes: :mad: :confused: ***!?!?! Then they are like "what?" when I tell them to get the he** out of there!

And YES, technically the insurance says no to admitting people there for liability reasons.
 

danham

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Location
Cape Cod, MA
TDI
2010 JSW
Having spent a bunch of years in the biz, I'd say Jason has nailed it. The problem is that the "good" customers would be welcome, but there's no way to tell in advance who is good and who is not.

Here's my favorite story from a "bad" one:

A colleague was working on a customer's Volvo and the customer had asked to watch. But the customer's questions got more and more frequent, and dumber, and the guy kept getting in the way. He asked my friend to explain again what was wrong with the car, and my friend gave a simple but complete explanation, at which point the customer said, "Oh, no, you can tell me in mechanic's language."

"OK," my friend replied, "the f*ing thing don't f*ing work." The customer returned to the waiting room.

-dan
 

Oblio13

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
'05 Passat
When we have mechanical delays at the airline, my standard answer is that it's the "polytronic combustion regulator" or the "oscillation overthruster".
 

turbocharged798

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Location
Ellenville, NY
TDI
99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
jasonTDI said:
Amen brother.

I have no problem with people watching. If you bother me.....I'll give you the look. If you don't STFU, I'll tell you to go sit down.

What REALLY galls me is I have the front 40 ft of the shop where I fix cars on the left side. The right side is the main entrance, the waiting area, the head, and MY office/parts storage area (walled off) The point being there is a PRIVATE sign for the storage and an ABSOLUTELY no admittance beyond this point sign for the area to the rear. It's not hard to spot but people feel free to just wander wherever they want. I mean do I come to your frickin' house and go through your closet? I have gone out to get UPS and come in and found people in the back of the shop looking at my motorcycles, or lifting car covers looking at cars in storage, or rummaging through parts carts. :rolleyes: :mad: :confused: ***!?!?! Then they are like "what?" when I tell them to get the he** out of there!

And YES, technically the insurance says no to admitting people there for liability reasons.
I guess it pretty much boils down to how customers respect you and your stuff. I have great respect for people's stuff and privacy. I expect the same when people come over to my house. Unfortunately, not everybody is like that.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
pgenis said:
And even at these places, there are clowns breaking things and telling me that's how it was.
On the flip side of the working relationship, when I did oil changes/tires/batteries at Wal-Mart, I had to deal with scammers who came in for an air filter change and then complained that we owed them a new transmission because it started shifting rough after we touched the car.

Yes, we occasionally find things broken on cars when they come in, and it's not our problem.
 

Carbeque

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Location
Proton Station Ontario
TDI
01 Golf TDI
Facts-the sign's right

1) If you are in the shop and something bad happens, the dealership or shop is UNINSURED. That means if you sue them, they are on the hook for whatever the damages are. I have seen an entire dealership go under because one of the techs let a customer come see their car, then an overinflated tire blew... guy lost some hearing, sued the store, insurance co. said no dice because you let uninsured non-employees in in contravention of insurance policy rules. Store died because dealer couldn't pay, 20+ ppl out of work. All because the tech was a "nice guy". Next time you feel the urge to spectate, find the DEALER PRINCIPAL or the owner (not an employee) of the shop and ask if he minds you circumventing all those insurance signs. It's their a$$ on the line, not the techs or anyone else's. My guess is they say no.

2) Paying a labour rate doesn't give you the right to watch and interact with the tech. Quotes are based on how much time the repair takes to complete, and are calculated without someone watching and asking questions, which slows down the job. Alot.

3) Do you go into the kitchen and watch the cooks prepare your food when you order a meal at a restaurant? When you purchase an airline ticket, do you get to sit behind the pilot and give him flying tips? In your own line of work, are customers welcome to hang out at your desk , watch you all day and give you helpful pointers? Nooooooooooo. So why is this different?

4) If you distrust the shop enough to have to watch them work on your beater, find another shop. It's not a healthy relationship.

5) Some techs don't like people looking over their shoulder. If you are really chatty , critical of their work, and helpful while you watch them work on your car, they might even torque your wheel nuts to Schwarzenegger-tight and slack off your valve cores just a bit before putting your valve stem caps back on, so when you wake up in the morning you're on 4 flats and no hope of undoing even 1 lug nut. Seen this happen once.

Car.B.Que
 

nortones2

Veteran Member
Joined
May 10, 2000
Location
High Peak, UK
TDI
Formerly Passat 1.9 110hp
I witnessed some years ago, in an engineering workshop, a battery explode under charge. Fools had made a very amateurish job, and the battery connectors slipped igniting hydrogen released during the charging process. Splinters of battery casing plus acid - one of the workers had eyeballs splashed. I was there using powers of entry. One more charge on the list:) It's as well to be wary of scruffy workshops....
 

CoolAirVw

Vendor
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
Jetta
Ah, this right here is what seperates the men from the boys.

Of course no Mechanic wants people looking at them like a bunch of monkey's in a cage. There probably is some insurance regulation somewhere, but most shops would keep you out just cuz they dont want to be watched. Plus then the mechanics would have to watch their language, and torque the lugnuts.

What I try to do is when I see them peeking in, I invite them out to look at their car. I say, "Come on out." And when they are irritating, or ask a million annoying questions, I try to humble my huge ego, and overcome my jerky, and reclusive nature. So, I encourage them by asking questions and making them feel like I want them there. This makes me a "large" man if I can overcome my own nature.

The irritating ones who ask a million questions are the ones who will talk alot to their FRAP (friends, relatives and parents).
 
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Oblio13

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
'05 Passat
Carbeque said:
... When you purchase an airline ticket, do you get to sit behind the pilot and give him flying tips? In your own line of work, are customers welcome to hang out at your desk , watch you all day and give you helpful pointers? Nooooooooooo. So why is this different?...
I'm happy to let passengers see the cockpit and ask questions. They're ultimately paying my salary.

Just had my Passat unchained by Rich Tremblay. Not only did he let me watch him work and explain what he was doing, he let me plop a sleeping bag down at his shop when I dropped the car off at 3:00 a.m. If it annoyed him, he hid it well, and he certainly created a loyal customer.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Where in NH did you travel from? I'm over in Hooksett and can drive by Reflex Tuning on my way to work if I want.

Enjoy your chainless, I am jealous of that tank capacity you have.
 

BadMonKey

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Location
Colorado
TDI
2013 Focus ST
jasonTDI said:
Amen brother.

I have no problem with people watching. If you bother me.....I'll give you the look. If you don't STFU, I'll tell you to go sit down.

What REALLY galls me is I have the front 40 ft of the shop where I fix cars on the left side. The right side is the main entrance, the waiting area, the head, and MY office/parts storage area (walled off) The point being there is a PRIVATE sign for the storage and an ABSOLUTELY no admittance beyond this point sign for the area to the rear. It's not hard to spot but people feel free to just wander wherever they want. I mean do I come to your frickin' house and go through your closet? I have gone out to get UPS and come in and found people in the back of the shop looking at my motorcycles, or lifting car covers looking at cars in storage, or rummaging through parts carts. :rolleyes: :mad: :confused: ***!?!?! Then they are like "what?" when I tell them to get the he** out of there!

And YES, technically the insurance says no to admitting people there for liability reasons.
Waiting sucks! I always drop off my cars/trucks and pick them up after i get the phone call that its done. I figure it gives the mechanic extra time to do it correctly.

Jason its a business so separate your personal crap from your business crap with a locked door! Its like putting a box of donuts with a "do not eat" sign in a room full of cops, when you leave the room their going to eat the donuts:D Its human nature to cross boundaries when you get board; the reason doors were invented!
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Carbeque said:
Do you go into the kitchen and watch the cooks prepare your food when you order a meal at a restaurant?
You might not eat out as often if you do...

(My brother-in-law will not eat cole slaw... he once worked at a restaurant...)

Y.
 

CoolAirVw

Vendor
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
Jetta
BadMonKey said:
Jason its a business so separate your personal crap from your business crap with a locked door! Its like putting a box of donuts with a "do not eat" sign in a room full of cops, when you leave the room their going to eat the donuts:D Its human nature to cross boundaries when you get board; the reason doors were invented!
What? How about keeping your nose out of where it dont belong. You dont walk into McD's and go behind the counter and look in the freezer or the cash drawer.

Sometimes our customers will park in our gated area, when the parking lot and office is in the front, and then walk in the back door. I got to say, if someone comes walking in my back door at my house its a automatic @$$ kicking, and they'll be lucky if I dont shoot em.
 

Oblio13

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
'05 Passat
740GLE said:
Where in NH did you travel from? I'm over in Hooksett and can drive by Reflex Tuning on my way to work if I want...


He's between my home and work, too, but I live in Meredith and work in Boston. :eek: (Airline job with weird hours is the reason it was so late.)


ymz said:
... (My brother-in-law will not eat cole slaw... he once worked at a restaurant...)
I won't, either. Worked in a famous, high-end restaurant when I was a kid. The guy who made the cole slaw used to spit in it all the time.
 

BadMonKey

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Location
Colorado
TDI
2013 Focus ST
CoolAirVw said:
What? How about keeping your nose out of where it dont belong. You dont walk into McD's and go behind the counter and look in the freezer or the cash drawer.

Sometimes our customers will park in our gated area, when the parking lot and office is in the front, and then walk in the back door. I got to say, if someone comes walking in my back door at my house its a automatic @$$ kicking, and they'll be lucky if I dont shoot em.
I bet your McD's has a door you have to go through to get behind the counter (haven't been in one for years). Our business has back doors but they stay locked all the time to stop situations you just mentioned and for security reasons. The fact is if you have a business open to the public you have to plan for the weirdo's. You either lock them out or deal with it, even my small independent mechanic has a door between the shop and the office that is locked to keep the weirdo's/lookyloos out. Signs don't work just like traffic signs don't stop you from braking the law occasionally when no one is watching;) I'm not saying its right, just that you can stop it when it happens repeatably.

Have a friend that's a vet and he had me install camera's in the exam rooms for training video's. Even though there's a sign "camera's in use" people do some strange crap when they think no one is watching. He cut about 45 min. of highlights and we laughed our butts off over a six pack. He new before the camera's where installed that people riffled through all the cabinets/drawers while they waited. He locked the ones that had expensive equipment or drugs in it.
 
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PaPa Bulldog

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2009
Location
Bennington, Vermont
TDI
1998 Jetta Boost Master
I understand why they have the sign up. I first hand can vouch for why it's up there. I work at a GM-Nissan Dealership, and was late for work one morning. I ran up to the time clock, hit some atf on the floor, and fell on my fat Arse! Didn't get hurt, but it told me to be more careful. Most of the time people only come in our shop if something is seriously wrong with their car, and the service advisor needs to show them, or if they need a visual explanation on what's going on with the car. I guess it all depends on what type of situation the customer is in. This isn't the case in our shop, but could understand management not wanting people going into the shop in case they saw perhaps a racy Snap On Tools Calendar with a scantily clad woman in a thong. Not that I mind seeing a suggestive picture with a woman in a thong, but some would I guess:( Anyhow just my .02 inflated american cents


Papa Bulldog Aka Bart
 

pgenis

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2006
Location
WASHINGTON DC
TDI
JETTA 2006
thick bullet proof glass is good

I saw several dealerships and one independent shop that had thick (almost bank style bullet proof0 glass installed between the waiting room and the shop itself. Kids were always glued to this glass, the adults were sometime, but average Americans can't stand longer then 3 sec, so the adults eventually went to watch the TV.

They also had chairs bolted to the floor in such a way as to face towards inside the waiting room and back towards the glass wall.
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
pgenis said:
I saw several dealerships and one independent shop that had thick (almost bank style bullet proof0 glass installed between the waiting room and the shop itself. Kids were always glued to this glass, the adults were sometime, but average Americans can't stand longer then 3 sec, so the adults eventually went to watch the TV.

They also had chairs bolted to the floor in such a way as to face towards inside the waiting room and back towards the glass wall.
This is in the DC area?
 
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