We've already published two parts to our Mechanic Pet Peeves series so far. Here is Part 1 and Part 2. However, the new suggestions kept coming and, and we have enough feedback to issue a third installment to the series. So without any further ado, here is our third, and final list of Mechanic Pet Peeves.
1) Fixing problems that aren't actual problems - Mechanics have some interesting and funny stories of customers coming in for repairs that don't actually require anything more than common sense. Here is an example that we recently saw: a customer brought their car in and was unable to open the glove compartment. The mechanic inspected the vehicle and then used the car key to unlock the locked compartment, which was functioning perfectly. Mechanics experience these things all the time, and it's difficult and unpleasant to have to charge customers for work that is unnecessary.
2) Disrespectful comments to female mechanics - There are lots of competent female mechanics in the industry, even though it's still a relatively small percentage of the overall vocation. However, the treatment some of these professionals are subject to is completely unacceptable. If you've ever seen the movie My Cousin Vinny you can imagine what some techs need to deal with in order to prove themselves, having to overcome doubt and sexist nonsense. One such tech, Audra Fordin of 'Women Auto Know' is actively trying to change stereotypes and proving the naysayers wrong.
3) Booking a service and then asking for additional work at the last minute - Mechanics and shop owners are glad to have more work. But when a specific block of time is set aside for a particular repair, it is incredibly inconvenient when a customer states "While you're in there, could you do X and X?" Again, more work is better for business, but it's best to lay out everything you'd like done ahead of time for scheduling reasons. You wouldn't go to your dentist for a root canal and show up that same day and say "Can you just remove those other two teeth while you're in there?"
4) Customers insisting on the diagnosis rather than the issue - Every mechanic has been through it. The customer who insists that he has already diagnosed the vehicle before it's been worked on. In some cases, they may be correct. But it's the mechanics responsibility to make sure that the customer's actual issue has been corrected, so if he takes the customer's word for it and replaced an exhaust that the customer believes is causing an issue, but it turns out it was not the exhaust at all, no one will be happy. It's important to allow your mechanic to diagnose the vehicle's issue by listening to the symptoms rather than simply being told what to replace.
5) Being underpaid - We recently covered 'Why a Mechanic Salary is Too Low,' and based on the response to the article, it appears that we were spot on. While there is a segment of the industry that makes great money doing what they love, the majority, and the 'average' mechanic is grossly underpaid. The average mechanic salary is only $36,610, despite requiring education, experience, staying up to date on the latest advancements, physically demanding and stressful working conditions, and thousands of dollars in tools. This is a major pet peeve.
6) Service writers/advisors - Half running-joke and half reality, mechanics frequently butt heads with their service writers and service advisors. The conflicts can range from scheduling issues, to improper service orders, unrealistic expectations, or what the mechanic perceives as incompetence. This isn't necessarily unique to the industry as any service and repair position will have conflicts when there is a middleman between the customer and the person performing the work, but it is a well known fact that service advisors are grumbled about constantly in the mechanic world.
7) Constant phone calls after setting honest expectations - Mechanics have a hard time when a complicated repair is constantly being interrupted by customers calling for an update. To be fair, a customer needs their vehicle, and there is an obvious sense of impatience there which is understandable and probably derived of necessity. And it can be said that some mechanics may drop the ball on setting proper expectations. But when the expectations have been set, and a job is estimated to take 6 hours to complete, constant phone calls before the 6 hours is up can be a major distraction. Mechanics typically have multiple vehicles they have to work on, and staggering everything properly for accurate scheduling isn't as easy as it looks.
8) Working weekends - This one is fairly obvious, but most mechanics have to work weekends at some point as it's the easiest time for working people to get their vehicles repaired. Most of us have worked weekends at some point in our lives and it never feels any easier. Mechanics deserve respect for giving up time with their loved ones when everyone else is going to the beach, out to eat, and having cookouts, to keep people's cars on the road. Again, not every mechanic experiences this, but the ones that do deserve some credit.
9) Customers bringing in their own parts - Let me add a disclaimer to this one: it's perfectly legal and acceptable to bring in your own auto parts for mechanics to install. Some mechanics may refuse, but it is not out of the realm of what is normal. That being said, for many mechanics this happens to be a major pet peeve. Some have compared it to going to a breakfast diner with your own eggs and asking them to scramble them in the back and serve them to you. Of course, it may be cheaper and an economic necessity to buy your own parts, but keep in mind that bringing in parts you bought yourself will likely void any warranty you would have otherwise gotten on the work performed.
10) Obnoxiously loud music blaring from the radio when turning on a car - This last one is kind of funny, but very true. Imagine you've been working hard all day, you're tired, stressed, and dirty. You get into a blisteringly hot car that has been sitting in the sun for hours waiting to get worked on. As you adjust the seat, and turn the key in the ignition, the sounds of Nickelback blast through the speakers at 140 Decibels, causing a heart palpitation and momentary panic attack. This has happened to all of us getting into our own or someone else's car, but a mechanic risks this fate several times a day, every day.
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