What do you guys do? Shop issue with re-gear

[AdrianVall]

Hey guys,

So I am stuck in a very frustrating situation. I know I should probably be more patient and understanding, but at the same time, the inconvenience factor for me is higher than most.

I brought in my Jeep Gladiator Mojave to be re-geared to 5.13's. Dropped it off Tuesday night, was supposed to be done by Thursday at the latest. This is my second Jeep that I'm having re-geared with this shop. Last time I made an appointment with this particular Jeep specialty shop (Southeast Jeeps), I dropped it off with the expectation that it was supposed to be done the next day (as I was told) so I made plans accordingly. Long story short, they couldn't get around to even begin the work on it that day and had to delay it another day. MAJOR pain in the butt for me, as I have 3 kids ages 4, 3, and 1 that I care for by myself during the week every afternoon, and it is extremely difficult for me to coordinate these things. So last time I got this done with this shop, they reassured me it would be done the day it was supposed to be done, it ended up not getting done that day, and delayed me another day without my daily driver and transportation to/from work and my kids. They finished it the next day. Ok fine. Not too bad... they gave me a 10% discount to compensate for my inconvenience. This time around, I drop it off Tuesday night, with the expectation that the work is to be completed Thursday at the latest. I make plans accordingly, baby sitters for the kids, transportation to bring me to the shop (50 miles away) and begin the process. I text them early in the morning to ensure the work will be done today, I get a text back saying the work is on track to be finished Thursday afternoon. Awesome. Around 3:30, I bring the kids to the baby sitter and wait for my transportation to arrive to bring me to the shop. I get a text around 4 stating the following:

"Unfortunately we are not going to be done today, rear carrier is about to come back out. We need to re-align rear carrier. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your patience."

At this point, I am PISSED. I had made all these arrangements for my kids and transportation and for them to tell me this at the last minute, it makes me very frustrated. I call the shop manager and he basically explained that on the test drive, there was a check engine light and that that the rear carrier needs to be re-aligned and pretty much just blows me off. I am pissed. I understand things happen, but he tells me that it will need to be redone tomorrow, delaying another full day of not having transportation and messing up the schedule with my kids.

What do you guys do? Im really in a position where there is not a damn thing I can do about it, but what do you guys say and do? Just be patient and understanding? Demand to speak to the owner? I'm unsure as to how to move forward...

Sponsored

 

[kevman65]

Would you rather they just bolted it up and gave it back to you after they found out there was an issue?

Personally I would take the inconvenience and be happy that they are thorough enough to not release a bad job.

 

[Rozik169]

your lucky they didn’t just clear the light and it would of came on during your drive home be happy they didn’t just do a half ass job.

 

[Russler]

Breath In, Breath Out, Breath In, Breath Out.

Soooooo my truck will be in the shop for 28 days tomorrow due to factory Mopar 4:88 regear at the dealership. If you find the perfect way to get some level of satisfaction I would love to hear it. I have taken the high road as I believe it will ultimately get resolved and getting my blood pressure up or drinking excessively probably wont help anything.

Good luck

 

[Moe_Fugga]

Sounds like you don’t have an option other than take delivery of it with issues. Then it will sit in another shop getting fixed by someone who doesn’t know the truck’s history. Relax and let them fix it. Grab you a cool can of Chill and enjoy life.

 

[CMac]

Would you rather they just bolted it up and gave it back to you after they found out there was an issue?

Personally I would take the inconvenience and be happy that they are thorough enough to not release a bad job.

Absofuckinglutely.

The alternative would leave you on the roadside. Or out in the swamp. Be happy someone cares about their craftsmanship. I’d trade an arm to get away from some of the jackleg turds I’ve seen around, “fixing” automobiles.

 

[Dqban]

the only thing I would do is not use them in the future.

 

[stickshifter]

Unfortunately, this is just how things go sometimes. Think of all the jobs you’ve done around the house or on your vehicle: you need to make an extra trip to the hardware store, or some bolt is rusted and what should take a minute takes an hour. How you react to setbacks is entirely up to you. Yeah, you are facing a hassle, but being angry doesn’t bring a fix. Best thing you can do is let the aggravation go. It’s totally your choice whether or not you want to be aggravated. We can’t control what the world sends our way but we can control how we react. Best of luck - in a day or two it’s all behind you!

 

[AdrianVall]

Ok, had a beer (or two) and read these responses, and you guys are right. I just need to chill. I think I was just most upset about the inconvenience with the kids, but you guys are 100% right. Better they do it right than give the Jeep back to me with issues.

Thanks!!

 

[Fizzy Logic]

Learn to set your own expectations, especially if you’ve dealt with them before.

I have a plumber who consistently underestimates effort time, but his quality is good, so I just double his estimates in my head and plan for that.

 

[Fastwake]

I would never have dicked around with and left like the factory built it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Unfortunately, this is just how things go sometimes. Think of all the jobs you’ve done around the house or on your vehicle: you need to make an extra trip to the hardware store, or some bolt is rusted and what should take a minute takes an hour. How you react to setbacks is entirely up to you. Yeah, you are facing a hassle, but being angry doesn’t bring a fix. Best thing you can do is let the aggravation go. It’s totally your choice whether or not you want to be aggravated. We can’t control what the world sends our way but we can control how we react. Best of luck - in a day or two it’s all behind you!

Yup - love it when these "Appointment" things come up as if they have a tech sitting waiting for a vehicle and that's all they do. A shop either hires so many that they can get to every car AS it comes in, or hires the right amount of staff to keep them working and productive.
Those who complain (no offense, but really..........) have never worked in a shop before. The person who will do the task on your vehicle has been working on others that week. What if a part isn't right, or they open something up and find a seal is bad or some other thing is wrong inside. They are set to replace a leaking seal on a truck ahead of yours - they order the parts, get it all apart and find - rats, the seal and bearing are bad AND the axle is scored, too.
Maybe they had a transmission rebuild before yours and things go great and they get you right in - or things don't go great and they end up finding a clutch issue or a bat pilot bearing and have trouble getting the old one out, or the new one is wrong and now their lift is tied up.
There are a million things that can go wrong or ways things can go wrong in the dozen or more things they are working on before your vehicle.
Ever have a doctor appointment and the receptionist is greeting you at the door and takes you directly to the doctor and you get in exactly at your appointment? If so - where the hell do you live????
Appointments in shops are a guide, not a Bible.
I've worked in shops for decades - and now run restorations in my own. Rebuilding a tilt steering column for a classic car - gee, the key warning buzzer switch is broken - took two hours to try to find another, ended up taking one out of a donor column. Hours lost. Can't easily find them let alone buy them other than eBay. I had one ordered and when the package arrived it wasn't even a switch, it was a Chevy emblem. Good thing I had a donor column, eh? Instead of going back in Tuesday, it went back in today.
Went to replace the pinion seal on a car - always check the pinion bearings when doing a seal. Bearings bad. Ok, pull both axles, pull carrier, pull pinion to replace bearings. Carrier bearings shot. While scraping the remaining lube out of the differential housing something was laying in the bottom - and fell to the drain pan. About the size of a half dollar in thickness I did a double-take when I realized it was the last 1/8" or so off the end of one of the axles! Great, this seal job turned into a bearing job which turned into an axle replacement job - now, where to find an axle..... Instead of a couple of hours, it turned into a full day. What if you had an appointment?

I could fill a page with all the things that have led to the next job being delayed as far as getting to it, because of issues with previous jobs - all beyond my control.
NEVER EVER go by appointments, never. They are a guide, not a law. Always have a plan B.

 

[InvertedAerialX]

Ok, had a beer (or two) and read these responses, and you guys are right. I just need to chill. I think I was just most upset about the inconvenience with the kids, but you guys are 100% right. Better they do it right than give the Jeep back to me with issues.

Thanks!!

When you pick up your jeep, explain your frustrations, but also, thank them for being so thorough. Get the 10% discount! But nothing is ever perfect, but I think they are trying their best to make sure your re-gear is! Not a bad thing.

Just a Canadian's 2c.

 

[MrZappo]

When you pick up your jeep, explain your frustrations, but also, thank them for being so thorough. Get the 10% discount! But nothing is ever perfect, but I think they are trying their best to make sure your re-gear is! Not a bad thing.

Just a Canadian's 2c.

And with the exchange rate, that's saying a lot.

 

[calipoontappa]

What a difference a shop that specializes in gearing only makes, we have 2 shops around us in SoCal that only focus on regearing nothing else. They are both booked for weeks but they get you in and out in 3-4 hours period. Not much to do here other than to never go back and post some reviews so others fon go either.

Sponsored