Complaint Review: High Tech Automotive - Norton Massachusetts

I am a current customer and have been for many years.  My family and I have been extremely satisfied with the work done on all our vehicles.  This is the place where I have sent my wife's and my daughters' cars to for almost all repairs.  The only time we have gone elsewhere is for recall work done at the dealer.  The owner and all the employees have been kind, courteous, helpful and honest  As a matter of fact, my youngest daughter is on her way there right now.  I would not take my cars anyhwere else for service.

David (Norton, MA)

The consumer's only complaint was that he was not informed "Prior" to touching his car that there would be a diagnosis fee. None of the 3 comments posted by employees refute that.

In fact regarding the diagnosis fee one of the employees acknowledges that they never even mentioned the fee until after the car was looked at. There is a law in Massachusetts that clearly states that prior to touching a customers car you must have written authorization and disclose any fees or charges "prior" to any work or diagnostics. The employee states in reference to the diagnostics "I would expect it anywhere I went". That's not how the law works. The law is there to protect the consumer from unscrupulous businesses. There is no accommodation for assuming that the customer should "expect it anywhere they went. That's why the law requires the business to get written consent and disclose all fees prior to doing "anything".

Also if you read the first employees comment he states that the customer came in "making a stink" and would only provide his name. Does that really make sense. Why would you walk in to a business and start giving them a hard time before anything had even happened, then give your name, then let someone work on your car after you pissed them off.
The owner tells a different story, he says the customer came in saying he was a long time customer and wanted the business to take a look at his car. Why would a longtime customer have to walk in and announce that he was a longtime customer, wouldn't the business manager already know if he was indeed a longtime customer. It sounds like the manager is embellishing his story to try and gain sympathy for himself and damage the credibility of the customer. He even goes so far as to evoke the name of God, that's a dead give away for someone not telling the truth. Hiding their sins behind God.

It seems to me that the employee and manager are trying to put together a believable story the only problem is that they are contradicting each other. The truth doesn't contradict itself.
Nice try, but I wouldn't go to that business either.

I have been in the automotive repair industry for years. Customers like this are a nightmare, they want free diagnostic work so they can go price shop all surrounding shop to save a buck. Why should any shop perform a service for free. As the manager stated in his statement the diagnose charge would be waved if the repairs were performed at this shop. Would anybody ask a plumber to come check a problem in your home and expect not to pay a fee. A service is a service, its ridiculous to expect it for free. If he looked at cars all day for free he'd be out of business. Don't blame the shop blame the cheap customer who wants someone's time for free, i guarantee if we went to his place of employment and asked him to work for free, he would be singing a different tune.

Mr. Hadden came to my shop and stated he is a regular customer at my repair facility which I don't have ever remember working on his car and he is not in our database. Came in and stated he would like us to find out where his exhaust leak is coming from and he was not sure if it was coming from the manifold or catalytic converter, and if it would affect his check engine light. He was informed that we had to put vehicle on the lift inside the shop so we could diagnose/ determine where the leak was. Mr. Hadden was asked if he would like us to diagnose the issue for him and he agreed. The vehicle was brought into the first available bay and set up safely on the lift and hoisted. Was looked at towards the end of the day so two technicians were assigned to vehicle for a quicker result. One technician blocked the end of the exhaust to amplify the leak for an easier find. When the leak was found we informed the customer where the leak was, and that it would not affect the engine light. We asked the customer if he would like an estimate, and he said yes.

Estimate was roughly an hour and a half, which is reasonable on a very rusted exhaust and removal of a front pipe to weld in a new flex pipe and install new gaskets. $70 for parts (which sounds about right, is the going rate,) and an hour and a half's labor was a low price for the job quoted. Than he asked us what we though the engine light would have been caused by. We told him that we would have to diagnose that and it would be probably around an hour for a good answer, and we didn't have the time that night. He asked if we charged for the service and we told him yes we do. I asked him if he would like to book an appointment to have the exhaust work completed, and he said: "No, I'm going to go somewhere else to have that done." When he was told he was going to be charged $25 for a lift charge for both technicians to inspect the vehicle, (which it takes about 10 mins. to properly set up a vehicle on the lift safely.) he was extremely rude about the entire visit and claimed he would never come back as a customer. He would not even give us his information at the time he came in.

That's the Gods honest truth and I have three technicians that witnessed this. I would like to know what Mr. Hadden does for work, so I could ask for all free services and see if I get the same answer. He had no intention on doing any work in our facility, and made that very clear. He wanted someone to look at his car for free so he could go elsewhere for someone else to do the work.

The customer walked in asking for us to check his exhaust for a leak that he didn't know where it was. and if it would affect his Check Engine light. When we write up a customer we need to take his/ or her information for record purposes, and this customer made a stink about it and refused to give anything but his name. But to keep him happy we decided to bring his vehicle in and have a look anyway. After locating the leak (quick process but more than five minutes) and inspecting the rest of the exhaust system, we informed the customer that it was leaking from the flex pipe are and that where it was located it would not affect his engine light. We than asked if he would like an estimate on the cost of replacement of the piece. He said yes for the quote. The employee at the time put the quote together and told the customer it would be "X" amount of dollars plus the $25 lift charge, and that the lift charged would be waived at the time of work. Our technicians are some of the best certified in the industry and cannot work for free. Every shop I've worked at in the past, or even visited in the past have some sort of "diagnostic charge" to analyze an issue, so I would expect it anywhere I went. Since working here I've noticed that the prices here are more than fair, and there is nothing but quality work that leaves this shop. With that being said, if you are truly out to "help a local business" there is no need to bash them for doing their jobs. Instead you are actually hurting what keeps towns alive.