(I get my car serviced at the dealership, but I get my oil changed at the big box company shop near my work; it’s more convenient because I can drop my car off and walk to work instead of waiting there. I’m a female, but the regular guys don’t usually bother to bully me into getting additional services. The worker I talk to after this particular oil change must be new.)

Worker: “I’m calling to let you know your oil change is complete and you can come to pick up your car. I do want to mention that it looks like your power steering fluid needs to be changed.”

Me: “Oh, really? It’s still a pretty new car.”

Worker: “If you drive often, it can get dirty quicker than expected.”

(My car probably has about 12K miles on it.)

Me: “How much will it cost?”

Worker: “It needs to be completely flushed and replaced, so with labor, it will come to about $300.”

(I’m pretty surprised he’s pushing this on me. I decline a couple times but he insists it needs to be done immediately. I then call my dealership after telling him I’ll see him in a few minutes to pick my car up.)

Dealership: “Your car is too new to need your power steering fluid flushed. Let’s verify. How many miles are on your car? Do you experience difficulty turning your steering wheel?”

(He asks a few more questions. I give him all the info he asks for.)

Dealership: “Bring the car in when you have a chance, but I wouldn’t let them do that yet. We will take a look at the color of the fluid and see if it really does need changing.”

(I went back to the auto shop, declined once more for the $300 added service, and took my car to the dealership later that week. The dealership said the fluid was fine. I actually never had to change it up until the point that I traded that car in for a new car. I have multi-point inspections on my cars whenever I go in for regular maintenance checks with my dealerships, and nobody has ever insisted on services I don’t need. Oddly enough, I’ve always had really good experiences and honesty with car dealership service. I’m glad there are still honest and truthful people in the world. It’s just those darn big box companies that like to scam girls.)

(I’m working with my coworker on the last couple of cars we have in the shop at our tire and lube service. It is almost closing time but we have enough time to put one more vehicle in the system for a service. Only two bays are open; the cars we are working on are up on the lifts, and each have at least one tire taken off. I see a fairly elderly customer pull up in his truck to the bay doors where “No Parking” is clearly marked in all capital letters with yellow paint on the pavement. I go over to make sure of what he wants and to tell him to pull to our front door to check in.)

Me: “Good evening, sir. What can we help you with?”

Customer: “Yeah, I bought these tires from you, but the valve stems aren’t taking air well. Could you replace them?”

Me: “Yes, we can. Just pull around to our front door and check in with our service writer, please.”

Customer: “But it’s just a valve stem!”

Me: “Yes, sir but we are already working on two cars and we still have to put you in the system for a service, even if it’s free. There’s gonna be a bit of a wait.”

Customer: *becomes very irate* “But it’s just a valve stem! Can’t you just pop a new one in?!”

(Again, note we only have two bays open, cars up on the lifts with tires off. He is essentially demanding us to drop what we’re doing for PAYING customers, put a tire back on and bring one of the cars out, then to bring his truck in, take a tire off, break the tire down on one side to replace the valve stem, reseal it back to the rim, and put it back on his truck for FREE.)

Me: “Sir, you would still have to wait; these two are first.” *gestures to the cars already in*

Customer: “Where’s your manager?!”

Me: “He’s already gone home.”

Customer: “Y’all standing around doing nothing!” *gets in his truck and literally burns rubber with his tires squealing and smoking, complete with the lingering burnt rubber smell as he drives off*

Me: *turns to coworker* “We were only ‘standing around doing nothing’ as he put it BECAUSE of him. We were clearly busy before he showed up.” *shares a laugh*

(Later on, a manager from another department came over. Turned out that the customer went to complain about us. Our service writer, who saw and heard the whole exchange, went to make sure the whole story was told to the managers, and not just the customer’s side. From what the manager said, it sounded like he was about to tell only his side of the story but when he saw our service writer go to tell the full story, he left before the manager could talk to him again.)

(The phone rings; I answer.)

Me: “Good morning. [Auto Shop]. This is [My Name]; how can I help you?”

Customer: “Hi. So, my wife just locked the keys in the car.”

Me: “Okay.”

Customer: “So, the problem is that she left the car running.”

Me: “Okay. How can I help you?”

Customer: “We have a spare key. Will that open the door?”

(My one-year-old car has been making an odd sound ever since I got it inspected at the dealership. I have taken it back twice, but they tell me it’s fine. I am now at the tire shop, buying snow tires.)

Tire Shop Owner: “Okay, I’ve got those tires you want in stock. With mounting and installation, the total will be [amount].”

Me: “Great. Can we get them on today?”

Tire Shop Owner: “I’m actually pretty slow today. You can have a seat; I’ll pull the car in, get the guys working, and then come out and finish the payment.”

Me: “Thanks.”

(I sit down to wait. I see him pull the car in and put it up on the lift, and he and a worker move towards the tires. The worker stops suddenly and calls over the boss, and they both look at the tire. Then the owner bursts into the waiting room.)

Tire Shop Owner: *yelling* “Who was the last person to take off your tires?!”

Me: “Um, I can’t remember. Oh! I guess they took them off to inspect brakes when I had it inspected.”

Tire Shop Owner: “WHERE?!”

Me: “Uh, the dealership, on [Street].”

(He marches back out to the car, checks the inspection stickers, and storms back into the waiting room. He grabs a sheet of paper off the desk and violently punches numbers into the phone. I can, of course, only hear his side of the conversation.)

Tire Shop Owner: “Yeah, it’s [Tire Shop Owner]. Put [Employee] on NOW!… [Employee]! I have [My Name] here, getting snow tires. She says your guys were the last ones to take off tires. Her car was inspected on [date]… YES! There’s a problem! My guys just took off lug nuts with their fingers!“

(At this point he launches into an expletive-filled rant about the dangers, talks about how I should be suing them, threatens to never recommend them again. I actually lose some of the conversation because he’s yelling so loud and there are so many expletives thrown in that I am having a hard time not laughing. He finally hangs up and turns to me.)

Tire Shop Owner: “Ma’am, I am so sorry. You should not have had to listen to that. I’m going to be taking something off your bill today as an apology for my behavior. That just wasn’t right.”

(I’m stunned into silence for a second.)

Me: “You’re apologizing for screaming at the service manager who told me repeatedly that my car was fine when it was actually dangerous? No, you’re not taking something off the bill. I should actually be paying extra for this. He’s been nothing but trouble, but the car is still under warranty and they are the only dealership around.”

Tire Shop Owner: “Well, I don’t think he’ll be a problem anymore. If he is, tell him you’re calling me.”

(We finished the transaction and I took the car home. By the time I got there, I had a message from the dealership owner, apologizing and telling me that I had a credit on my account for a free inspection next year. When I went in the next time, the service manager was afraid to make eye contact.)

(It is my first week at a new job, and I have been lucky that most of the “regulars” recognize that I am new to this store and try to help me help THEM. One customer comes in with a part and drops it onto the counter in front of me, ignoring the customer I’m already waiting on.)

Customer: “I need one of these, and I AIN’T GOT ALL F****** DAY!”

(I recognize the general part as being a valve and ask what it goes on — what does it do?)

Customer: “My truck, smarta**!” *not the answer we need*

(At this point the customer that was already in front of me looks over and says:)

Regular Customer: “That looks like a [specific type of valve]. What kind of truck does it go on?”

(The customer ignores the regular customer and just glares at me, so I ask him the same question.)

Me: “Sir, what kind of truck does it go on?”

Customer: “My red one!”