Joined: 28 Jul 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Tifton, GA, USA
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:09 pm Post subject: Ethical or Not?
A few years ago I had a new customer bring in a 1991 park avenue requesting a new engine and transmission. The engine, he needed, the transmission, he wanted because of the mileage. A couple of weeks after he picked up this vehicle, he returned complaining of poor fuel mileage. He insisted that the oxygen sensor had to be faulty because he had a previous experience similar to this. It wasn't that he had a bad attitude or anything, he was just convinced in his mind that the sensor was faulty. After checking the vehicle and finding nothing wrong, I gave him an oxygen sensor. He came back later to report that his fuel mileage had returned to normal. He's been a very good customer since then.
Several weeks ago this same customer brought in his 1997 park ave. with the same complaint. Again, it had to be a faulty oxygen sensor. I checked the car and found nothing wrong but I knew he wouldn't be satisfied with that. I sold him an oxygen sensor and told him to let me know how it went. I don't feel that I did anything to change the fuel mileage, but I did help his mind! Was this ethical?
_________________ Keith White
Owner
Whites Auto Service
Tifton, GA, USA
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject: Re: Ethical or Not?
People do not always buy car repairs, they buy piece of mind. In this case you sold piece of mind.
In the mid 80’s I had a customer come in wanting new spark plugs every 5000 miles. No amount of talking on my part did any good, so I would replace the plugs. They would insist that they got better mileage and the vehicle had more power. I decided to try an experiment so the next time they came in I kept the old plugs. From then on I just rotated the sets of plugs that were put into the car. When the two sets had 60,000 miles on them I bought new spark plugs to install. Was it ethical?
I was not fixing the car, I was fixing the customer and selling piece of mind. Had I tried to sell a someone else new spark plugs every 5000 miles, than it would have been a different story.
_________________ David Wittmayer
Owner / Manager
Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair, LLC
Camp Verde, AZ
www.hefrshop.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Ethical or Not?
Hi Keith,
keith wrote:
A few years ago I had a new customer bring in a 1991 park avenue requesting a new engine and transmission. The engine, he needed, the transmission, he wanted because of the mileage. A couple of weeks after he picked up this vehicle, he returned complaining of poor fuel mileage. He insisted that the oxygen sensor had to be faulty because he had a previous experience similar to this. It wasn't that he had a bad attitude or anything, he was just convinced in his mind that the sensor was faulty. After checking the vehicle and finding nothing wrong, I gave him an oxygen sensor. He came back later to report that his fuel mileage had returned to normal.
I have to say the proof is in the pudding. If the milage returned and nothing else was done, it seems the sensor could well have been the cause.
My technical background was largely in chassis and frame work. Several times a month we would receive vehicles from other shops. They always said, "The frame measures straight, but the vehicle still . . . "
In every case I would find damage still present. It was not that they didn't check, only that they didn't check where the damage was. Might there also be multiple ways to check an O2 sensor?
keith wrote:
He's been a very good customer since then.
Several weeks ago this same customer brought in his 1997 park ave. with the same complaint. Again, it had to be a faulty oxygen sensor. I checked the car and found nothing wrong but I knew he wouldn't be satisfied with that. I sold him an oxygen sensor and told him to let me know how it went. I don't feel that I did anything to change the fuel mileage, but I did help his mind! Was this ethical?
I think unethical would be either not informing or mis-informing a person for gain. In this case, I can see where you did neither. You told the client you could find nothing wrong, this is the truth. He wanted the sensor replaced, because of his past experience. It's a risk, based on experience and one he wished to take. I might have done the same thing, if I were in his position. I can see nothing unethical.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
