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What really grinds your gears?

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3M Nov 2023 2:35pm, 13 Nov 2023 22,578 posts	Quote Pin 3M The garage that wouldn't accept my diagnosis of what is wrong with the car and pre-order a part to fix it. Now they have plugged their diagnostic box of tricks in it's told them the same thing, and they have to order that very part which will arrive tomorrow, and I have to wait a day without a car (when we could actually do with one for a change!).
GordonG Nov 2023 3:25pm, 13 Nov 2023 10,107 posts	Quote Pin GordonG [3M, could you not have ordered the part yourself, brought it to the garage and said "here, fit this...". if you'd been wrong with your diagnosis then that would be on you anyway. My garage, which is really good, add on a huge percentage with all parts they order, so if I know the issue I always get genuine parts at about 50% less than the garage would charge me, and then it's just labour on top. Again, if I'm wrong then it's on me.]
Mushroom Nov 2023 3:31pm, 13 Nov 2023 2,879 posts	Quote Pin Mushroom On that point GordonG, I recently went to my local Halfords as my car needed a new rear wiper. They've changed their business model and wouldn't let me buy one off the shelf. They wanted me to book my car in to their workshop in order to fit a wiper blade (it's a 30 second job that anyone can do) and then charge me a fitting fee as well... I pointed out that I could and would do the job myself but they wouldn't let me. So I took my business elsewhere and bought a blade online. Halfords have lost me as a customer.
um Nov 2023 3:36pm, 13 Nov 2023 7,888 posts	Quote Pin um That's odd Mushroom. My local Halfords is still seeling wipers as is, fitting an option at £5
Mushroom Nov 2023 3:39pm, 13 Nov 2023 2,880 posts	Quote Pin Mushroom They'd completely changed the format of the store um. Where you used to be able to walk around and pick parts off the shelves, you had to go to a counter and ask for them - a bit like an Argos. I wonder if they're trying a new approach, rolling out in certain stores only? I didn't like it..!
George Smiley Nov 2023 4:01pm, 13 Nov 2023 489 posts	Quote Pin George Smiley Is it a Halfords Auto centre? Which like Kwikfit, or the actual shop?
Mushroom Nov 2023 4:06pm, 13 Nov 2023 2,881 posts	Quote Pin Mushroom It used to be a retail Halfords store - lots of shelves of car parts that you could walk around and pick items as you wished. It was changed by getting rid of the accessible shelves and having them behind some desks with customer agents. There is no workshop there, but there is one across town, which is the one they were trying to book me into.
George Smiley Nov 2023 4:30pm, 13 Nov 2023 490 posts	Quote Pin George Smiley Oh, that sounds pretty poor. If they won't sell parts can't really see the point of them. It seems a very shortsighted strategy.
3M Nov 2023 4:40pm, 13 Nov 2023 22,581 posts	Quote Pin 3M [GordonG, it was complicated slightly in that I have a service plan simply to preserve the warranty & service record on the car, and it was booked in for a 60,000 mile service today already. I do find dealing with the Dealership hard work though, and I've already complained to them about the last two times they worked on the car, failing to keep to anything like the schedule they'd booked it on for specific items of work (i.e. known issues, known effort required). Once I'm fully out of warranty then I'll be off to a more local, smaller, outfit. On the positive side, the diagnostic and the part were both covered by warranty.]
3M Nov 2023 4:41pm, 13 Nov 2023 22,582 posts	Quote Pin 3M [And in terms of Halfords.... that's just bizarre behaviour. But then I've never trusted them to build or repair a bike, either!]