Disappointing lack of Service by repair organization

[superquag]

Youngest son, owner of a ford ranger (not worth upper case...) - the one who paid squillion$ for an engine re-build... had sent it off to a well known, nation-wide tyre & suspension company to get tie rods, idler, wheel balances and other things done. Brought it home today as they're going off for a 3 hour drive to the coast tonight (Friday)

Bill was over the $1k mark.

But I notice that one wheel nut is missing.
Likewise the plastic tyre valve cap on that wheel, and yes, it had one when it went in. - the brass 'thread' is clean and untarnished.

Yes, it did go in with a missing nut, (either lost or nicked)... however I would have expected "them" to notice... at least ring the owner and get authority to replace before letting it out of the shop. - He would cheerfully let ford take him for whatever they charge for a $2(?) nut.

I'll be dropping by the shop in the morning to mention my disappointment, but before I'm tempted to escalate to State or National level, what does the Forum think ?

- Acceptable 'Service' ?
- Should they have 'Phoned for permission to purcha$e replacement?.
- Just gone ahead and added it on, - $20 is a tiny % of the $1k+ bill and neither Son or Grumpy Father would have objected, seeing as it's an essential safety part, and it went in without it.

No, we don't expect them to do it as a freebie.

[trout1105]

Your Son should have asked that the missing nut be replaced when he dropped the car off and as long as the work he requested/paid for was done then you really cant complain.

[gavinwibrow]

Youngest son, owner of a ford ranger (not worth upper case...) - the one who paid squillion$ for an engine re-build... had sent it off to a well known, nation-wide tyre & suspension company to get tie rods, idler, wheel balances and other things done. Brought it home today as they're going off for a 3 hour drive to the coast tonight (Friday)

Bill was over the $1k mark.

But I notice that one wheel nut is missing.
Likewise the plastic tyre valve cap on that wheel, and yes, it had one when it went in. - the brass 'thread' is clean and untarnished.

Yes, it did go in with a missing nut, (either lost or nicked)... however I would have expected "them" to notice... at least ring the owner and get authority to replace before letting it out of the shop. - He would cheerfully let ford take him for whatever they charge for a $2(?) nut.

I'll be dropping by the shop in the morning to mention my disappointment, but before I'm tempted to escalate to State or National level, what does the Forum think ?

- Acceptable 'Service' ?
- Should they have 'Phoned for permission to purcha$e replacement?.
- Just gone ahead and added it on, - $20 is a tiny % of the $1k+ bill and neither Son or Grumpy Father would have objected, seeing as it's an essential safety part, and it went in without it.

No, we don't expect them to do it as a freebie.


Any repair shop worth more than a plugged nickel should not have let the car go in that state. At the very least advise the customer, who then has the option of fix or leave. Bloody poor show. Doesn't say much for their grasp of OHS or whatever it is called these days.

I know you can't but worthy of a name and shame.

[superquag]

Agreed. He should have mentioned the nut as logically, a tyre store would be well able to source a replacement - even if it meant 'genuine'... and a big Dealer is only minutes (drive) away;.

Personally and like most of my vintage, I would have sorted the problem if/when I first noticed it.
- Then grumbled about the co$t and being alive to do so !

[trout1105]

Agreed. He should have mentioned the nut, as logically, a tyre store would be well able to source a replacement, even if it meant 'genuine'... and a big Dealer is only minutes (drive) away;.

Seriously, This is a storm in a teacup.
All your son had to do was to replace the wheel nut that he KNEW was missing when he got the car back and any 4WD'er worth their salt always carries spare wheel nuts and studs anyway[bigwhistle]
Maybe you should be placing the blame for this at your sons feet because he knew the nut was missing and did nothing about it himself.

[BathurstTom]

Agreed. He should have mentioned the nut as logically, a tyre store would be well able to source a replacement - even if it meant 'genuine'... and a big Dealer is only minutes (drive) away;.

Personally and like most of my vintage, I would have sorted the problem if/when I first noticed it.
- Then grumbled about the co$t and being alive to do so !
Bit hard to see how the wheel balance (for which it was specifically booked in for) could be effective with a wheel nut missing. Certainly sub standard work in that respect.

[V8Ian]

Bit hard to see how the wheel balance (for which it was specifically booked in for) could be effective with a wheel nut missing. Certainly sub standard work in that respect.
Depends upon if it was an on or off car balance.

[gavinwibrow]

Seriously, This is a storm in a teacup.
All your son had to do was to replace the wheel nut that he KNEW was missing when he got the car back and any 4WD'er worth their salt always carries spare wheel nuts and studs anyway[bigwhistle]
Maybe you should be placing the blame for this at your sons feet because he knew the nut was missing and did nothing about it himself.

No, I have to ass/u/me you are missing the point entirely - its all about poor service/professionalism.

[Homestar]

It sounds about what you’d expect from one of these places - remembering that they pay minimum wage and I would highly doubt a Mechanic is employed there or did the work, rather the tyre fitters have done the whole job including tie rod end replacement, etc so expecting this standard of work from a place like that isn’t something I would do personally. Crappy eye for detail? Yes, but not beyond what you’d expect from these places.

[ramblingboy42]

I'm with Trout.

...valve cap? really? why would they have removed your valve cap? and you checked it beforehand? were you trying to stooge this "repair organisation"? just sounds funny....

[Roverlord off road spares]

you have to remove a valve cap to put air in to a tyre, maybe it needed air.

[superquag]

The whole point of my query (not making it a hanging offence. Yet.) is simply missing the chance to up-sell, or advise the client of another problem. Worst case could be a legal issue, but that is too far-fetched even for me.

Off-car balance. Same wheels and nuts went back on to same location. - which is perhaps why I immediately spotted it.

Update;- Rang them this morning, (Sat) Big Boss not working today, along with some staff.
Person who answered was surprised and will raise it on Monday, and didn't know why the mechanic (!) would not have used one from their supply of "heaps and heaps" of excess nuts.
Same would apply to the valve caps... there would be myriads rolling around the floor etc, so finding the one you just put down wouldn't be a problem [tonguewink]

Yes, and it's not just tyre companies that need to lift their game and attention to detail.

And yes again, #3 son is an idiot for not replacing it if/when he noticed it missing, though in mitigation, the engine damage has kept it off the road for over a year, and he bought a Camry as a work car... and fell in love with it's fuel use so much so that I think the ranger was "forgotten" [bighmmm]

[V8Ian]

you have to remove a valve cap to put air in to a tyre, maybe it needed air.
You'd have to remove the cap to check the pressure.

[scarry]

You'd have to remove the cap to check the pressure.

Nah,an experienced truck driver like yourself would just give the tyre a kick?[thumbsupbig][biggrin]

[V8Ian]

Nah,an experienced truck driver like yourself would just give the tyre a kick?[thumbsupbig][biggrin]
Only if I've got my truck driving thongs on, Paul. [wink11]

[Roverlord off road spares]

Only if I've got my truck driving thongs on, Paul. [wink11]

could be a OH&S issue if they aren't steel toed truck thongs[biggrin]

[V8Ian]

Steel caps are so yesterday, my safety caps are made of keratin.

[Saitch]

Pity they're not leech proof.

[scarry]

Steel caps are so yesterday, my safety caps are made of keratin.

The next gen,after keratin, are polypropylene.

You should check them out,it means you can wander through those X ray machines on those high security sites with ease.

Oh,and they are snake proof,so leaches shouldn't be an issue.[biggrin]

[ramblingboy42]

Steel caps are so yesterday, my safety caps are made of keratin.

keratin or kevlar?

[superquag]

Seriously, This is a storm in a teacup.
All your son had to do was to replace the wheel nut that he KNEW was missing when he got the car back and any 4WD'er worth their salt always carries spare wheel nuts and studs anyway
Maybe you should be placing the blame for this at your sons feet because he knew the nut was missing and did nothing about it himself.

Absolutely correct. I made Certain Pointed - fatherly - Comments to Son & Heir when I noticed the naked threaded stud...

But the real concern is the Maintenence Repair Organization, which "forgot" to 'flag' the deficiency.

- which begs the Question of 'What [B]else have they not mentioned ?'

[V8Ian]

keratin or kevlar?
The former, as originally typed.

[austastar]

Hi,
Nailed it!
Cheers

[superquag]

Hi,
Nailed it!
Cheers

.... 'Dad' joke....[bigrolf]

[superquag]

Finishing update...
Visited said repair shop, and met Manager who had been briefed by minion.
Appears the Workshop did notice... but message was lost by, or at Front of House. - Boss/Owner was not well pleased.

Anyway, he insisted on providing a nut or two (free) as they have heaps spare from installing alloy rims on new rangers..

And I learned something new. Son's vehicle is not likely to be 'ex mining' as he'd been told by PO. The big miners up there didn't buy any of that model with the torsion-bar front end. - Believe them to be more prone to rolling over on the corrugated gravel than coil-spring jobbies.
Like a Land Rover or Disco.[bigwhistle]

A profitable day for both of us !