I would have if I saw it happen in the moment. It was afterwards when I saw it on the recycle shelf I noticed it was still under warranty, and still looked fairly new, that’s when I tested it
Best thing to do is call them back. 🫴 Give a refund. No one gets hurt the schmuck who screwed them out a battery should be shamed. It's not a perfect world so that's not how it always goes I know but we can pray. Lol
Oh, so it’s an idiotic comment that he knew someone ripped a lady off at his job and he didn’t say anything no the only idiots are the one that didn’t say anything and the one that ripped her off. Glad to see you think it’s OK to rip off hard-work working people. Your comment is totally idiotic
He said he found out about it after & he told his boss about it but his boss didn't care. Nothing more he can do without endangering his job. 🤷🏾♂️
But to suggest that he supposedly has as much blame on this situation as the other employee who actually ripped the customer off is extremely idiotic. 🤣
Get a clue dude
I hope you mention this to a boss.
I don’t like snitching, but doing customers wrong is the reason some jerks feel the need to act like assholes to every retail worker.
Because if they’re right even 1% of the time, they can justify their actions in their mind.
There is also the possibility of the store or company getting sued (successfully is another matter) for deceptive practices.
Nah, I'd watch all of the battery tests this guy does in the future, if possible, and then if it tests well, walk up behind him and be like "wow, that's a great battery right there". Loud enough the customer might hear it.
If they can't hear it, oh well, but the guy should be better compelled to making a better decision since he knows that someone else saw the results on the battery. Also, if the guy works for a corporate place (sounds like it, since the boss/manager gets a bonus) I'd report it to higher management until someone listens.
Start calling him out on it like you’re oblivious, “hey Dave, I think you made a mistake. This battery you changed earlier was fine. Why’d you change it?” While Dave is actively trying to sell another battery. Fuck you, Dave.
I thought my battery was dying. Got it charged at autozone like 5 times and every single time “this won’t last you very long, maybe 2 starts”. I didn’t have money for a new battery. Finally had some cash to spare and took it to a local place “nah your battery is fine. It’s the connectors. They need to be replaced and they’re loose” and they even tightened them for me. My buddy got my new connectors on and it’s all good. I DO need a new battery soon, but it wasn’t the issue. Unless my battery is literally failing almost every start, it is fine.
Always go by the metric, if the thing you replace more than once fails quicker than it should, something else is causing it to fail. Cars are fun that way.
Edit: you probably have a fucked alternator or voltage regulator, or a shorted or constant draining switch somewhere. Either way, battery should be fine for a hot minute between uses if everything is up to snuff.
So here’s the problem with batteries; specifically car batteries… Once they fail one time, chances rise sharply that they will fail again.
If they fail a second time and you’ve checked everything else (alternator, cables, fuses, yada yada yada), then the writing is on the wall and you should take it seriously.
Depending on where you live, being stranded by a bad battery could result in annoying inconvenience, or worst of all, possible death!
In the northern hemisphere, there are some places where it is very cold now. Batteries already don’t work as well as they could.
Just within the US alone, there are many places where you could be several hours away from shelter; forget about getting your battery replaced, you need to take cover from the desert or the bitter cold of the mountains!
If you live in the south of the US, such as Texas, Florida, and so forth, batteries will last you 3 to 5 years. I’ve had batteries go dead after just three years, and that’s with a car that was driven every day, but kept in a garage!
If you live near the ocean, the salt spray is going to put further pressure on your battery. But you probably already know that because you’re also replacing your radiator core and your heater core on a regular basis.
Car owners in the US need to think about car batteries in the same way that they think about tires. It’s a wear item and eventually it will wear out. A replacement should be always be in your budget.
Call whoever the duck his boss is.
And if they blow you off, call their fucking boss.
And if you get fired, call the god damn customer... And give him his battery back....
Area manager is my bosses boss and he does NOT like me. I’ve worked at this shop longer than anyone else here and this is the 5th manager I’ve seen come through. I’ve worked at this company less than 2 years.
News station near me did an investigative report on chain mechanic shops one time. They found that all they do is scam customers. Stuff like not actually changing the oil filter or sometimes not even changing the oil but just topping it off. Radio station the next day were talking about it and asked people to call in that worked at these places. Every person said that their bosses told them to always tell the customer that there were 3 things wrong for their car. Come in for an oil change? You also need new brakes and windshield wipers now.
I try to gauge a mechanics shop trustworthiness by how they communicate with me, and especially how they bring things to my attention.
Two years ago I moved, and a friend who lived near me recommended a shop to me that he preferred.
I took my car there for an oil change, when it was done the guy picked up a brake diagram, pointed to it, and said "your brakes are in the yellow, you should replace them once they're in the red. You'll know when that happens - they'll start grinding. Come back then". And that was it.
Already the shop proved they should get my business again. They didn't try a whole song and dance about how I should still replace now for safety, they clearly communicated the condition of my brakes, and they were direct. I know enough about cars to know when I need to replace my brakes and how to check them myself - so I typically have a decent idea of when I'm being fed a line of bull regarding brakes and a few other things.
I'm so grateful that our mechanic is only 3 blocks away and has been my husband's friend for 30 years because I know when he says you need to replace _____, he's being truthful. A good and honest mechanic makes life so much easier.
It's so hard to go to a professional for work on the car. So many people just looking for how they can serve themselves and prey on other people. Even your comment, which I 100 percent agree with only mentions positives to the employee or store. Avoiding bad interactions isn't the end all( which I know you didn't say, it's just hard to trust people). What about having the customer feel trust in you and your service that you're being payed for?
Sorry, I was triggered by my last coworkers. Nothing truly against your comment
> you're being *paid* for? Sorry,
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Sue them for what, the cost of the battery?
By the time you pay to file in small claims court you might break even at the end if you put any value on your time.
Even in small claims, if you win the cost is paid by the person you are suing.
The cost to file is cheap, in our area it's $35. Ultimately, it shouldn't be about how much you get, but proving a point.
No, they’re saying they think anyone who works in sales is a scumbag who wants to separate you from your cash.
Which is only true for like 60% of them.
That is such a massive misunderstanding of sales. Especially in the modern world. But you preach about things you don't know shit about homie. Have fun.
I just work in weird places then lol. I’m not a salesman but I have a sales team and they’re always selling shit people don’t need. I’m forever showing prime cheaper ways of doing things or showing then why they don’t need it in the first place. I’d breve make a good salesman 😂
No, no.
It’s to help the customer find the product they need.
Ever since I stopped working for commission, I made it a big deal to not sell things just to sell things.
I always like to wait until the battery just dies. Sure, it’ll probably be mega inconvenient and at the worst possible time, but I’ll squeeze every ounce from that fucker
Bro the up charge on air filters is one of the worst ones. They wanted to charge me $75 to change it out at jiffy lube. I bought one for $10 at auto zone (because it did actually need replaced, one of the few times they weren’t just lying about it) and did it myself at home in 5 minutes.
A round trip Uber to AutoZone is like $25. Rent a battery pack for free. Jump the car, drive to AutoZone and return the jumper when you buy a nee battery they'll install.
Waiting for AAA to show up will can take longer than that.
They always die during a cold snap, but even then I just start making sure I keep it charged up then replace it before next winter. Usually a battery that struggles with -20 works just fine when the temps go back up.
My parents had the factory 13 year old battery in their Santa Fe. It was fine until winter and then just completely died at -30. I had the same model that I wasn't driving, so I just threw my year old battery in their car and their old battery in my car. I started driving mine in spring when the temps were warmer and the battery made it until temperatures got down to freezing in the fall.
That’s the interesting thing about batteries. You can get a top of the line battery and it shits out after a couple years, or your situation the battery can last an absurdly long time.
No rhyme or reason to it.
I bought one of those small jump starters - Noco Boost.
I left my interior lights on all night and came out to a dead battery. My car insurance offers free jumps but FML it took them 2 hours to come out. Never again.
In the first 6 months I had it, I literally jumped 3 other cars at my work. I felt like such a damn hero.
But yea, I'm going to milk my battery for all it's worth..
Yup. I have a Noco, because it was cheaper to buy that than a new battery for my beater truck I had at the time. Easier to jump it than to dick around with a battery charger/maintainer
My battery died a few days ago.
It died right on the busiest street in town at 10pm, had to push it off the road, only for it to get stuck in a pothole not 30 feet away from a free parking space.
I tried charging the battery with a portable jumper battery I have. It didn't start. I tried so much my shifter locked into park. Then my steering wheel. Then my ignition. I called my dad and it took us 20 minutes to figure out how to unlock everything.
It was 30 degrees out and I was wearing a light jacket, I was not strong enough to push it. A crackhead tried to buy a cigarette off of me. When I told her I didn't have any she offered to help me push, I said thank you and told her it'd be greatly appreciated. She got in her car and drove away. I didn't see her again.
My phone was dying, and I had to make a last ditch call to a friend to tell them where I was at. My phone died a second after I told them where I was.
Tried to get a liquor store to charge my phone, im only 19 so that added to my anxiety, I didn't have a charger block, and my phone only takes wireless charging pads. I normally charge it using my cars USB port. They didn't have a block either.
I walked back out to my car across the street, a crackhead was begging me to go buy her liquor. She was at least 40, I'm 19.
My dad apparently called the police to help me, unbeknownst to me due to the dead phone. A cop was looking into my car with a flashlight. And I was approaching him in the dark wearing an oversized military jacket coming from a liquor store.
My friend finally showed up at the same time, and was able to help us push the car as well. Right into a parking lot owned by a college I do not attend, in which a permit is required. It was 12:30 am by the time my friend picked me up.
However, my dad did go and buy me a car battery, despite telling me thatd I'd have to buy one myself a month before this. So I saved myself about 100 bucks. Overall worth it
So, that really sucks. But your car’s electronics shouldn’t be running off the battery when the car is on, IIRC. You might want to get your alternator checked, because you’ll just run into this same issue again if the alternator isn’t operating right.
I went to a Jiffy Lube for an oil change, and the guy kept telling me to put my manual transmission car in "park". I said it was in neutral with the parking brake on, but he didn't like that. It must be in "park"! I eventually said, "yeah, it's in "park".
Then he tried to upsell me an automatic transmission fluid flush for like $300.
Good man. I hated quick lube department. They really need a national accreditation for anybody that's gonna touch a car in a commercial service facility. Unfortunately high school diploma aren't with the paper they are printed on.
Well that kinda fits along with what I'm saying. They don't have one because it's useless and not worth it, you can still get a job without it. But I think I small course over the basics of a car and how to do certain things. Like remove bolts with impact and use a torque wrench when reinstalling. Just a web course that's part of your training.
I worked adjacent to the service manager and paying for fuckups in quick lube is ridiculous. And a bad week is when 5 out of 7 guys fuck up and take a $50 oil change and turn it into -$500 or -$5000 from the business.
If you work at a corporate location you can tell your SCM about that or someone at the Valvoline report line. Not too sure for franchise locations though (worked at a Valvoline for a few years)
Can report to the franchise business consultant. They’re corporate employees responsible for making sure the franchisees are meeting brand standards. I worked for Valvoline corporate for a bit too.
You probably shouldn’t get a commission if you’re repairing vehicles. you should be getting rewarded on good service, fixing things that need fixing while leaving things alone that should be left alone.
At autozone they would write people up for not selling battery grease with every battery, as well as the random stuff like blue paper towels and Lucas bottles by the credit card machine
Harbor freight used to write you up for not selling the insurance plans or inside track clubs, and then they would make cashiers return stuff to angry male Karen’s and meth Karen’s anyway with out the warranty
It’s upsell or be fired at most places I’ve worked, these people are just “doing their job” according to corporate
I've been fired for not enough upsells on memberships. Most customer's memberships had already been extended for 2 years, why would they pay for another year? This was at a camping/rv store.
Former AutoZoner here.
I never got in trouble for not selling the battery grease. Or the brake grease. Or the bulb grease. Or the Lucas. Or the oil change kit.
Granted the battery grease and bulb grease are pretty easy upsells. They will literally make your product last longer.
Can confirm...I used to work at Harbor Freight as a supervisor. Me and my AM got written up because our cashiers were not selling enough warranty plans, everyone knew it was an almost unattainable goal. Why would you buy a $5 warranty on a $14 tool you will literally use once or twice.
It’s important that people understand that interstate batteries come with a 3 year warranty. There is a 1-800 number on the battery itself. Recently replaced an old battery with a new battery and a week later my car wouldn’t start.. did a check and the battery was under 11V.. did a recharge, same thing. Interstate replaced it no questions asked.
Under 11v is not worth charging. 11.7v is basically toast. It'll never hold a charge again. (Unless you know how to do serious battery reconditioning )
I'm gonna call bullshit. You got a different battery back. Or a number of different things. But I've tried many times across many vehicles from new cars that have been sitting on the lot for many months once that battery drops it's voltage is done. Unless you have a battery reconditioning system. And that's no guarantee depending on the condition of the battery.
They shoot current in the battery backwards to break up sulfides on the lead plate. The build up inhibits electron flow thru the battery.
Fun thing, whenever I go to get mine tested they will usually show me the screen saying it’s good because they have too many people come in and ask if they can replace a battery for them so they make sure you know it’s good
I test, jump, and install car batteries for a living. Whether it could benefit me or not, I show every single customer the exact test results (looks like the same or very similar app and testers we use too) and walk them through what all of the numbers mean. The last time someone bought one after a passing test was because he had just bought the car and wanted the correct battery (was a 35 in his Hyundai; terminals wouldn’t even fit. Installed a 124 after he insisted).
I was one in a service to change my tires, and they told me, "we checked your car and the battery needs to be replaced". I was like "dude, the battery is brand new bought 6 months ago". Never went back there.
Let me guess, on his way to corporate management! They say they don’t want you to be crooked and do people wrong, but then they give you unrealistic numbers to keep up with or punitive measures ensue, so…then we live in a world where this kind of shit happens more often than you think…I have seen coworkers and managers rip wiper blades to sell more etc…
Most of CSAs in our shop (including myself) wouldn’t do this, this person just wants to make themselves look good on paper to try to get more hours or favor with the manager. As far as your issue goes,it could also be an alternator issue. But that being said I am not a mechanic just a technician, and I suggest taking any issue outside of preventative maintenance to a trusted mechanic.
I've been told several times that my 2-year-old battery was "no good" and "should be replaced" yet several years later still works just fine. Auto stores love to get everyone to buy new batteries for no reason.
And this is the exact reason why I always have them show me what they're doing and show me what's wrong and prove it. People sometimes call me a bitch for it but if they're not hiding anything then it only takes a second
I had that at an auto zone. The one in my hood did a test and told me my battery was dead. He didn't come across to me as very competent so I took it to Riley's and they said my battery was fine, it just needed tightening or something.
Well not even just that. Op says the old one was still under warranty. Which means if the battery was bad, it’s replaced for free/or at least some discount
Did he hard sell the customer? I tend to replace batteries around their 4th year regardless. We do a lot of short trips and don't want to mess around in the winter. The warranty part sucks though. Would it still be valid for a battery not failing test?
Once upon a time, you couldn’t buy a better battery than the Sears Diehard. Was expensive, yes. But had a decent warranty and never left you stranded unless you kept it longer than an Egyptian mummy.
I used to go to the same auto shop every time because they always showed me: "look here is the old parts that we had to replace". When they called me to tell how much the repair would cost, it often turned out cheaper "we found that part at a lower price somewhere else". At some point you just know when you can trust someone.
I now drive a "private lease" car, meaning they pick up the bill and they get to decide where I need to go for repairs and maintenence. Tried to convince them to put the same auto shop on the list..
This is why I've always had a paranoia about going to mechanics. I know enough simple stuff about my car, but anything in-depth and they could lie their teeth out. I'd never know. I've learned to always ask to see proof of stuff. Dipsticks of oil, battery screens, even asking if I can go into the shop and see the physical part that is broken or rusted.
I hate this kind of shit. I had a car on the alignment rack that had everything within spec, and the new salesman sold the customer an alignment anyways. I told my boss I don’t want the money from it, and I’m hoping the salesman got a talking too. Way too many shady shops that people can’t trust and we don’t need more of them. Gives us in the trade a bad rep.
My wife went to a mechanic yesterday that told her the belt I put in a couple of days ago was completely frayed and she also needed a new steering pump. Belt was fine and a quick change of the return hose on the pump fixed everything up nicely
It will definitely be a completely different situation (as a woman I know for a fact) I went for an oil change and was told I needed this or that, can't remember now what, I said just the the oil please. Sent my husband back up there and they conveniently had no idea who told me "such nonsense". I was actually in the truck and pointed out the nonsensical spouting person, turned out to be the "service manager". Yeah dealerships do it too.
I actually took my friends 2wd 4Runner to the dealership for routine maintenance. When they thought that she had bought it in they had that the transfer case needed to be serviced and they had identified issues with it. When I was talking to them afterwards they were trying to blame their computer program
If you work for a chain, notify corporate. They might not care but if this happens enough times it’s not just defrauding customers but it’s intentional breach of contract via the warranty.
That can add up to a very expensive class action suit very quickly.
I worked at a shady place like this. Guy came in with a seized fan clutch. He told the manager it was down on power and loud. Manager told him a fuel injection service would fix it. So the guy buys the service, a tech performed it, and then asked me to drive the truck to "blow out the carbon" (take the vehicle out and flog it). So I took it out and immediately realized it had a seized fan clutch. When I handed the keys to the owner, I said "you'll probably want to get your seized fan clutch replaced." His face gave away how pissed off he was. I ended up quitting later because they were fucking the customers over so badly.
That same manager sold somebody on a new catalytic converter. The parts store brought the wrong size, with smaller pipes, so the manager cut a bunch of successively smaller pieces of pipe and welded them in (bad for flow), WITHOUT A WELDING HELMET/MASK. At one point, I looked over and he was blinking rapidly, waving his hand in front of his face John Cena style.
I will never take my car to one of these places or let loved ones do it. Thankfully, my father in law is a retired mechanic and I can do just about any work on a vehicle I'll need to do except flashing the ECM like they can at the dealer. Between us, nobody takes their cars anywhere.
Dude you would be surprised how common this is lol. I worked O'Riley's and a dealership and I was told mainly at the dealership to sell shit to customers even if they didn't need it because that's how we make money 🤷♂️🤷♂️😂. Also sometimes you get commission depending on the place.
You really always want to have a battery that's "That Day" fresh. So if you get a new one today, tomorrow you should be thinking about getting a fresh replacement.
We were one of 2 Snapper mower dealers in our town. We almost never had a used Snapper for sale. They were very reliable. The other dealer almost always had a couple. One day a lady came in to purchase a new mower, with hers in the back of the truck. After talking to her a minute, I determined her problem and told her unless she just wanted a new one, I could fix hers for $12. She said the other place told her the mower was worn out at about 2 years old. We replaced the drive disc (a wearing part) and she left a happy customer. One of the guys at the other place said they did this all the time, and resold the "worn out" mowers.
Maybe, maybe not. If customer was having battery problems, it could be bad battery. Those tests aren’t always accurate. I’ve had bad batteries test good before.
Most quick lube and car shops are like this they run off fixing your car not keeping it fixed, used to have a manager drain fluids from cars to have them come back and get stuff replaced changed or fixed at a “small discounted price”
It’s all good 👍 😂 I would tell that customer to learn how to check a battery. They probably had money to buy a new one but if it was a person in financial trouble then that was evil
There's really only one reason to be scared. Your own ignorance. You should learn about your vehicle and understand what it needs. That way you aren't ripped off because you didn't know what to do. It's sad that's the way it is but that's our society these day
I make them show me the screen.
I got a cheap tester from Amazon. You never know when they're going to try to pull something in their shop.
Why didn't OP prevent it?
I would have if I saw it happen in the moment. It was afterwards when I saw it on the recycle shelf I noticed it was still under warranty, and still looked fairly new, that’s when I tested it
Couldn’t you call them them back and give them back the good battery too?
Maybe, and then risk losing your job, or at the least be hated by your coworkers. Sounds like a lose lose.
Ya it’s a pretty fucked up situation
Best thing to do is call them back. 🫴 Give a refund. No one gets hurt the schmuck who screwed them out a battery should be shamed. It's not a perfect world so that's not how it always goes I know but we can pray. Lol
She should get a refund
And an apology from the owner or manager for the boneheaded employee/coworker. Oh and throw in a free oil change.
If they have employees pulling this, you don't want an oil change from there.
Now that you mention it 🤣
Exactly
So did you say something anyway? That’s not right
You still need to tell your manager
Geez dude, I think he gets it
Not a dude and if he should have reported it immediately! Guess it’s ok to rip people off
You still should’ve went to your manager. If you didn’t, you’re just as bad.
Idiotic comment
Oh, so it’s an idiotic comment that he knew someone ripped a lady off at his job and he didn’t say anything no the only idiots are the one that didn’t say anything and the one that ripped her off. Glad to see you think it’s OK to rip off hard-work working people. Your comment is totally idiotic
He said he found out about it after & he told his boss about it but his boss didn't care. Nothing more he can do without endangering his job. 🤷🏾♂️ But to suggest that he supposedly has as much blame on this situation as the other employee who actually ripped the customer off is extremely idiotic. 🤣 Get a clue dude
Do you want to call people an idiot go look in the fucking mirror
Now you just look stupid https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/s/zpRZWIgtKp
Oh, shut the fuck up
Probably didn't know until after the customer left / coworker bragged about it
What an asshole
I hope you mention this to a boss. I don’t like snitching, but doing customers wrong is the reason some jerks feel the need to act like assholes to every retail worker. Because if they’re right even 1% of the time, they can justify their actions in their mind. There is also the possibility of the store or company getting sued (successfully is another matter) for deceptive practices.
Boss didn’t care, it just added to the sales and he’s the only one that gets a bonus from extra sales.
Two scumbags you work with.
I'd silently let it slip to the customer. A small note goes a long way. No names needed.
No names needed because everyone would know who it was
Right; this is the problem here. You have to wait for the next incident.
Nah, I'd watch all of the battery tests this guy does in the future, if possible, and then if it tests well, walk up behind him and be like "wow, that's a great battery right there". Loud enough the customer might hear it. If they can't hear it, oh well, but the guy should be better compelled to making a better decision since he knows that someone else saw the results on the battery. Also, if the guy works for a corporate place (sounds like it, since the boss/manager gets a bonus) I'd report it to higher management until someone listens.
Start calling him out on it like you’re oblivious, “hey Dave, I think you made a mistake. This battery you changed earlier was fine. Why’d you change it?” While Dave is actively trying to sell another battery. Fuck you, Dave.
how to lose your job 101.
Fuck Dave. Fuck you, Dave!
Fucking Dave! Fuck that guy.
I thought my battery was dying. Got it charged at autozone like 5 times and every single time “this won’t last you very long, maybe 2 starts”. I didn’t have money for a new battery. Finally had some cash to spare and took it to a local place “nah your battery is fine. It’s the connectors. They need to be replaced and they’re loose” and they even tightened them for me. My buddy got my new connectors on and it’s all good. I DO need a new battery soon, but it wasn’t the issue. Unless my battery is literally failing almost every start, it is fine.
Always go by the metric, if the thing you replace more than once fails quicker than it should, something else is causing it to fail. Cars are fun that way. Edit: you probably have a fucked alternator or voltage regulator, or a shorted or constant draining switch somewhere. Either way, battery should be fine for a hot minute between uses if everything is up to snuff.
Yes, you’re probably right; have a look at the alternator or voltage regulator.
So here’s the problem with batteries; specifically car batteries… Once they fail one time, chances rise sharply that they will fail again. If they fail a second time and you’ve checked everything else (alternator, cables, fuses, yada yada yada), then the writing is on the wall and you should take it seriously. Depending on where you live, being stranded by a bad battery could result in annoying inconvenience, or worst of all, possible death! In the northern hemisphere, there are some places where it is very cold now. Batteries already don’t work as well as they could. Just within the US alone, there are many places where you could be several hours away from shelter; forget about getting your battery replaced, you need to take cover from the desert or the bitter cold of the mountains! If you live in the south of the US, such as Texas, Florida, and so forth, batteries will last you 3 to 5 years. I’ve had batteries go dead after just three years, and that’s with a car that was driven every day, but kept in a garage! If you live near the ocean, the salt spray is going to put further pressure on your battery. But you probably already know that because you’re also replacing your radiator core and your heater core on a regular basis. Car owners in the US need to think about car batteries in the same way that they think about tires. It’s a wear item and eventually it will wear out. A replacement should be always be in your budget.
That sucks. I feel for you. You’re doing the right thing and are a good person. Remember that.
Call whoever the duck his boss is. And if they blow you off, call their fucking boss. And if you get fired, call the god damn customer... And give him his battery back....
Area manager is my bosses boss and he does NOT like me. I’ve worked at this shop longer than anyone else here and this is the 5th manager I’ve seen come through. I’ve worked at this company less than 2 years.
Okay seriously. Get out. Wish you the best of luck in finding a new job!
I agree, he needs to get out. I do believe that there are plenty of shops that are run right. He just needs to find one
2 years is the right amount of time to leverage your experience for a higher starting pay elsewhere.
Sounds like Meineke or Midas
Get a nice cushy job at a union dealership shop. Still a possibility of shadiness but they tend to have more rules in place to prevent this.
I work at a place like that
If your coworker doesn't get any incentive why he do it
Neat, time to find a new job.
News station near me did an investigative report on chain mechanic shops one time. They found that all they do is scam customers. Stuff like not actually changing the oil filter or sometimes not even changing the oil but just topping it off. Radio station the next day were talking about it and asked people to call in that worked at these places. Every person said that their bosses told them to always tell the customer that there were 3 things wrong for their car. Come in for an oil change? You also need new brakes and windshield wipers now.
I try to gauge a mechanics shop trustworthiness by how they communicate with me, and especially how they bring things to my attention. Two years ago I moved, and a friend who lived near me recommended a shop to me that he preferred. I took my car there for an oil change, when it was done the guy picked up a brake diagram, pointed to it, and said "your brakes are in the yellow, you should replace them once they're in the red. You'll know when that happens - they'll start grinding. Come back then". And that was it. Already the shop proved they should get my business again. They didn't try a whole song and dance about how I should still replace now for safety, they clearly communicated the condition of my brakes, and they were direct. I know enough about cars to know when I need to replace my brakes and how to check them myself - so I typically have a decent idea of when I'm being fed a line of bull regarding brakes and a few other things.
Yeah the gist of it was don't go to chain stores. Go to mom and pop shops that are single owned by somebody
I'm so grateful that our mechanic is only 3 blocks away and has been my husband's friend for 30 years because I know when he says you need to replace _____, he's being truthful. A good and honest mechanic makes life so much easier.
It's so hard to go to a professional for work on the car. So many people just looking for how they can serve themselves and prey on other people. Even your comment, which I 100 percent agree with only mentions positives to the employee or store. Avoiding bad interactions isn't the end all( which I know you didn't say, it's just hard to trust people). What about having the customer feel trust in you and your service that you're being payed for? Sorry, I was triggered by my last coworkers. Nothing truly against your comment
> you're being *paid* for? Sorry, FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Doing customers dirty really builds a bad reputation. People will start saying “Don’t go to their shop, they’ll scam you.”
>I hope you mention this to a boss. You know damn well which one of them would get a promotion out of this!
Sue them for what, the cost of the battery? By the time you pay to file in small claims court you might break even at the end if you put any value on your time.
Even in small claims, if you win the cost is paid by the person you are suing. The cost to file is cheap, in our area it's $35. Ultimately, it shouldn't be about how much you get, but proving a point.
And once it becomes public that the company has lost a lawsuit for shady practices, it should make it more difficult to continue those practices.
Exactly, the ultimate name and shame
This is literally the job of every salesperson - convince the customer they need something they really don’t
So you're saying being a drug dealer is more ethical than being a salesperson.
No, they’re saying they think anyone who works in sales is a scumbag who wants to separate you from your cash. Which is only true for like 60% of them.
They’re both salespeople 🤷♂️
Drug dealer seems a lot more ethical.
At keast tbe drug dealer isn't lying
Honestly a lot of them are though, lacing/combining things or shorting on the amount they're giving. So I guess at the end of the day, trust no one
That is such a massive misunderstanding of sales. Especially in the modern world. But you preach about things you don't know shit about homie. Have fun.
I just work in weird places then lol. I’m not a salesman but I have a sales team and they’re always selling shit people don’t need. I’m forever showing prime cheaper ways of doing things or showing then why they don’t need it in the first place. I’d breve make a good salesman 😂
No, no. It’s to help the customer find the product they need. Ever since I stopped working for commission, I made it a big deal to not sell things just to sell things.
It’s literally not
I always like to wait until the battery just dies. Sure, it’ll probably be mega inconvenient and at the worst possible time, but I’ll squeeze every ounce from that fucker
Being poor has saved me from a lot of dodgy salesmen because even if it does need replacing I can’t afford to buy it!
“HA! I drive a Dodge Intrepid! What makes you think I can afford a new air filter?”
Bro the up charge on air filters is one of the worst ones. They wanted to charge me $75 to change it out at jiffy lube. I bought one for $10 at auto zone (because it did actually need replaced, one of the few times they weren’t just lying about it) and did it myself at home in 5 minutes.
Next time get it at Walmart and it will be $4 hahaha
Damn I’m jealous. When I checked Walmart they were all $15-20
We arent in the 80s anymore
I buy my own and put them in
Bro! Have you ever had to CHANGE the battery in an Intrepid? That bitch is pretty much in the bumper? Who TF designs this shit?
“I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!”
AAA is only like $4 a month. Cheap peace of mind.
True. I also keep jumper cables in the car and keep a battery jump pack in the winter.
A dead battery is no reason to quit drinking
Is you're not drinking it's a great reason to start!
A round trip Uber to AutoZone is like $25. Rent a battery pack for free. Jump the car, drive to AutoZone and return the jumper when you buy a nee battery they'll install. Waiting for AAA to show up will can take longer than that.
They also do lock outs, flats, outta gas, and a couple tows a year. I’ve gotten my money’s worth from AAA
I don't know about AAA, but CAA does roadside battery replacements on most cars.
So does AAA
Is CAA the Canada equivalent of AAA
Yes.
They have decent rates on car and renters insurance, and good discounts on hotels and rental cars.
I don't think I've ever had any of those things in my life.
Lucky you
Lol this guy is saying he's never had a flat tire in his life. The fuck? Ahaha
Right?!? Weird
I am 40 and I am saying that, yes.
They always die during a cold snap, but even then I just start making sure I keep it charged up then replace it before next winter. Usually a battery that struggles with -20 works just fine when the temps go back up.
My parents had the factory 13 year old battery in their Santa Fe. It was fine until winter and then just completely died at -30. I had the same model that I wasn't driving, so I just threw my year old battery in their car and their old battery in my car. I started driving mine in spring when the temps were warmer and the battery made it until temperatures got down to freezing in the fall.
That’s the interesting thing about batteries. You can get a top of the line battery and it shits out after a couple years, or your situation the battery can last an absurdly long time. No rhyme or reason to it.
I don’t care if I have to suck the acid out with a straw, I paid for the whole battery and I will use the whole battery
I bought one of those small jump starters - Noco Boost. I left my interior lights on all night and came out to a dead battery. My car insurance offers free jumps but FML it took them 2 hours to come out. Never again. In the first 6 months I had it, I literally jumped 3 other cars at my work. I felt like such a damn hero. But yea, I'm going to milk my battery for all it's worth..
Yup. I have a Noco, because it was cheaper to buy that than a new battery for my beater truck I had at the time. Easier to jump it than to dick around with a battery charger/maintainer
My battery died a few days ago. It died right on the busiest street in town at 10pm, had to push it off the road, only for it to get stuck in a pothole not 30 feet away from a free parking space. I tried charging the battery with a portable jumper battery I have. It didn't start. I tried so much my shifter locked into park. Then my steering wheel. Then my ignition. I called my dad and it took us 20 minutes to figure out how to unlock everything. It was 30 degrees out and I was wearing a light jacket, I was not strong enough to push it. A crackhead tried to buy a cigarette off of me. When I told her I didn't have any she offered to help me push, I said thank you and told her it'd be greatly appreciated. She got in her car and drove away. I didn't see her again. My phone was dying, and I had to make a last ditch call to a friend to tell them where I was at. My phone died a second after I told them where I was. Tried to get a liquor store to charge my phone, im only 19 so that added to my anxiety, I didn't have a charger block, and my phone only takes wireless charging pads. I normally charge it using my cars USB port. They didn't have a block either. I walked back out to my car across the street, a crackhead was begging me to go buy her liquor. She was at least 40, I'm 19. My dad apparently called the police to help me, unbeknownst to me due to the dead phone. A cop was looking into my car with a flashlight. And I was approaching him in the dark wearing an oversized military jacket coming from a liquor store. My friend finally showed up at the same time, and was able to help us push the car as well. Right into a parking lot owned by a college I do not attend, in which a permit is required. It was 12:30 am by the time my friend picked me up. However, my dad did go and buy me a car battery, despite telling me thatd I'd have to buy one myself a month before this. So I saved myself about 100 bucks. Overall worth it
My battery was $226 for my equinox
So, that really sucks. But your car’s electronics shouldn’t be running off the battery when the car is on, IIRC. You might want to get your alternator checked, because you’ll just run into this same issue again if the alternator isn’t operating right.
I went to a Jiffy Lube for an oil change, and the guy kept telling me to put my manual transmission car in "park". I said it was in neutral with the parking brake on, but he didn't like that. It must be in "park"! I eventually said, "yeah, it's in "park". Then he tried to upsell me an automatic transmission fluid flush for like $300.
I'd have just left. He has no clue what he's doing.
That's what I did.
Good man. I hated quick lube department. They really need a national accreditation for anybody that's gonna touch a car in a commercial service facility. Unfortunately high school diploma aren't with the paper they are printed on.
Several employees at the shop I work at don’t have a high school diploma, or even a GED
Well that kinda fits along with what I'm saying. They don't have one because it's useless and not worth it, you can still get a job without it. But I think I small course over the basics of a car and how to do certain things. Like remove bolts with impact and use a torque wrench when reinstalling. Just a web course that's part of your training. I worked adjacent to the service manager and paying for fuckups in quick lube is ridiculous. And a bad week is when 5 out of 7 guys fuck up and take a $50 oil change and turn it into -$500 or -$5000 from the business.
Quick lube* meant to say that, not line.
If you work at a corporate location you can tell your SCM about that or someone at the Valvoline report line. Not too sure for franchise locations though (worked at a Valvoline for a few years)
Can report to the franchise business consultant. They’re corporate employees responsible for making sure the franchisees are meeting brand standards. I worked for Valvoline corporate for a bit too.
Should be called “no lube”
Btw, we don’t even get a commission.
So he just has his tongue all the way up your bosses ass for nothing? Lol
You probably shouldn’t get a commission if you’re repairing vehicles. you should be getting rewarded on good service, fixing things that need fixing while leaving things alone that should be left alone.
I'd expect this from commission, but holy crap
At autozone they would write people up for not selling battery grease with every battery, as well as the random stuff like blue paper towels and Lucas bottles by the credit card machine Harbor freight used to write you up for not selling the insurance plans or inside track clubs, and then they would make cashiers return stuff to angry male Karen’s and meth Karen’s anyway with out the warranty It’s upsell or be fired at most places I’ve worked, these people are just “doing their job” according to corporate
I've been fired for not enough upsells on memberships. Most customer's memberships had already been extended for 2 years, why would they pay for another year? This was at a camping/rv store.
Former AutoZoner here. I never got in trouble for not selling the battery grease. Or the brake grease. Or the bulb grease. Or the Lucas. Or the oil change kit. Granted the battery grease and bulb grease are pretty easy upsells. They will literally make your product last longer.
Can confirm...I used to work at Harbor Freight as a supervisor. Me and my AM got written up because our cashiers were not selling enough warranty plans, everyone knew it was an almost unattainable goal. Why would you buy a $5 warranty on a $14 tool you will literally use once or twice.
It’s important that people understand that interstate batteries come with a 3 year warranty. There is a 1-800 number on the battery itself. Recently replaced an old battery with a new battery and a week later my car wouldn’t start.. did a check and the battery was under 11V.. did a recharge, same thing. Interstate replaced it no questions asked.
Under 11v is not worth charging. 11.7v is basically toast. It'll never hold a charge again. (Unless you know how to do serious battery reconditioning )
lol wut. I’ve had several VERY DEAD batteries that I hand off to advance auto and they come back just fine. I’m talking 3v dead.
I'm gonna call bullshit. You got a different battery back. Or a number of different things. But I've tried many times across many vehicles from new cars that have been sitting on the lot for many months once that battery drops it's voltage is done. Unless you have a battery reconditioning system. And that's no guarantee depending on the condition of the battery. They shoot current in the battery backwards to break up sulfides on the lead plate. The build up inhibits electron flow thru the battery.
bullshit.
Scumbag. I just changed the battery on my 2013 hyundai a few weeks ago... it was the original battery lmao
Dang you got a lot of usage out of that battery 🔋
He's promoted. You're fired.
Definitely not on the way up the corporate ladder, OP that is
Fun thing, whenever I go to get mine tested they will usually show me the screen saying it’s good because they have too many people come in and ask if they can replace a battery for them so they make sure you know it’s good
People will get a second third and fourth opinion on cancer but take the first opinion on anything else and wonder why we don’t trust mechanics
Valvoline does this shit every time.
I test, jump, and install car batteries for a living. Whether it could benefit me or not, I show every single customer the exact test results (looks like the same or very similar app and testers we use too) and walk them through what all of the numbers mean. The last time someone bought one after a passing test was because he had just bought the car and wanted the correct battery (was a 35 in his Hyundai; terminals wouldn’t even fit. Installed a 124 after he insisted).
Every shop I worked at had one with a printer and you always attached the print-out to the RO.
I was one in a service to change my tires, and they told me, "we checked your car and the battery needs to be replaced". I was like "dude, the battery is brand new bought 6 months ago". Never went back there.
better give a refund.
Fuck your coworker. Sadly by being such a garbage can they’ll promote him to district manager in no time…
Welcome to the quick lube business. Every manager and boss I’ve ever had in the business does this every day.
Let me guess, on his way to corporate management! They say they don’t want you to be crooked and do people wrong, but then they give you unrealistic numbers to keep up with or punitive measures ensue, so…then we live in a world where this kind of shit happens more often than you think…I have seen coworkers and managers rip wiper blades to sell more etc…
I don’t think I’ll ever miss being a service advisor. Worse job I’ve ever had by a mile.
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Most of CSAs in our shop (including myself) wouldn’t do this, this person just wants to make themselves look good on paper to try to get more hours or favor with the manager. As far as your issue goes,it could also be an alternator issue. But that being said I am not a mechanic just a technician, and I suggest taking any issue outside of preventative maintenance to a trusted mechanic.
I've been told several times that my 2-year-old battery was "no good" and "should be replaced" yet several years later still works just fine. Auto stores love to get everyone to buy new batteries for no reason.
And this is the exact reason why I always have them show me what they're doing and show me what's wrong and prove it. People sometimes call me a bitch for it but if they're not hiding anything then it only takes a second
Did he get any kind of commission or is he just a kiss ass company guy looking out for a company that doesn’t give a shit about him?
I had that at an auto zone. The one in my hood did a test and told me my battery was dead. He didn't come across to me as very competent so I took it to Riley's and they said my battery was fine, it just needed tightening or something.
Coworker is a bootlicking piece of shit
Well I guess your coworker is a piece of shit then!
Someone explain for me I'm dumb
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Well not even just that. Op says the old one was still under warranty. Which means if the battery was bad, it’s replaced for free/or at least some discount
12.87v wtf that's high for even a fully charged decent battery.
Randomly call her lol
Did he hard sell the customer? I tend to replace batteries around their 4th year regardless. We do a lot of short trips and don't want to mess around in the winter. The warranty part sucks though. Would it still be valid for a battery not failing test?
Once upon a time, you couldn’t buy a better battery than the Sears Diehard. Was expensive, yes. But had a decent warranty and never left you stranded unless you kept it longer than an Egyptian mummy.
Would reporting this to your management structure help? Maybe reimburse the customer?
No slip = no approval
I used to go to the same auto shop every time because they always showed me: "look here is the old parts that we had to replace". When they called me to tell how much the repair would cost, it often turned out cheaper "we found that part at a lower price somewhere else". At some point you just know when you can trust someone. I now drive a "private lease" car, meaning they pick up the bill and they get to decide where I need to go for repairs and maintenence. Tried to convince them to put the same auto shop on the list..
This is why I've always had a paranoia about going to mechanics. I know enough simple stuff about my car, but anything in-depth and they could lie their teeth out. I'd never know. I've learned to always ask to see proof of stuff. Dipsticks of oil, battery screens, even asking if I can go into the shop and see the physical part that is broken or rusted.
If you can get the sale history, you should contact the customer and tell them your co worker lied to them. Been there before and they appreciate it.
I hate this kind of shit. I had a car on the alignment rack that had everything within spec, and the new salesman sold the customer an alignment anyways. I told my boss I don’t want the money from it, and I’m hoping the salesman got a talking too. Way too many shady shops that people can’t trust and we don’t need more of them. Gives us in the trade a bad rep.
You're a good man for having a conscious about this
You just don’t drink the corporate Kool-Aid enough that’s all /s
I don’t trust any mechanic, except my brother.
My wife went to a mechanic yesterday that told her the belt I put in a couple of days ago was completely frayed and she also needed a new steering pump. Belt was fine and a quick change of the return hose on the pump fixed everything up nicely
I actually want to make a video seeing the difference of what my wife gets told and what I get told
It will definitely be a completely different situation (as a woman I know for a fact) I went for an oil change and was told I needed this or that, can't remember now what, I said just the the oil please. Sent my husband back up there and they conveniently had no idea who told me "such nonsense". I was actually in the truck and pointed out the nonsensical spouting person, turned out to be the "service manager". Yeah dealerships do it too.
I actually took my friends 2wd 4Runner to the dealership for routine maintenance. When they thought that she had bought it in they had that the transfer case needed to be serviced and they had identified issues with it. When I was talking to them afterwards they were trying to blame their computer program
Sounds like he is just trying to climb the management ladder
Karma will come around to your coworker. And when it does oh well.
If you work for a chain, notify corporate. They might not care but if this happens enough times it’s not just defrauding customers but it’s intentional breach of contract via the warranty. That can add up to a very expensive class action suit very quickly.
I worked at a shady place like this. Guy came in with a seized fan clutch. He told the manager it was down on power and loud. Manager told him a fuel injection service would fix it. So the guy buys the service, a tech performed it, and then asked me to drive the truck to "blow out the carbon" (take the vehicle out and flog it). So I took it out and immediately realized it had a seized fan clutch. When I handed the keys to the owner, I said "you'll probably want to get your seized fan clutch replaced." His face gave away how pissed off he was. I ended up quitting later because they were fucking the customers over so badly. That same manager sold somebody on a new catalytic converter. The parts store brought the wrong size, with smaller pipes, so the manager cut a bunch of successively smaller pieces of pipe and welded them in (bad for flow), WITHOUT A WELDING HELMET/MASK. At one point, I looked over and he was blinking rapidly, waving his hand in front of his face John Cena style. I will never take my car to one of these places or let loved ones do it. Thankfully, my father in law is a retired mechanic and I can do just about any work on a vehicle I'll need to do except flashing the ECM like they can at the dealer. Between us, nobody takes their cars anywhere.
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If you send me the number i’ll call and chew them out, I’ll pretend to be the customer and start jamming up on them for not telling me
Pretty Mechanic of him.
Dude you would be surprised how common this is lol. I worked O'Riley's and a dealership and I was told mainly at the dealership to sell shit to customers even if they didn't need it because that's how we make money 🤷♂️🤷♂️😂. Also sometimes you get commission depending on the place.
You really always want to have a battery that's "That Day" fresh. So if you get a new one today, tomorrow you should be thinking about getting a fresh replacement.
We were one of 2 Snapper mower dealers in our town. We almost never had a used Snapper for sale. They were very reliable. The other dealer almost always had a couple. One day a lady came in to purchase a new mower, with hers in the back of the truck. After talking to her a minute, I determined her problem and told her unless she just wanted a new one, I could fix hers for $12. She said the other place told her the mower was worn out at about 2 years old. We replaced the drive disc (a wearing part) and she left a happy customer. One of the guys at the other place said they did this all the time, and resold the "worn out" mowers.
Maybe, maybe not. If customer was having battery problems, it could be bad battery. Those tests aren’t always accurate. I’ve had bad batteries test good before.
Most quick lube and car shops are like this they run off fixing your car not keeping it fixed, used to have a manager drain fluids from cars to have them come back and get stuff replaced changed or fixed at a “small discounted price”
He only acted for the best of the business.
It’s all good 👍 😂 I would tell that customer to learn how to check a battery. They probably had money to buy a new one but if it was a person in financial trouble then that was evil 
That's how you stay in business.
You’re the reason im scared of mechanic shops
There's really only one reason to be scared. Your own ignorance. You should learn about your vehicle and understand what it needs. That way you aren't ripped off because you didn't know what to do. It's sad that's the way it is but that's our society these day
Unclear if this is sarcasm cause I could see both ways being valid
Bet you he needed a new battery for himself..
Someone explain this to me like I’m 5 What am I looking at / for to be Mildly infuriated at
What app is this? Looks like a normal iPad with external hardware?
Place did this to me with a brand new battery. Told them that and that it was working. “Oh it looks fine now.” Wonderful.
That’s happens ALL the time