Patience and manners do make a difference

[BADRACR1]

This is going to be long, but has a good point.
Every now and again you get rewarded for hard work and dedication. As some of you know I work in the parts department at a Nissan dealership. Been with Nissan for over twenty years, first as a tech before I moved to parts. In that time I would like to think I have accumulated a good amount of knowledge. More than the average customer, and more than most of the techs I talk to on a day to day basis.
Yesterday a woman, guessing mid sixties, came in asking about a list of transmission parts. Internal parts for a cvt trans specifically. For years Nissan didn't sell the internal parts, only units.
She had gotten an estimate of almost $5k fo a replacement installed. She said someone she went to gave her a list of the parts to rebuild hers, telling her it would be cheaper. I spent twenty minutes going over the list for her, patiently answering her questions, and explaining what each part did.
At the end her list came to $4100 in parts alone. The reman trans is $2185 plus fluids ($100). I also pointed out the labor involved in R&R and a complete tear down and rebuild was a lot different as well. I told her a couple of times even if she didn't buy a unit from me it was still a better deal. She thanked me, I thanked her for coming in and left with this new info.
She came back in today with the list and some more questions. She said her mechanic told her the new unit would still need a torque converter ($850) and a valve body with TCM ($1350). I told her no, they were already installed in the new unit. I explained to her that those two parts alone cover the cost of a complete unit. She thanked me again for taking the time to talk to an uneducated woman and teaching her regardless of whether she was purchasing from me or not. I told her not a problem at all, it was my job and a lot of times it was easier to talk to a woman who wants to learn than her husband who already knows it all! As she left she slid an envelope across the counter and told me thanks again for being so patient and polite with her. I told her thanks, but I couldn't take bribes. She laughed and said it wasn't a bribe, just a thank you for being so honest and patient. Again I politely refused, but she insisted. I thanked her and she said not to open it until she was gone. After she left this is what I found inside:

For those that haven't seen one in a while that's a fifty folded up inside. Not a bad tip for thirty minutes work. You can bet this lady will get the royal treatment every time I see her come in.

[Steve_R]

Good job!

[snide]

Nice!

[carlton_fritz]

Bribes do work.

[BOTY]

Nice.

[K-Spaz]

That's pretty cool.

I am a firm believer that running a business that way is beneficial in the long run. It's how I run mine. I bet there isn't 2 weeks goes by that a customer doesn't say to me they like doing business here. It isn't even any more work (fact is, it might be easier than trying to screw everyone over).

It's amazing how far a little honesty and integrity will go.

[DAB]

*Fiddy

[BOTY]

Honest and helpful in business can net it's rewards.

[Lakeside49]

Bravo - well done. Reman usually beats the cost (and, consistent quality) of your shop tranny Technician’s overhaul option. As you know and live some Dealers still unfairly accentuate the Tech overhaul (vs. Reman) option to sell labor for their Trans Techs.
I was responsible for Dealer parts and service strategy at Ford until recent “retirement” after 34 great yrs.
Did you ever meet my Nissan counterparts (KentO’Hara and PatGermond)? Good guys. Despite their CEO boss (Carlos Gohsn) being jailed and tried in Japan on corruption charges.

[Olustee bus]

And you deserved it!!

[mrvette]

Good show, but I do have to comment that the pricing is a bit odd, with the trans being some 2500 bux and to install it would seem like a grand at MOST, making it a 3500 buck job, not 5 grand.......

[SQUIRMIN VERMIN 84]

Well done! A great testimony to how you deal with people seeking direction!
As she said, "An honest man."

[Rob]

Great job. Honesty pays off

[BADRACR1]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Good show, but I do have to comment that the pricing is a bit odd, with the trans being some 2500 bux and to install it would seem like a grand at MOST, making it a 3500 buck job, not 5 grand.......

I think $125 an hour at 10/12 hours plus fluids and taxes.

[Rikki Z-06]

[04 commemorative]

You're a good man ! You should be proud of yourself
I should have talked to you before I sold my wifes 1996 Maxima SE with only 66K garage kept miles.

[JetMechZ16]

So bribes do work.


Congrats, I think the words on the card are more important than the $$s in it.

[BADRACR1]

Originally Posted by 04 commemorative

You're a good man ! You should be proud of yourself
I should have talked to you before I sold my wifes 1996 Maxima SE with only 66K garage kept miles.

You did. I had a 1995 with 116k and a 00 with 122k at the time. I still have my 00 I30t Infiniti with 111k.

[ThePirate]

I guess you can really make money in that business by being honest.

[thecornerman]

Originally Posted by ThePirate

I guess you can really make money in that business by being honest.

And sleep at night