Hot take: That customer who yelled at me for 'overcharging' on a brake job actually taught me something about how I explain things.

Had a guy at my garage in Austin last Wednesday go off because I quoted him $450 for pads and rotors, then he came back 3 hours later after Firestone quoted him $700 and asked if I could still do the job, but the way he walked in with his head down made me realize most people just don't understand what labor rates actually cover. Has anyone else had a customer flip out on a quote only to come crawling back after seeing the real price somewhere else?

2 comments

2 Comments

shah.evan5d ago

That shop in Austin you mentioned reminds me of my own spot over in Round Rock. I used to be the guy who would get defensive when someone questioned my pricing (you know, the whole "you don't understand my costs" thing). But after watching that customer storm out and come back three times in one week for different quotes, it finally clicked for me that the problem wasn't them being cheap. It was me assuming they already knew what goes into a brake job, like the overhead for lifts and specialized tools and all that. Now I just walk them through it step by step before they leave, and it's wild how much smoother things go when people actually see where their money is going.

the_patricia5d ago

Did they expect you to hand over your tools and time for free or what? I swear some people think brake pads just magically leap onto the rotors while you're off eating a sandwich. It's always funny when they storm out acting like you're scalping them, then come back with their tail between their legs after getting quote-slapped by a real shop. Makes you wonder if they also yell at their dentist for charging for the x-ray machine. I guess the joke's on them until they actually have to pay a shop rate (and then they realize you weren't the bad guy after all).