Customers Lying. Why?

Why is it when someone takes there boat in to the repair shop and not tell everything its doing or right out lie about it? Do they think it will cost them less or something, posibly they think they will get it back faster. Maybe they just want somthing for free!!


Just a tip for everyone out there it will cost you more in the long run if you dont tell the tech the whole truth!!!!!!!

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

How true, how true.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

"What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

Sorry couldn't resist as Different Strokes was one of my favorite shows as a kid.

As a customer (not the repair shop) I don't understand what it would benefit the customer. If anything, it'll delay the repair because the mechanic is going on little or misinformation.

However, it shouldn't surprise you. People do it with their doctors, car mechanics, etc. I think the bigger problem is their afraid they did something stupid to cause it and don't want to look stupid.

Most problems, if user caused are self-evident. Hiding it makes you look stupid.

Just my 2 cents

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

I have no idea. If they don't trust the shop with the truth they should take it somewhere else.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

In many cases the owner cannot describe with any amount of detail what is wrong and expects the tech to just look at the engine and diagnose the problem. Then there is the dude that did something stupid and broke his boat. To hide his stupidity he tells a story that only his mother would believe. And then there is the know it all that explains in detail what he knows is wrong and asks only to rebuild the carbs, or set the timing, or adjust the carb and then gets upset when that didn't fix the problem he/she was having. Or the one that always set me off was the guy that walked in with a bunch of parts he bought and wants you to install them. You do that and again the problem isn't solved so once again it's your fault. If you didn't buy the parts from me you get no guarantee except that the parts you bought me are now on your engine. But then there is the dialog can and should go on between the owner and tech where the problem and symptoms are discussed, perhaps a test run is made, and the plan of attack is agreed to by both parties and the problem is resolved and everyone is happy.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

^^^What he said. Sounds just like the stuff I go though working on trucks, and heavy equipment. If a person doesn't understand how things work they won't pay attention to the right things, so some of it comes back to ignorance.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

willis3368 said:

Why is it when someone takes there boat in to the repair shop and not tell everything its doing or right out lie about it? Do they think it will cost them less or something, posibly they think they will get it back faster. Maybe they just want somthing for free!!


Just a tip for everyone out there it will cost you more in the long run if you don't tell the tech the whole truth!!!!!!!

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I get that all the time. One small bit of info that can reduce the diagnostic time a drastic amount. Fess up, I respect a customer a lot more when they give all the info right up front. Trying to be a detective first only takes more money out of your pocket.

Wanting something for free ?????? Sure I don't have any bills to pay. I do this just for fun

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

Bass Tracker TX17 said:

Wanting something for free ?????? Sure I don't have any bills to pay. I do this just for fun

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But at least some small part has to be fun, right?!

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

Women are far more descriptive and open when describing mechanical problems.

Men have the machismo thing going where they think they know everything.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

From my experience, the owner doesn't know the boat well enough or understand fully. Also, with boats, it's too easy to open a can of worms.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

I try to tell the mechanic everything I know and everything I've tried. I do get sick and tired of mechanics or techs who have the holier than thou attitude and treat you like an idiot if you're in any way ignorant about the engine or make any mistake.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

For a lot of people, the problem is that they just don't know what's important and what's not. We see it here on the forum constantly. A lot of troubles posts don't provide anywhere near the amount of information that's needed. All too often, those trying to help have to pry information from the person with the problem. Sometimes, you just have to give up.

Shops have the same problem. The customer doesn't know enough about his boat or other item to even describe the problem, and doesn't know the vocabulary to describe it well.

Here, typically, we get things like "The motor kills," "It won't crank (meaning it won't run)" or "My Evinrude doesn't run right." Then the process of digging out what the heck they mean begins.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

I just cant under stand why people say "It worked fine before i let it sit!" and then think its not a big problem should be an easy fix.

You dont let your car stay parked in the drive way for a year and expect to go and race it on the track and expect it to come in first. Samething with a boat you leave it sitting over the winter with no winterization ( even if it dosnt get below 50 ) and expect it to preform like the day you got it. WHY WHY WHY WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In part its the Dealerships fault!!!!! they just sell them to anybody that has the money or the credit and push them out the door with no training.


Augh.......

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

willis3368 said:

I just cant under stand why people say "It worked fine before i let it sit!" and then think its not a big problem should be an easy fix.

You dont let your car stay parked in the drive way for a year and expect to go and race it on the track and expect it to come in first. Samething with a boat you leave it sitting over the winter with no winterization ( even if it dosnt get below 50 ) and expect it to preform like the day you got it. WHY WHY WHY WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In part its the Dealerships fault!!!!! they just sell them to anybody that has the money or the credit and push them out the door with no training.


Augh.......

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Why say "augh"? This is exactly the way cars - and every piece of recreational or power equipment - are sold and operated. That's the answer to your question "WHY WHY WHY" - it's what nearly 100 percent of the motor operating public is used to. Why would you expect a boat/engine owner to have any more technical knowledge than the owner of a car, snowmobile or lawn mower?


Should a dealership not "just sell them toanyone that has the money..." Are you proposing some sort of qualification? Do you need to prove ability or knowledge to buy a car? Do you even need a driver's license?

I personally think the real problem is that boats and boat engines are not engineered and manufactured well enough to be as care free and reliable as an automobile.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

dajohnson53 said:

I personally think the real problem is that boats and boat engines are not engineered and manufactured well enough to be as care free and reliable as an automobile.

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I have to aggree... I quess manufacturers looka t the boats and boat motors as a luxury item and they expect the owner chunk up money every year tbefore the boating season begins to get the motors serviced.. If you look at the car engines and all you have to do is change oil and you re good to go.. Can a very dependable and trouble free boat motor / engine built.. Sure but manufacturers go broke if the motor they sell does not need service or repairs.. hey replacement parts is a million dollar biz..
Sammy

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

It's broken again, here's money
Can you fix it by Friday?

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

Cars are driven every day or nearly every day. Leave your ECM equipped car sit for a month and then jump in and see what happens. Chances are the battery will be dead. Why is that you say. Well, the radio station memory function draws power even while the car is parked and a battery can self discharge. If you happen to live up here in the tundra and want to store your car for six months of the year like we need to with a boat, failure to winterize it will ensure the same sort of problems you have with a boat. And chaning oil is NOT all you have to do with a car. Failure to add windshield washer fluid results in scratched windshields. Failure to air up the tires results in poor fuel economy and complaints about why you can't get near the CAFE rating and why your tires wear and car handles funny. Anti freeze that gets acidy because it is never changed (yes I know - 100,000 miles antifreeze is advertised). Tranny fluid level is never checked. Cars are driven with an idiot light lit for days and then when the car dies its a piece of c$$p. Most of the boat problems are due to owners who don't bother to read (or think). Winter is around the corner in many parts of this country. If you go to the I/O forum in the spring you will find countless entries regarding "my engine has a cracked block -- what causes that). Freezing causes that for gosh sakes. You live in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota or anywhere it gets below 32F you had best winterize the motor. Or people store their boat outside, tilt the tongue up, throw a tarp over it and then in the spring can't figure out why things are all busted up inside. Water got in the boat, the plug wasn't pulled, it froze and broke things. Fortunately most new engines are either EFI/DFI so starting is not much of an issue any more. But since cars have had EFI for decades, boats have relied on carburetors and for some reason people simply can't figure out how to start a carbureted engine - even after it is explained to them. As for training -- do you really think a new boat owner would pay for boater training. And good training does not come cheap so don't expect dealers to include it free. Note that I said "good training". Having someone talk to you for half an hour is not training. The only way an owner can have a happy existance with a boat is to educate him/herself. Don't blame problems on a dealer or the service dept. Owners kill boats -- they don't wear out.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

So true that owners often don't bother to learn how to use their equipment. I had a cust who called to order an oil fill plug for his new 2hp nissan 4st. In duscussion, he explained that he didn't lose it, but "it melted". Hmm. Turns out he bought the motor on the internet (mail order), and decided to bench test it OUT OF THE WATER. Needless to say, there was a lot more than the melted oil filler that was wrong. Yet he wanted to blame nissan/tohatsu. What a maroon.

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

gotta agree with silvertip and some of the rest here.
most customers are rather boneheaded when it comes to the equipment.
dunno if its cause they are scared or what.
to many tell me its just a car motor.
most dont realize that this equipment is every bit a piece of high performance gear as any nascar racer.
you will note how many Nascar drivers let their cars sit out back all winter and then run on the same rubber parts and fuel as last year,or 5 years ago last time it was used.
this is why most engine/drive manufctures have a MAINT schedule for replacement/inspection at an hourly OR calander period.
I had a customer last year got towed in from 38 miles offshore in a 3 week old grady 33 with a pair of Z300 yamahas.
got back to the dock,mad as heck, yapping about BOTH yamahas blew up.
as I was standing on the fuel docks in prepertion for my ride home,asked him, crank them over.
they sounded normal cranking.
I jumped on board,switched his manual fuel valves from main to aux,primed both engines and lit them off.
guy ran out of gas standing on 165 gallons yet did not know he had manual fuel valves even though they are just below the battery switches and labeled in red.
good thing it was a calm day cause he had his wife,kids and the dog onboard.
this summer we had a guy towed in from about 20 miles,hit the dock and was instantly in the shop raising cain cause we had just recently serviced both motors and both would not start and he got towed and yadda yadda yadda.
service manger went down on the dock,moved both shifters to Nuetral,lit both off and laughed. for some reason the guy had shut them down in gear and forgot to move the handles back.

some folks may qualify to finance this stuff but have no business operating it with no training.
most wont pay my 85/hr billing rate for a days worth of training.
seems it would be cheap insurance when your operating a 200 thousand dollar+ boat. ya think?
kinda like they guy swearing it never got hot yet I am looking at coils melted into the cylinder head or paint burned off the head.
or they guy swearing no one but your shop has touched the motor yet there are chmpion plugs in his yamaha and we dont stock anything but NGK's.
enough rant
but in real life,just as posting, I can be sarchastic and sometimes acebric,however I will show anyone anything they ask when I am on their work order.
folks ask me all the time: do you think I can fix it? I tell them I am confident there is nothing they can tear up that I cant fix with cash

Re: Customers Lying. Why?

rodbolt said:

some folks may qualify to finance this stuff but have no business operating it with no training.

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Gotta agree with the esteemed Mr. Rodbolt here.

A lot of dealerships will go over all the systems with the owner and show how they operate, but in the excitement of a new boat, nothing is retained by the customer. And, of course, who ever sits down and reads the owers manual? not many!

The other problem is that its the kids or the brother-in-law who runs the boat and never admits they hit bottom, overheated the motor, or they didn't know what the alarm horn meant. Then its the owner yelling at the mechanic that the boat never works when he goes out in it.

The best line that every service dept. hears over and over again, especially in a salt water area, is "why does my motor have so many problems, it hardly gets used at all during the season?"