Know when to go to the shop!!!

[Bubba1235]

First, I very much enjoy talking with folks in the forum and offering information to help solve problems when I can. However....

Customer dropped off his boat yesterday morning saying he had de-winterised it and was getting it ready for the boating season but it wasn't running correctly and decided to work on it himself. I wasn't able to look at it right away and we pulled it in the shop later in the afternoon.

Opened the engine cover and found the carb sitting to the side with the top screws loose, distributor torn apart (Pieces wrapped in a shop rag) port exaust manifold off, wires laying loose, thermostat and housing off, water lines dangling, etc.

Arrrrgggg.... I am thinking we'll charge him the "Brother In Law I don't like" rate!!!

 

[heyttown]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Cha ching....same thing happens to me, just in the electrical side of it...It always tarts with "I saw them do it this way on tv" or "this is how it said to fix it in the book".....sucks but money and work is money and work.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

I pride myself in my ability to resist taking things apart that I can't put back together. It took years of practice but I think I've perfected it

 

[wifisher]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

We are keeping track of the hours and parts needed just to put the thing back together so we can see what the original problem was. I think I'll change my billing software and add a category for "Owner created problems". Maybe that will wake them up???

I have had that category for a few years now, and it does wake them up. It also makes many of them upset. They do not like to realize that they are causing instead of fixing problems, or that it just cost them a lot more money. There are some people that I don't use the category for, as it will start an argument.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Like Dirty Harry said, "a guy's got to know his limitations"....

 

[lncoop]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

LOL! On more than one occasion I've taken something to the man after "working on it myself." I always give him a chuckle when I admit that I couldn't resist messing with it and likely made the problem worse.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Now where is the fun in that???

Agreed....Theres nothing quite like tearing something down and realize to late how deep you are into something. And the agony and time it takes to get it back together...Builds character and stretches the mind. Hmm now where was i at????

 

[lncoop]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Hmm now where was i at????

Stretching character I think. Or was it building the mind? I'm so confused. Am now putting the carburetor from the chainsaw down and stepping away.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Here you go Bubba!!

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Here you go Bubba!!

Love it!

I guess I am just too stubborn. If I can get my hands on it, I will try to fix it. If I get it apart, it WILL go back together! It may have to come apart again, and again, and again, and one more time...but I will fix it. OR...it will get trashed and replaced. I simply HATE having to pay someone to do stuff for me. Specialty things, I will sometimes concede to hiring someone, but you can bet I won't like it. I would much rather learn to do it myself. Did I mention my boat was going to the shop in 3 weeks, and I will be paying someone to do all of the work on it? Grrr...stupid Iraq war.

 

[DJ]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

First, I very much enjoy talking with folks in the forum and offering information to help solve problems when I can. However....

Customer dropped off his boat yesterday morning saying he had de-winterised it and was getting it ready for the boating season but it wasn't running correctly and decided to work on it himself. I wasn't able to look at it right away and we pulled it in the shop later in the afternoon.

Opened the engine cover and found the carb sitting to the side with the top screws loose, distributor torn apart (Pieces wrapped in a shop rag) port exaust manifold off, wires laying loose, thermostat and housing off, water lines dangling, etc.

Arrrrgggg.... I am thinking we'll charge him the "Brother In Law I don't like" rate!!!

You're gonna get burned.

That guy thinks he gave you a slightly mis-running boat. He won't get the part about parts laying all over the place. He "thinks" he gave you a whole boat.

I don't mean to be harsh, but not looking at anything you are writing up (for repair) falls back on YOU. I wouldn't dream of writing a repair order without, at least, a cursory inspection.

Otherwise, you open yourself up to: Theft claims, damage, etc.

That's part of what is wrong with the whole boat repair industry. Repair shops don't do cursory inspections and get blamed for all kinds of stuff. Much-not warranted.

And, "The Bro in law Rate" thing would scare me off-COMPLETELY.

C'mon. If you are going to run a boat repair business, be a business man and a pro.

Sorry to be harsh, but I AM a consumer.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

I pride myself in my ability to resist taking things apart that I can't put back together. It took years of practice but I think I've perfected it

I pride myself in my ability to put things back together that I couldnt resist takeing apart !!! I think with years of practice I will perfect it LOL

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Arrrrgggg.... I am thinking we'll charge him the "Brother In Law I don't like" rate!!!

Don't forget the puzzle tax,:facepalm:

I learned a long time ago the first thing a good mechanic says when he looks under the hood is "Who ever worked on this last needs their fingers broke"

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

You're gonna get burned.

That guy thinks he gave you a slightly mis-running boat. He won't get the part about parts laying all over the place. He "thinks" he gave you a whole boat.

I don't mean to be harsh, but not looking at anything you are writing up (for repair) falls back on YOU. I wouldn't dream of writing a repair order without, at least, a cursory inspection.

Otherwise, you open yourself up to: Theft claims, damage, etc.

That's part of what is wrong with the whole boat repair industry. Repair shops don't do cursory inspections and get blamed for all kinds of stuff. Much-not warranted.

And, "The Bro in law Rate" thing would scare me off-COMPLETELY.

C'mon. If you are going to run a boat repair business, be a business man and a pro.

Sorry to be harsh, but I AM a consumer.

Not being harsh just giving an alternative view point. Idon't think Bubba is out to rip the guy off, and I hope you are wrong about the guy trying to burn Bubba.

I worked as a service tech for many years and have run into the situation where a homeowner tried to fix their own equipment and really screwed it up. If the time involved in sorting out what the owner did is billable, then it needs billed. I only give free labor to family, and close friends.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Stretching character I think. Or was it building the mind? I'm so confused. Am now putting the carburetor from the chainsaw down and stepping away.

Ha! I just got my chainsaw back yesterday and my wallet is $200 lighter. New bar, clutch, crankcase seal, etc, etc......... Runs, cuts like it's new. Well, I guess it almost is..... I didn't want to dig in and still not fix all the problems... Sometimes you got to just suck it up and pay "the man".....

 

[rbh]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

Ha! I just got my chainsaw back yesterday and my wallet is $200 lighter. New bar, clutch, crankcase seal, etc, etc......... Runs, cuts like it's new. Well, I guess it almost is..... I didn't want to dig in and still not fix all the problems... Sometimes you got to just suck it up and pay "the man".....

What was the material VS labour cost, (and factor out the tax for the material)

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

51% labor, 49% parts. Go figure................ He said he spent more time on it than he charged.... If I had to pay much more, I would have just bought a new saw..

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

You're gonna get burned.

That guy thinks he gave you a slightly mis-running boat. He won't get the part about parts laying all over the place. He "thinks" he gave you a whole boat.

I don't mean to be harsh, but not looking at anything you are writing up (for repair) falls back on YOU. I wouldn't dream of writing a repair order without, at least, a cursory inspection.

Otherwise, you open yourself up to: Theft claims, damage, etc.

That's part of what is wrong with the whole boat repair industry. Repair shops don't do cursory inspections and get blamed for all kinds of stuff. Much-not warranted.

And, "The Bro in law Rate" thing would scare me off-COMPLETELY.

C'mon. If you are going to run a boat repair business, be a business man and a pro.

Sorry to be harsh, but I AM a consumer.

AGREED! I know people use the forums to sound off, lose some frustration and just have a little fun.
But, some of us come here for advice in fixing the problems ourselves, without the years of experience. I bought a new boat so I could enjoy it without the joys of repairs. But, I do enjoy the satisfaction of fixing things and making mechanical things work again. Hence, we look to the guys with the experience and expertise for help, not riddle cue. So, when we bring you our problems, that we made worse, remember that we are trying to emulate the guys with experience. That is how you got all that experience as well (and maybe even some of which was paid for by others... that made it worse).

 

[j_martin]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

The flip side.
When I bought my boat, the XR4 engine on it had about a dozen iatrogenic faults in it, all put in by a "certified" mercury mechanic.
None were that glaring except it balked at WOT, but it lowered the price of the boat $500. When I got done getting it right, I had to go get a steeper prop for it.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: Know when to go to the shop!!!

You are confusing what I do here in the forum for free and what I do to run a profitable business. Of course had he called and asked i would have given him my best guess as to what his problem was, but he didn't.

EXACTLY! You earn money from what others screw up (sorry, that wasn't intended to be offensive or sarcastic) And, I bet business is probably pretty good.