Help me!! Am I the weird one or is it everyone else? Everytime I take my freshly waxed car anywhere for minor repairs or oil changes it seems the first thing some idiot does is lean on the car with his greasy hands. I do not understand!! I always go crazy and usually will get a response from the shop like we can't help you here!! Latest scenerio..my seal above my front windshield needs replacing. 1st glass shop leans against the car with a tape measurer in his pocket and says " Yep, I have replaced 3 of these, they were a bitch, you should go have a word with Toyota about the warranty!" 2nd shop, slides his hand across the top then wipes the dust back and forth with his hand leaving small scratches and fresh grease prints, I blow up and say hey, please don't do that, he says I can't help you!! I do not trust anyone around my car. Does nobody get it! I don't even put my paws on my car! If you tell this story to the average car owner they will look at you as though you are crazy! The only person that understands is my sister, and I don't know if that's to do with genetics, or the fact that she owns a RUF 911 Turbo. Please help me understand. I am to the point I am afraid to leave the thing anywhere because I picture some idiot sitting on the fender. Last story...my cousins boyfriend shows up just after I waxed the car one day...as I am talking to him he picks up the waterhose and starts watering MY yard. Next thing you know he just targets my car. The sun is out and I just watch as the waterspots bake into my wax. It never occured to him what he had done!!! I have called him an idiot everyday since. Please, tell me how to educate without people thinking I am WACO!
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***Text Box Error UPDATE*** Folks- we were able to fix the underlying issue with the missing text box on the forum. Everything should be back to normal. - Honcho
Mechanics fingering my NSX!!!
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
Okay, I don't have a solution to your problem, however I do have one of my own stories.
This weekend a friend of mine was looking at my car. She backed up to it (not touching it) and made "car showroom girl hands" to it. After she was done, she leaned against the car! In jeans!
Now, this is my first NSX and probably the first car I've cared that much about. So when I reacted harshly telling her to get off of my car, she just assumed I was kidding. So she proceeded to rub her butt against my car! In jeans!
It was all I could do to not physically remove her from the side of my car. She promptly realized that I was serious and removed her butt and JEANS from my car.
I just don't get it, she knows how beautiful the car is, she knows how important it is to me, yet rubbing JEANS and the metal brackets that go with JEANS, just didn't seem to be that big of a deal.
She is now dead to me!
In empathy,
Lon
This weekend a friend of mine was looking at my car. She backed up to it (not touching it) and made "car showroom girl hands" to it. After she was done, she leaned against the car! In jeans!
Now, this is my first NSX and probably the first car I've cared that much about. So when I reacted harshly telling her to get off of my car, she just assumed I was kidding. So she proceeded to rub her butt against my car! In jeans!
It was all I could do to not physically remove her from the side of my car. She promptly realized that I was serious and removed her butt and JEANS from my car.
I just don't get it, she knows how beautiful the car is, she knows how important it is to me, yet rubbing JEANS and the metal brackets that go with JEANS, just didn't seem to be that big of a deal.
She is now dead to me!
In empathy,
Lon
I gave up on this years ago.
I came to the realization that no matter how hard I tried most people just don't treat your car as carefully as you will. My final eye opening experience was when I was pulled over (for no reason, other than blatent harassment for having a nice car, which I won in court) .. anyways I was pulled over and the officer ran his fingers down the body from the rear to the driver door. As I opened my window the first thing out of his mouth wasn't asking for my license and registration, but he complimented how nice of a car I had.
The only thought in my mind was, "I can't believe you just ran your fingers down my paint you prick" .. of course I didn't say anything, but lord knows I wanted to.
Here is another classic example:
Go to any parking lot, park in the absolute furthest possible parking spot away from the store, where NO cars are. Chances are, some prick will be parked right next to you when you come out.
This happens so often, its not even funny any more.
Anyways, I feel your pain... however Ive managed to take calming drugs to relieve the pain.. its called "I just don't care anymore".
-B
[This message has been edited by BoneZ (edited 03 April 2002).]
I came to the realization that no matter how hard I tried most people just don't treat your car as carefully as you will. My final eye opening experience was when I was pulled over (for no reason, other than blatent harassment for having a nice car, which I won in court) .. anyways I was pulled over and the officer ran his fingers down the body from the rear to the driver door. As I opened my window the first thing out of his mouth wasn't asking for my license and registration, but he complimented how nice of a car I had.
The only thought in my mind was, "I can't believe you just ran your fingers down my paint you prick" .. of course I didn't say anything, but lord knows I wanted to.
Here is another classic example:
Go to any parking lot, park in the absolute furthest possible parking spot away from the store, where NO cars are. Chances are, some prick will be parked right next to you when you come out.
This happens so often, its not even funny any more.
Anyways, I feel your pain... however Ive managed to take calming drugs to relieve the pain.. its called "I just don't care anymore".
-B
[This message has been edited by BoneZ (edited 03 April 2002).]
1st thing, be very picky about what shops you take your car to (my first encounter was a smog mechanic with a cigarette in his mouth and an inch plus of ash waiting to fall off, he looked disgusted when I asked him to keep his cigarette away from my car, but he did comply) BTW, I won't take my wife's beater car to that shop anymore.
And for the rest of the idiots, sometimes you have to find new friends and family ;o)
You might try politely stating you just finished an 8 hour wax job and would appreciate it if they didn't mess it up.
And for the rest of the idiots, sometimes you have to find new friends and family ;o)
You might try politely stating you just finished an 8 hour wax job and would appreciate it if they didn't mess it up.
I almost have given up on parking my car in a retail parking lot. I just am too nervous about what might happen. At grocery stores, I imagine some soccer-mom's kid letting go of a shopping car and it careening into my NSX.
Anyway, I am very fortunate to have the NSX as a 2nd vehicle so I do not have to take it everywhere.
Oh yeah...NEVER, EVER, EVER valet park it. A buddy of mine worked for Atlanta Valet over the summer and I asked him about all the cool cars he parked. He told me about Bentley's, Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, and all the other exotics. HE ALSO told me about how the valets go for joy rides!!!
Anyway, I am very fortunate to have the NSX as a 2nd vehicle so I do not have to take it everywhere.
Oh yeah...NEVER, EVER, EVER valet park it. A buddy of mine worked for Atlanta Valet over the summer and I asked him about all the cool cars he parked. He told me about Bentley's, Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, and all the other exotics. HE ALSO told me about how the valets go for joy rides!!!
I too have the same frustration with auto shops. I just purchased a loaded 02 Dodge Ram. The truck was perfect with the exception of, wavy glass on the drivers side mirror and it is out of alignment. However upon returning to pick it up there was a deep blatant scratch on the gauge cluster shield. I am thinking the detailer did this prepping the truck. So I made an appointment to have the mirror and gauge cluster replaced. A month passes and no call about parts coming in. So I call and the parts have been there for three weeks. I am taking a week trip to Florida and leave the truck there. Upon my return the mirror is not replaced. The cluster is not replaced. The truck is still out of alignment. To top it off there is now a huge scratch on the passengers side rear door and another on the glove box. The explanation is that the mirror came broken in the box and the cluster box was empty. Well I gave them another chance. A month passes and no call if the parts are there again. So I call the manager of the service department and he says he will straighten it out and call me back the next day. Four days passed and no call back. I stopped in the dealership to rant about this. Well I was there the manager had the service tech pull the truck in to take a look at the alignment situation. I See this guy pulling my truck in the shop and the SOB has a cigarette hanging out of his lips while he is driving my truck. I give up. People just do not care anymore. There was a report today on CNN about this very topic. Apparently 79% of people polled stated that they felt a substantial dissatisfaction of service in general. What I believe the problem to be is a lack of respect from someone that has nothing in their life that requires any level of respect.
Hey now! Let's just back this up a second. Tell us more about this sister of yours and her RUF 911! Is she single?
I want to know what the TOYOTA dealer said about the warranty on the windshield? I had the same windshield problem and the local TOYOTA dealer said he couldn't help me at all!
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'91 Black/Black
[This message has been edited by Michigan NSX (edited 03 April 2002).]
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'91 Black/Black
[This message has been edited by Michigan NSX (edited 03 April 2002).]
On a different note, my own story....In a hardware store about 4 hours from home while visiting a friend, and nonchalantly ask the guy if he could make me a key. He thought so, and found a blank that matched the nsx's. For $1.49. Not the $40 that my dealer wanted. He cuts it, but says try it first as he wasn't comfortable with the cut. No go, didn't work. He cuts another, I go to the car, open up the door, and start the car. Whee, just saved 37 bucks. Go to pull the key out and it wouldn't budge. Key is stuck in the ignition. Guy says no charge, get it pulled, and he would eat the repair bill. Mind you this is 2 pm on a Saturday. I call the Acura dealer, and they inform me they are closed, but I should try the local HONDA dealer. I call the guy up, and he says bring the car in and they would see what they could do. I take it in, and leave it, as they were backed up pretty good, and I figured I would be there for a few hours. After about 30 min at the Auto Zone next door, I go back, and my NSX is sitting out in front of the dealership, with a fresh wash, which it sorely needed as my buddy lives on a dirt drive and has no room in his garage for me when I visit. Top it off, they fixed the key and didn't even charge me. So I end up with a free spare key and a wash, for an hour of utter rage and another half hour of calming down at the auto zone.
Don't get me wrong, I can feel the pain about the paint, but my paint sucks (its a 10 foot car) so i was really thankful that they took care of me on a Saturday when I was away from home.
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eat healthy, exercise regularly, die anyway....
Don't get me wrong, I can feel the pain about the paint, but my paint sucks (its a 10 foot car) so i was really thankful that they took care of me on a Saturday when I was away from home.
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eat healthy, exercise regularly, die anyway....
Some of these stories sound familiar, but fortunately my similar stories aren't nearly as extreme.
I too have had grease left on the car and paint scratched on the rear spoiler after oil changes, and I once even found a scratch on the driver's seat leather after having my tires changed...at Acura dealerships no less!
A not-so-bright coworker once thought he was being funny by writing something in the black-dust that gathers on the rear bumper. I didn't actually see him do it, but he was stupid enough to mention that he did it on the following day. Now he's afraid to get near my car.
During a visit to my mom's home in my early days of NSX ownership, I bragged about how clean I was keeping my new car. My mom simply HAD to find the one spot of dirt that I missed and attempted to wipe it off with her bare hand. I don't remember exactly how I reacted, but now she's afraid to get within 10 feet of my car.
And, of course, there was the spitting and hand-smearing incident that forced me to retire my NSX as a daily driver last summer.
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--akira3D
'00 Acura NSX-T (red/black), '97 Honda Civic HX (black), '01 Lexus IS300 (black/black)
"Reality is better than the dream..."
akira3d.com/nsx
[This message has been edited by akira3d (edited 03 April 2002).]
I too have had grease left on the car and paint scratched on the rear spoiler after oil changes, and I once even found a scratch on the driver's seat leather after having my tires changed...at Acura dealerships no less!
A not-so-bright coworker once thought he was being funny by writing something in the black-dust that gathers on the rear bumper. I didn't actually see him do it, but he was stupid enough to mention that he did it on the following day. Now he's afraid to get near my car.
During a visit to my mom's home in my early days of NSX ownership, I bragged about how clean I was keeping my new car. My mom simply HAD to find the one spot of dirt that I missed and attempted to wipe it off with her bare hand. I don't remember exactly how I reacted, but now she's afraid to get within 10 feet of my car.
And, of course, there was the spitting and hand-smearing incident that forced me to retire my NSX as a daily driver last summer.
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--akira3D
'00 Acura NSX-T (red/black), '97 Honda Civic HX (black), '01 Lexus IS300 (black/black)
"Reality is better than the dream..."
akira3d.com/nsx
[This message has been edited by akira3d (edited 03 April 2002).]
I once found ink on the driver's and rear seats of the brand new BMW I was picking up. Car was immaculately detailed - and then some clown climbs in with a pen in his back pocket... morons... The seats were replaced which impressed me, I think a lot of places would have tried to clean them.
Having worked in retail a long time ago and having owned several retail businesses I have a very low tolerance for poor service.
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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page
"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates
Having worked in retail a long time ago and having owned several retail businesses I have a very low tolerance for poor service.
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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page
"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates
Okay, I have to hear to details on this one.
Some dealers will take the most exquisite care of your car. My dealer does, anyway. They park the NSX's they work on in a special area inside, where they are out of the way and no one will be touching them.
When you go to a place that does valet parking (but NOT downtown where there are only one or two spaces where people pull up and get out), ask the valet attendant if you can park it in front and leave it locked. Make sure he understands that you're going to take good care of him when you come back out. And don't forget to do so.
When you go to a place that does valet parking (but NOT downtown where there are only one or two spaces where people pull up and get out), ask the valet attendant if you can park it in front and leave it locked. Make sure he understands that you're going to take good care of him when you come back out. And don't forget to do so.
Wow not my acura dealer. I had the timing belt changed and the dealer was kind enough to wash my car (I had hit a patch of love bugs on the way there). For those lucky enough to not have encountered love bugs they are a florida thing that is second only to hail for damage.
So I come back and find that they used a brillo pad to remove the bugs. My entire hood is completely scratched. Service manager shrugged and said that must be the way it was before! gezzz.
I had a professional detailer work on it and most of it looks good but there are still a few scratches/swirls that are deep.
Learn from my lesson, tell they no car thanks anyway.
H. Gunner
So I come back and find that they used a brillo pad to remove the bugs. My entire hood is completely scratched. Service manager shrugged and said that must be the way it was before! gezzz.
I had a professional detailer work on it and most of it looks good but there are still a few scratches/swirls that are deep.
Learn from my lesson, tell they no car thanks anyway.
H. Gunner
I forgot to mention - my dealer normally washes cars after service, but is willing to skip that when I remember to request that they not do so.
- Joined
- 19 April 2001
- Messages
- 493
side note: While driving home from picking up a brand new Speed Yellow 2001 996 C2 coupe, I hear a loud thud on the side of my car. I think a rock or something flew off an 18 wheeler and it took a big gash out beneath the driver's side door. It was really frustrating as the car had about 10 miles on it at the time. Anyway, the 996 has a textured rubbery thing along the bottom of the car maybe designed for just such a situation. The gash took off the paint but underneath was the white rubber stuff. You could barely see it agains the speed yellow color.
A few months later, I get another 996 coupe. This time it's black. Park it in some retail parking lot and get a ding on the driver's side door. Tried not to let it bother me but black shows scratches and dings. Finally took it to Dent Wizard. As the guy is fixing the ding, the guy inside tells me how they do it. Apparently they use these long pieces of metal to push out the ding. I get the car back and you can't even tell there was a ding. Then I notice a scratch a few feet in front of where the ding was. And I see the guy walking around with the metal tool hanging from his belt. I didn't want to blame the guy for letting his tool whack the side of the car because I was only 99% sure that the scratch wasn't there before. Anyway, car's gone, problem solved.
A few months later, I get another 996 coupe. This time it's black. Park it in some retail parking lot and get a ding on the driver's side door. Tried not to let it bother me but black shows scratches and dings. Finally took it to Dent Wizard. As the guy is fixing the ding, the guy inside tells me how they do it. Apparently they use these long pieces of metal to push out the ding. I get the car back and you can't even tell there was a ding. Then I notice a scratch a few feet in front of where the ding was. And I see the guy walking around with the metal tool hanging from his belt. I didn't want to blame the guy for letting his tool whack the side of the car because I was only 99% sure that the scratch wasn't there before. Anyway, car's gone, problem solved.
I am sorry to say that I can only think of a couple extreme solutions. When it comes to people working on your car. Build up a level of trust and understanding. I brought my NSX to the local dealer for an oil change and an engine cleaning. It took 2 hours for them to do at 8am in the morning. I was waited and drove straight home after. I was shocked to see a scratch on my car like someone took a metal come and scrathed near the rear glass hatch. I called the dealership and of course there was little I can do. However, this was an isolated incident. Otherwise Miami Acura has always treated my car very well. They usually clean a car after the service. I ask them not to clean mine though, and finger prints are rarely seen.
In simple public places, simple solution. Keep her garaged or covered. Do not leave her outside unless you have to. And finally, keep idiots away from her.
However there will always be that strange and annoying person that loves your car and kindly asks to get a closer look at her. Being an NSX owner (one of the few exotic car owners that are actually NICE) you oblige them by letting them near your car and answering any question. Then that person(s) decides to rub, touch, caress, "finger" your car; and you merely bite your tounge and let things be. My solution, carry some intant polish spay and wipe it off. If that person(s) sees you do that, oh well, maybe they will take a hint.
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'91 blk/blk NSX
'96 Green Integra GSR
'02 CBR F4i Yellow/Black
Honda rules
In simple public places, simple solution. Keep her garaged or covered. Do not leave her outside unless you have to. And finally, keep idiots away from her.
However there will always be that strange and annoying person that loves your car and kindly asks to get a closer look at her. Being an NSX owner (one of the few exotic car owners that are actually NICE) you oblige them by letting them near your car and answering any question. Then that person(s) decides to rub, touch, caress, "finger" your car; and you merely bite your tounge and let things be. My solution, carry some intant polish spay and wipe it off. If that person(s) sees you do that, oh well, maybe they will take a hint.
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'91 blk/blk NSX
'96 Green Integra GSR
'02 CBR F4i Yellow/Black
Honda rules
Originally posted by BladesNSX:
I am sorry to say that I can only think of a couple extreme solutions. When it comes to people working on your car. Build up a level of trust and understanding. I brought my NSX to the local dealer for an oil change and an engine cleaning. It took 2 hours for them to do at 8am in the morning. I was waited and drove straight home after. I was shocked to see a scratch on my car like someone took a metal come and scrathed near the rear glass hatch. I called the dealership and of course there was little I can do. However, this was an isolated incident. Otherwise Miami Acura has always treated my car very well. They usually clean a car after the service. I ask them not to clean mine though, and finger prints are rarely seen.
In simple public places, simple solution. Keep her garaged or covered. Do not leave her outside unless you have to. And finally, keep idiots away from her.
However there will always be that strange and annoying person that loves your car and kindly asks to get a closer look at her. Being an NSX owner (one of the few exotic car owners that are actually NICE) you oblige them by letting them near your car and answering any question. Then that person(s) decides to rub, touch, caress, "finger" your car; and you merely bite your tounge and let things be. My solution, carry some intant polish spray and wipe it off. If that person(s) sees you do that, oh well, maybe they will take a hint.
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'91 blk/blk NSX
'96 Green Integra GSR
'02 CBR F4i Yellow/Black
Honda rules
I mentioned above how my local dealer takes excellent care of my NSX. However, my dealer is on the other side of town, 27 miles and 45 minutes away.
If I just need an oil change or a brake pad change, I take it to an independent mechanic half a mile from home who is very competent, but who does not "baby" the car (keep it perfectly clean) the way my dealer does. He understands how I feel about it. I'm usually the only one who drives my car; he lets me drive it onto the lift, and I open and close the hood for them. I wait for the car while they work on it, so they don't need to drive it or park it. This may be another option for those whose dealers are less than meticulous.
If I just need an oil change or a brake pad change, I take it to an independent mechanic half a mile from home who is very competent, but who does not "baby" the car (keep it perfectly clean) the way my dealer does. He understands how I feel about it. I'm usually the only one who drives my car; he lets me drive it onto the lift, and I open and close the hood for them. I wait for the car while they work on it, so they don't need to drive it or park it. This may be another option for those whose dealers are less than meticulous.
i think im at the point where i assume that perfect paint on a car that actually is driven will require repainting. ive already accumulated the occasional rock chip after three thousand miles....sigh.
i guess i should just grab the zaino and be happy.
ps. does fingering the finish really hurt anything??
and yeah, service levels have changed as technology has advanced. my theory is that now a cultural shift has happened where people feel sheltered by all the computerization/automation and can more easily hide in the shadows. this is really dramatized by a call to your phone company. 10 plus minutes to get a real person on the line, and thats after 5 minutes of navigating their automated menu. and then you get, well, its the phone company and they dont know anything about your (their) problem....
i guess i should just grab the zaino and be happy.
ps. does fingering the finish really hurt anything??
and yeah, service levels have changed as technology has advanced. my theory is that now a cultural shift has happened where people feel sheltered by all the computerization/automation and can more easily hide in the shadows. this is really dramatized by a call to your phone company. 10 plus minutes to get a real person on the line, and thats after 5 minutes of navigating their automated menu. and then you get, well, its the phone company and they dont know anything about your (their) problem....
Well, there's another thing about phone companies that tells you about how much technology has changed our lives. In the first few decades of the telephone, each call was put through by a switchboard operator at the phone company who plugged a cable for the incoming call into the socket for the recipient. I've heard that, with today's volume of calls, if it were still done manually this way, every man, woman, and child in this country would need to be working as a switchboard operator.
Sorry for the tangent...
Yes,
fingering the paint finish causes pin scratches,VERY noticable on black and dark colors.
I had a situation w/ our show car /daily driver .Most people/service co's are not that finely tuned into this.
My suggestion would be to be as polite and clear as possible as to edjucate(can't spell it) them as to your own tolerance limits as what you appreciate along w/ the usual great service you recieve from their establishment.And explain specifically what it is that happens to the (in this case) paints finish when it is touched when the car is dusty or hands are greasy.
Further,and needless to say if your expectations are not met,don't do business there.
If you still cant find anyone to meet those expectations then either ,sell the car,dont drive it,do the work yourself,or lastly re-evaluate if your needs are realistic....
Thats how we deal w/ it.
With this this car is NEVER perfect "but" always "show clean" ready.
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fingering the paint finish causes pin scratches,VERY noticable on black and dark colors.
I had a situation w/ our show car /daily driver .Most people/service co's are not that finely tuned into this.
My suggestion would be to be as polite and clear as possible as to edjucate(can't spell it) them as to your own tolerance limits as what you appreciate along w/ the usual great service you recieve from their establishment.And explain specifically what it is that happens to the (in this case) paints finish when it is touched when the car is dusty or hands are greasy.
Further,and needless to say if your expectations are not met,don't do business there.
If you still cant find anyone to meet those expectations then either ,sell the car,dont drive it,do the work yourself,or lastly re-evaluate if your needs are realistic....
Thats how we deal w/ it.
With this this car is NEVER perfect "but" always "show clean" ready.
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hey Ken, good point. i think youre right, we are all on the phone too much. And, personally, im ok with all the kids manning the switchboards.
I could use Xerox as an illustration of my point instead, since ive had numerous dealings with them over the past 18months.
thanks for educating me on the paint fingering scratches...i did not realize that.
just wait until the next time my wife touches my car.....just the excuse ive been waiting for (he he)
I could use Xerox as an illustration of my point instead, since ive had numerous dealings with them over the past 18months.
thanks for educating me on the paint fingering scratches...i did not realize that.
just wait until the next time my wife touches my car.....just the excuse ive been waiting for (he he)
