How to Handle This Situation?

[MEP001]

For what it's worth, I agree with most on here to suck up the extra dough and go with her chosen shop. If it were my car I would want what I think is the best.

I would agree if that guarantees a happy repeat customer who will tell their friends how you went above and beyond to make a problem right, but if that doesn't happen it's just wasted money. It would make a good study.

 

[rph9168]

I think that the real damage that can happen is if the customer is unhappy and spreads their unhappiness to others. Years ago I read a satisfied customer will tell five people but a dissatisfied one will tell two or three times that many. I think that a satisfied customer may not even tell that many but a dissatisfied one will tell every one they know. I think the old adage that bad news travels fast is true. I would consider the fact that the customer was satisfied and followed what I thought was best a win-win situation
.

 

[MEP001]

I really think most people are smart enough to decide for themselves. If the dissatisfied customer tells people that aren't already using the wash, they might never have used it anyway, so there's no harm. It's not like Teebox went after her car with a baseball bat, so if she tells people that are already using his wash what happened and they have no good reason of their own to go somewhere else, what can she tell people that will change their mind? It's not like a dryer falls on a car every day.

If someone I trust tells me to try someplace because it's great, I'll probably try it. If someone tells me that a place I go to and like did something bad that will probably never happen again to anyone ever, I'll keep going back.

 

[jfmoran]

Know the laws, every state has laws and regulations with regard to "steering". You can suggest a body shop in most cases, but you have no legal right to require them to use it. In most cases they are the ones with the right to choose where they want go.

Here's a resource to show the laws in all 50 states.

http://www.mopar.com/assets/pdf/service_and_parts/collision_parts/statecollisionrepairlaws.pdf

 

[TEEBOX]

I merely offered a suggestion to a reputable body shop. The ultimate decision is still with the customer. The customer was very accommodating and felt more at ease with the local body shop then with the dealership collision shop.but I appreciate the information. It would be very useful in the future if this occurs again.