Screen cracked after service

[Scamper]

OK, guys need to know if i have unlucky/taken for a ride/too reasonable...

just picked my car up from a service, the owner said he quoted me the wrong price (£100 +vat in my favour) but he would stand by the price given - fair enough, so we talk about how the service went,

Garage - all ok, usual niggly oil leaks nothing to worry about and a crack in the windscreen..
Me - what? the stone chip on the passenger side?
Garage - no the 6 inch crack on the drivers side.

So we have a look and yes there is a 6 inch crack in the screen. not there when I dropped it off but there today.

Garage - not a lot we can do about that. it may have happened when we put it up on the ramps and something moved
Me - Well i might have to claim through the insurance for that
Garage - yeah well I'm not sure how that could have happened.

So I pay the bill using my credit card and leave.

Now should I have made more of a fuss made them pay for the excess/new screen???

I dont know, what would you have done? Have I been too reasonable? Should I stop the card payment until this is resolved?
This is the first time i have used this garage....

 

[chrism964]

I think you've been too reasonable.
They've broken your windscreen (which is now unsafe). You now have the hassle of getting it sorted and you're going to pay for the privilege! So it doesn't effect your no claims but it's still costing you in time, inconvenience and money.
I may be being cynical but I think the story of undercharging is to make you feel like you've saved £100 instead of lost out on the cost of the excess for the window.
Grrr.

 

[tim_haskins]

If you already had a chip in the windscreen before you took it in then jacking the car up and using airtools on the car (impact wrenches etc...) could of caused the crack to appear. It seems a bit unlucky on the garage who had the car as it happened to them... it could of just as easily happened to you on the way home. Its a tough one, I would call the garage and express that it was not like it when it went in and ask if they would contribute towards the XS as a goodwill gesture. If not i would just claim on the insurance for a shiney new one.

Lets us know how you get on

Tim

 

[Jamie Summers]

Excess on your insurance will be £50 - I've just gone through two screens in very similar circumstances on my RS - it happens. Bite the bullet and get the job done, but demand a fitter who has done 911 screens before (they're not easy) - even better if you can get it done at the their own depot (usually Autoglass for an insurance job) rather than at your home, and demand an OE screen, not a pattern part. Yes it's a bit of a hassle, but you'll have a brand new screen - you won't believe what a difference it makes ! (Plus you've still got a notional £50 in your pocket).
If this is an workshop you have used / trust for some time, then it's not worth getting shirty over £50, if not then why not see if they will cover the excess, or at least ask them to arrange for the screen to be replaced at their premesis so you don't have to waste time waiting around for a fitter.

Jamie

 

[Mark Elder]

I don't think you can blame the garage. It's the fault of some guy who was in front of you and threw up a stone a few days ago that made a chip so small you did not see it. The forces on a car in a workshop (eg jacking) can easily turn a small chip into a crack.

Like others have said it might be worth asking for a contribution - but it depends if you intend to use them again. Good workshops with friendly mechanics are tough to find.

Think I'd have done same as you. (But I too get this "have I been taken for ride" feeling sometimes[:-])

 

[chrism964]

It still seems to me that the garage has hardly gone out of its way to try to help you rectify the problem. Yes it may have happened anyway but it didn't. It happened whilst they were entrusted with your car. They have tried to pass it off as some sort of mystery that no-one was a part of. Having been near saftey glass when it cracks it makes one f**k of a noise.
Did they even say sorry? I mean the consensus seems to be that accidents happen (which is true enough) but an apology goes a long way to cushion the irritation of it all.
I'm not suggesting you go back there and kneecap them whilst demanding money.
It just leaves me wondering whether their customer care is that good.
Maybe it will be your first and last visit to them?
I hope you get the screen sorted without too much problem.

 

[Ninemeister]

I think it would be unreasonable to blame the garage if the crack has occured whilst working on your car whilst using regular workshop equipment and customary service practises. If they have been negligent it is a different matter, but in this case I think the crack has propagated from a fault that was barely holding up in normal use, subsequently failing from the additional stress of twisting the shell on a lift.

 

[Scamper]

thanks everyone for the replies. As usual a good set of differences of opinion...As its my first visit to them I may make this my last. I do have a choice of two independants in the area so i can easily go elsewhere.....

The guy was genuinely surprised that it wasnt there before (but maybe, just maybe he was trying it on) so I cant really decide whether I have been had or not.

On one hand I have had full 12k service for £350+vat which is nice....but on the other hand i have cracked windscreen.

I suppose being philosophical about it, it gives me an excuse to get the rust around the passenger side scuttle (?) sorted out whilst the screen is out.....

 

[chrism964]

I appreciate that the garage may have been genuinely ignorant of the fact that the windscreen wasn't cracked before the car was worked on in the garage.
I can also appreciate that if this is the case then they might feel that Scamper was trying it on too!

But surely they would have noticed a 6 inch crack on the drivers side of the windscreen before they drove the car into the workshop?

My bugbear is that they don't appear to have dealt with the aftermath very well.
We seem too willing to accept substandard levels of customer care in this country.
Anyway, I'm getting tedious now.

Scamper, you'll know from the general feeling you got of garage (if you can exclude the cracked screen from your thoughts) whether you want to go there again.

Colin. If this had happened on your premises you would have apologised and explained how and why it probably happened and Scamper would've left feeling better about the whole thing.

As it is Scamper feels pants (as there is a niggly feeling he/she has been diddled but we have established that this isn't the case!) and the garage may well lose out on a regular customer.

Right, I'm getting off my soap box and going for a drink (I'm sure you'll all be relieved) []

 

[Stewart H]

At the end of the day, you had a good price for the service, even if you include the excess for the windscreen. Why not ask the garage if you can drop the car off with them and have the screen fixed on your insurance at their premeses. This will save you lost time at work and show his measure of good will. If you remind him next time you have something done to your car, you never know, he might do you a good price. If the work he has done has been good, why spoil the relationship for a few quid?

Just my two pennyworth.

 

[Ninemeister]

ORIGINAL: chrism964

Colin. If this had happened on your premises you would have apologised and explained how and why it probably happened and Scamper would've left feeling better about the whole thing.

I suppose the question revolves around the tecnicial noticing that a crack has appeared after doing the job. If he did, I would definitely expect him to report the event to his manager for subsequent referral to the customer. However, if another technician removed the car from the ramp (which is possible - maybe to take the car outside and wash it) then I could also see why the crack might not be noticed. Above anything else, we would be honest about the situation as there would be nothing to gain by trying to hide the truth. That said, if the crack had appeared whilst we worked on the car and it was noted, we would have definitely mentioned it to the customer, ok?

 

[chrism964]

I wasn't having a go at you (or your business) Colin. I apologise if it comes across that way. I was only interested as you have a better idea of the other side of the coin than me.
It helps us (general public) understand what goes on. It may, then, stop people flying off the handle (as I have) as we all get a better idea of how things might(or should) work.
Thank you.

 

[Scamper]

I gave the windscreen a good inspection over the weekend around the area where the crack originates from and there is an impact mark, on the glass, from a stone hitting the screen . Unfortunately I cant prove either way whether it was done when the car had the test drive after the service or from the drive down to the garage when I dropped it off.

The road i drove along was resurfaced recently and I dont remember hearing a stone hit the screen.

So I suppose the real question is to the garage proprietors on this forum - what can be reasonably expected when a customers car is in for work and the customer receives it back with a "new" problem? Would you admit to it happening whilst in your care and its your responsibility to fix it - no charge to the customer?

At the end of the day how a proprietor reacts to resolving this issue goes a long way towards the customer re-using that garage or taking their business elsewhere.....

 

[Gary C]

Without the £100 saving on the service, I may have wanted them to cover the excess as a good will gesture, but as they honoured the service quote (as they should) and if you want to take it back if their work is good, then I would have done what you did.

 

[Scamper]

Well Autoglass came this morning to remove the screen - (not replace it as had been told) as I wanted to do all the rust around the scuttle. It doesnt look too bad mostly surface rust which should be easy to fix.

Anyway the guy seems to know his stuff;
Yes, I know about the aerial.
Yes, I know about the bonding.
Yes, I know there are two different sizes.....

Well he removed the screen without damaging the rubber as it was in "very good condition" - the screen is obviously knackered!!
Maybe a blessing in disguise......