I took my car in this morning. Got ready to go a little early and then I took a look at the inside of my car. The blessing and curse of compulsive living is that you can just not see many things about you because your mind and energies are being consumed by the stuff that presses. Then one day you have a different agenda and there's all that neglect to deal with. We cleaned the car a couple of weeks ago from top to bottom. But my car was so messy this morning. I realized that Liv had left some stuff in the back seat and gotten the sun screens out etc. but I didn't realize it was a vacuum and rag job.
I got to the Nissan place a little after 8 instead of a little before and went to the service area. A man rolled a car window down and said "This is the right place, I'll be with you in a little bit." I believed him. That little bit was a little more of a bit, kind of like the clean out. So about 8:30 he says, "Now what can I do for you?" After my explanation, he said "Well you're almost in the right place," and proceeded to tell me how to get to the body shop.
As I walked into the body shop office, a man in the side glass cubicle motioned me to come in there, so I did and he seemed to know who I was and what was needed. He grabbed a camera and went out to my car. Dutifully I informed him as my husband instructed a couple of times that they had rotated the tires and that the damaged hubcap was now on the front instead of the back. He took pictures all the way around saying that Farmer's required more pictures than I could conceive. Then he started asking for information that I didn't expect him to need and telling me they'd have to get a quote and then we set up an appointment to have it fixed.
"This is the appointment to have it fixed," I insisted. "I'm supposed to have it back on Friday."
Eyes wide with surprise he asked for my name again and started looking through his computer. It was approaching 9:30 now. "Okay, there you are. You're first in line today," he said with his best placate you smile.
I'd been there long enough to know that was not true. I mean I'm getting old, but I'm not deaf or stupid. He called the man in the other glass cubicle and my need was transferred that direction.
"I thought you forgot," he said with a grin as I approached his counter. From the visual reaction of what I gather was his boss and his customer -me- his smile changed to an 'oops' smile. He produced a folder and took my keys. He called for a ride. Yes this man knew my case. Then he called for another ride. Finally two magazines later, the 'boss' made another call and shortly a boxy little vehicle with a large jovial dark skinned man arrived to deliver me to my welcomed abode. I'm thinking I hope I get my car back.
Seriously, I know we all have those days. Mine seems to be today. You know, I just realized that I forgot to tell the second man about the hubcap.
That is the most aggravating part of getting body work done on your car. You can’t get to the people who are actually making the repairs, and if you find a missing item in the pre-inspection, you have to start the whole process over again. My insurance will pay for a rental car, and I use it even though I don’t need it, simply because the insurance company will stay on the back of the body shop. If it isn’t fixed right, they get to pay for an extra week on a rent car.
ReplyDeleteOur insurance had rented cars for us before- like when we had collisions a week apart on both of our vehicles. Mine was totaled; his was in the shop for a week. I think my husband felt sheepish enough about the whole thing this time that he didn't ask for one. I do have the suburban, though that means I'll have to take the mister to work two days and pick him up and I'll have to drive it to pick up my girlie tomorrow. It has a drinking problem or maybe it's a gas problem. It drinks gas.
ReplyDeleteMine guzzles gas.
ReplyDelete