Since my wife starts her new job within two weeks we are both trying to get all the little things done in our lives that take away from the focus and attention she’ll have to devote to that for a while. I’m following suit in the hopes that I’ll have a new job soon too. The verbal offer I got still hasn’t materialized into a written offer so I’m back on the job hunt in the meantime.
We both took our cars for some overdue servicing yesterday. We had delayed these repairs since we had the chance to both be unemployed before the end of the year and were pinching pennies in anticipation. I drive an aging Honda Accord and she drives an Infiniti G35 that’s four years newer. Both are paid off, but now starting to cost us in servicing expenses. My timing belt was overdue on years to be replaced, but still had a few miles left to go. Her car was making some “interesting” sounds including the brakes I figured were a few months away from needing to be replaced.
We both went to our respective dealers. When I went in I only asked for the timing belt to be replaced and was asked if I wanted an oil change since they didn’t have records of my last one. I said sure, I think I’m due. I hesitated and said, “Can you throw that in for free since I’m getting killed on the rest of the work y’all are doing.” The guy half rolled his eyes and said “we’ll see what we can do”. When I picked up my car, I noticed the oil change was included for free. I ask for something like that casually every time I go in. I have never been turned down that I can remember. If there’s not something small like an oil change that I need I just ask for them to help me out because that’s more than I was expecting to spend, whatever the cost is or my expectation was. I don’t push it like a jerk, but just ask casually and always get something, typically around 10% off.
On the other hand, my wife took hers in and got hit for a charge for every time they looked at the car. I think I could have saved at least $50 on her expenses, but she said she doesn’t feel comfortable playing that game. For me, I don’t mind those six words, can you throw that in for free, to save $50. “Can you help me out with the holidays coming” tends to work well too. A good sigh of frustration always helps to sell your tight budget frustrations also.
Money aside, the big difference in how we were treated included her Infiniti was returned washed (for free as a standard) and she was given a loaner car to drive while hers was in the shop for the afternoon. That’s just smart business since now she wants the new Infiniti she had as a loaner.
I have one last funny note from the Honda dealer. When I checked out with the cashier I reviewed my bill and noticed a charge for “waste disposal”. I asked what that was and the late teenaged cashier said, “That’s when they have to throw away stuff that’s used”. I explained that I understood the meanings of the words ‘waste’ and also ‘disposal’, but wanted to know what of mine was waste, aside from the old timing belt. She was clueless (as I had already figured out) and then I saw the list of what they disposed of which included my oil and a few other random things that seemed legit. I paid and let her off the hook.