Good service stories

Submitted: Monday, Jan 11, 2010 at 23:56
ThreadID: 75111 Views:3910 Replies:6 FollowUps:1
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As we travel we find most trades people we use good and helpful; some are very expensive. Often when our vehicle needs a service (we supply the filters and oil) we come into a town and want it done straight away so we can continue touring. Often workshops tell us they are fully booked for a week or two. We look for someone who will fit us in. Our needs are not always confined to mechanical servicing, and some not mentioned hereunder probably should have been, but they may have been a bit dearer than expected, or our purchase minimal. Although I haven’t included everyone who gave good service, those worthy of special mention were pleasant and customer focused, helpful, did a good job at a very reasonable charge, and fitted us in promptly. These include:

Katherine East Autos, Katherine NT, Darren Rouse 0889711700 who serviced our vehicle at short notice, charge very reasonable, pleasant and helpful, offering local knowledge including cheapest fuel in town and local fruit and vege shop.

Hobbit Auto Electrics Katherine NT 0889722188, who checked for an intermittent fault with the indicators and changed the faulty connection plug on the spot.

Coollines (Beertech Pty Ltd) Winnellie, Darwin NT 0889471889 who repaired our caravan air conditioner after being honest enough to say probably not worth repairing as it would cost $xx per hour for how ever long it took to find the gas leak, and that even if they found it, it probably would leak again somewhere else, due to age and wear. We still chose to take a risk. Technician worked promptly to find the break, repair and re-gas. It is still working well.

LP Gas Solutions, Winnellie, Darwin NT, who charged us $55 for a new 9 kg gas bottle including gas fill, as ours was out of date when they went to fill it and it was marginally cheaper to buy new than have them service and re-certify the bottle. The are off the main drag, opposite the above refrigeration workshop. As both our gas bottles were the same date, we later tried to purchase another bottle and I the northern parts of Australia and found the bottle alone cost more than we’d paid for this one including the gas.

Hirst Mechanics Longreach, Qld. This busy heavy duty mechanical workshop had two trucks booked in that day and were short staffed. They still changed the magnets, arms and one backing plate on our caravan brakes that day, without us having to come back. We supplied the parts.

Tyre Plus Armidale, NSW 0267727012, who did a tyre rotation on the F250, including using our spares, one of which had to be put into the hub all for $25. The fitted us in on the day.

Greg Forbes Automotive, Gloucester NSW 0265589022. He was very helpful in checking and adjusting our caravan brakes, as one would occasionally lock up and squeal for a very reasonable charge. He did the job when we called in unannounced, cheerful helpful, and let us fill up our caravan tanks from his tap.

Willy’s Tyre Service, Wentworth NSW 0350273422, who had just arrived back from a call out to a fire as a volunteer fire fighter when we called in. It was lunch time, and he cheerfully spent some time with us, swapping around our tyres as requested when we purchased two tyres from him. We’d just had a blowout, and a few days previously a repaired tyre let us down, and that tyre was well worn so not really a prospect for another repair.


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Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 05:17

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 05:17
Goodonya Motherhen,
most of the time we hear about the rip off's.... the bad news. Unfortunately we are 'conditioned' to hearing bad news by the media.... as they constantly admit that good news doesn't sell... but bad news does.... How foolish we are!

It's really awesome to hear about the "good guys" for a change...
regards
Fred B
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AnswerID: 398932

Follow Up By: Hairs & Fysh (NSW) - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 07:04

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 07:04
Your right Fred, It is awesome to hear the good new stories.
Sit down to watch the news of an evening and when it's finished, I think, why the hell did I watch that for?

Here is one to add to your great list Motherhen.
Arrived in St George for the gathering last year to find an exhaust bracket had broken. Sir Kev recommended Kevin at A1 Exhausts, so I swing on in to see him. "Sure not a problem, I'll just move these cars out of the way, drive yours onto the hoist" Wire brushed the bracket and pipe, mig welded it. Couple of minutes later he's finished. Had a chat to him for 20 minutes or so, asked how much and he said" Nothing" oh sorry I forgot to put some paint on it"
He sprayed it, dropped it off the hoist, so I slipped him a twenty dollar note to buy and few beers, he was over the moon, I told him it was worth more than twenty bucks to me, I asked him for his business card, he tried to slip the twenty back with them. He didn't get away with it. I hope he enjoyed his cold beers.

There are good people out there, I just wish more people would report it.

Cheers Motherhen for starting the thread. :)

0
FollowupID: 667905

Reply By: Willem - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 07:29

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 07:29
Geez Motherhen, you certainly keep the economy ticking over......hahahaha

Cheers

AnswerID: 398936

Reply By: Member - Sigmund (VIC) - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 10:50

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 10:50
+1 for the garage in Quorn SA; sorted out our CT lights on the spot.

-1 for Outback motors in Copley SA. I won't say more for reasons of libel. He has Schadenfreude printed in big letters on his T-shirt. Says it all.
AnswerID: 398959

Reply By: landseka - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 12:00

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 12:00
This story is probably not relevant now as the business concerned no longer trades as the proprietor has passed away but it does show what can be done when people care.

It started at about 6.30pm on the Thursday evening of an Easter weekend several years ago in Bunbury WA. Anyone living on the coastal strip anywhere around Australia will know how chaotic our roads are and how impossible it is to get a trades person at that time of year.

I got a call to my towing service from a gentleman who was stuck in the middle of a major intersection on the Bunbury Bypass road. As the lights changed he started to move when a wheel on his boat trailer collapsed.

As I loaded his boat & trailer onto my tilt tray truck I rang an owner operated workshop where I knew the owner would still be there having a couple beers with a couple friends. "Bring it around and I'll have a look" he said

No prizes for guessing his wheel bearing had collapsed due to lack of maintenance, the axle end was damaged and the rim was so rusty it was dangerous.

A phone call was made and the local bearing supplier was opened up and 2 sets of bearings and an axle were bought. Another call saw two rims from the wrecker delivered.

By 11.30pm he was on his way to Dunsborough, a very happy man to have his Easter holiday which he was sure a couple hours ago was not going to happen.

As an aside, I was talking to him while the work was happening and I commented how lucky he was that it fell apart at the lights, not on the highway at perhaps 100kmh. "Crikey" he said, "If I had been in the fairlane (he was driving a mercedes) "I could have been doing 140kmh!"

He also said the only reason he was towing the boat was to carry his golf clubs as there wasn't room in the car! (What th'? He was a doctor)

Sorry for the long post

RIP Bazz

Cheers Neil
AnswerID: 398964

Reply By: Member - Duncs - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 14:37

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 14:37
You can add Muscat's workshop in Broken Hill (Dorner of Bromide and Cobalt Streets) to the list of those providing excellent service.

I had a rear main oil seal leak and cause the clutch to slip when passing through Broken Hill years ago

Gerald rang a few of his regular customers and asked them to put their work off for a couple of days so he could concentrate on fixing my clutch and seal. Then he worked late into the night to get me on the road ASAP. That was long before I had any ideas about living in the town.

The other is in Nyngan. Can't even remember his name. He is on the northern side of the railway just west of the old hotel around about 36 Nymagee St. I arrived there just after beer-O-Clock, the boss put down his beer jacked up my car and spent about 20min working out what was wrong. Once again he would not let me pay him for his time. He did not fix it but pointed me in the right direction when many others had failed to fix the same problem.

Love good service, it's precious because you don't find it very often.
Duncs
AnswerID: 398982

Reply By: Member - Neville & Sally C (VI - Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 17:20

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 at 17:20
Hi Mh, Anothher one is Sonia at the Ngaanyatjarra Council. She did my permits for W.A. side where 2 Permits were needed. I rang her in June last year & we did them by phone,post & fax. for the Connie Sue & S.B.J. Phn.08 89501711. Alice Srings. P.O. b ox 644. N.T.0871. TDC refrigeration in the Alice 08 89521702 and Alice Auto repairs o8 89521043. Take care. Safe travels. Sally.
AnswerID: 399008

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