Tank started to have issues on the 9th of October, I took her to garage number one. Come back Friday, October 12th, he said. On Friday afternoon he said he couldn’t do the job, take it to garage number two. Attila drove right over to garage number two, come back Tuesday, October 16th, they said. They called me on Wednesday, October 17th, and said that they had to order a part, costing $800, I gave the go ahead. We didn’t hear from them again so Attila called Friday afternoon, October 19th, we just got the part today they said, the vehicle will be ready by Tuesday, October 23, they said. No word. Attila just talked to them again. Tank isn’t ready, they said the kit they ordered didn’t come with valve cover gaskets, they had to order them from Montreal, should be there tomorrow, October 25th. Tank will be ready tomorrow they said.
In the meantime I had to cancel two appointments over the last two weeks, and I have an appointment a mile or so away from home at 8:30 tomorrow morning, which I confirmed yesterday based on garage number two promising Tank would be ready today. This appointment could have been rescheduled, if they had let me know what was going on with Tank. Now I have to walk to the appointment. If my knee gives out, so that I can’t get home again, I’ll be phoning a taxi and paying for that. Grrrr.
They told Attila that Tank would be ready by noon tomorrow, to call them. Eventually, one would think, Tank will be repaired and returned to us.
I guess I needed to spell it out for this garage, that they HAVE to call me to let me know if there is any change in their timeline. I had told them I had appointments that might need to be cancelled or rescheduled, but apparently this didn’t inspire them to keep me in the loop. I will be much clearer with them if there is a next time.
My whole day today was planned around picking up Tank when Attila got home from work. I rearranged my projects, and put one off entirely, to accommodate picking up Tank. When he called them and they once again said that Tank was not ready as promised, I experienced a mini-meltdown. Enough! Too much disruption! I let the feelings come, and after an hour so I watched them go. Attila allowed me the space I needed to deal with my emotions, while he cooked dinner, and cleaned up the kitchen. There is a reason I like living with Attila.
Tonight I am going to bake muffins, that should help me feel better!
Worldly
Weather
6°C
Date: 6:00 PM EDT Wednesday 24 October 2018
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.3 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: 5.7°C
Dew point: 0.2°C
Humidity: 67%
Wind: NNW 18 km/h
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“We must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.”
Indira Gandhi
1917 – 1984
That’s so frustrating! I hope you get a repaired Tank back home this time.
That’s really frustrating. I hope you get Tank back this time, completely repaired.
How frustrating! That’s awful that you still haven’t got the truck back! —Joan
Thanks Sandy! I think the whole issue will evolve much like childbirth, as soon as this is over I’ll forget it ever happened! Fingers crossed.
Joan, it is frustrating. They had to pull the engine out to make the repair, it was a big decision, go forward with it and the expense of it, or start looking for another vehicle. It is a Toyota, so we decided we weren’t going to do any better with a used vehicle, so we went ahead with the repair. This second garage repaired the car, and did a good job at it, no problems since, so there is cause for optimism for the outcome. Fingers crossed.
When you finally decide Tank’s no longer good for anything, you’ll be able to say Tank’s for Nothing!
A pretty lame smile for your ordeal, I know.
I hope it works out smoothly, and soon. xosp
LOL, SP, a good guffaw! 🙂
I am hoping Tank will be good for a long while yet, our little Toyota Tercel was 15 years old when we sold her, and she was purchased by a mechanic with the know how to fix her up, which he did, then he sold her, so she is probably still going, 18 years old. Tank is only 11 years old, and not much wear and tear on her since I stopped commuting back and forth, to and from the country house.
So it’s not just their general contractors that people “hate!” LOL It’s mechanics too. -Kate
I have a Toyota Corolla that is 22 years old. It is also a Tank.
I hope yo get yours back very soon. As much as I like staying at home, I don’t like being stuck at home.
Kate, I’ve not had to deal with a general contractor, but if their promises are as ill considered as this mechanics, then I can see the similarity.
When we had our masonry heater built in the country house, the mason who started the job was ridiculous, promising to get it in before November, then abandoning the job in the early autumn, long before completion, just didn’t show up, and didn’t answer his telephone, or email messages. I didn’t think vey highly of him, particularly since we were without any sources of heat until mid-November. When we finally drove out to his house, talked to his wife, who made sure he talked to us, he backed out of the job and recommended another mason.
Night and day, the second mason showed up on the days he said he would, and if the weather or a family committment kept him away, he let us know in good time. He eventually finished the job for us, on the first day of spring, the next year. He did a great job.
It was interesting that the first mason called, after the job was done, to “check” on how the second mason had made out. He advised us not to pay the second mason the full amount agreed upon… that it was too much. Something fishy there, we were very pleased with the second mason on every level, and paid him exactly what he was expecting to be paid, without any quibbling. The first mason was an child in a man’s body.
I’ll head this issue with the mechanics off at the pass next time. I will take the vehicle in, and I will call them every single day to see how things are coming along. I will make sure they understand that keeping me informed is mandatory.
Birdie, that is what I like to hear, a Toyota that keeps on going! The mileage on our Toyota was really really high, and there were no garages that would do the work needed at a reasonable price, they wanted more to do the repairs than what the car was worth. The mechanic who bought it was going to fix it up as a little winter project, to keep busy during the season where all the cottagers were back in Toronto, so he could take his time, cost wasn’t an issue.
Thanks Sandy! I think the universe heard you!