Now That's Customer Service!

My wife and I drive a nine-year-old car with 170,000 kilometres on it (but with a new engine covered by warranty). We love the car but it has had it's fair share of unexpected bills, especially over the last two years.

We'd dodged an $800 bullet a few months ago when the repairs weren't as extensive as initially expected and cost only $500 - and solved a few other nagging knocks and pings that weren't major but bugged us nonetheless.

Friday was one of those rare days when I drove to work because I had an afternoon dentist appointment. Everything's fine all day, then I leave the office to head home and nothing - the engine won't make a sound. I phone my repair shop (to whom I've taken my business for over a decade) and while I'm waiting for CAA to show up the owner sends a guy over to take a look.

Unfortunately, the guy thinks he knows what the problem is but he can't do any repairs in the parking lot. So CAA tows me to the repair shop, the owner puts the car in a bay and says if they get time they'll look at it Saturday. Then he asks us how we're getting home. We say by bus, like we usually do. He insists on giving us a lift and on the way home we discover he lives clear across town from us.

The next day, I'm taking the bus to do the weekly groceries and my cell phone rings. It's Angelo, the owner. They fixed the and if I could come before 1 I could have the car for the rest of the weekend.

I get to the shop, armed with credit card (and coffee and donuts). Angelo tells me the problem was nothing more than a broken wire.

The bill? No charge.

He's got a customer for life. There's so many points in this story where things could have gone off the rails but Angelo just wanted to help a loyal customer. And this is not the first time - for example, he's the guy who said my engine replacement should be covered under warranty.

And if anyone's looking for a repair shop, have I got a place for you. Just write me a note.