How many times over the years have we heard these wonderful words: “Of course everything works”! Until of course, it doesn’t…and when it comes to vehicles that are 15 years old and not well serviced; things are particularly prone to quit working. It seems to happen oftentimes when the car is brought in for service and ironically when the car is picked up. I don’t know how much of this is contrived or coincidence, but I would be willing to bet on the former. The last instance occurred when a 1993 Benz was brought in for an erratic high idle. An air mass meter solved the problem, but when the customer picked the car up, he complained that the oil pressure gauge was not working. We quickly pointed out that a defective starter harness was noted on the repair order and was most likely the cause of the gauge malfunction. Regardless, the customer was adamant that the gauge had been working and that the performed repair had somehow fried the gauge. The burden of proof is always on the repair facility and it is therefore incumbent that a shop notes all possible defects (although the customer may not be paying for the extra time) and brings these concerns to the owner’s attention to avoid any problems or issues of liability. This portrays the customer in a somewhat negative light, but it unfortunately happens more often than not. I contend that there is a direct relationship between the socialization of this country and what the customer believes they are entitled to for free. Today, for example, a customer for whom we had recently replaced a blower regulator called the shop because her check engine light came on 2 days after the repair. Despite having noted that this light was on when her vehicle came in originally, she continued to insist that it must have been a result of the work we had done! I tried to convey that these two events were unconnected; however, I may as well have been beating my head against a wall. I suppose you have to be tough to survive—keep the good customers and cut your losses with the dysfunctional ones. I’d rather count inventory…