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How do you advise your customers about Timing Belt replacements? #

Posted by Daniel Hogg on January 19, 2009, 1:11 pm

Hi lads , can i pick ya brain, do you lads put timing belt change intervals on receipts when car has been in for service or just advise customer. I use garage assistant for my invoices and was going to put some text in the advertising space about timing belt intervals , and was just after some ideas on what to put, nothing to technical , just a generalization that timing belts need changed at specific intervals.

THANKS

DAN

Link: HOGGMOT AND SERVICE CENTRE

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Steven Humphreys on January 19, 2009, 1:56 pm, in reply to "TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
Steven Humphreys

Hi

We always check and advise cutomer verbally when we service a car but also on the bottom of each invoice is printed 'please note that your timing belt replacement interval is very important,ask for details if you are unsure' it just covers your backside if one then breaks and they say you never warned them.
steve

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Peter Warman on January 19, 2009, 2:14 pm, in reply to "TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"

Hi Daniel

Our service schedule has a section to advice customer when a belt change is due. The service schedule is stapled to the invoice so no dispute at a later date if they do not take our advice.

If a belt is due or overdue, then i put an advise in the "Remarks" section at the bottom of our invoices

The UKAT Service Schedule which you can download also has the Timing Belt section for advising customers

We always quote for complete kit now with water pump if the belt goes round it, no exceptions, if its to expensive then i would sooner loose the job than have the pump fail 6 months later

AFS Schedule .pdf

Peter

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Keith Simpson on January 19, 2009, 7:47 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"

We have a section on the service check sheet that we give to customer with his/her receipt. Like Peter says we will not do any timing belts without a new water pump. Only if the pump is driven by the belt etc. it pays to cover one's arse.

Keith

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Liam Boyle on January 19, 2009, 11:37 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
Liam Boyle

I inform them verbally as well as on the invoice and make sure they understand the possible damage should the belt or any related components fail. Any customer that purchases a car without guaranteed mileage or history of a belt renewal with complete kit fitted at that time I strongly advise them to have the work carried out.
Also a sign in the office or workshop viewing area asking "Has your cam belt been replaced????" with some pictures of bent valves below it may help get the message across. It's something you could knock up on the computer. I guess we can only do so much.
I have posted something relating to timing belts in the General Technical Forum.

Liam

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Dave Harney on January 20, 2009, 8:18 am, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
Dave Harney

We put...
THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING BELT ON YOUR VEHICLE IS VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE ASK US FOR DETAILS.

Then when they ask "whats this mean ?" We tell them it's because we don't know the history of every vehicle that we see and if they are unsure if and when it was done last, they should seriously consider having it done.

We also "insist" on doing tensioners and guides when replacing the belt, but also strongly advise water pump if belt driven, if they refuse tensioner/guides - they don't get it done by us, if they refuse water pump they get a warning written on there invoice stating that customer refused.

Regards
Dave

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by John CW kennard on January 20, 2009, 2:59 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
John Kennard

We put this matter as **WARNING** Has your timing belt been changed at the correct interval? after every service. In the past we recommended mileage intervals but got ourselves into trouble, the best option is to always put the onus back on the customer to take responsibility, as there are so many permutations involved in timing belt replacement. When belts break and customers find out the cost of replacement they will find any excuse of putting the blame on the garage or trying to blame someone else. Its the culture we live in NEVER my fault even though I never read the manual.

We as everyone else cost all timing belts with water pumps in some cases even if they are not driven by the timing belt as we have had a number of ZETEC engines fail the water pump and though not driven by the belt require the belt to be removed to replace the water pump. Water pumps should be just standard fare when costing timing belts.
John Kennard.

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Phil Dunmore on January 20, 2009, 10:39 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
Philip Dunmore

Is it really any different to any other service advisory item, we always advise when due, if no history or if changed by seller(probably belt only).
Brake and suspension faults are more relavant in my opinion. A timing belt failure hurts the owners wallet, a chassis system failure could kill someone.

If a belt drive fails after we have serviced vehicle but replacment or inspection was not due how are we liable? If schedule calls for inspection, we report "Unable to determine condition of all components without dismantling".
Most customers who go to the trouble of paying us to service vehicle will act upon advisory items.

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Dave Hill on January 31, 2009, 5:57 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"

I have a simple line of text that goes on all of my service invoices.

"Timing belt history unknown. Please advise."

I draw the customers attention to it & mention that I am not chasing extra work, but merely advising them to consider if they are at risk.

My arse is covered & many of them do book in as a result.

Nice & subtle

Regards

Dave

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Mark Murphy on February 1, 2009, 10:14 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
Mark Murphy

same as that Dave
but not before getting caught with my pants down. I was only working on my own a few months when a customer came to tell me it was up to me to tell him that his belt was due ....................... it broke and i had to cough up. But i was lucky he still comes to me and i have made it back in spades because i didn't shirk responsibility. You learn every day.
Mark

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by roy ritchie on February 2, 2009, 10:31 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"

That was wrong for you to pay anything,Check my thread http://members5.boardhost.com/ukautotalk2/msg/1160432568.html

Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Roger Camp on February 4, 2009, 11:24 pm, in reply to "Re: TIMING BELTS!!!!!!!!!!!"
Roger Camp

Interesting looking at the post about the poor sod taken to court and winning the case but being out of pocket.
I would have thought that the public liability insurance would have covered him, or is it like all insurance no good when you need it .
I must have a read of mine.

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