Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Kam’s Column - 11/02/03
Hello Again!
Yes, it’s Dr Raj with you once again this week as the estimable Dr Kev is currently involved in rebuilding an engine after the timing belt snapped (yes, I know, I raised by eyes too). The last time any one saw him, he was so far into the engine bay that just his feet could be seen waggling over the radiator grille…
As some of you already know, my sporting predilection lies more with the beautiful game of cricket rather than football, so as you can imagine I’m getting increasingly concerned about the ongoing situation in Zimbabwe. I really don’t think that the matches should go ahead, thanks to all the safety and security issues. Wonderful as the game is, surely it isn’t worth putting teams in danger for (would Dr Kev say the same about Derby I wonder?)?
The other two items that have been dominating the news this week have been Lord Irvine’s pay-rise and the war on Iraq – and both look to be on shaky ground. Lord Irvine said that he’d give his pay-rise back – at least, that’s what he said early on, maybe he’s changed his mind – and now that France, Germany and Russia have come out against war with Iraq, maybe that won’t happen either. It’s all rather saddening.
Anyway, onto some good news, because that’s what we like at Kam. Mr Bannister (name changed to protect his innocence) gave me a call on Monday morning.
“Raj, my car won’t start! It’s been in the garage all night, so I doubt that it is waterlogged. And I know the battery is A-OK as all the lights are working perfectly. It just won’t catch! I’m worried that I might have broken the timing belt.”
“No worries Mr Bannister,” I replied. “We’ll be down with the truck in a few minutes.”
Once we had arrived chez-Bannister it was pouring with rain once again – so you can imagine how glad I was that his M-reg Mondeo was in a garage! Peering into the engine bay, everything seemed to be in order. After pushing it out of the garage we loaded it onto the truck and left the courtesy car for Mr Bannister to use.
I wish more jobs were like this. Once we had it back in the workshop, we ran through the basic tests. Battery, good. Timing belt, in one piece. Distributor cap and rotor arm, perfect. Spark plug- coated with soot and in severe need of renewal. At the same time I had a look at the oil and recoiled quickly in case ‘The Thing from the Black Lagoon’ should come out of its murky depths.
“When was the last time that you had your car serviced?” I asked Mr Bannister a few minutes later.
“Erm…” The phone line crackled while he thought about it. “Erm… 18 months ago. I think. Maybe 19…”
“Well, that’s the cause of your problems. Basically, your oil is well overdue for a change, your spark plugs are worn out and the car is in desperate need of TLC. One the plus side, your timing belt is intact.”
“That’s great, Raj. As you’ve got the car, can you put it in for a full service and do the timing belt while you’re at it – it’s due for a change I think.”
I quickly checked my reference book and confirmed that the Mondeo had reached its belt change interval.
“No worries Mr Bannister. I’ll call you once it is done.”
Sometimes jobs can really be this simple and it is great to finish up with no bruised knuckles, skinned forearms or cricked necks – regular readers of this column will know just what I mean!
When he came to collect the car, Mr Bannister was obviously delighted to find his pride and joy restored to tip-top condition. I promise you I’ve never seen such a big grin on a test drive! Once we got back to the depot, he produced his cheque book and asked the immortal question:
“How much?”
I doubled checked his invoice and passed it across the desk to him. His eyes widened slightly, he looked briefly up at me, scrawled a cheque and then bolted out of the office before I could even wish him good day. ‘How very odd’ I thought.
I was talking to Kev later in the day (he’d emerged from the bowels of his engine rebuild – well either that or they took the phone to him!) and happened to mention Mr Bannister’s reaction. Amazingly, people have been doing exactly the same thing in each of our depots!
“It’s because of the price, Raj. People assume we’ve forgotten something and so want to pay before we’ve noticed!” Kev was right (naturally) – our new servicing price structure starts at just £59.95 plus VAT with a free MoT (if required) so the final cost comes in lower than people expect!
That’s it for this week. Remember that Friday is Valentine’s Day – so don’t forget to book your loved one in for a full service and MoT to show that you really care. No, wait, that doesn’t sound right…
Until the next time,
