Working in the automotive repair industry taught me empathy, as most people arriving at a repair shop feel distressed, unhappy, and not anticipating their day to be ruined. One story involved a customer who had $1200 in repair work done at another Pep Boys location. She returned a week later after her vehicle’s engine seized, which that management told her that they would not be liable or required to refund for the work done. The location’s refusal advanced the customer to make a complaint to the corporate office. However, the complaint inadvertently made it to my location, as I had the capability to forward it back to corporate and rejected it, but did not as I saw the company as a whole. Under communication with my boss, I took over the dispute and called the customer. I right away realized the other location failed the lady and did not properly explain her vehicle’s issues. I gave her a full refund out of my location for the amount she paid knowing I was making the right decision. The customer ended up writing a long letter to corporate thanking me and my location for helping her. She returned many times after to my location, spending more than $1500 on just tires and alignment. Situations like that taught me that solving disputes takes empathy and an understanding of what caused the dispute while encasing the decisions around want is reasonable, fair, and
Working in the automotive repair industry taught me empathy, as most people arriving at a repair shop feel distressed, unhappy, and not anticipating their day to be ruined. One story involved a customer who had $1200 in repair work done at another Pep Boys location. She returned a week later after her vehicle’s engine seized, which that management told her that they would not be liable or required to refund for the work done. The location’s refusal advanced the customer to make a complaint to the corporate office. However, the complaint inadvertently made it to my location, as I had the capability to forward it back to corporate and rejected it, but did not as I saw the company as a whole. Under communication with my boss, I took over the dispute and called the customer. I right away realized the other location failed the lady and did not properly explain her vehicle’s issues. I gave her a full refund out of my location for the amount she paid knowing I was making the right decision. The customer ended up writing a long letter to corporate thanking me and my location for helping her. She returned many times after to my location, spending more than $1500 on just tires and alignment. Situations like that taught me that solving disputes takes empathy and an understanding of what caused the dispute while encasing the decisions around want is reasonable, fair, and