I left a flashlight inside a customers door. 2 years later after the window regulator failed again I found it. I have found many magnetic flashlights underneath vehicles.
I lost a wrist watch inside a disassembled car door I was painting. I found it 2 years later when I was replacing the door lock cylinder. The old Timex needed a new battery but worked fine.
Losing a tool will teach you to keep up with your tools and organize your workspace. If you cannot take inventory of the items in your possession you don't have the right mindset. If it happens that often, you should reconsider how you do things.
I worked on aircraft, we have to have an inventory of all our tools going in and going out of the plane. stuff still sometimes gets lost. it happens. I found pliers behind lavatories and screwdrivers on top of overhead bins. I never left anything on an aircraft but I have left tools at the junkyard for sure.
Working on aircraft is especially important, since a single tiny object in the wrong place could mean a whole lot of trouble later on for something. Of course, I'm the kind of person that doesn't want to trust being in a pressurized canister 20,000 feet in the air any more than I absolutely have to, so the thought has crossed my mind more than a few times how regulated everything needs to be, and why, regarding them.
@@WC3fanatic997 there was a accident where I think it was a screwdriver got stuck in some control cables and the aircraft crashed. on another note, I have yet to meet anyone who works on airplanes who likes going on them. some still do but once you've seen them stripped to the skeleton its pretty unnerving to be in one.
I’m a diesel mechanic working on class 8 trucks. I’ve left tools in trucks that traveled halfway across the country for weeks and were returned by the driver. We also have a large scrapyard and I have found numerous tools that were lost by others. The top of the transmission is a good collecting spot for tools in big rigs. Last month I found a 1 3/16” snap on wrench. For the first 10 years of my career I worked in automotive shops and not once was a lost tool ever returned.
Ive found wrenches on the transmission on big trucks that were there for years. Sockets galore and wrenches galore under hood. Lots of sloppy ass mechanics that dont do their due diligence and double check their work. The same guys that lose their junk usually leave the job not completed correctly. They leave screws out after they lost one, leave hose clamps off, all sorts off crap.
As a detailer in a dealership that occasionally borrows tools from mechanics I take bringing them back very seriously, as soon as I am done with the tool I stop what I am doing and go give it back. Worked with many people who have lost or forgotten about the tool they borrowed and it just creates a horrible environment for everyone.
The only time I have ever let anyone else change my tires was when I busted a pair of ribs in a mountain bike crash and literally couldn't stoop to move my jack let alone lift a tire. Got a local shop to put my winters on for me, few months go by. Ribs have healed up and I go under my car to change the oil. Found a magnetic lamp tucked away under my frame. No clue why they put it in such a hard to reach spot but there it was, still in working order too! Took it back to the shop, kid came out and thanked me personally for bringing me back. Had no idea it was such a big deal, but I guess if customers blowing up is as common as you made it sound I can see why he was so relieved!
I left a Snap On 3/8” air ratchet, an extension and a socket in a customer car early in my career. Lost forever. Since then, I NEVER leave my tools in customer car.
Lucked out once, left a 1/4" snap on ratchet in the engine bay on a 2,000 era Ram 3500 diesel. Customer brought it back 3 months later! I def remembered him. (Hooked him up nicely)
Our shop offers preparation for MOT service. Once, a customer complained that we left our tools inside their vehicle. It turned out that an MOT inspector during the inspection left their $4k Bosch KTS PASS-THRU dongle in the car
I hated it when other mechanics would borrow a tool and not return it until their job was done. If you borrow same tool twice, you need to buy that tool.
In the 80's getting started i made 200.00 per week and spent 100.00 per week on tool truck for quality tools. There was sears but not many places to buy cheap tools like today for non everyday use tools. I did this for probably a decaded and now 40 years in i still have those same tools and 100's of thousands more and purchase now speciality tools and weigh in if i will be making enough in the future on this type job to break above even if not i send it away. I spent my entire life doing jobs to buy the tools to fix the customers vehicles and now rethink the entire situation in return on investment. I also remember dropping a 3/8 swivel in engine compartment that hangs out on cover and suspension and that $35 to $40 dollar socket sometimes is more than the simple job pays and we need to spend 30 minutes searching for that piece of gold
The craziest thing I saw was a pressure bleeder left on a brake reservoir and the customer was having serious braking problems. In that case, the customer gets to keep it and it's not being returned.
I was actually using the brake fluid machine after my co-worker used it and noticed the pressure cap missing and a normal reservoir cap on the machine instead. I let him know and his jaw dropped. So he ran out just before the car left, opened the hood, and swapped the pressure cap for the normal reservoir cap. Non-flat rate mind vs. flat-rate mind. 🙄
I'm not a pro mechanic, I work on my own cars in the garage, and tools disappear now and then. Yep have found some of them later that I left in the car. One thing that keeps amazing me is how many tools it seems like it takes to do anything on a vehicle. Most of my tools are 80's and 90's Craftsman, they've done a good job for my use. Fortunate to get some hand-me-downs from my brother, who was a mechanic. That garage you have there looks very well insulated, could probably heat it sufficiently with a candle.
I lost a brand new 3/8 ratchet and extension under the hood of a truck. Never got it back. Lost a pocket knife, but got that back. $50 14 years ago was a lot of money for me. That was back when I couldn't always afford to buy food.
When I did the water pump in my dad's old truck I found a whole ratchet, extension and 10mm as well as another loose 10mm just sitting in the engine bay. Had been there for months at least
I’ve been very lucky with this, but I do remember a jeep leaving with a cheap magnetic flashlight I left on the frame, came back 3 months later still attached. Took 7 months for a 70 dollar ratchet of mine with a 10mm on it to come back. Surprised the fabric of space and time didn’t tear wide open.
"Customers feel like they are getting bent over the hood." Well . . . they _are._ Thats why I started doing all of my own work, after all. I'm not saying they're right to behave awfully; I would never. Even being angry at the times I knew I got burned, intentional or otherwise, I just let it slide. And fortunately I have never had a tool left in my vehicle from those instances. At least, I dont think I have . . . But since I can see both sides, I can also see why people are really, really jaded about it all, especially with the rise of newer cars making things overly complicated and stupidly expensive to fix on top of just being straight up garbage quality, where things can break at the drop of a hat, and lack of transparency or ability to understand (or explain to be understood) leads to people not understanding exactly _why_ it can rack up such a massive bill. I know plenty of good mechanics, but even they will sometimes mess things up, forget things, _ignore what I say want done_ . . . dealership, specialty shop or independent, I dont know their overhead or their profit regardless. But I do know that saving $150-$200 an hour to get work done buys a hell of a lot of tools for me, thats for sure, and those tools in turn save more money later if you buy good quality stuff.
Years ago i worked on a crew boat in gulf of mexico. when we had mechanics on board if they lost something in the bilges and i found it usually i would give it back next time they came out to do work.
*THE* *ABSOLUTE* *WORST* We all felt this pain. Lost a hard handle Snap on long handle flex head in an engine bay because (as usual) was rushed and Dropped the lift before I followed myself up. Ironically, the ratchet stopped the bolt it was in from loosening up, and was waiting for me when the customer “heard a rattle” It’s the flex 1/4” and stubby 3/8 ratchets that hurt the most tho😢 Stay strong brothers
I don't remember how I managed it, but I did an LOF on a Chevy EcoTech. Left my favorite Snap-On ratchet, I think it was a 6 inch extention, U-joint, and the specialty socket on the cowl. By the time I figured it out, the service advisor just handed me the phone and said it's dialing Uh yeah hi I just worked on your car a while ago, and I accidentally left my tools under the hood. They cost me a few hundred bucks and I was just wondering if you might still be close by? 90 minute drive and she had already made it home again. 😬 She was cool about it though. I tried to give her two $20 bills for her trouble and she said no. Ended up requesting me by name to do everything on her car. I learned. Always put away all tools before pulling the vehicle out, and make a mental note to check your drawers for missing tools
The dealership I use has a large sign stating " not responsible for items left in the vehicle." Why should customers care about forgotten tools? I'm just saying.
The fact you don’t work on your car and take it to a dealer pretty much sums up your nonchalant attitude. Mechanics spend thousands of dollars on tools, of their own money. If you’re a doctor do you buy your own medical equipment? It’s one of the only industries where you are expected to buy your own tool set. The dealership has that sign cuz they care about money and are likely questionably ethical. The mechanics are the ones doing the work, keeping your car safe and going down the road. Maybe show a little gratitude? Or empathy? Tools are expensive
Because we have to buy our own tools. Hence why for the first ten years of our career, we make less than minimum wage. But apparently you've never struggled to buy food and pay the rent on time. So I wouldn't expect you to understand.
@@wayneessar7489 sure. but thats like saying if you find a wallet on the ground you shouldn't return it because whoever lost it, just 'shouldn't have lost it'. does it happen often? no. but people act like its always 100% avoidable when you work on 5+ cars a day 7 days a week. sometimes you lose stuff. they are responsible for their tools, but does that mean you need to be an a-hole and not give it back? refer back to my wallet example, or make it keys or a phone and then tell me you've never lost something and IF YOU DID, you wouldn't want it returned. Its just the nice thing to do, ie again, what if you found a wallet?
I recently lost a Cyclops light. It's prob stuck under a car. $40 out. My brother used my backup socket set. I used it yesterday and 10mm socket is missing. Out $10.
I’m fucking horrible with lights. Lost the whole set of power probe pod lights. Lost my streamlight stinger the big one. I have the small one still. Ive lost about 5 of those cyclops. Lost a bunch of various penlights. Lost some fire snap on magnet lights. The last cyclops I lost I found under a truck and I used it for about a year. Just bought another 3 weeks ago and last week just lost the old one.
You think that's bad. I work on Corporate Jets. If we lose a tool all work stops and everybody starts looking for it until it's found . if not we have to fill out a lost tool form and turn it in to mgt. And that tool can bring down a plane if it jams in the wrong place. And yes we buy our own tools too.
After awhile I started double checking my tools before I drove the vehicle out. But I always had the habit of forgetting my expensive flash lights lol. And at that time, not sure now all lights were black. I wish they were brighter colors lol 😂.
Same here. I worked on city streetcars, and forgot my magnetic flashlight underneath. Founded week later still on. I wish they’d make brighter color flashlight cover. Worst is the camouflage. Drop that on the ground…
The owners son lost a matco socket and extension in a vehicle. They blamed me and treated me bad for days. I found them in the cowl of the vehicle at a different shop several years later. Ive had customers bring tools back. Typically a plastic trim tool.
Right cus when you pushed by the customer the manager and the service advisor to get it done and you are stressed about it you are never gonna forget something. You have no idea how stressful being a mechanic actually is.
Showed this video to one of my friends whose a pro mechanic in his words "I carry a stack of sticky notes and a pencil in my pocket. I write down every tool I take out for a job or that I lend to someone" Maybe that'll help some of you :)
MAN... I lost a few tools .. Left them in cars. I never seen them again.. WIshed the customer would bring it back. I hated working fast at the dealer.. I learned to keep a small cardboard box. Every tool I used I put the tool back in the box so I would not leave anything. You lose the tool... You lose all the $ you made on the job sometime
I gave up on Snap-On and Mac years ago, I'm more likely to lose a tool than break it. Most of my tools all come from Princess Auto, not always great quality but less of a hit when you lose something.
10mm on a 3/4"-1/2" ratchet?? bro, you sure you're a mechanic? (I'm just kidding, I agree and have experienced much of what you talked about...I still miss that magnetic light)
With the crap pay in this trade, I’m considering selling all my Snap On stuff and replacing it with Powerfist stuff Why should mechanics dish out big bucks for quality stuff when it’s the shop owner who reaps 85% of the benefits? They will take on jobs that require specialized tools, like crank seal installers or diff seal installers not even realizing it takes a special tool to do the job Why should the mechanic have to buy specialized tools that are quite expensive and only use it once every 4 or 5 years?
When I was younger at my first shop I lost the shop battery tester in a customers car. I looked it up and saw it was a 400 dollar tool and felt terrible. On another note I found a snap on 3/8 air rachet under the hood of a car however this was a used car sold to us with no history and while I felt bad for the guy who lost it I wasn't gonna try to chase it down, I feel like it's a hazard in the industry and if it's possible to get it back to the person I'll try but otherwise I keep it and recognize if another guy finds my tool under the hood and can't find out who lost it I expect them to keep it I still have it in my drawer, I got in the habit of double checking over all my work and checking where I put tools and even taking the time to put parts on the ground in a line next to the tool I used to take it off. It takes up a bit of space so I can't always do it but when I can it makes it a breeze to put it all back together
Why should you feel terrible? Honest mistakes happen all the time. The shop should feel bad for paying techs so little compared to how much they charge customers.
I had a Snap on volt/ohm meter left in my vehicle. Even though the mechanic couldn't diagnose the issue, after paying a second time. I returned his meter.
At least an apprentice or mechanic can offset some tools with a tax form. I repair commercial food equipment but not licensed so i pay out of pocket for all my tools. Luckily i don't need the quality or quantity as automotive but as you said depends how much disposable income is left.
Guess depends where you are. Never been able to use any of my ppe or tools as a tax rebate in Ontario. Still. Sucks any one has to buy stuff for there job
i left a $100 surefire flash light o. the bed of a truck i was working on. don't remember what is was doing but left it on the bed rail and got called off to go do something. 5 minutes later the truck was gone with my flash light.
especially when it falls in engine bay then u spend time looking for it and end of the month u hav worst ERT time out of all techs in the shop....i hate this shit man. being a mechanic is like being a hooker. everyone like sex sure but no one likes to do it everyday all day with different people. same way i like working on vehicles sure but doing it everyday, all day, on different shitboxes it sucks. m on my 2nd yr of apprenticeship and ready to quit. but idk what else i can do to make a living.
@lifequalsrootofallevil it's never to late to change. Look into heavy equipment or electrical. Factory maintenance. Hvac. It's a pay cut at first but man things get better quickly
@@JamesSmith-xs7sr this is what i enjoy doing. i just cant cope with working for someone else. i own a piece of land and im saving up money to build a garage on it. hopefully i can get my ticket by then. after that fuck it, im working at home whenever i want and on whatever i want. if i want a day off, ill take it. thats what id enjoy
@Born_Stellar well, when I took my engine apart, I labeled everything. When finished, I put all my tools back where I found them. If you are organized and clean you won't misplace items when working on a car. That's just me though, can't speak for others.
@@FluffyHawk13well when you have to stop working on one car to go touch another car and then another depending on who's waiting, who's not it's easy for it to happen. A lot of times techs are working on more than one car at a time and being rushed
@@FluffyHawk13 you're argument is that you are infallible, and I call BS. never at any point have you ever misplaced anything, ever? you should be in the guinness record book man, no one is that perfect.
@Born_Stellar yes I'm not perfect and misplaced things but when it comes to fixing things with tools I lay everything out like surgical instruments, pick up a tool and put it back where I found it so that at the end of the day, everything is counted for...
What about the tools stolen from the customer and the worker pretends it was his.Everybody who works with tools knows which ones belong to the customer which ones are the workers and which one belong to the company.
Ever since the rechargeable flashlights with magnetic baces I've went through several. I would use one up inside of the frame rail and then it dies and no more flashlights. I've had a flashlight go to Texas and back on top of a transmission. It happens. 👎🇨🇦🔧
meh. missing 10mm? thats minor compared to working on british/australian equipment. i just emptied out a toolbox trying to get two bolts undone. a unique mixture of metric, SAE, and BSA aka whitworth... (shitworth) not quite 7/16. not quite 11. not quite 15, 16, 5/8, or other.... bad enough when half the stuff is metric and SAE, to find all three standards on one very small bit of gear is just.... FFS...
I lost 1982 Mac tools ¹/₄ short ratchet in one my own cars. Just before I sold it. It was like loosing my favorite shoes. 40 years ago that ratchet was with sockets $200. After that, I’ve made habit keeping tools that I need for the job at one spot and not leaving them around the repair area. That way I know they’re not going get lost. Other thing keep my tool bag organizing, not just tossing them in after use.
Lost my 14mm MAC tools wrench a month ago. Not a moment goes by without me thinking about it. It's probably cold and afraid, and missing her siblings.
I left a flashlight inside a customers door. 2 years later after the window regulator failed again I found it. I have found many magnetic flashlights underneath vehicles.
I'm famous for leaving my magnetic lights under vehicles lol
I lost a wrist watch inside a disassembled car door I was painting. I found it 2 years later when I was replacing the door lock cylinder. The old Timex needed a new battery but worked fine.
sidecutters in a wall i was stripping tiles and render off of? probably been there for fifty years :)
Losing a tool will teach you to keep up with your tools and organize your workspace. If you cannot take inventory of the items in your possession you don't have the right mindset. If it happens that often, you should reconsider how you do things.
I worked on aircraft, we have to have an inventory of all our tools going in and going out of the plane. stuff still sometimes gets lost. it happens. I found pliers behind lavatories and screwdrivers on top of overhead bins. I never left anything on an aircraft but I have left tools at the junkyard for sure.
Too bad our inventory is too large to manage 110%
Working on aircraft is especially important, since a single tiny object in the wrong place could mean a whole lot of trouble later on for something.
Of course, I'm the kind of person that doesn't want to trust being in a pressurized canister 20,000 feet in the air any more than I absolutely have to, so the thought has crossed my mind more than a few times how regulated everything needs to be, and why, regarding them.
@@WC3fanatic997 there was a accident where I think it was a screwdriver got stuck in some control cables and the aircraft crashed.
on another note, I have yet to meet anyone who works on airplanes who likes going on them. some still do but once you've seen them stripped to the skeleton its pretty unnerving to be in one.
Decades ago the tech left their thermometer in my vent when they recharged my AC. I love my thermometer, it's so handy.
I’m a diesel mechanic working on class 8 trucks. I’ve left tools in trucks that traveled halfway across the country for weeks and were returned by the driver. We also have a large scrapyard and I have found numerous tools that were lost by others. The top of the transmission is a good collecting spot for tools in big rigs. Last month I found a 1 3/16” snap on wrench. For the first 10 years of my career I worked in automotive shops and not once was a lost tool ever returned.
Ive found wrenches on the transmission on big trucks that were there for years. Sockets galore and wrenches galore under hood. Lots of sloppy ass mechanics that dont do their due diligence and double check their work. The same guys that lose their junk usually leave the job not completed correctly. They leave screws out after they lost one, leave hose clamps off, all sorts off crap.
As a detailer in a dealership that occasionally borrows tools from mechanics I take bringing them back very seriously, as soon as I am done with the tool I stop what I am doing and go give it back. Worked with many people who have lost or forgotten about the tool they borrowed and it just creates a horrible environment for everyone.
whats wild is I would do that, but some people borrow stuff and then act weird when you ask for it back.
The only time I have ever let anyone else change my tires was when I busted a pair of ribs in a mountain bike crash and literally couldn't stoop to move my jack let alone lift a tire.
Got a local shop to put my winters on for me, few months go by. Ribs have healed up and I go under my car to change the oil.
Found a magnetic lamp tucked away under my frame. No clue why they put it in such a hard to reach spot but there it was, still in working order too!
Took it back to the shop, kid came out and thanked me personally for bringing me back. Had no idea it was such a big deal, but I guess if customers blowing up is as common as you made it sound I can see why he was so relieved!
I left a Snap On 3/8” air ratchet, an extension and a socket in a customer car early in my career. Lost forever. Since then, I NEVER leave my tools in customer car.
When people find an auto tool in the road they think it fell out of work truck. Nope… it likely fell out somewhere under the hood 😢
I lost a lug nut on the highway so i went looking, and I thought I found it but it was a 17mm socket. 🤣
My mom had a mechanic leave his scanner in the back of her pickup. She noticed it after it stopped raining.
Damn that's a big scew up
I left a mangentic light on a truck frame. It was still there when it came back for the next service.
They always seems to come back as long as they arnt on and customer didn't notice
Lucked out once, left a 1/4" snap on ratchet in the engine bay on a 2,000 era Ram 3500 diesel. Customer brought it back 3 months later! I def remembered him. (Hooked him up nicely)
Our shop offers preparation for MOT service. Once, a customer complained that we left our tools inside their vehicle. It turned out that an MOT inspector during the inspection left their $4k Bosch KTS PASS-THRU dongle in the car
I hated it when other mechanics would borrow a tool and not return it until their job was done. If you borrow same tool twice, you need to buy that tool.
@@alanhall3297 they used to borrow my torx security bits and bring them back twisted.
That was my rule. Needed it 2 times you needed to buy it
In the 80's getting started i made 200.00 per week and spent 100.00 per week on tool truck for quality tools. There was sears but not many places to buy cheap tools like today for non everyday use tools. I did this for probably a decaded and now 40 years in i still have those same tools and 100's of thousands more and purchase now speciality tools and weigh in if i will be making enough in the future on this type job to break above even if not i send it away. I spent my entire life doing jobs to buy the tools to fix the customers vehicles and now rethink the entire situation in return on investment. I also remember dropping a 3/8 swivel in engine compartment that hangs out on cover and suspension and that $35 to $40 dollar socket sometimes is more than the simple job pays and we need to spend 30 minutes searching for that piece of gold
The craziest thing I saw was a pressure bleeder left on a brake reservoir and the customer was having serious braking problems. In that case, the customer gets to keep it and it's not being returned.
I was actually using the brake fluid machine after my co-worker used it and noticed the pressure cap missing and a normal reservoir cap on the machine instead. I let him know and his jaw dropped. So he ran out just before the car left, opened the hood, and swapped the pressure cap for the normal reservoir cap. Non-flat rate mind vs. flat-rate mind. 🙄
OOH do I understand you!!!
I'm not a pro mechanic, I work on my own cars in the garage, and tools disappear now and then. Yep have found some of them later that I left in the car. One thing that keeps amazing me is how many tools it seems like it takes to do anything on a vehicle. Most of my tools are 80's and 90's Craftsman, they've done a good job for my use. Fortunate to get some hand-me-downs from my brother, who was a mechanic. That garage you have there looks very well insulated, could probably heat it sufficiently with a candle.
It'd warm. :) gets to -40c often here :p
I lost a brand new 3/8 ratchet and extension under the hood of a truck. Never got it back. Lost a pocket knife, but got that back.
$50 14 years ago was a lot of money for me. That was back when I couldn't always afford to buy food.
I’ve lost a few knives tools I’m pretty good with usually I believe that organization plays a large part in not losing tools
When I did the water pump in my dad's old truck I found a whole ratchet, extension and 10mm as well as another loose 10mm just sitting in the engine bay. Had been there for months at least
so thats where all the 10mm sockets go lol
I’ve been very lucky with this, but I do remember a jeep leaving with a cheap magnetic flashlight I left on the frame, came back 3 months later still attached.
Took 7 months for a 70 dollar ratchet of mine with a 10mm on it to come back. Surprised the fabric of space and time didn’t tear wide open.
Absolutely hilarious that right after I posted this, you said ratchet with a 10mm on it 🤣🤣🤣
;)
Always good feeling when they come back :)
"Customers feel like they are getting bent over the hood."
Well . . . they _are._ Thats why I started doing all of my own work, after all.
I'm not saying they're right to behave awfully; I would never. Even being angry at the times I knew I got burned, intentional or otherwise, I just let it slide. And fortunately I have never had a tool left in my vehicle from those instances. At least, I dont think I have . . .
But since I can see both sides, I can also see why people are really, really jaded about it all, especially with the rise of newer cars making things overly complicated and stupidly expensive to fix on top of just being straight up garbage quality, where things can break at the drop of a hat, and lack of transparency or ability to understand (or explain to be understood) leads to people not understanding exactly _why_ it can rack up such a massive bill.
I know plenty of good mechanics, but even they will sometimes mess things up, forget things, _ignore what I say want done_ . . . dealership, specialty shop or independent, I dont know their overhead or their profit regardless. But I do know that saving $150-$200 an hour to get work done buys a hell of a lot of tools for me, thats for sure, and those tools in turn save more money later if you buy good quality stuff.
Years ago i worked on a crew boat in gulf of mexico. when we had mechanics on board if they lost something in the bilges and i found it usually i would give it back next time they came out to do work.
Awesome:)
*THE*
*ABSOLUTE*
*WORST*
We all felt this pain. Lost a hard handle Snap on long handle flex head in an engine bay because (as usual) was rushed and Dropped the lift before I followed myself up. Ironically, the ratchet stopped the bolt it was in from loosening up, and was waiting for me when the customer “heard a rattle”
It’s the flex 1/4” and stubby 3/8 ratchets that hurt the most tho😢
Stay strong brothers
Yep. It's happens to us all :(
I don't remember how I managed it, but I did an LOF on a Chevy EcoTech. Left my favorite Snap-On ratchet, I think it was a 6 inch extention, U-joint, and the specialty socket on the cowl.
By the time I figured it out, the service advisor just handed me the phone and said it's dialing
Uh yeah hi I just worked on your car a while ago, and I accidentally left my tools under the hood. They cost me a few hundred bucks and I was just wondering if you might still be close by?
90 minute drive and she had already made it home again. 😬
She was cool about it though. I tried to give her two $20 bills for her trouble and she said no. Ended up requesting me by name to do everything on her car.
I learned. Always put away all tools before pulling the vehicle out, and make a mental note to check your drawers for missing tools
That's great. I've made some awkward phone calls and it's always turned out good like yours
The dealership I use has a large sign stating " not responsible for items left in the vehicle." Why should customers care about forgotten tools? I'm just saying.
The fact you don’t work on your car and take it to a dealer pretty much sums up your nonchalant attitude.
Mechanics spend thousands of dollars on tools, of their own money. If you’re a doctor do you buy your own medical equipment?
It’s one of the only industries where you are expected to buy your own tool set.
The dealership has that sign cuz they care about money and are likely questionably ethical.
The mechanics are the ones doing the work, keeping your car safe and going down the road.
Maybe show a little gratitude? Or empathy? Tools are expensive
it only takes a little effort to be a good person, but it takes 0 to be an A-hole so I can see why a lot of people take that route.
Because we have to buy our own tools. Hence why for the first ten years of our career, we make less than minimum wage. But apparently you've never struggled to buy food and pay the rent on time. So I wouldn't expect you to understand.
Todd I completely agree servicing technicians need to be responsible for their actions and omissions.
@@wayneessar7489 sure. but thats like saying if you find a wallet on the ground you shouldn't return it because whoever lost it, just 'shouldn't have lost it'. does it happen often? no. but people act like its always 100% avoidable when you work on 5+ cars a day 7 days a week. sometimes you lose stuff. they are responsible for their tools, but does that mean you need to be an a-hole and not give it back? refer back to my wallet example, or make it keys or a phone and then tell me you've never lost something and IF YOU DID, you wouldn't want it returned. Its just the nice thing to do, ie again, what if you found a wallet?
I recently lost a Cyclops light. It's prob stuck under a car. $40 out. My brother used my backup socket set. I used it yesterday and 10mm socket is missing. Out $10.
I’m fucking horrible with lights. Lost the whole set of power probe pod lights. Lost my streamlight stinger the big one. I have the small one still. Ive lost about 5 of those cyclops. Lost a bunch of various penlights. Lost some fire snap on magnet lights. The last cyclops I lost I found under a truck and I used it for about a year. Just bought another 3 weeks ago and last week just lost the old one.
You think that's bad. I work on Corporate Jets. If we lose a tool all work stops and everybody starts looking for it until it's found . if not we have to fill out a lost tool form and turn it in to mgt. And that tool can bring down a plane if it jams in the wrong place. And yes we buy our own tools too.
After awhile I started double checking my tools before I drove the vehicle out. But I always had the habit of forgetting my expensive flash lights lol. And at that time, not sure now all lights were black. I wish they were brighter colors lol 😂.
Same here. I worked on city streetcars, and forgot my magnetic flashlight underneath. Founded week later still on. I wish they’d make brighter color flashlight cover. Worst is the camouflage. Drop that on the ground…
The owners son lost a matco socket and extension in a vehicle. They blamed me and treated me bad for days. I found them in the cowl of the vehicle at a different shop several years later. Ive had customers bring tools back. Typically a plastic trim tool.
I was bad for trim tools
We understand your tools are important. Check out the vehicle before giving it back. Don’t try to push off your job on your customers.
@@Justiceincorporated. doesn't work like that in a perfect world. Like you've never forgotten important things before?
I'm sorry Mr. Perfect
@ sure I forget. Last step should be. Do I have all my stuff
Right cus when you pushed by the customer the manager and the service advisor to get it done and you are stressed about it you are never gonna forget something. You have no idea how stressful being a mechanic actually is.
its like when you misplace your keys or phone, but then they drive away forever.
Showed this video to one of my friends whose a pro mechanic
in his words "I carry a stack of sticky notes and a pencil in my pocket. I write down every tool I take out for a job or that I lend to someone"
Maybe that'll help some of you :)
MAN... I lost a few tools .. Left them in cars. I never seen them again.. WIshed the customer would bring it back. I hated working fast at the dealer.. I learned to keep a small cardboard box. Every tool I used I put the tool back in the box so I would not leave anything. You lose the tool... You lose all the $ you made on the job sometime
I gave up on Snap-On and Mac years ago, I'm more likely to lose a tool than break it. Most of my tools all come from Princess Auto, not always great quality but less of a hit when you lose something.
I have a 1/4 snap on mid 15 mm underneath hood right now
10mm on a 3/4"-1/2" ratchet?? bro, you sure you're a mechanic? (I'm just kidding, I agree and have experienced much of what you talked about...I still miss that magnetic light)
With the crap pay in this trade, I’m considering selling all my Snap On stuff and replacing it with Powerfist stuff
Why should mechanics dish out big bucks for quality stuff when it’s the shop owner who reaps 85% of the benefits?
They will take on jobs that require specialized tools, like crank seal installers or diff seal installers not even realizing it takes a special tool to do the job
Why should the mechanic have to buy specialized tools that are quite expensive and only use it once every 4 or 5 years?
When I was younger at my first shop I lost the shop battery tester in a customers car. I looked it up and saw it was a 400 dollar tool and felt terrible.
On another note I found a snap on 3/8 air rachet under the hood of a car however this was a used car sold to us with no history and while I felt bad for the guy who lost it I wasn't gonna try to chase it down, I feel like it's a hazard in the industry and if it's possible to get it back to the person I'll try but otherwise I keep it and recognize if another guy finds my tool under the hood and can't find out who lost it I expect them to keep it
I still have it in my drawer, I got in the habit of double checking over all my work and checking where I put tools and even taking the time to put parts on the ground in a line next to the tool I used to take it off. It takes up a bit of space so I can't always do it but when I can it makes it a breeze to put it all back together
Why should you feel terrible? Honest mistakes happen all the time. The shop should feel bad for paying techs so little compared to how much they charge customers.
I had a Snap on volt/ohm meter left in my vehicle. Even though the mechanic couldn't diagnose the issue, after paying a second time. I returned his meter.
At least an apprentice or mechanic can offset some tools with a tax form. I repair commercial food equipment but not licensed so i pay out of pocket for all my tools. Luckily i don't need the quality or quantity as automotive but as you said depends how much disposable income is left.
Guess depends where you are. Never been able to use any of my ppe or tools as a tax rebate in Ontario. Still. Sucks any one has to buy stuff for there job
mechanics dont make a great ammount of money and the tools price is a rip off
What kind of bozo buys overpriced snap-on then leaves them behind?
the kind that buys them in the first place? I lost a ratchet once, it was cheap tho so I just got a new one, and its still 15% the price of a snap on
Just happens
i left a $100 surefire flash light o. the bed of a truck i was working on. don't remember what is was doing but left it on the bed rail and got called off to go do something. 5 minutes later the truck was gone with my flash light.
Damn :(
especially when it falls in engine bay then u spend time looking for it and end of the month u hav worst ERT time out of all techs in the shop....i hate this shit man.
being a mechanic is like being a hooker. everyone like sex sure but no one likes to do it everyday all day with different people.
same way i like working on vehicles sure but doing it everyday, all day, on different shitboxes it sucks. m on my 2nd yr of apprenticeship and ready to quit. but idk what else i can do to make a living.
@lifequalsrootofallevil it's never to late to change. Look into heavy equipment or electrical. Factory maintenance. Hvac. It's a pay cut at first but man things get better quickly
The sooner you get out, the longer you will have pursuing something you enjoy!
@@JamesSmith-xs7sr this is what i enjoy doing. i just cant cope with working for someone else. i own a piece of land and im saving up money to build a garage on it. hopefully i can get my ticket by then. after that fuck it, im working at home whenever i want and on whatever i want. if i want a day off, ill take it. thats what id enjoy
Customers be like " I paid enough, why shouldn't I keep it"
You left your tool in the vehicle after service? Guess you don't care about your tools, mine now! 😊
well if you've never misplaced anything ever, then I guess you could say that.
@Born_Stellar well, when I took my engine apart, I labeled everything. When finished, I put all my tools back where I found them. If you are organized and clean you won't misplace items when working on a car. That's just me though, can't speak for others.
@@FluffyHawk13well when you have to stop working on one car to go touch another car and then another depending on who's waiting, who's not it's easy for it to happen. A lot of times techs are working on more than one car at a time and being rushed
@@FluffyHawk13 you're argument is that you are infallible, and I call BS. never at any point have you ever misplaced anything, ever? you should be in the guinness record book man, no one is that perfect.
@Born_Stellar yes I'm not perfect and misplaced things but when it comes to fixing things with tools I lay everything out like surgical instruments, pick up a tool and put it back where I found it so that at the end of the day, everything is counted for...
Who in the world would make a big deal about it?
All I have found is a terrible wooden handle screwdriver (more like a chisel now).
15 to 25 dollars an hour?
What about the tools stolen from the customer and the worker pretends it was his.Everybody who works with tools knows which ones belong to the customer which ones are the workers and which one belong to the company.
Never been accused of that but damn
Ever since the rechargeable flashlights with magnetic baces I've went through several. I would use one up inside of the frame rail and then it dies and no more flashlights. I've had a flashlight go to Texas and back on top of a transmission. It happens. 👎🇨🇦🔧
I've lost a few ;)
meh. missing 10mm? thats minor compared to working on british/australian equipment.
i just emptied out a toolbox trying to get two bolts undone. a unique mixture of metric, SAE, and BSA aka whitworth... (shitworth)
not quite 7/16. not quite 11. not quite 15, 16, 5/8, or other.... bad enough when half the stuff is metric and SAE, to find all three standards on one very small bit of gear is just.... FFS...
I lost 1982 Mac tools ¹/₄ short ratchet in one my own cars. Just before I sold it. It was like loosing my favorite shoes. 40 years ago that ratchet was with sockets $200. After that, I’ve made habit keeping tools that I need for the job at one spot and not leaving them around the repair area. That way I know they’re not going get lost.
Other thing keep my tool bag organizing, not just tossing them in after use.