Strange texting experience…

[tvguy]

I've always thought this makes sense. If someone's business is successful, and they're a bit of a jerk, or treat their customers somewhat poorly, it probably means they're so good at what they do that people put up with them. The flip side is sometimes someone isn't particularly good at providing their service, but they're so darn nice they still get business.

I often think about this in terms of doctors. Both my wife and I had nearly identical experiences (for two different issues, not the same docs) wherein we saw a doctor that was super welcoming, patient and supportive, but didn't resolve or correctly diagnose the problem. In both cases the second doctor we eventually saw was abrupt, standoffish, and cold, even rude, but boy did they know what they were doing, and took care of things.

I've thought about that so often that it's almost like I want the rude doctor. I mean, if I have to have surgery or something else serious, give me the jerk who's a wiz with the knife. I don't care how nice they are at all.

I totally have had the Doctor experiences. I had it early this year with a Cardiologist. I had an ablation and man did he know what he was doing, and the nurses in the hospital and my regular Cardiologist said this guy really does his homework on every patient before recommending a treatment.
On a less important note, guy who runs a bakery near here is kind of a grump. Customers want to know why he doesn't expand since he is routinely sold out within hours of opening, why he refuses to take credit cards. He has a simple answer. ' I don't need to"

 

[sam_gordon]

Because even if he chose to read the text as it making him sound like an idiot; you don't respond as a business or professional the way he did. Him behaving that way either means he's a huge jerk or is at the very least mentally weak...he had basically an outburst on a potential client...that behavior is not that of a stable person.

I had to go back and read. There's nothing in the OP that signifies an "outburst". Here's what's in the OP...

He immediately called and said he couldn’t do business with me. I was confused and assumed it was because of my particular car model, so I asked something to that affect. He said it was because of the tone of my text. I was even more confused and told him I certainly didn’t mean any offense. He read my text back with heavy emphasis on the word “discussed.” I said I could see how the text could be interpreted that way, but I assured him I absolutely did not mean it that way when I sent it. He was very upset—his voice was even shaky. I apologized that he was offended and said it was okay if he didn’t want to do business with me. I understood. He seemed to finally believe me and also apologized, adding that he is a one person business and works hard to respect his customers’ schedules. It was very strange (at least to me), but still plan to bring my car to him.

I bolded the parts that referred to the guy's comments. Aside from the "he was very upset--his voice was even shaky", there's nothing there that says "outburst" to me. Speaking of reading inflection...

 

[disneychrista]

Not being snarky, I honestly want to understand why that text could come off as offensive. He was simply stating they discussed it and it was Friday at 2pm. I don't get why that is rude or hostile? He was stating what had transpired on the earlier phone call.

It is all how you read the text. "we discussed Friday at 2pm" or "we discussed Friday at 2pm" It's one of those things where it is hard to read tone over text. I don't think the OP meant it in a rude or hostile way, just that I can see how it could be taken that way.

 

[RedHead0186]

It is all how you read the text. "we discussed Friday at 2pm" or "we discussed Friday at 2pm" It's one of those things where it is hard to read tone over text. I don't think the OP meant it in a rude or hostile way, just that I can see how it could be taken that way.

And, it sounds like the mechanic maybe had had a negative interaction and therefore was sort of 'primed' to read it with the inflection on "discussed." His reaction was a bit odd, but my first assumption was that he was having a bad day or had had a negative interaction with another client. That carried over into his interaction with the OP, making him assume the OP was being rude. I do think the mechanic's reaction was perhaps a a little much, but we're still all only human. I certainly don't think he's necessarily going off the deep end or anything like some other suggested . . .

 

[gottalovepluto]

Nope, wouldn't take my car to him. He's either unstable or he's so slammed with jobs he can't keep stuff straight. Either way that's a pass.

 

[Mysterian]

I had to go back and read. There's nothing in the OP that signifies an "outburst". Here's what's in the OP...

I bolded the parts that referred to the guy's comments. Aside from the "he was very upset--his voice was even shaky", there's nothing there that says "outburst" to me. Speaking of reading inflection...

Now we have a side argument about what constitutes an outburst. Even this thread is becoming Seinfeldian!

Ultimately, this guy can get away with this because he doesn't have a boss of his own. Were he to have a boss, I doubt that cancelling service over a perceived tone in a text would reflect well on his performance evaluation. Customer service means keeping a professional and polite demeanor, not acting like a goober.

 

[Southernmiss]

I wonder if the mechanic is on the "spectrum" and isn't a good communicator because of that, but is awesome at his trade because he can focus and do the job without personal interaction.

 

[spewey]

Assuming he's as good as his reputation (from what the OP said), I think it boils down to what's more important - his technical ability or his demeanor?

Ideally you'd get both, but my experience is (and gut says) that the more important technical ability is in a job (ie mechanic, surgeon, engineer) the less likely you are to find folk with great interpersonal skills. Our brains don't all work the same way, and rarely have room for everything - keep in mind that people with unusual skills are unusual.

Me, all I care about the person who designed or maintains the plane I'm about to get on is that they are good at that part of their job. Could not care less if they misread a text. But I get that I'm stretching a point here.

 

[prairie_girl]

I wonder if the mechanic is on the "spectrum" and isn't a good communicator because of that, but is awesome at his trade because he can focus and do the job without personal interaction.

Now he’s possibly on the spectrum??

As Charlie Brown would say..Good Grief

 

[Kennywood]

That was a meltdown in search of a reason.

 

[disykat]

First off, OP did nothing wrong and the text was fine.

I do think the reaction was over the top enough that wondering if he has issues that explain the reaction is a normal response. I don't think any of us are assuming we are able to diagnose him, simply adding our own interpretation of possible reasons. My first thought was that he is having memory issues and was sensitive to being corrected about forgetting something. I think that because of MY life experiences though. He could have overreacted for any number of reasons.

I think in general caring enough to try to figure out what happened and what the other person was feeling is a good thing, even if it does cause some speculation. It just means you're trying to understand other people and how to relate to them.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...it probably means they're so good at what they do that people put up with them. The flip side is sometimes someone isn't particularly good at providing their service, but they're so darn nice they still get business.

I've definitely seen the second one! My lawn professional is, let's just say...on an irregular schedule. Sometimes it's vehicle issues, sometimes it's trouble finding help, etc. It drives me (a creature of habit) nuts sometimes, but he's such a great guy, I can't bring myself to replace him.

I've thought about that so often that it's almost like I want the rude doctor. I mean, if I have to have surgery or something else serious, give me the jerk who's a wiz with the knife. I don't care how nice they are at all.

For a surgeon, yes, I want the technical skill as the most important factor, but the bedside manner matters to me in my PCP. I can be a nervous patient, and I need someone who can put me at ease, and prod me to communicate, even if it takes us a little longer.

 

[focusondisney]

Now he’s possibly on the spectrum??

As Charlie Brown would say..Good Grief

Eh, it’s the Dis so that didn’t surprise me. “Invisible disability” and “on the spectrum” are daily refrains on here.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I've definitely seen the second one! My lawn professional is, let's just say...on an irregular schedule. Sometimes it's vehicle issues, sometimes it's trouble finding help, etc. It drives me (a creature of habit) nuts sometimes, but he's such a great guy, I can't bring myself to replace him.

This is exactly how we are about our cleaning lady. She reschedules on us pretty much every time and always has crazy reasons, but she does a good job and we totally trust her to be in our house when we aren't home, so we just roll with it.

 

[Mysterian]

Assuming he's as good as his reputation (from what the OP said), I think it boils down to what's more important - his technical ability or his demeanor?

Ideally you'd get both, but my experience is (and gut says) that the more important technical ability is in a job (ie mechanic, surgeon, engineer) the less likely you are to find folk with great interpersonal skills. Our brains don't all work the same way, and rarely have room for everything - keep in mind that people with unusual skills are unusual.

Me, all I care about the person who designed or maintains the plane I'm about to get on is that they are good at that part of their job. Could not care less if they misread a text. But I get that I'm stretching a point here.

I get the argument that maybe his skill set is what matters above all else, but I'm a believer that attitude affects performance. Especially for someone who works without oversight. Yes we don't know the quality of this guy's work, or his typical demeanor. But he flat out denied service over a harmless text, that's pretty childish.

Maybe this boils down to personal preference, but I would be hesitant with trusting anything of high value with someone like this - especially a car. At least doctors and aircraft engineers are mandated to uphold a standard, despite ever misreading texts. This car guy answers only to himself. Even if the person is technically skilled means little if they have a mercurial nature that adversely affects their work.

So if someone doesn't mind further instances like this with a guy while he's holding your car and you're handing him money, then yeah, give him a whirl if you like. It would certainly make for a long thread!

 

[Micca]

Customer service means keeping a professional and polite demeanor, not acting like a goober.

And here he is getting ready to work on JaxDad's car!

 

[JaxDad]

Update:
So, after strongly considering going to another business, I ultimately decided to go with my original choice. The only thing keeping me from not doing so was the potential for awkwardness, and I felt I really had no reason to feel awkward myself.

When I arrived, I confronted the text “issue” head-on, acknowledging the misunderstanding, and we both apologized again. As we talked, I realized he’s what could be called “tightly wound.” I also noticed his reception area, waiting room, AND shop were very organized and absolutely spotless. He’s a young veteran, and I also served, so we talked about our experiences. I actually talked with him in the shop the entire time he worked on my car. He’s been in business six years and is very serious about doing quality work. He is passionate and very knowledgeable about his business. He also values his customers’ time and carefully schedules work to deliver jobs on time. He is very punctual and expects the same from others. He apparently has all the work he needs from current customers and word of mouth. I think he sincerely tries to be courteous with new customer communications, but he’s not the most patient person. If someone rubs him the wrong way, for whatever reason, he just refuses to work with them and blocks their number on his phone.

Anyway, everything went very well. The work is excellent from what I can tell so far, and I enjoyed talking with him. He also had a cute little Pekingese that hangs out with him in the shop, which was fun.

 

[focusondisney]

Glad the misunderstanding was cleared up & you’re happy with the work @JaxDad.

 

[RedHead0186]

Update:
So, after strongly considering going to another business, I ultimately decided to go with my original choice. The only thing keeping me from not doing so was the potential for awkwardness, and I felt I really had no reason to feel awkward myself.

When I arrived, I confronted the text “issue” head-on, acknowledging the misunderstanding, and we both apologized again. As we talked, I realized he’s what could be called “tightly wound.” I also noticed his reception area, waiting room, AND shop were very organized and absolutely spotless. He’s a young veteran, and I also served, so we talked about our experiences. I actually talked with him in the shop the entire time he worked on my car. He’s been in business six years and is very serious about doing quality work. He is passionate and very knowledgeable about his business. He also values his customers’ time and carefully schedules work to deliver jobs on time. He is very punctual and expects the same from others. He apparently has all the work he needs from current customers and word of mouth. I think he sincerely tries to be courteous with new customer communications, but he’s not the most patient person. If someone rubs them the wrong way, for whatever reason, he just refuses to work with them and blocks their number on his phone.

Anyway, everything went very well. The work is excellent from what I can tell so far, and I enjoyed talking with him. He also had a cute little Pekingese that hangs out with him in the shop, which was fun.

Yes, thank you for sharing. There were a lot of assumptions made and conclusions jumped to about him based on what you shared of your interaction. It's great to hear all is well and it wasn't anything more than him maybe having a rough day and you were able to work past it.