Pro tip: I was at the community co-op in Portland and a customer's rusty chain taught me to always ask about riding conditions before a tune-up.

Now I start every service by asking 'where do you ride and how often do you clean it,' which saves me from missing hidden wear on parts that look okay at first glance, so what's your first question for a new repair job?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_butler282mo ago

That's a smart way to start. I always follow up with 'what's the weirdest noise or feeling you've noticed lately.' People often forget the small clues until you ask directly, and it points me right to problems I might have missed.

sam5302mo ago

Honestly I just ask what's wrong with it right now.

coleman.jade5d ago

I mean, I get what linda_butler28 is saying about "what's the weirdest noise or feeling you've noticed lately" but honestly that approach can backfire hard. People are terrible at describing noises or feelings accurately, they'll say "it makes a grinding sound" and then you find out it's actually a loose screw that makes a clicking noise, not grinding at all. Plus half the time they just say "it feels slow" which tells you nothing. If you focus too much on their vague descriptions you end up chasing ghosts. Better to just look at error codes or run your own tests instead of relying on how someone "feels" about their car or computer or whatever.