REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR

AFTER GETTING THE REFERRAL FROM MR. WHITTNEY JOHNSON, CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER OF AAMCO ON HYW. 138 IN CONYERS, GA ON FRI. 3/14/14, MR. WHITTNEY ASKED ME TO STRESS TO REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR, THAT IF THEY NEEDED TO CALL AAMCO FIRST TO SEE WHAT WORK WAS DONE ON MY 1995 OLDS CUTLASS CIERA NAMED LEILONNIE 2, THAT I HAD HIS PERMISSION TO LET REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR KNOW OF THE REFERRAL AND THE SHOPS ENCOURAGEMENT TO CALL FOR DETAILS OF JUST FINISHED WORK ON LEILONNIE 2.  SO I CALLED REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR VIA PHONE A FEW HOURS BEFORE CLOSING ON FRI. 3/14/14 AND INTRODUCED MYSELF AND  TOLD HIM ABOUT THE REFERRAL FROM MR. WHITTNEY JOHNSON OF AAMCO IN CONYERS, GA AND THAT HE SUGGESTED THAT I GIVE YOUR SHOP A CALL TO SEE IF THE SHOP COULD TAKE A LOOK AT AND RUN A DIAGNOSTICS TEST ON LEILONNIE 2 BECAUSE AFTER ALL THE WORK THAT HAD JUST BEEN DONE ON HER  (TRANSMISSION REBUILD AND A NEW RADIATOR REPLACEMENT) THAT THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING HOT AND THAT AAMCO SUGGESTED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM AROUND THE INTAKE AND THAT WAS OUT OF THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE.  I THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS SPEAKING WITH MR. REGGIE HOOTEN, THE OWNER, AND HE STATED TO ME THAT HE KNEW MR. WHITTNEY AND THAT THEY SEND WORK TO EACH OTHER QUITE FREQUENTLY.  SO MY MIND WAS IMMEDIATELY AT EASE.  I EXPLAINED TO MR. REGGIE, IN MY LAYMENS TERMS OF WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, THE PROBLEM STILL ONGOING WITH LEILONNIE 2 AND THAT IF I WAS NOT EXPLAINING THE ISSUE CORRECTLY, THAT HE COULD CALL MR. WHITTNEY AT AAMCO TO GET THE FORMAL VERBAGE OF LEILONNIE 2'S REPAIR AND FURTHER ISSUE(S).  MR. REGGIE STATED  THAT AFTER HE LISTENED TO ME, THAT THE SHOP WAS CLOSED OVER THE WEEKEND AND THAT HE COULD GET ME ON MONDAY 3/17/14.  I ASKED HIM IF I NEEDED AN APPOINTMENT, APPROX. HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE AND WHAT KIND OF MONEY HE NEEDED UPFRONT.  AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, IT SEEMED AS THOUGH I HAD ENCOUNTERED  ANOTHER GOOD AUTO REPAIR SHOP.  I WAS IMPRESSED WITH GOOD LISTENING SKILLS AND WILLINGNESS TO GET ME IN PRETTY QUICKLY.  NEEDLESS TO SAY, LEILONNIE 2 STAYED PARKED THE MAJORITY OF THE WEEKEND, UNLESS THERE WAS A NECESSITY.  SO I VISITED REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR APPROX. AT NOON ON MON. 3/17/14.  I FORMALLY INTRODUCED MYSELF AND REFRESHED MR. REGGIE'S MEMORY REGARDING OUR FRI. CONVERSATION.    I COULD ALREADY ASSERTAIN THAT HE LOOKED VERY BUSY AND ALREADY HAD MORE WORK THAN HE COULD HANDLE FOR THE DAY AND SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR HIM IF I RETURNED BACK EARLY ON TUE. 3/18/14.  HE AGREED THAT WOULD PROBABLY WORK OUT BETTER FOR US BOTH.  SO I RETURNED AT 7:45A ON TUE. 3/18/14.  HE WAS ALREADY QUITE BUSY AND HE ASKED ME TO GIVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION TO MR. BILL (WORKED BEHIND THE DESK) - WHICH I DID.  EVEN WITH MR. REGGIE ALREADY BEING QUITE BUSY - HE OFFERED TO DRIVE ME TO MY HOUSE WHICH WAS 2 MILES AWAY.  I TRIED TO BE CONSIDERATE IN THE FACT THAT HE WAS ALREADY VERY BUSY AND I TOLD HIM I NEEDED THE EXERCISE AND I WOULD WALK TO THE HOUSE AND THANKED HIM VERY MUCH FOR THE OFFER - WAS NOT NECESSARY (CAN'T GET BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE THAN THAT)!  SO ON THE SAME DAY (TUE.), MR. BILL GAVE ME A CALL TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE DIAGNOSTICS TEST SHOWED THAT LEILONNIE 2 NEEDED AN INTAKE GASKET (TOP PORTION OF ENGINE), A THERMOSTAT (STICKING) AND AN OIL CHANGE AND THE ESTIMATED COST.  I QUESTIONED THE OIL CHANGE SINCE I HAD JUST HAD ONE PRIOR TO COMING BACK TO ATLANTA FROM NORTH CAROLINA.  MR. BILL STATED THAT SINCE THE INTAKE COVER HAD TO COME OFF, THAT WATER WOULD GET INTO THE OIL, ERGO ANOTHER OIL CHANGE.  I WAS VERY HAPPY THAT MR. BILL EXPLAINED THAT TO ME.  HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS WAS AN ALL DAY JOB AND THEY WOULD BE DONE BY WED. (3/19/14) IF I WANTED TO PROCEED.    I TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD WITH THE JOB AND ONCE AGAIN, I ASKED IF I NEEDED TO WALK BACK TO THE SHOP TO PAY A PORTION OF THE MONEY UPFRONT AND WAS TOLD THAT THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY (SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME SCENARIO I EXPERIENCED WITH THE CONYERS AAMCO).  MR. BILL STATED THAT I WOULD GET A CALL ON WED. (3/19/14) TO PICK UP LEILONNIE 2.  I WAS SO EXCITED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE I WOULD HAVE MY BABY BACK PRETTY QUICKLY.   I WAITED WITH BAITED BREATH ON WED. FOR A CALL THAT MY LEILONNIE 2 WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP.  I DID RECEIVE A CALL FROM MR. REGGIE, BUT NOT WITH THE NEWS I WAS HOPING FOR.  HE WAS HONEST ENOUGH TO TELL ME THAT HE MADE A MISTAKE IN NOT CALLING MR. WHITTNEY FROM AMOCO TO GET THE 411 ON PRIOR WORK DONE ON LEILONNIE 2 WHICH MAY HAVE HELPED HIM TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM.  BASICALLY, ONCE THE INTAKE GASKET WAS REPLACED, AND THE THERMOSTAT REPLACED AND OIL CHANGED, MR. REGGIE DISCOVERED THERE WAS STILL A LEAK AND THAT THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING HOT AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FURTHER DOWN IN THE ENGINE - THE HEADS WERE BLOWN AND THE HEADS WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO BE RE-SURFACED (WHICH WAS MORE MONEY THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED).  SO MR. REGGIE EXPLAINED THE ISSUE TO ME AND ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO - AND BASICALLY I REALLY HAD NO CHOICE - IT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO STOP THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM AND I NEEDED MY CAR.  SO ALTHOUGH HE LOST AN ENTIRE DAY WORKING ON WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE PROBLEM, I DID APPRECIATE HIM LETTING ME KNOW OF THE MISTAKE HE MADE IN DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF A LACK OF INFORMATION OF PRIOR WORK (HE DID NOT HAVE TO TELL ME, BUT HE DID).  I CAN APPRECIATE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT IS FORTHCOMING - BECAUSE I CAN ANTICIPATE HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION.  THAT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE FOR HIM TO DISCLOSE TO ME HIS MISTAKE.  NO ONE IS PERFECT.  WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.  THAT IS HOW MOST OF US LEARN!  SO I BELIEVE THAT MR. REGGIE DID CALL MR. WHITTNEY AND THEN HAD ALL THE INFORMATION HE NEEDED AND INFORMED ME THAT THAT WOULD TAKE YET ANOTHER DAY.  I WAS OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE I KNEW AT THAT POINT, THAT IT WOULD TAKE ME THAT AMOUNT OF TIME TO BEG/BORROW MONEY TO GET MY CAR.  SO, ONCE AGAIN, I HEARD FROM MR. BILL ON THURS. 3/20/14 TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY LEILONNIE WAS DONE AND READY TO PICK UP AND THAT THE OVERHEATING ISSUE WAS RESOLVED.  I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THE NEWS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT HAVE ALL MY FUNDS AS OF YET AND ASKED IF I COULD PICK THE CAR UP ON FRIDAY.  MR. BILL SAID THAT WOULD BE OKAY AND THAT THEY WOULD MAKE SURE LEILONNIE WOULD BE GARAGED AND LOCKED UP OVERNITE AND THAT I WOULD SEE THEM FRIDAY A.M.

 SO I WAS RESTLESS AND EXCITED ALL AT THE SAME TIME FOR FRIDAY TO ARRIVE.  I LEFT MY HOUSE VERY EARLY FRIDAY A.M. TO WALK TO COVINGTON (3 MILES AWAY) TO TAKE CARE OF BANK BUSINESS.  I STOPPED BY REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR ON THE WAY DOWNTOWN COVINGTON TO LET HIM KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING AND WOULD RETURN WITH ALL THE FUNDS.  MR. REGGIE LET ME KNOW THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN TEST DRIVEN AND THAT THE THERMOSTAT GAUGE INSIDE THE CAR WOULD GO UP TO HALF THE DISTANCE ON THE GAUGE UNTIL THE THERMOSTAT OPENED UP AND THEN WOULD COME DOWN TO NORMAL.  I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THAT AND MR. REGGIE AGAIN APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISTAKE HE MADE WITH THE DIAGNOSIS. I TOLD HIM I APPLAUDED HIS HONESTY WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE DISCLOSURE BECAUSE HE DID NOT HAVE TO TELL ME.  SO I GOT TO THE BANK AND HANDLED MY BUSINESS AND RETURNED TO PAY IN FULL (CASH) FOR MY LEILONNIE 2 AND RECEIVED A NICE WARRANTY AS WELL.  I WAS SO EXCITED THAT I COULD NOT FIND MY KEYS TO LEAVE (AROUND MY WRIST).  I THANKED ALL THAT WAS THERE AND ONCE AGAIN COULD APPRECIATE THE SHOPS LISTENING SKILLS, THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE SHOP,  THE SHOP KEEPING ME ABREAST ON THE ISSUES OF THE CAR AND KEEPING MY CAR SAFE, THEIR QUALITY OF SERVICE AND TIMELINESS OF THE JOB AND JUST THE OVERALL ATMOSPHERE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THE SHOP.  THIS IS A SHOP THAT I WILL BE FREQUENTING AND I DO RECOMMEND HIGHLY REGGIE'S AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR WHATEVER YOUR  AUTO NEEDS MAY BE.  THEY ARE HONEST AS THE DAY IS LONG AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT ABOVE ALL ELSE.  AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR G