Lockouts

[thtdon]

I do a lot of lockouts.  I always have.  And I am very good at it.  I estimate that I open 99% of the lockouts that I attempt.  I do as many lockouts as tows.  And I rarely have any issues doing so.  I can't remember the last time that I was accused of damaging a car while unlocking it.  I get a lot of tips.  I get enough tips to keep me caffeinated every day. 

 

One night a couple of weeks ago, I got a call to open a Porsche.  Historically, a Porsche can be a very difficult car to open.  When I attempt to open any car, whether it is a Porsche or a Pinto, I cover the surfaces that I come in contact with duct tape.  The only trouble with that is in the summer, the adhesive on the duct tape really sticks, and I have to rub the surface clean.  So I taped up around the door post.  I put the air wedge in place.  And I inserted the long rod.  (Something to bear in mind about the long rod is, you should replace it when the finish begins to chip off.  The rod is powder coated, and not painted.  A chip in the coating can scratch the paint on the car.  And more than once, I have cut myself on a chip.  So I am very careful, and I make sure that I replace a rod that has the coating chipping off.)

 

I tried unsuccessfully to open this Porsche.  I probably worked at it longer than usual, as generally I can unlock a car in under 10 seconds.  I reluctantly told the customer that I was giving up.  And I suggested that he call a locksmith.  I told him that a locksmith could cut a key from the VIN.  And that key will open the door.  But it won't start the car.  When I removed the duct tape, the customer noticed that there was a slight scratch on the corner of the glossy plastic filler piece that sits between the front door and the back door.  Even though I covered it with duct tape, the rod wore through the tape on the sharp corner, and left a scratch.  I fully expected that I would end up replacing that glossy filler piece.  But I did not expect a $1300 bill for it.  The pictures that were provided by the damage claim person were fuzzy and unclear.  I know exactly what I did.  But the fuzzy pictures suggest that the door is all scratched, way more than I did.  I got a notification from the motor club that the customer had claimed damage.  The damage claims person emailed the claim to me.  But he did not call first.  The email box that the claim was sent to gets over 100 pieces of junk messages a day. So I did not notice the message from the motor club.  I came across it a few days ago, while looking for another message.  The matter is not settled yet.  Although it is pointless to contest it because I always lose.  All I can do is refuse to try to unlock a Porsche again. And I refuse to service that guy again.  He was an asshole to me from the minute that I arrived.  I think that he was mostly mad at himself for locking the keys his car.  But he took his anger out on me.  He will not get another bite of the apple from me. 

 

For the chump change that they pay us for our services, it is not worth the risk to try to service anything where there is a real possibility of damage.  Earlier today, I received what I thought was a routine call to tow a 2021 Mercedes to the dealership.  But after I read through the whole call, I discovered that the wheels were stolen from the car, and that it was sitting on the ground.  I informed the car owner that she will have to secure a set of wheels and 20 lug nuts before I will respond.  She agreed with me, and we canceled the call.  I called in the cancellation to the motor club.  But the dispatcher I talked to was sitting in her kitchen in India, I think.  I don't know whether she understood me or not. 

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Thtdon, I am sorry to hear that this happened to you. I think it is safe to say, We have all been there. I know I have.

Like you, I have always been of the opinion that it is best to just own up to any mistakes or damage I may have caused and do whats needed to rectify the damage. No matter how good we are, We are all human. Sometimes S#!t happens. Sadly, a lot of customers ( especially with a club in their corner ) Will Attempt to over exaggerate What happened to squeeze more out of it Like your customer seems to have done to you. One job like this that sticks in my head is  a lockout I had a while back That the customer ended up not only claiming I tore his weather stripping and scratched the hell out of the B-post ( which was torn and damaged from his attempts to use a coat hanger before calling me ) but also tried to claim I took a crisp  $100 bill he just so happened to have in his cupholder when I supposedly reached into the car to get the keys after unlocking it. And realistically, If it wasnt for the fact that my dash camera recorded the entire service ( thank god my truck happened to be facing the vehicle ) It would have essentially been his word against mine. and it was just that at first till I realized that my dash cam might have got it. I went back into it and there it was.. There is no audio but Not only can you see me pointing out the damage to him before I ever touched the car with any tool, You then  see me taking the coat hanger he used off the roof of his car, balling it up and hanging it on my back pocket so I could throw it away back at my truck. The real "Money shot" is when after I unlocked the door, you see me just unlatch the door handle without fully opening it, I then bend down and pick up my dropped paint protector and walk back to my truck without ever swinging the door open at all. I never entered the car. The customer reached in and grabbed his keys while I was back at my rig putting my tools away and grabbing my invoice book. 

I am also VERY picky as to what vehicles I will perform lockouts on in general But especially for a motor club. Even back when I was contracted with a couple of them, I would turn down most exotics unless I knew for a fact I could get in it easily.  Not only because I barely made fuel $$ on lockout calls with them but also due to these types of scenarios.

I kinda feel like what happened to you was more or less a "revenge" complaint by that customer mainly because you said he was already in a pissy mood and being an ass to you from the start and that just got amplified when you threw the towel in on it.  

Also, I know how much it sucks to quit on one But dont beat yourself up on it. At least it was a tricky Porsche... The last one I threw the towel in on was a friggin Honda Civic believe it or not..... To this day I have no idea why the hell I couldnt get in that F^@ker..... 🤬

[repobob]

I don't know if this tip would help. I've taken a 16-20 oz. [1 liter for SUV's & trucks] water bottle & cut the ends off then flattened it & after I air wedged the door I slip the flattened bottle in the gap & run my long rod through the bottle.  So far no issues with scratches or torn weather strips. On a side note I had trouble with a '21 high-end Toyota Camry the other night, tried everything but it wouldn't open, alarm went off as soon as I pulled the handle. I ended up using dollies on it. Rob 

[ccg]

after reading both of your posts , i have to ask ,just how cheap are you ding lock outs for?? you complained about how littke you get paid. i do a fair amount of lock outs for motor clubs some contracted some not, i believe i charge a profitable service fee. i use to turn them down ( 25 years ago) until i went to my first Tow Show (Balitmore) were i took a class from Sully tools. His recomedation was not to take his class if your going to charge $25.00 for service, after all lock smiths recieve upto $125.00 per call. So i took his advice adjusted his suggested price and have been paid well for my services. I have been sent as much a 65 miles away occassionally for loct out services and recieve milage to and back in addition to the service. my time is valuable that is what i charge for.

[Stubborn66]

 

that's a tough one

On 9/27/2021 at 10:06 AM, thtdon said:

I fully expected that I would end up replacing that glossy filler piece.  But I did not expect a $1300 bill for it.

 

exactly why I won't do lock outs, the reward is not worth the risk,,

 

 

[Central Towing]

Our lockout rates are on par with our tow rates because the risk is so high. We explain to the customer prior to sending a driver they will have to sign a damage waiver, that while such occurrences are rare and we make every attempt to perform the service without incident, they do happen simply due to the nature of the service. We've never had to use it and God only knows how effective it would be against a fictional claim, but hopefully its deterrent enough. 

 

In my opinion, they should be called "break-in's" not "lock-outs." That terminology describes the customer's experience when you think about it, not ours. Its a customer that's simply "locked-out". The challenge for the SP is to "break-in".  Seems much more daunting of a task when correct verbiage is used to describe the action. We make sure to tell the customer prior to the service that we are essentially doing just that.......breaking into your vehicle. There is no easy way to do it, yes we're doing it as gentle and cautiously as possible, but its still a spade...*shrug*

 

Toyota's have always been a pain for us. They def take longer than most if we accept them at all. Honda's weather-stripping seems to be double layered on some vehicles. For that reason, if its not an older Honda we generally turn them down. We do not accept any premium vehicle for obvious reasons. Some may be easy but like the scenario the OP is going through, its just not worth it. Imagine if you tear the weather-stripping or even pull it down somehow...the customer will likely request replacement (which they're entitled too) and because of supply chain issues the dealer cant get one and the customer is fearful water will seep in when it rains so they request a rental for the time it takes the dealer to get a door weather-stripping (which the price is already inflated for before inflation). I'm painting a horrible picture but its easy to see how a mistake spirals completely out of control with an indignant customer and indifferent motor club. 

[ccg]

this a responce to Stubborn 66 , If you take a little time at the shop one day try try getting  2 one gallon milk jugs and cut the tops and bottoms off below the handles then cut cut it vertically now giving you a large piece of plastic ,iron it flat both pieces . if you insert both pieces through the weather strip this will provide the protection that you will need to protect paint and garnish moldings . simplely slide your wedges or big easy between the 2 plastic milk jugs . it works i use it all the time.

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by ccg
finish

[Stubborn66]

CCG, thanks for the tip.  I have thought about doing lock outs, I get a dozen calls a week sometimes.  I actually bought a kit and was going to start practicing on cars as they came through the shop.  Then, I read about the original posters experience and stay away. 

I don't know what a lock out pays, but I can't imagine it is worth the risk of a 1300.00 claim

[thtdon]

The worst part about that $1300 claim is the damage claims person at Agero refused to let me notify my insurance company about the incident.  He said that they were going to take the money out of my checks, which they did, whether I liked it or not.  After forcing me to increase my limit to $1 million, they refused to let me use it.  The guy said that I signed a contract.  And it specifically states that Agero can take money out of my check any time they want to.  I signed no such agreement.  No one likes to make a claim against their insurance.  If it was a couple hundred bucks, I would prefer to pay out of my pocket.  But $1300 is lot to eat. 

 

Meanwhile Stubborn66, when you do a lockout, always cover the surfaces that your tools will come in contact with duct tape.  I always do that, and I did that in the case described above.  But I worked it much longer than usual.  And the tool wore through the duct tape, making a tiny scratch on the filler trim piece.  Don't be afraid to use multiple layers of tape.  Duct tape is cheap. 

[Stubborn66]

 

15 minutes ago, thtdon said:

The worst part about that $1300 claim is the damage claims person at Agero refused to let me notify my insurance company about the incident. 

That, and the fact that the claim was likely inflated, and the customer will pocket the money.

 

Fortunately, I have enough other work to keep me busy.  I bought that lock out kit over a year ago and it still sits in the corner.   My cousin used it once to unlock his girlfriend's car........no claim for me and I don't want to know how he got paid😁