This is a long one, if you don't have time just know that the owner, Blake, was a huge jerk to me after dealing with my insurance when I got broken into. Their service was great but that guy was really a piece of work. I recommend if you're in East Lake go to Saigon Garage because Thanh (owner) has never done me wrong and is always affordable. I only went here because Saigon doesn't do glass.
My car was broken into on Monday morning and I needed to get my front window replaced. My insurance company's preferred provider didn't have an opening for four days so I googled this place and they said they could get my car in. My first experience was great, the front desk staff is very nice and explained everything well. I received an email a few hours later with a bill for $540 and called because I thought insurance was going to handle it and I was worried.
The manager, Blake, was all right at first, though he was kind of gruff on the phone it was not directed towards me (at first) and it just sounded like he had a thing against insurance companies. He literally kept saying "I've played this game before with them" like they were in some old-time feud. He told me he sent them an email and was going to start working on my car once they got back to him. Even the way he said that was kinda rude though, he said "I didn't even start working on your car and I'm not going to until we can come to an agreement." Did you have to say it that way? No. He told me I needed to call the insurance company again so that's what I did.
I am totally new to this situation so I said that's ok, just do what needs to get done. I had honestly been crying all morning because my stuff was stolen and I was in a panic so I just went with whatever was being told to me. When I followed up with him on the insurance claim he said he was going to try to make sure I didn't pay anything and offered me a loaner car, I was really happy for that and accepted. When I got the loaner car the next day I was told to fill it with gas and gave them my insurance and driver's license number, and again the staff at the front desk was very nice and helpful.
A day later, my car was ready and that was when Blake started being a jerk. He called me, and apparently he didn't like dealing with my insurance company (which was not my fault), told me he called them but they never called back so he just lowered the price on his services and I had to come get the car that day. He told me I had to pay around $300 and he wasn't sure if insurance would cover it. I was worried about it but I called my insurance agent and they said they could reimburse me.
I work two jobs and go to school full-time, so I told him I couldn't make it that day since I had to get to class right after work, and asked if I could come two days later to get my car because that was the only time I could make it work with his hours of operation. He told me I could not do that because I had his loaner car and was aggressive on the phone. He called me at like 2:30 PM and said his shop closes at 6 so I should be able to get there. I don't know about you but most of us have to commute to and from work and I'd already missed a full day of work dealing with this theft so I had no time left to take off early. I just gave up arguing with him, talked to my boss and left work early and talked to my prof so I could come to class late, rushed over there and made it 10 minutes before the shop closed. Even though there was nothing in the loaner car agreement that said I had to get it back immediately after my car was done, and I have never had a shop owner tell me when I have to get my car back like it's a threat.
This is the ridiculous part. I turned in the loaner car (to the same front desk person who was still very helpful and would get 4 stars if this review were only about her). While I was checking in with her, this dude called her from the back, probably to ask if I was there yet with his precious loaner car. I kid, I don't know what the call was about. Anyway, she got my car, I left the loaner in the lot, exchanged keys, paid. This guy comes out of the shop while I'm getting into my car, and then when I was sitting in my car in the parking lot, in front of the shop and looking at my phone, he gets into the loaner car, drives up behind me, and honks his horn. For real. He had plenty of space to go around me and I was there for like 30 seconds. I just can't believe what an a-hole he was to me, especially after he knew I had just gotten robbed. read more