Surgeon General's Warning: The following dramatization is loosely based on historical events. In fact, the people who experienced the actual events would probably not recognize this account at all so the author didn't see any problem in using their real names. Readers are cautioned to exercise their critical facilities when reading this account. The author cannot be held accountable for any conclusions or decisions that the reader may make as a result of reading it.I had a problem with my truck some years back. I thought that recounting my experience might be illustrative. I had been having an intermittent problem with the truck stalling when I came to a stop. As I didn't have much spare time to spend on getting it fixed, I was interested in finding some place nearby that would do the job quickly. In the yellow pages I found "Express Auto Repair." With a name like that they had to be fast so I called them up.
"Can you fix my truck this morning?"
The reply I received was encouraging: "You bring it in and we will do it immediately!"
In retrospect it seemed curious to me that they never asked me what was wrong. But, I thought they must be experienced auto mechanics so I didn't think anymore about it at the time. Anyway, I drove to EAR and when I got there I saw several customers standing around. I went into the garage and found the manager and told him I was the one who called.
"What about all the people outside? I thought you could take me immediately." I said.
"No problem, we'll do you right away" and he signaled to a mechanic who came and drove my truck away.
It was a relief to think that my problems would soon be fixed and that I shouldn't be late to work. Well, the manager was good to his word. My truck was back thirty minutes later. As I was going over my bill I saw that they had replaced the oil pump. That's odd I thought; I didn't know that a faulty oil pump would cause a vehicle to stall. So I asked the manager.
"Stalling? I thought you were in for an oil leak. We saw some oil dripping from the oil pump so we replaced it."
"What about the stalling?" I asked.
"You'll have to bring it in again tomorrow" he replied.
I was glad that they had fixed a serious problem like an oil leak and I blamed myself for not being clear about the stalling. So, the next day I was back.
"You'll have to leave it, we can't get to it 'till this afternoon."
"Do you have a loaner I can use?" I asked.
"Yeah, but it's broken and we haven't had time to fix it."
I decided to remind him this time that the problem with the truck was that it stalled when I came to a stop. He dutifully wrote it down on his notepad. Later that day I was back.
"Is my truck ready?" I asked.
"Sorry" he replied, "You'll have to come back tomorrow."
"It must be really bad" I said.
"Yeah, we can't find another oil pump that fits your truck any place in the area."
"But, you replaced the oil pump yesterday! Why do I need another one?" I asked.
"Well, John, the mechanic who worked on it yesterday, thought that you brought it back because the new oil pump wasn't working properly. He broke it when he took it off and we haven't found a replacement yet. It's the first oil pump he's ever worked on so we'll just chalk it up to experience. I won't charge you for it."
"But, I told you that it was the stalling that was the problem. You wrote it down!"
"Yeah, but Joe used that sheet of note paper to play his numbers at lunch and I forgot to tell John about your problem."
"Who are all those people outside?" I asked again, starting to get a sinking feeling.
"Well, they're people who came in on previous days like you and are here to get their cars fixed again."
"You mean you didn't fix any of their cars right the first time?" I asked incredulously.
"We try but didn't you see our motto in the yellow pages? It says 'Speed is our Most Important Product.' We're an express repair shop. We get you in and out quick. If our mechanics aren't doing something with their hands, they're not doing their jobs. The reason we don't have time to fix your truck today is that we didn't take the time to do it right yesterday."
"Don't people get upset if they have to come back?" I asked.
"I dunno, I never ask. We work on their cars a couple of times and then we don't see them again. We must have got it right the last time they were in."
The next morning I picked up my truck, and after paying the bill, I drove away. That day I had to drive across town for a meeting. My truck stopped just before I arrived at the destination. As I was far from home, I let the local tow service work on my truck.
"What's wrong with it?" I asked the mechanic.
"Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you but you need a new engine. You were out of oil, your pistons seized, and your bearings are gone." he said.
"You mean that new oil pump failed?"
"I don't know anything about a new oil pump, but there was a crack in your oil line that ruptured right above the pump. You pumped out all your oil while driving here."
At least I didn't have to worry about stalling anymore. Not with a new engine. And, while it was not as convenient, I drove across town afterwards for all my servicing. I may be slow but I do learn. I guess EAR never did. They weren't there the next time I drove past.
Coming Next Week: Teach Yourself Core ISO 9000 Unleashed for Dummies in 21 Days
Harrington, The Improvement Process: How America's Leading Companies Improve Quality, McGraw Hill, 1987.