As you guys know I like to keep my bikes in the best condition possible. There are three big bikes mechanics in Udon and try to spread my business around, to be fair to them each.
A few weeks back I went to the Gigos shop and wanted to get the bike completly gone through rebuild the engine and the entire electrical system. Thinking it would ge done under a 100K, but when your done a new bike that I wouldn't have to worry about in the upcoming season. He in turn sent me to another mechanic as he had no mechanic, I did as he directed and just as I thought I didn't get the work I wanted. The guy cleaned the gas tank again and supposedly went through the bike and I'm sure in his style he did just that he is a good mechanic no doubt about it. The bikes running OK just a bit hard to let it idle.
However the nuetral safety switch is being very tempemental, so I thought hey bypass the turkey and just make sure I'm in neutral when I start it. Not exactly a big job. I pulled into Gigos and noticed he had a new mechaninc working.
So I got off the bike and the guy who has been approaching me for four years walks over to ask me what was wrong I explained it to him. He walked over to Gico, who came over to me obviously angry. He aked me why I had talked to the man I talked to saying he was sick. I told him sorry his man was sick and apoligized for bothering him.
Then he said to me you took the bike to other shop didn't the adjust the valves, I told him no and what the guy who had told him what the guy had done. He seemed very upset that I had went to the other shop and reminded him that I had brought the bike to him to do major repairs the last time I did that in his shop it 20K, and he told me to take it to the other man. That I had just did what he told me to do.
Things wre rapidly getting out of hand on his side, so I simply asked him if I understood him correctly did he not want me to come to his shop and longer. The answer yes.
Now this is where it gets interesting in four years, I have never haggled about price, never complained of workmanship, and have always tipped the mechanincs. Including the very guy who approached me today. So I have no idea what brought this on and probably never will.
I can only be left with the impression that if you don't want to spend a mil plus for one of his Harley's he really doesn't want you around his shop. But I could be very wrong.
I have alway known that he is expensive but tended to do good work, but the mechaninc that did that work is no longer there. Gigo himself is an acccomplished mechaninc. Maybe the pressures of not having the old mechanic has made him edgy. I do one thing I really don't want the confrontation, nor could I in good conscious ever recommend anyone to use his shop.
So I'm now down to two big bike mechanincs in Udon
An interesting encounter at the big Bike shop Gigos today.
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Prenders88
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 3482
- Joined: July 7, 2005, 12:51 am
- Location: Udon Thani
This was a consistent problem for me the first few years here.I was trying to be a good guy by spreading my business around.I can't even remember how many time this sort of ''jealousy'' happened,it happened so many times.Some people believe that it a basic problem with the girls,but I came to the conclusion that it inherent in any situation yhat ''competition'' exists in Thailand!It happens in Thailand between falang owned retail shops.I not sure of the reasons,but I suspect it has a lot to do with relatively low incomes!
Anyway I solved the problem in my neighborhoods in Bangkok,by going to the same store of any specialty,once I found the best one.I stopped trying to make friends by giving my business and became a customer expecting good quality and service,generously tipping staff,which kept it friendly enough for me!
