A frustrated mechanic issued a PSA to folks who expect a quick service turnaround on their vehicles. The repair technician, who posts under the name Billy (@billytech) on TikTok, aired his grievances in a clip that’s accrued over 674,000 views.
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In it, he provides a scathing diatribe for those who expect employees to work on their vehicles with alacrity. Billy bluntly tells customers with these expectations to understand that this can’t always be the case. According to him, if you don’t have time to wait at a service repair shop, then you shouldn’t bring your car in.
“I’m gonna say this one [expletive] time,” he starts. “If you ain’t got time to get your car worked on. Don’t come the [expletive] to the shop. When you walk in the door and say, ‘Hey, I need to be somewhere.’ Then [expletive] go there.”
Not everyone was happy to hear that
There was at least one TikTok user who didn’t take too kindly to Billy’s invective. They suggested that he should focus on assisting customers and working instead of making TikToks. Furthermore, they seemed to think that he earns $100+ per hour, which Billy whimsically denies. He posted a sarcastic reply to the commenter stating that if he indeed was making that much, he wouldn’t be posting social media clips.
Another user vented their frustrations with vehicle service delays.
“Don’t schedule me for Tuesday 9am. And not look at the car till Friday,” they argued.
Billy, again, replied to the commenter with humor. He showed off a helicopter dashboard decoration. Next, he quips that the user is probably just salty about the fact that they didn’t have a miniature helicopter in their own car.
Others defend Billy
Although there were several users who criticized Billy’s attitude towards patrons in his video, others defended him. Like this user who penned, “Everyone in the comments completely missing the point. God bless anyone who has to do work for you idiots.”
Another echoed the sentiment, writing, “The entitlement in the comments is crazy. Acting like yours is the only car they are working on.”
One person, however, argued that oil changes aren’t time-consuming operations. “30 min oil change shouldn’t take 3 hours,” they wrote.
Someone else who stated that they’re a service technician weighed both attitudes towards Billy’s post.
“Listen. I’m a tech, worked at dealerships. There is reasonable wait times and there not,” they said. “When someone schedules an oil change and tire rotation. At 8am on a car with 15k on it, it shouldn’t take 4hrs.”
One TikToker argued that many of the folks responding to Billy’s video were simply ignorant. “Every single person in these comments talking about how long it takes have never turned a wrench a day of their lives,” they commented.
@toytecc ♬ original sound – billytech
How long for an oil change?
Auto service chain Jiffy Lube states that the average wait time for an oil change is around 45 minutes. Although, there are several factors that could cause variations in this wait time.
For instance, appointment times. If a customer makes one, then that time slot should be reserved for service on their vehicle. Barring any additional obstacles, then a service tech should be able to jack up their car without issue. Then, drain the oil from their vehicle and replace it with a fresh supply. However, sometimes, problems can arise. I.e. if the tech has difficulty removing the cap from the oil tank. Or, if they spot any damage to the oil tank that causes its fluid to leak.
If the patron doesn’t have an appointment, then this could increase waiting times. Especially if there are customers who came before them. This means that the customer who wants an oil change may have to wait. This could be due to a variety of factors. Such as lift availability, or an insufficient amount of techs or those who are otherwise occupied.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Billy via email for further comment.
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