So, I've gone to the Miller brothers almost exclusively for work on my cars, which would typically cost 30 to 50% more at the dealerships. I trusted these guys because they seemed to behave honestly, and their work seemed good.
So we could say they earned my trust. However, as experience has informed me and the old adage goes, trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, which happened today.
Allow me to explain:
I had perhaps unwisely prepaid for the oil changes at the dealership when we bought the car. So now, when we get the oil change at Toyota, they always have something to fix. So, I stopped bringing it to the dealership and brought the vehicle to Miller Brothers Garage in Stow several weeks ago.
The more personable of the two brothers took a quick look at the brakes and told me to come back when my brakes were squeaking to get my money's worth. I asked him what the approximate cost of the brake job was, and I think he said it was about $600 or so dollars, while the dealership wanted $900 or $1000.
(If you ever go in there - you'll know which brother is more personable because it's not the one with the comically styled "Lego" hair. My girls were so enamored with the novelty of this guy's hair that they asked to take pictures with him... to each their own.)
So anyway, I had taken Billy's honest advice -- I think that's his name anyway -- and I drove it until it seemed like the brakes needed to be done.
Last week, I called TWICE to see if I could schedule an appointment, but I didn't receive a phone call back. I figured they were super busy and hadn't had a chance to call me back.
So, I called again this week and still haven't gotten a callback. This was perplexing but perhaps understandable if you're super busy. I also know these guys are kind of low-tech. For example, they only accept cash or a check--no credit cards.
Needless to say, I was a little frustrated because I was heading out of town and wanted to see if I could schedule them to do the brakes while I was away. Mind you, I tried to schedule this starting two weeks ago.
Anyway, I dropped by in person tonight, expecting an "Oh, sorry we haven't gotten back to you yet. How can we help?"
That didn't happen.
I drove up next to the garage and saw the Lego-haired brother talking to another mechanic, and I was greeted with, "What do you want? You know it's five of six (pm), right?"
I was a little taken aback by the display of clear annoyance at a potential paying customer (me). But maybe he had a bad day, I don't know.
So I paused and then gave him a second chance by saying, "I was just hoping to see if I could schedule to have my brakes done by you guys. "
The annoyed response was, "Call back in the morning." At this point, trying to rescue this guy from blowing up the relationship and missing out, I replied that I'd already called three or four times. I was expecting his response to schedule me or promise to contact me in the morning or something. Instead, he just went back to talking to the other mechanic.
So I looked at him and said, "Do you want my business?" He said, "I don't care."
A little shocked and annoyed, I just drove away because this is a small town with several mechanics. Not to mention, one can drive over to Maynard and get a lot more. Although I think these guys do a good job, it's not like you can't get what they do elsewhere.
Anyway, I drove to the Brazilian-owned gas station and made an appointment. The owner, Rubin, is a good guy; I know he values my business. He personally returns my calls, and I could even text him if needed.
Stow is a small town, so good luck, boys. I wouldn't be surprised if the Miller brothers never read this review, but if they do, perhaps the PlayMobile hair guy will reflect and change his ways to avoid making the same self-owned mistake with somebody else. In the meantime, thank God I live in America and can vote with my feet and my dollars.
8/15/2024 UPDATE:
If you read Billy's response to this review, you will see that business owners don't take accountability for their poor behavior. People like to work with professionals who treat others with respect.
Instead, customers are treated to an ad hominem attack in attempts to distract from a business owner's shortcomings.
For the record, I paid half the cost the day I picked up the car and the paid the other half by the end of the next day.
Why didn't I pay all at once, you may ask?
It wasn't because I didn't have the money. It's because the Miller Brothers don't accept credit cards. The service bill was more than $500 which is more than the daily limit my bank allows. So I took out what I could that day and paid the rest the next day. Just another hassle on top of the insults when dealing with these guys. read more
