Okay, so most of us have had to take our cars into the dealership for repairs at some point. Usually these are repairs that a trained professional can perform in short order. However, the dealership wants you to "Drop it off in the morning and we'll call you when it's done". This doesn't work for me. Trying to get a back home with 5 kids and no car looks like a refugee migration.
So I have come up with a game plan that works every time:
Mechanic: Okay Mrs. Weasel, we'll call you when it's ready.
Me: That's okay. The kids and I will wait.
Mechanic and Manager(who overheard reply): It will be a few hours.
Me: That's okay. We'll wait.
So, we enter the waiting room and I let children tune the TV to Barney and turn the volume up. Some take to the toy area and start the process of staging tornado aftermath. If I don't see any results within 15 minutes, i.e., my car in the garage on the lift, I suggest to the kids that we 'check out the showroom'. Of course the bushweasels love this idea. New cars parked indoors is craziness!!!!!
We go to the showroom and I let the kids touch everything! Inside and outside these freshly polished cars. We leave no surface without fingerprints. They climb in and out. Touch all the buttons. Enjoy the power sliding doors and tailgates. Running back and forth in all directions each child picking their favorite to drive. Each one climbs into the drivers seat of selected models (like entering bumper cars at the carnival) and pretend to race. I just watch and smile at these lovely children having such a great time. And say things like 'yeah, that car is really cool'.
Next thing I know, I hear over the PA system "Mrs. Weasel, your car is ready". I don't think I've ever waited longer than an hour. And one time I was given a free loner car for the day.
My husband says I can be evil. I call it genius. Maybe I am an evil genius.
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10 comments:
Awesome! The word "genius" is exactly the one that was going through my mind before I got halfway through. Pure brilliance!
Great to know somebody is paying attention. Feel free to try this approach yourself.
Okay, I am reading through this post again. And I have to say......I crack myself up!
Hahaha, that is awesome. Maybe I could borrow all five just for that kind of occasion. You could almost rent them out for people like me, no? Win/Win. :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog with kind comments. I will be back here, too. :)
Genius is correct. I will have to try this next time. Should I cover the children in peanut butter and straw first?
That would be overkill nukedad. Plus, they have to get back in your car at the end of the day. Trust me, they do enough 'natural destruction' without any additional accessories. And it works every time. Just make sure you bring enough children, even if you have to borrow from the neighbors.
This is absolutely BRILLIANT! It makes me wish my kids were younger because they'd never do it now. (Teenagers get embarassed so easily.)Kudos to weaselmomma for such originality!
I don't enjoy the dealership. We have had so many problems with our first van,... and the one they eventually replaced it with. grrrrrrrrr. I like the strategy though, I'll have to put that one in the vault for next time.
I am in awe of your cleverness. This is excellent advice for those of us who need to get on the road faster!
Hi..It's been great time to read your article, really informative thanks keep it up.
Thanks
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