I used to be the same listening to people in the pub say they had "serviced " their cars and saved loads over the garage prices, until I asked did you do this did you fit new that etc. When the answer was no , I used to say, to "Not much of a f ing service then"
Mind you with all the menu type services you get these days at Dealers I find unless they have had every service done according to the service book many miss items along the way.
If a new customer asked me how much for a service I used to ask what do you want doing, a cheap oil, filter and levels under the bonnet, or a proper full service, which in the old days was plugs,points, tappets, timing, engine and filter, gearbox and axle levels, brakes off and inspect, steering,suspension, tyres checked, lights checked, oil the door locks and hinges, road test which I used to charge 3 hours labour plus materials. I would also contact the customer if I saw anything else that needed doing to get their decision. These days the service only seems to include what is on the menu and the mechanic does just that as he is on a bonus scheme that if he spends any longer affects his earnings, where I could be flexible enough to squeeze any extra work in at the same time saving the customer more labour stripping it down again if they agreed and if not I would make a note on their invoice of what I had found for them to decide later, but no one could say I had missed something.
I will say my regular customers would happily say go ahead if for instance I noticed a brake cylinder starting to leak and before it got on the brake shoes so saving them extra cost. I could always justify anything I said needed doing and if as in one case the husband picked up the phone and accused me of trying to pad out the bill I was happy for him to come down and inspect whilst the brakes or whatever were still stripped down so they could see for themselves and then their wife would lay in to them and tell them to keep their nose out as they trusted me.
