Got screamed at by a customer over a $12 brake cable install

Last Tuesday this guy rolls into the shop in Denver with a 2010 Trek hybrid that sounded like a dying cat every time he braked. I quoted him $12 for a new cable plus labor and he nodded along. I replaced the cable, adjusted the calipers, test rode it around the block, everything felt solid. He comes back 20 minutes later screaming that his brakes are worse than before because the lever feels different now. I tried explaining that new cables stretch and settle after a few hard stops, but he wasn't hearing it. He demanded I put the old frayed cable back on for free. Has anyone else had customers freak out over a simple cable swap?

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robertsmith1mo ago

Last Tuesday I had a guy almost throw a wrench at me because his 20 year old pickup had a new battery and the radio needed a code he lost. Some people just can't handle anything being different even if it's better. That cable thing is a real pain because you know you did good work but they think you messed them up. You did the right thing trying to explain the settling in period, that's just part of the deal with fresh cables.

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