Anyone who deals with the public knows that you will never please everyone. Not even going above and beyond guarantees that your customer will appreciate the effort.
One mechanic says he recently had a particularly frustrating experience with a customer that ended with a 1-star review despite his best efforts.
The mechanic, who posts under L1 Automotive Training (@l1automotive), says in a recent video that he was working late on a customer’s Altima when he felt like “fixing something for free,” partly because he’d just dealt with what he called a headache of a customer earlier in the day.
He explains that after servicing a woman’s car and getting her sign-off on the suggested repairs, he got a notification on his phone for “another 1-star review.” In his video, he claims he went out of his way to help the customer—and still ended up being slammed online.
Viewers were quick to rally behind him, encouraging him to continue doing good work and not let one bad experience deter him. As of this writing, his video has been viewed more than 13,800 times.
What Happened?
The mechanic says the customer came to him with an older Scion after another shop told her the car had “extreme electrical issues” they couldn’t figure out. His shop, despite being slammed, managed to get the car in early and began working on it.
When he checked it, the battery was “stone cold, dead,” so they charged it, tested it, and confirmed it had failed.
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“We have a policy, and that policy is we don’t diagnose cars with dead batteries,” he says. But he broke that rule for her and still tried to diagnose the issue, even though he couldn’t replicate the car’s problem.
He recommended new spark plugs and a new battery—over $300, including installation, cable cleaning, terminal repair, and complete system retest. She approved the work, he says, but later he was hit with multiple 1-star reviews from her and even her family, accusing the shop of ripping her off and taking advantage of women.
The mechanic took issue with that claim, pointing out, “We are a female-owned shop.” He says the woman never contacted them with concerns and accused her of lying about details, like claiming he installed a “used battery.”
“You do everything you can for people and bend over backwards,” he says. “It really frustrates me.”
He ended with a PSA for customers: “When small businesses around you do good, leave them a review.”
How Leaving 1-Star Reviews Hurts Mechanics
One-star reviews hit small mechanics the hardest. For shops with just a handful of ratings, a single negative review can significantly impact their average, harm their visibility in Google searches, and deter potential customers before they even reach the website.
Platforms like Google use your star rating to determine where your business appears in search results. Drop from five stars to four, and suddenly you’re buried under competitors. Even if people find you, many won’t click—customers naturally gravitate to shops with the highest scores because they look more trustworthy.
That hurts conversions, too. Research from the Medill Spiegel Research Center found that people are most likely to buy when a product or service receives a rating between 4.2 and 4.5 stars. Dip below that sweet spot and new business dries up.
For small shops, the impact is magnified. A business with 10 reviews can see its average rating plummet overnight due to one unhappy customer unleashing online. A perfect 5.0 can suddenly become a 2.0, leaving future customers wondering if something is seriously wrong. And when the review is vague—or worse, false—it can feel like a hit job.
Viewers Encourage Mechanic To Keep His Head Up
Commenters who watched the L1 Automotive Training video tried to reassure him that one bad rating wouldn’t tank his business, especially since he’s known for going out of his way for customers.
“I feel you, brother,” one man wrote. “I deal with it daily.”
“You’re doing just fine, buddy. Don’t let the bad grapes ruin your awesomeness,” another said.
“Hey Bubba, you got 60 cars in the lot… that speaks for itself,” a third added. “Do not stress it. I got a 1-star review from a woman for a light bulb replacement. We didn’t even do it. She just asked at the door for the price.”
“Keep pushing, brother,” said a fourth. “You guys do great work.”
Others weighed in on the potential damage a single bad review can cause to a small business.
“If only these people knew what it takes to do a professional job … maybe, just maybe, they would think carefully before rating your shop,” one said.
“They say that one bad apple makes everybody look bad in this industry,” another wrote. “But one bad review can take away thousands of positive comments. Been there, I feel for you.”
And many fellow mechanics chimed in with their own frustrations about unappreciative customers.
“It’s typical for shops now,” one man said. “I am going through the same thing right now. Everyone thinks you should work for free.”
“It’s always the ones you go above and beyond for,” another echoed.
“Can’t make everyone happy. Most people are keyboard warriors now. Most people want everything for free,” added a third.
Motor1 has reached out to L1 Automotive Training via a direct message on TikTok. We’ll update this if he responds.
Source: Man Diagnoses and Fixes Woman's Scion. Then He Realizes She Left Him a 1-Star Review
