Nikita's Day At The Doc

It's been a good day.

For one thing, I managed to get Nikita checked and serviced, Jordan (for some as yet inexplicable reason) mentioned me TWICE in his blog, and I managed to have some quiet "me" time - all in time to start the ball rolling for classes tomorrow. And yesterday I think I just cemented my status as a wannabe pop culture mediaphilic geek. Yeah, I'm still trying to figure THAT out.

There's also something else, but I think it's just the good vibes. Anyway, as promised, here are my impressions of Nikita's first 1000 km at EON's Glenmarie service centre:

0730 hrs (the 24 hour notation added to make this post seem cooler than it really is):

Arriving at the service centre for the first time, I was kind of amazed at how big the place really is. The reception was quiet, testament to it being a working day. Having gotten my ticket from the two staffmembers at the desk (only 2 numbers away from the current one) I sat down for a total of three minutes before my number was called and I was asked to go to another booth where a stocky guy in a jumpsuit was going over my details.

"First 1000 km?"
"Uh huh."
"That will be the standard oil and filter change, tuning etc, and then ending with a complimentary engine and body wash. You have a choice of semi or fully synthetic oil. There'll be a price difference."
"Fully synthetic, please (yes, this is me,I don't really know about cars and I only vaguely remember someone telling me it's better to use that, so shh)
"This will take two hours. Do you need to go back to work? We can call a cab for you."
"No thanks, I'll wait."

(I honestly think that was the extent of the conversation I had until the car was ready at about 10, but anyway)

0800 hrs:

Having exhausted the reading options they supplied (several copies of the Sun, and one of the NST that mysteriously disappeared) I decided to nip outside for some fresh air, call my dad (yes kids, fathers like to know how their sons' cars are doing, remember this well) and walk around. I was pleasantly surprised to see two ATMs that I hadn't noticed earlier sitting outside the reception area, since I conveniently forgot to withdraw money after last night's excitement, and they both worked.

I'd just finished my egg sandwich and Ribena earlier, so I was a bit surprised to see a fully functional mamak stall operating just nearby. Good news, this - especially to people like me who have a tendency to get, er, hungry.

0930 hrs:

By this time I'd been approached by one of the mechanics who motioned for me to come outside. The car was essentially ready, he said, only he wanted to know if I wanted my registration numbers blasted on all the windows for about RM 20.

"So why do you have to tell me here?" I asked.
"Well, if we include it in your bill, it's going to cost you RM 40," quoth he.

I'm a sucker. I folded (so THERE Jordan, I'm not so smart) and paid him the requisite amount. The astute reader will notice that I am reporting these events as they happened - foibles included.

1000 hrs:

The car was ready, and I saw the burly guy again for confirmation of the details and to collect my bill. He was quite friendly, and explained that the slight delay I may have perceived was due to the computer systems being unstable earlier in the morning, but the system was up and running already now.

As I lined up at the counter, I scanned the bill and noticed that there wasn't any details about the blasting procedure. Besides the regular gobbledygook about tunings and changes (okay, one gets used to them after 7 years on the road) everything came down to a neat RM 183.78. I paid up, collected a slip to present the guards at the gate (interesting security method) and was on my way (although actually I was there a wee bit longer since people had started filling up, and there was quite a queue).

So the question is: what did I learn today? For one thing, their efforts to display all ongoing work and estimated time of completion on a big screen in the reception is a good thing. It tends to make us tetchy types a bit more relaxed seeing the list of cars getting done was actually moving. Also, they open on the dot. I was expecting them to be drowsy and disorganised so early, but I was wrong.

Like someone said on yesterday's post - they DO tend to try and make you put in all sorts of stuff, which I declined with the exception of a fuel additive which my natural curiosity made me agree to. Potential customers would do well to remember this. Other than that, it's been a generally good experience, and I may decide to stay with them in the long run, or at least until they muck up and I learn my lesson.

And oh - did I mention I got a nifty electric power drill made in Germany (apparently for all the cash I spent on the fully synthetic)? I'd always put off buying one of those - I guess I don't have to now.

Well, technology calls. I'll see ya laters, folks.

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What, no pr0n? Of course there will always be mind stimulants, dear reader - else who'd come and visit me but prudes and bigots? First of all there's BroadSnatch (Link), an interesting little way to get all sorts of random videos from the interweb into your PC OR your personal media player (and via RSS to boot!). Then, you may want to move that iBook off your legs, lads, because it may just fry your sperm (Link) ! No wonder everyone's calling them notebooks! And finally, bukkake invades the UK's phone ads (Link)? Those irrepressible Japanese have done it again!

All hail the internets, and thanks to BoingBoing for the good reads today!

Cheers!