sure, working all day with someone over your sholder sucks. but here's the thing. we all slack at work few times a day--a cup of tea here, checking email there. but when you do work, don't you put in 100% of quality work? i don't think i'd care if there was someone standing over my shoulder double-checking. in fact, i've held jobs where there -was- someone always watching, but if you've got nothing to hide, there shouldn't be a problem.
as to asking questions.... i think you (ok, i ), as a customer, have to be smart about not distracting the person working on your car. i know herb chambers has a policy where you give them your car, mechanic takes a look, then they invite you back (to the bay where your car is), mechanic tells you what's wrong, point to stuff, etc, and you get to ask questions. then you go back to the waiting area. technically, you don't get to watch them work on your car at all (nor do you know if they broke something or if it was already there). but at least there's room for asking
i finally did make an appointment at Clair Honda. by luck, and i mean LOTS of luck, when i first called and asked if rotating tires was included in the price of an oil change (i knew it wouldn't be, but eh ), the woman wasn't sure, so she transferred me to the service advisor in charge of their shop. he said that if people are just curious and don't mean to abuse the trust, there's an area opposite the bays, about 20 feet away, where you can hang and watch the mechanic work on your car. you can't talk to him or distract him, but you can hang quietly
of course when i called to make the appt, the receptionist told me there's absolutely no way i'd be able to watch. another call to the service advisor, and, with his blessing, i'll be watching the oil change tomorrow morning
probably won't rotate the tires though. at midas (or a dealer 15 mins from my house) it's $15. these ppl want $30. screw that
(as a side note, their oil change is WAAAAAY overpriced, but since i don't plan to continue chaning oil at a dealer, i'll just have to suck it up this once ).
), as a customer, have to be smart about not distracting the person working on your car. i know herb chambers has a policy where you give them your car, mechanic takes a look, then they invite you back (to the bay where your car is), mechanic tells you what's wrong, point to stuff, etc, and you get to ask questions. then you go back to the waiting area. technically, you don't get to watch them work on your car at all (nor do you know if they broke something or if it was already there). but at least there's room for asking 