Read: The Blue Sedan
At 9:10, a blue sedan stopped near the garage door. The driver came in fast and put the keys on the table. “You changed the oil last week,” he said. “Now the car makes a noise. It was fine yesterday.”
Max, the young mechanic, wanted to defend the garage. He wanted to say, “It is not our fault.” But his boss looked at him and shook his head. Max took a breath and asked, “When did the noise start?”
The customer said the noise started after a deep puddle on the way home. There was no warning light. The car started normally, but the noise became louder when the driver turned left.
Max wrote everything down. Then he said, “I understand you are angry. We need to check it before we promise anything. It may be connected with the service, or it may be a new problem. I do not want to guess.”
The customer was still angry, but he stopped shouting. The car went onto the lift. The lesson was simple: a calm question can save a bad conversation.
Facts: What Do We Know?
| # | Fact | Yes / No / Unknown |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The customer had oil service last week. | |
| 2 | The noise started before the service. | |
| 3 | The car drove through a deep puddle. | |
| 4 | There was a warning light. | |
| 5 | The car did not start. | |
| 6 | The noise changed when turning left. | |
| 7 | Max promised a free repair. | |
| 8 | Max asked questions before guessing. |