Work problem, not sure how to handle it.

I work at an auto parts store, as a counter person. Today I made some deliveries to fill in because we are short on help this week. We have a customer that works at a garage that we deliver to. He also has a personal account with our store because he does side work out of his garage at home. The guy is really nice; he and I get along well. We deliver his personal parts to his work and leave them at his truck. Today I delivered some of his personal parts to his work and left the parts on his seat in his truck, somehow they leaked oil. We are not allowed to put his parts in the shop. We are also not allowed to leave the parts under his truck or in the wheel well on top of his tire. I didn't put his parts in the bed of his truck because it was supposed to rain today; I didn't want the boxes to get ruined. Long story short he’s bull shit about the oil on his seat. Everything was dry when I dropped the parts off, they didn't leak in the store. I don't know what to do, my boss is on vacation this week, and the store manager isn't really saying much to me about this. A coworker of mine talked to him on the phone when he called up informing us about the oil on his seat. The customer told my coworker he was going to get his seats cleaned and send the bill to the store. As of now I have not talked to him, the problem is not resolved. What should I do, the next day I work is Thursday.

 

If I were in your shoes and I felt that I did something wrong, I would personally pay for his bill to save a customer, and my job.

If you don't think you did anything wrong and feel he's trying to pull a fast one - let the boss deal with it when he gets back. that's what they get paid for.

 

I think the parts store should just pay his cleaning bill and let it go. You did what you thought was the right thing with no bad intentions. It was an honest mistake. The parts store must have insurance for this type of thing, and they can afford the cleaning bill a lot easier than you can. Hope this works out for you.

 

I'm guessing that your boss will have to pay to clean the seats and stop making deliveries to him this way. I don't think your boss can, or should make you pay for cleaning the seats.

 

Yeah you had no bad intentions. I would have done the same thing.

 

I feel horrible about the situation; the thing that really sucks is my place of employment doesn’t have a systematic way of dealing with the situation. I honestly expected the store manager to call the customer back and handle the situation. I’m just a counter guy; I can handle the situation and will if I have to. I just don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I’ll go to work tomorrow and talk to the manager to see how the situation is if I have to I’ll call the customer and offer to pay to get his seats cleaned. I certainly will do anything to keep my job and to avoid creating a major problem.

 

It shouldn't turn in to a major problem. There was no bad intention. Did the guy have a real nice truck, or is it a work truck?

 

Your right, maybe I'll see what happens and talk to my boss when he gets back from vacation. The truck is a Tundra, not a brand new one but a pretty nice one.