Customer Service: The good, the bad and the ugly!

tidester · August 2006

Everyone has a story to tell about customer service whether you're on the giving end or the receiving end. Whichever side you're on the experience can be satisfying, a nightmare or downright nasty.

Share your automotove customer service stories here!

tidester, host

fish8 · August 2006

I'm not sure which story to share first...maybe it will be the one where I got my car back after it was in for service and my vehicle was filthy with grease stains on the seats, steering wheel and door or maybe the one where they said it would take less than an hour to finish servicing my car and after 3 hours it was still no where in sight. How about the visit where the dealer was trying to locate a rattle in the dash and I get my car back with pieces of my dash cracked, screws missing and tools still laying on the passenger floor board...oh yeah and they had backed my car into a pole causing damage (which they did end up fixing).

Where do I start with all my stories......

tidester · August 2006

Where do I start with all my stories......

You just did! Now it's only a matter of filling in the details for us.

tidester, host

au1994 · August 2006

Let's see...here's one automotive related:

several years ago, took my Chevy Beretta in for an oil change/tire rotation. Walked away to run an errand nearby, came back saw the car was outside, was told it was ready, paid and went to leave. Now the Chevy was a disc/drum set up on the brakes and of course the discs up front leave the tell tale dust on the rims. So what do I see when I get to the car? Yep, dusty front wheels. Back inside I go. Long story short, guys swears the tires were rotated "says so on the work order". I walk him out and ask him to explain the brake dust. No answer. Stick his hand outt for the keys, does the tire rotation without a word. No "sorry", no nothing.

user777 · August 2006

and I wait about a month. come to pick it up once it's finally ready, and it's been hit in the collision shop's parking lot.

the expression on the collision shop manager's face was priceless.

luckily it was minor and taken care of quickly.

mikefm58 · August 2006

Your story reminds me of a co-worker at my old job. He would always "pre-mark" his tires when he took his car in for tire rotation, claims he's been burned before by them not doing the work.

tidester · August 2006

That begs the question: Are those clowns still in business?

tidester, host

oldcem · August 2006

About 12 months ago, I took my 05 Sebring to the dealer and asked them about the loud whine the tranny was making at low speeds. They assured me that everything was fine - stating they all do that. 6 months later, the tranny failed and needed to be rebuilt. The dealer loaned me a car, and, indicated I'd have my car back in a week. The week stretched to 3 weeks - supposedly the tranny man was out with a health problem. When I finally got the car back, I noticed it was leaving large puddles of fluid underneath. Took the car back, and, the dealer had to replace both front diffential seals again. Got the car back and found that it was still had another leak, the front brakes were now warped from the wheels being overtorqued, and the air filter box was broken, and the heat shields on the engine were smashed. I contacted Chrysler on the toll free and filed a formal complaint against the dealer. Chrysler, in turn, had me take it to another dealer who fixed all the damage and tranny leaks in a competent manner. I have no idea how my original dealer stays in business, and, if Chysler doesn't rip down all the five star signs at this place - they're insane.

Regards:
Oldengineer

stickguy · August 2006

So now I had to replace the pump just so I could get the truck running so I could figure out how to get it to shut off.

jipster · August 2006

I wonder if they'll put a block on me to keep me from writing long stories???

Nahhhh....I'm still here. Good stories bigal, keep'em coming.

british_rover · August 2006

Geeze those aren't long. Now my stories are long. I could write some multi-part stories that would be two or three times as long as yours.

It does make it easier to read if you break the stories into smaller paragraph fragments though.

tidester · August 2006

I could write some multi-part stories ...

Hmm ... would that be like customer service soaps?

tidester, host

british_rover · August 2006

Basicly yeah.

I have some multipart stories on the sales board that are basicly soaps. I think there are four on one customer alone who is just totally crazy.

tidester · August 2006

We're all ears ... er ... uh ... eyes!

tidester, host

stickguy · August 2006

this goes back to the late 1980's, when I first moved to the Hila. region (from northern NJ). Anyway, I had a Mazda 323. Liked the car, but it had a problem with the clutch (it kept developing a bad shudder when it was cold). ANyway, I may have had it looked at once before I moved, but the problem became bad after the relo.

So, it was still under warranty (I think the 24/24 powertrain piece), or at least I thought so. Anyway, I went to the dealer, and it front of a waiting room full of people, the service guy said too busy, since you didn't buy it here, won't look at it. But what really pushed my buttons was when he said that if it died and came in on a tow truck, he wouldn't let them put it on the ground!

I ended up going off on the guy at least once. Somehow I ended up with the name of the zone service guy, and by chance he was there once at the same time as me, and he interceded and told them to replace whatever it needed.

SOmetimes a raving lunatic in a crowded service waiting area does get attention!

tidester · August 2006

since you didn't buy it here, won't look at it

That's quite a welcoming committee! I hope you reported them to the Chamber of Commerce.

tidester, host

stickguy · August 2006

Hey, they aren't obligated, right?

They were busy, since they were the only dealer in a large area of south Jersey at the time. The next closest dealer was either 45 miles North, or over the bridge in Phila., and not particularly convenient to get to.

Besides, who is the C of C going to side with, some guy that lives in another town, or one of their biggest taxpayers??

jmonroe · August 2006

Is this thread dead already?

jipster · August 2006

Would this be a good time to start my "Kirby" thread over again? :P

qbrozen · August 2006

Kirby? That's one of those pokemon characters, ain't it?

j/k

jmonroe · August 2006

Would this be a good time to start my "Kirby" thread over again?

You'll have to run this by tidester. He might not want to contaminate his new thread.

jmonroe

tidester · August 2006

Surely you, jmonroe and everyone else from "frontline" have interesting (automotive!) customer service tales to share!

tidester, host

jipster · August 2006

tidester, you had to put "automotive" in there didn't ya?

Because if you hadn't... I had an interesting experience at the meat deli today.

But, I'm all tapped out on new "automotive" stories guys.
I do have an oil change coming up here in about two weeks.
If the dealership screws up my oil change like they did last time then I may have something "worthy" of posting...as I will confront and ask for compensation.

tidester · August 2006

Because if you hadn't... I had an interesting experience at the meat deli today.

Hmm ... it IS Friday. Um ... what means of transportation did you use to get to the deli?

tidester, host

jipster · August 2006

what means of transportation did you use to get to the deli?

LOL. I took the sub-way (deli humor) to get to the deli... or maybe it was my Mazda MPV minivan which is used frequently for automotive transportation purposes.

Anywho, I get to the deli. Some lady cuts in front of me..no big deal I say. Deli clerk takes my order of a pound of slow oven roasted turkey breast and a pound of Fischers Honey Ham. Well, I see her pulling some meat out of a plastic baggie, that looks as if it had been returned,and including it with what she is cutting fresh for me...she finishes cutting the ham and hands it to me. I ask her if I can get some fresh meat as some of the meat she had included with my order had already been "used". She replies that a customer ordered the meat, then handed it back saying it was the wrong type. I'm like...sorry...but I don't want someone elses meat. She cops a bit of an attitude, then cuts some more fresh ham...but uses the cheese saw to do the cutting leaving a deposit around the edges of my ham with some type of creamy white cheese(I don't care much for cheese) So, I joke and say I don't have to pay extra for the ham n cheese do I? She doesn't get it, and by this time I am to flustered to go any further with it. Like a good salesperson, she has worn me down with her "act" of ineptitude. :sick:

I took said cheese with ham & turkey, back to my means of transportation, which at the time was my Mazda MPV, which I used to transport my dinner to my place of residence.

Now to make this story even more "on topic" than it already is...substitute oil filter for honey ham, and 10W30 Valvoline in place of creamy cheese. You may have read something simiar in the "Oil Change Fiascos" discussion??

jmonroe · August 2006

Now to make this story even more "on topic" than it already is...substitute oil filter for honey ham, and 10W30 Valvoline in place of creamy cheese. You may have read something simiar in the "Oil Change Fiascos" discussion??

TIEDSTER, YO TIEDSTER, if you're listening, please let him tell a KIRBY tale, PLEASE !!

jmonroe

tidester · August 2006

please let him tell a KIRBY tale, PLEASE !!

Well, okay, just this once but only if you come up with an automotive customer service tale of your own to share!

tidester, host

tidester · August 2006

Is that allowed ??

Of course. But feel free to edit as needed for suitability.

tidester, host

tidester · August 2006

Thanks!

For a moment I thought there was going to be a happy ending but I suppose it's close enough!

It seems to me that the quality of customer service in the U.S. has gone downhill somewhat in the past 20 to 30 years. If that's true then I suppose it's attributable, in part, to the greater complexity of goods that are sold, particularly cars and trucks. Maybe people take less pride in their work or training standards have been relaxed.

Is anyone here able to compare automotive customer service today to that of 10, 20 or more years ago? How about outside the U.S.? Does anyone have any tales to relate concerning customer service outside the U.S.?

tidester, host

nortsr1 · August 2006

From what you observed with work being done on the vehicles before they got to yours, I surely would have "NOT" left them even start to work on my vehicle. You must have the patience of Jobe. Just the agrevation of it all would be enough for me to have taken my truck out of that waiting line. (let alone have to wait a couple of hours to get a lube, oil, filter job at a supposedly Quicky Lube place).
I am glad you told this story and that I completely read same....as I would now "NEVER" go to a Walmart lube shop (I never have before and will "NOW NEVER Do So".
Amen to that!!!!

jipster · August 2006

o.k...maybe the ham'n cheese story stinks like 3 year old limburger. But, I really can't tell the Kirby story again as I am still waiting for kirstie to open a new Kirby forum titled, "www.kirbyisofftopic.com"

Anyhow, bigal's story on instant oil changes loosened a few cobwebs.

I believe there are Valvoline Instant Oil change stations across the country. For $28 you get the new oil, filter, they check all your fluids, some filters, adjust tire air pressure, top off windshield fluid,inspect for leaks, make recommendations on needed services etc.

Well, I pull in one day for the oil change(about 5 months ago). I have to wait about 10 minutes, then pull my Buick Regal into the service bay. You have the option of staying in your car during the oil change, going into a claustrophobic sized small room, or standing by your vehicle. So, I sit and watch them do the oil change and check my cabin air filter. The servce tech brings me the cabin air filter to look at suggesting I change it. Well, it looked as if a family of squirrels had been nesting in it...leaves, whirrley birds, some other stuff I couldn't identify. I tell them to replace it. The tech scoops his hand inside the air filter compartment and pulls out some more debris. But, doesn't make a second effort...which brings some mild concern to myself.

I'm driving home and notice a clicking like sound when the air conditioner is on. When home I also notice the oil doesn't appear to be entirely new. I'm thinking they were lazy and didn't let all the oil drain out. So, I drive back to Valvoline to have them check the filter and the oil. They check the filter first, it is full of debris from where the tech half-a$$ed cleaning it out. The manager pulls a couple more handfuls of debris out. I start the car up...no more clicking sound.

Next, I complain that I didn't think they let all the old oil drain out. The manager replies that they could let the car sit over night and it would still be dripping some oil, the old oil itself is coated on the internal parts and pan. I say I realize that not all the old oil will drain out, but I thought they probably didn't let it drain long enough. Manager asks if my old oil was real dirty, as a little bit of extremely dirty oil will make the clean oil appear as if it is not new. I reply that yes it was pretty dirty, but had only about 4,500 miles on it. I say that it is possible that that is what happened. The manager offers to change the oil again at no charge, but I decline as I am not sure the oil change was done incorrectly. Any thoughts on that bigal?

Anyhow, even though the work wasn't done right the first time, Valvoline did try to make it right.

suvshopper4 · August 2006

"It seems to me that the quality of customer service in the U.S. has gone downhill somewhat in the past 20 to 30 years. If that's true then I suppose it's attributable, in part, to the greater complexity of goods that are sold, particularly cars and trucks. Maybe people take less pride in their work or training standards have been relaxed."

I agree with the "greater complexity" remark.
Also, some of that decrease in quality of service may have to do with 1) the low wages paid, and 2) the lack of taking time and effort for proper training in the hopes of getting profitable more quickly.

And "downsizing".
That is a big change over the last 20 - 30 years.
Workers, even good ones who care enough to do a job right whether or not anyone is looking, are much more expendable than they were. And quality suffers.

black_tulip · August 2006

Also, some of that decrease in quality of service may have to do with 1) the low wages paid, and 2) the lack of taking time and effort for proper training in the hopes of getting profitable more quickly.

And, #s1& 2 are due to the fact that majority of consumers want cheap stuff, which is usually at the expense of quality or service.

jmonroe · August 2006

...When home I also notice the oil doesn't appear to be entirely new. I'm thinking they were lazy and didn't let all the oil drain out.

Maybe I missed something in your story but since the oil didn't have the color of new oil, did they really change the oil filter? As I'm sure you've heard, 4 qts. of clean oil and 1 qt. of dirty oil (in the filter), makes for 5 qts. of dirty oil.

Just a thought.

BTW, this was a much better story. I knew you could do it.

jmonroe

jipster · August 2006

did they really change the oil filter

Well, I think they did. I looked at it (oil filter) and it looked clean. Sometimes I check the oil filter before taking it in, and make a conscious note of where the letters on filter are positioned in reference to the front of the vehicle, then check to see if it was actually changed. I didn't do it on this occasion though.

But, this was the first time after an oil change that the oil didn't look almost totally clear/clean. It looked to me as if maybe half a cup of old oil wasn't drained out. I suppose if they really wanted to gyp the jipster, they could have emptied my old filter of oil, cleaned it up a bit, then screwed it back on.

extech2 · August 2006

In the late seventies I worked at an independent garage in San Diego. They worked on everything from A to Z. There were thirteen mechanics when I started Monday morning and when I quit Saturday night I was in the middle ranks regarding seniority because six men left before me. (My previous place of employment was at a Ferrari shop where we could eat from the floor, in Phoenix, Arizona.) The San Diego independent shop had a coupon in the local paper advertising oil and filter changes for $ 6.99, which brought in a lot of victims. I was trained by the owners to wipe the oil filter clean with a shop towel, add a quart or two to the engine if it was low on oil, and recommend such services as wheel alignment, tune ups, new struts, front end parts, water pumps, whatever I could think of. There were no service writers, and the mechanics without work were waiting by the phone, like the taxi drivers at the airport. When someone called in, asking for the price of replacing a clutch, we were instructed to call the closest dealer, get a price, and call back the customer with the same price but discount it by about $ 100 - 150 depending on the size of the job. I wanted to quit after 3 hours but my curiosity kept me for a week. Saturday night we all got paid, cash, by the owner's mother. I didn't actually bother quitting, just lifted my tool box in my 72 Toronado and went home for the night, never to return. The best part was, I still remember, when a newly installed "rebuilt' engine failed to start in a Ford Torino. Normally most techs would stop when a car fails to fire up on the second attempt and they would check for spark, fuel pressure, mixed up plug wires, or an out of time distributor, usually in this order. These monkeys just hooked up the car to a giant marine battery and kept cranking it until the starter over heated. Point of the story: sometimes that sweet low price comes with a free poison pill.

jmonroe · August 2006

Well, I think they did. I looked at it (oil filter) and it looked clean.

If the oil filter was clean, then they changed it.

I suppose if they really wanted to gyp the jipster, they could have emptied my old filter of oil, cleaned it up a bit, then screwed it back on.

I wasn't trying to insult your intelligence by asking if the filter was really changed. I just didn't see in your story where you mentioned that either you or anybody at the shop checked it when you took it back. If you ever found a place that you suspect doing what you mentioned above, that would be a good place to stay away from in the future.

jmonroe

imidazol97 · August 2006

in this discussion. Best posts I've read all day. Keep it up. It certainly makes me feel better about my minor service issues through the years.

tidester · August 2006

makes me feel better about my minor service issues through the years

Please share!

tidester, host

tidester · August 2006

I've been refraining from "rating" the customer service described in these expositions but that one deserves a resounding UGGGGLYYYY rating! I need to come up with some emoticons.

tidester, host

kyfdx · August 2006

Great post... that might be hard to top..

kapbot · August 2006

I got my first car when I was about 18 or so. It was a '71 Buick Skylark with a 350 4bbl & auto trans. At the time, I worked at McDonalds, my first job, and I purchased this car on the "payment plan" from a co-worker for &600.00. This was 1981, and the car had about 90,000 miles on it. I can't say how long I had it, but there were some transmission problems. Sorry, can't remember the details. Anyway, I took it to the local Cottman Transmission because of an ad that said $XX for a diagnostic check. I beleive it was about $90. They pulled the car into the garage and removed the tranny & tore it apart. Shortly there after, the manager brought me into the shop to explain what was wrong. He said that an auto trans is a lot like a water balloon. It requires pressure to operate properly, and if there is a leak, there is your problem. The repair would cost about $750. I said I cant possibly afford that!! Just put it back together and I'll worry about it later!
His reply: I can't just put it back together! you'll need all new gaskets, seals, bearings bands, etc., this transmission needs to be rebuilt if you ever want to drive this car again!!
Based on what I was told before hand, this was to be just a diagnostic, but they literally disassembled the transmission, and in no way way could they just put it back together in the same condition it arrived in.
I left to get my father. He and I returned to the shop, and they agreed to rebuild the tranny at their "special price" that they only gave to the police department. I agreed. Once I got the car back, I noticed that it would shift out of 1st at 30mph at full throttle, the 2-3 gear change was very rough regardless of throttle, and a whole lot of other anomalies. Before the "repair" the 1 - 2 shift occurred at about 45mph due to the 2.79 rear end gear ratio, and under normal conditions, the gear changes were pretty transparent.
I have never felt more taken advantage of since then and I hope I never do again.
That shop should never have been allowed to offer a "diagnostic" on a transmission knowing that they couldn't put it back together again in the same condition in which it arrived. Kind of like a doctor saying they can diagnose heart problems, but the diagnosis has ruined your heart, so now you need a heart transplant!!
f&*%$#%$$^kers!!
I eventually swapped in a tranny from a wrecked car and it performed flawlessly until I sold it many years later.

tamaraster · August 2006

I am always paranoid that when I go to get my car's oil changed, they won't really change the oil or do any of the stuff they are supposed to do. Short of figuring out how to check all of that stuff (which I guess I am too lazy to do, or else I'd probably just change my oil my own damn self), I don't know how to not have that concern. But whatever.

My last car was a leased VW Passat. It needed a strange type (grade? whatever you call that number like "10W-30") of oil. I don't remember what it was, but I do remember that I took my car to Grease Monkey (one of those quick-oil-change places that doesn't do much else) and the techs there not only did not have the type that was needed (which they only knew was needed because I told them; I do at least read the manual), they had in fact never heard of such a thing and I had to show them the manual before they would even believe me.

Unfortunately for the sake of the story, I was able to solve this by driving down the street to Checker Auto Parts and buying the oil myself and giving it to the Grease Monkey guys to use. I watched them that time to see that they did put that expensive oil into my car. (At least they discount the price of the change if you bring your own oil.)

Not a very interesting story, I'm afraid, but it's the best I've got.

sky23213 · August 2006

Scary... But could have been much worse. What if they had said "Sure, we've got that, will be ready in 20 minutes" and had poured in the usual 5W-30 from the barrel. :mad:

isellhondas · August 2006

In all of my many years of experience around every type of shop, I can tell you the "chain" transmission shops are the very worst!

The "chain" muffler and tire shops are a very close second!

I have seen and heard things people wouldn't believe.

jipster · August 2006

I have seen and heard things people wouldn't believe.

Well... you're in the right place then. Let's hear a few.

All unbelievers please exit the room.

british_rover · August 2006

The passat did not happen to be a diesel did it?? If so that would have required a different kind of oil then most passenger cars.

The only other thing I can think of is that your Passat was new enough to have the euro spec 5w20 synthetic oil. Very few fast lube shops carry that particular spec. My old shop did because we sold probably 25% Amsoil by volume and amsoil makes a euro spec 5w20.

imidazol97 · August 2006

A friend told me about an Astrovan up near 100K mi. The motor has a small hood and a cover that opens in the passenger compartment. His friend had trouble with his Astrovan not running right.

When my friend started checking he found the air filter was the original filter and was clogged. The person who owned the Astrovan said the oil change place had replaced it every other visit because it was dirty. They had charged him but never replaced it. Replacement required disassemblying some top engine things to get at it.

The next time he went in he got the same treatment that he needed a new air filter. This time he said he wanted to see the old one first. Thirty or forty minutes later they finally brought him the old one they were taking out. He then talked to the manager about all the other visits and charges and they never replaced the earlier one. He was in and out in only a few minutes.

He either got oil changes for life from the store as a pacifier or he got a refund on all those they charged him for earlier. My friend who had caught the fake is a mechanic and had an Astrovan himself.

british_rover · August 2006

Oh yeah I remember those Astrovans. You had to remove the dog house to get to the little ring style air filter that sat on top of the TBI setup.

Chevy eventually changed the design and moved the air filter up front under the hood and using a flat pannel air filter instead.

We only changed those filters on request from the owner as removing the dog house depending on the equipment level of the van might take as long as an hour. It was a lot easier on the work van trim astros as everything is exposed and easy to get to but on a conversion van astrovan it could take nearly an hour.

isellhondas · August 2006

OK, I used to call on a "large chain" transmission shop. You can probably guess the name of the chain.

Customers would bring their cars in for the advertised special transmission service.

The guy in the shop would remove all of the pan bolts except one. Then he would holler at the "manager"...ONE BOLT!

The "manager" was nothing more than a slimeball salesman. He would then walk into the shop and take the transmission pan in his hands. He would walk into the wating room slowly shaking his head..." Ah, sir, you have problems"

He would show the metal filings and bits of clutch material that are in the bottom of almost every transmission pan and declare the transmission to be on it's last legs.

If there were no metal filings, he would add some himself out of a can that he kept in the shop.

If the cars were left for a minor service, he would call the customers and read a script directly from a company supplied book telling them why they needed a total transmission rebuild.

jmonroe · August 2006

I dont have a story other than the traditional mundane poor service that every car owner has had when taking their cars in for service.

LIKE:

1. Maybe the points need to be re-adjusted.
2. Could have had a bad spark plug, right out of the box. This happens more often than you might think.
3. Maybe a plug wire came loose when you hit a pot hole.
4. That brake squeal could be a hard spot on the brake drum. It wont affect the way the car stops.
5. That brake fluid you see on your garage floor is probably just what has dripped off the backing plate after we did a complete brake system flush.
6. That was a newly designed power steering pump that was installed, thats why its making noises that youre not used to hearing.
7. Your turn signal lever must have been broken when you brought the car in for service; we dont use turn signals pulling into or out of our bays.
8. New anti-freeze isnt always bright green even when you have a radiator flushed.
9. That is the right oil filter. The manufacture changed their numbering system.
10. I dont know how those lug nuts got that tight, we ALWAYS use the torque specification for your car.

Sound familiar and I didnt have to stop here! Im sure almost everybody has heard some of these and maybe more. Even I would have heard more and heard them more often if poor service didnt turn me into a DIYer many, many years ago after I just got sick and tired of listening to all the excuses as to why the job wasnt done right.

So, when my cars are out of warranty and when I think I have even a remote chance of fixing it myself, Ill try it. Although Ill admit with these computer controlled cars, it gets tougher with each one I buy.

Ive never been able to make up any excuses that I could really make myself believe when Ive done my own work and something wasnt operating the way I knew it should.

jmonroe

Customer Service: The good, the bad and the ugly!

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