Replacing Driver's Seat to Original Position After Service
- Thread starter Shel_B
- Start date
I could care less where my seat is left when I pick it up from service. I move it to where I need it and move on. Cost of doing business.
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I rather shorty move the seat to reach the pedals, than not, and crash the car. ( I haven't read the whole thread in case anyone posted the same reply)
5150
On a 5150 a person can be held in the psychiatric hospital against their will for up to 72 hours. This does not mean that they will necessarily be held the entire 72 hours; it means that psychiatric hospitals have the legal right to do so if determined to be necessary.
I have a friend who demands their driver's seat and driver's floor area be *covered* while the car is being serviced. If there is any grease anywhere in the interior, they will go back and expect a complimentary full interior detail.
My car has what GM brilliantly calls a "partial power seat". It has manual fore/aft, but power lumbar and power height adjustment. The power lumbar switch is a horizontal switch so it resembles a power fore/aft switch. When the car is in for service, the lumbar is always getting inflated because techs think that is the switch that moves the seat forward and back.
It's easy to put the seat all the way back before getting in it after it is serviced, but getting the seat height and lumbar back to just the way I like it can take days if the tech messed around with those functions.
I once received a dealer survey when I owned my Hyundai that asked "was the car returned to you with all seats, mirrors, and radio settings at the exact same setting as when you dropped off the car?" I literally threw the survey away at that point because that had never happened in my case and is impossible to rate as a "10". Of course whenever you would leave the service department, you would be asked to always rate as a "10" on surveys and call them before returning the survey if you would be unable to provide a "10" rating.
My car has what GM brilliantly calls a "partial power seat". It has manual fore/aft, but power lumbar and power height adjustment. The power lumbar switch is a horizontal switch so it resembles a power fore/aft switch. When the car is in for service, the lumbar is always getting inflated because techs think that is the switch that moves the seat forward and back.
It's easy to put the seat all the way back before getting in it after it is serviced, but getting the seat height and lumbar back to just the way I like it can take days if the tech messed around with those functions.
I once received a dealer survey when I owned my Hyundai that asked "was the car returned to you with all seats, mirrors, and radio settings at the exact same setting as when you dropped off the car?" I literally threw the survey away at that point because that had never happened in my case and is impossible to rate as a "10". Of course whenever you would leave the service department, you would be asked to always rate as a "10" on surveys and call them before returning the survey if you would be unable to provide a "10" rating.
Large, older cities often have dozens of small independent shops with little or no on-site parking. Chicago? New York? Cleveland? Absolutely.
I had that thought too.
My wife doesn't often drive my car, but she and I have dramatically different seating positions. Mine is #1, and I did finally remember one day after she'd driven it to save hers to #2 before moving it back. It's always fun with her, though, because she sits really far forward, and my car does the trick of cranking the seats all the way back when you take the key out and then moves them back to their set position when you put the key in-more than once I've forgotten and found my knees getting smashed up against the wheel
It's not inconceivable that if mine needed to go in, she could be the one dropping it off(or vice-versa, even though she doesn't have memory seats). I'd grumble a bit if someone had messed with the programming.
With that said, I realize too that a lot of drivers don't even realize they HAVE memory seats, so for many it wouldn't be an issue.
(my dad's old Continental had a fun feature that Ford seems to have forgotten about where the seat memory was tied to the keyfobs, even though it could be done manually also, and it would position the seat according to which keyfob was used to unlock it).
BTW, if I'm just shuffling my wife's car around and not driving it, I will ONLY move the seat if it's far forward enough that I can't get my legs in, and if that's the case I will tweak it back just enough to get them. Even driving to a gas station to fill it up for her or whatever, I'm fine even if cramped up a bit. I will move it if I'm driving further, but not for a short trip.
I hate valeting...there seem to be a lot of restaurants around here (that aren't even that nice!) that have valet service. I avoid them unless I can walk or bike there.
Then the wife is ticked off because position 1 was hers and position 2 was her husband's who drove it to the shop
Probably no winning here. If you check them both in advance to see if one already has it "remembered" can you get it back if neither does?
The moving the seat thing is a pet peave for me too. It's totally a first world problem but it still annoys me.
I do try and remember to turn the radio off before dropping a vehicle off for service just as a courtesy for the technician who may not share my taste in radio.
Who would you figure is liable if your vehicle is crashed into, or stolen while it was parked on the street in front of the dealership? It's not on their property. It's an argument I would not wish to have with a dealership, nor the insurance co. I've never parked a customer's vehicle on the street, their vehicle remains on my property because I'm responsible for it.
I'm interested how that insurance argument would play out, I've owned a body shop and have a lot of experience with slimy insurance adjuster's and Dealership's. You might have to much faith thinking a dealership would claim that on their insurance.
As the OP stated, he felt his safety was a major concern when he had to take possession of his vehicle while it was parked on a major street. I can guarantee you that is "NOT A STANDARD in the INDUSTRY' I will revert back to my earlier statement of, " A Customers Vehicle Shall be Returned to him at the same exact place the Customer Relinquished his Vehicle to the Service Writer " I'm not sure how this can be disputed. Sorry.
I work at a service center and I am 6'1" and most of the guys that work in my shop are taller than I am. A huge portion of our customer base is women who are around 5 feet tall or shorter, so it is or at least would be nearly impossible for us to drive the vehicles if we did not adjust the drivers seat. That being said I have received some complaints about seats being moved and frankly I don't care, you want us to service your vehicle and we need to be accommodated in order to do that. Most of the vehicles we see have power seats without a memory function so it is near impossible to get a seat back into the exact position.
I don't like someone I don't know driving my vehicles period. There may or may not be something in there I want to remain unknown by some person I do not know or trust! I politely ask the attendant if I can park my own vehicle after dropping my passengers, and they normally point me to the very back "40" of the lot. I don't care, I don't want a valet rummaging period.
What I will do that surprises the **** out of them, I will tip them $3 to $5.00 when I walk past them on the way into a restaurant, but "I" have my key's! No one gets in my car! No one! They respect that you have tipped them up front and realize your not just a cheapskate, you just don't want anyone in your vehicle and your still willing to pay them for their service. Believe it or not, they do understand your reasoning, you want your key's, and you don't want anyone in your vehicle.
Honestly, I believe seat position is really a non issue, If that's what a customer has to complain about to your service writer your good to go.
I received my Subaru back from the beloved SRS recall in 2017 with 8 bolts and 4 screws in the center console. Do you think I complained about that? No, but I can take the lower dash apart myself and figure out where they go. I don't want take it back to the dealer for that, besides have you ever seen the tin cans full of nut and bolts a dealer mechanic quire's over a period of time. I know even I collect a few! Collision repair will help your collection from new parts that are O.E. bolted together, but when you tear down a lot of those nut and bolts go flying and the new sub structures are pre bolted. No harm, no foul.
I waited last minute to reserve airport parking and all they had left was valet. Going away for a week, they need to move your car around. Another time was in Philly and they need to move your car around.
Years ago I took my car in for an oil change or something at the local garage. When I got it back, I unexpectedly found a $10 bill where I may or may not have had something hidden. LOL.
AutoMechanic
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At my work we actually have a policy saying we can’t move seats, touch radios, air conditioning or anything like that (unless that is what we are repairing)but sometimes I have too like the one we had come in that was all the way up I’m like this is not going to work and it was a manual so it was ultra important to be in the right position. We have porters bring them in to us I asked him how he done it he said he just done it so he would not get in trouble because the lane managers will say something to you. We have the policy in place because of irate customers in the past. I can’t remember if I moved it back up now come to think of it 
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For our quick lane they don’t let anyone drive them in due to the current situation so the customers drive them in and pull on the lift so no need to worry about it there. One time at my old shop we had to refuse service on a truck because it had a bench seat and it was all the way up, manual and there was so much stuff behind it that it would not go back so we just flat out said we can’t do it.
.For our quick lane they don’t let anyone drive them in due to the current situation so the customers drive them in and pull on the lift so no need to worry about it there. One time at my old shop we had to refuse service on a truck because it had a bench seat and it was all the way up, manual and there was so much stuff behind it that it would not go back so we just flat out said we can’t do it.
Was it a dime bag of weed? You know the rep mechanic's have, some are honest...lol, Cheers
I understand not all terms can you control. In those conditions I use my "Lowest" grade vehicle and I clean it out completely, even registration.
I understand not all terms can you control. In those conditions I use my "Lowest" grade vehicle and I clean it out completely, even registration.
Can t b political, AutoMechanic, you work for gestapo?
