stealership woes

[SteveSRT8]

Took my new Chevy Express 3500 fleet truck in for the free oil change and tire rotation that GM is giving with the vehicles these days. I get 4 of these. Reminded the service writer about the aftermarket equipment fitted into the van and was assured they'd be careful, blah, blah...

So, upon my arrival home I check the tires. Spec is 80 psi rear, 55 front. They are simply reversed, front to rear. Never even changed the pressure! Very dangerous in our type of loading.

Then I checked the TPMS readout, they never re-learned the tire positions either! Now I'm getting steamed. So I check the oil, it's almost a full quart overfilled.

Upon further inspection the decorative covers are not properly installed over the lugs. Next thing I have to do is check the lugs for proper torque values.

IDIOTS! This is a perfect example of why I do not like stealerships.

 

[morepwr]

That's terrible. Somebody clearly doesn't care in the work they do. Sure you may be the low man on the pole and doing the oil changes and tire rotations but you should still do a good job.

And lucky you, you have 3 more "free" services!

 

[JHZR2]

so dont you have a good indy to take the trucks to?

 

[supton]

Terrible.

You say "fleet". Do you buy multiple vehicles at a time, or just the occasional addition to your fleet? Seems to me that you can go back and threaten to take your business elsewhere.

Quite frankly, I'd explain it to them, see what they do to fix the situation. If I didn't like the results, I'd skip out on the rest of the freebie stuff, as it sounds to me you'd save money&time by not using their "free" services.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Call GM. They should be interested in our experience at that dealership.

 

[KitaCam]

@ my cuz's Camry's OC/tire rotation I specified to the Toyo dealer the PSI I wanted in the tires...they didn't...glad I checked...always do...

 

[bullwinkle]

Sounds familiar-happiest day at work is when the warranty expires on the company van. Only 19K to go!

 

[Eddie]

Free oil change and tire rotation automatically means the work will not be done by a machanic or his helper but, anyone who is availiable, like the floor sweeper. )

 

[MCompact]

I had to drive to Cincinnati(@120 miles) to find a Mazda dealer with an ethical sales department and a service department that hires techs with opposable thumbs- and they give me free oil changes every 5,000 miles for as long as I own the car. I considered buying a Fiesta ST to use as a work beater/winter car for the next couple of years, but I have yet to hear anything positive about my local Ford dealers...

 

[sciphi]

Complain to mother GM. It might adjust the dealer's attitude if a fleet owner won't step foot into their facility since they do not bother servicing the vehicles safely.

 

[SatinSilver]

GM won't give a hoot. Call the service manager and tell them everything they did wrong. If you get the feeling he/she doesn't care then go to a different dealer. Eventhough it maybe a different one than where originally purchased. If the SM doesn't care the underlings probably won't either.

 

[salv]

You definitely got the $8/hr lube tech, and probably a new one to boot.
You didn't have a bad experience because you went to a dealership for service. You had a bad experience because you went to a bad shop that happened to be at a dealership.
They are probably not well equipped to handle the volume of vehicles that they are brining in. Poor management, dispatching of work, and training. Find another dealer to use for your freebies.

 

[Maximus1966]

Although I've not generally had good experiences with dealer service departments in the past, I have recently
Found out that it isn't that way everywhere. Wife bought a new Lexus RX 350 with free services through 50000 miles. First two have been flawless. Not a mark on anything, absolutely everything done as prescribed, including interior cleaning, washing and a quicky hand (detail spray) waxing. Of course you pay through the nose up front for all this, but the excellent service is gratifying.

 

[bdcardinal]

Let the dealer know this happened. The Service Manager or even the General Manager should know the quality of work that they are doing is substandard. The fact that the service was free should have absolutely no bearing on the quality of the work performed.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
Although I've not generally had good experiences with dealer service departments in the past, I have recently
Found out that it isn't that way everywhere. Wife bought a new Lexus RX 350 with free services through 50000 miles. First two have been flawless. Not a mark on anything, absolutely everything done as prescribed, including interior cleaning, washing and a quicky hand (detail spray) waxing. Of course you pay through the nose up front for all this, but the excellent service is gratifying.


Our BMW dealer is also excellent. Great service at prices that rival the good indie shops. My service advisor is a BMW CCA member who runs HPDEs in an E36 M3. My wife won't even consider another brand.

 

[The Critic]

Steve, it's unfortunate that you had the experience you did, but from my personal experiences, dealers are generally more consistent and deliver a higher quality job than most independents. I cannot speak for other parts of the country, but this seems to be my experience in Northern CA. You need to address your experience with the service manager and/or GM.

Originally Posted By: Maximus1966
Wife bought a new Lexus RX 350 with free services through 50000 miles. First two have been flawless. Not a mark on anything, absolutely everything done as prescribed, including interior cleaning, washing and a quicky hand (detail spray) waxing. Of course you pay through the nose up front for all this, but the excellent service is gratifying.

Lexus dealers are known to set the standard for service. They are truly a cut above the rest, but do charge accordingly. For this very reason, it's likely that my next car will be a Lexus or another high-line make.

 

[cptbarkey]

so do something about it, complaining on the internet is about as useful as shouting into an empty forest.

 

[supton]

So is shouting at something that won't give/budge/work, but that's never stopped me from doing just that.

 

[Maximus1966]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Lexus dealers are known to set the standard for service. They are truly a cut above the rest, but do charge accordingly.


That is certainly the case with my local dealer. They are an old dealership, but in a relatively new (2-3 yrs) facility. It's really first class. The showroom looks like the lobby of a luxury hotel. The service department could pass for a hospital operatory as far as cleanliness, organization & lighting. High-gloss floors combined with extensive lighting make for an impressive visual presentation. You can observe your vehicle being serviced through plate glass if you wish while sitting in a luxurious lounge. The lounge features free wi-fi, six computer stations if you didn't bring your own, fresh-baked goodies, multiple soft drink and bottled water brands & Keurig coffee all at no charge. Needless to say, I was impressed!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
so do something about it, complaining on the internet is about as useful as shouting into an empty forest.


No complaining here, you mis read it entirely. It's informative stuff about how I was treated. I have the TPMS reset tool on order as we will be needing it on more trucks soon enough.

My call to the Service manager was complaining.