I had stuck with the dealer because they gave me free oil changes for life, and I’ve used the same service manager the entire time. He even happened to show up at a gig I was doing once, and he’s been a big fan of a friend’s band.
But when a new company bought the dealership, I only found out that the new ownership ended my free oil changes for life after I brought my car there and when I went to pay, it wasn’t free. I think that’s cheap and lame. It doesn’t cost them that much and it kept me going there. I’ve also realized the service guy wasn’t as useful as he should have been. The last time I brought the car in for my annual visit (I don’t drive much), it was only after I was there and the tech looked at the car that the service guy came over and said I was due for two other services. I said okay, which had me there for hours longer than I initially planned. If I had known that beforehand, I would have dropped the car off and gotten them to give me a loaner or a ride home.
A couple of days later, I couldn’t start my car. There’s a switch on the clutch that prevents starting unless you have the clutch pedal pushed in. It had failed a couple of years ago, and it failed again. The first switch lasted 15 years, the replacement lasted two. When I brought it in to be fixed, I told him I wanted to know why. I understand it’s out of warranty from the two year old repair, but why didn’t the new part last another 15 years? Then the service guy tells me that the tech tells him I’m due for a couple of other regular services, neither of which they mentioned last time, two days/35 miles ago. And when they fixed the switch, they didn’t have any answer why the part failed. I was pretty pissed at that point.
All of the services they said I was due for, I looked up and they were right. But why didn’t the service guy catch all of those when I called initially? Why didn’t the first tech tell him about the second two the first time? I put all of those on the service guy. When I called him for my annual visits, I’d always ask him what I’m due for. Then he’s telling me he wants all tens or whatever when I get surveys about the visits, and even though I report that he’s good and I like him, anything less than a ten reflects on him anyway. Well, that’s not my problem that the company does it that way. And frankly, I’m tired of businesses begging for reviews. I might give them to small ones that need my help, but definitely not some conglomerate-owned one.
I had been a mostly happy customer for all these years. There was one time when I brought the car in and it needed more service that would take another but I had a loaner, then I had to chase the service guy on the phone to find out what was up and when it would be ready. IIRC, when I got him he told me it was ready. Why did I have to chase him for that? But, I chalked it up to him being busy or one of those things. Also, one of the last times I was there, a lady at the desk behind him seemed to be talking to an angry customer who was telling her they wouldn’t be dealing with that service guy anymore. The service guy was telling the lady “I explained to them this” and “I told them about that” but it seems like this service guy isn’t so great after all.
Today I had a small problem with my car where the brake lights were stuck on. I brought it to a local shop and the guy comes back and says, your brake lights are fine, they’re not on.” “Huh?” He was like, “I fixed it, I’m not charging you for that. It was just a little piece I had to put in there to make it work again.” Thanks!
I think I know where I’m getting my car serviced the next time.