John Halter

I don't think the $100 would bother me as much as waiting 3 to 4 days for them to fix a U joint that is a 1 to 2 hour job at the most. I buy U joints for 20 to 30 dollars around me that are heavier duty then the originals so the whole thing sounds like one big rip off. I just needed a fuel shut off for my 91 Cummins , at dodge they wanted $221 and VW uses the same one at a cost of $45.71 that is plain robbery in my book. Part of the service managers job is to make the customer happy not to make them madder with stuppid remarks. I would have called 5 star and complained some more and I won't go into a women as a service manager , I have seen some women that know enough to do that job but this one didn't sound like one. My guess would be they figured they could get away with more with a women in that spot. The best thing to do is spread the word and hurt them were it counts.

herb

not trying to ruffle your feathers but:
besides the products i manufacture and sell i also buy products from other sources that i sell.
along with my sales to folks goes my dignity me honesty and my obligation to service and make my customers happy. that means repairing and standing behind a vendors product i chose to sell.
now if i have a problem getting reimbursed by my vendor for services i perform, that is NOT my customers fault or responsability it is mine.
rest assured, if my vendor does not stand behind the products i purchase from him he will not be selling to me for long.
on the other hand if i sell something to someone "as is" my customer knows it ahead of time and the problems he gets with the product are his.

Hounddog

Well I by no means said that dealers don't stand by their products.I meant some things are for the manufacture to decide how to repair and if to repair.But giving away the store is not a cure all.The RENTAL/LOANER issue has been a big issue with all.At dealer level its a pain in the butt.I'd give away loaners to every one as long as SOMEONE is paying for it.Of course I DO remember the days when it just didn't/wasn't gonna happen.Period.Even to employees.lets sell the truck at below invoice,make a FEW bucks,give away oil changes,wash it every time you come in,LOAN you a CAR and get at its not BIG enough or the right color or smells like a smoker been in it and YOU bring it back in past EMPTY etc.Or sell a USED car make 3 or 4 grand,loan you nothing,no free oil changes or what not etc.Now tell me were you'd put your effort.Lots of examples.Years back I have taken a BUS home cause MY car was down and I WORKED there!

One Way

Hounddog, it sounds like you need to find another profession, because it sounds like you're pretty unhappy with your job! Just an observation.

One Way

And another thing, these dealers I'm talking about are not small dealers. I was being sarcastic, Dave Smith in Kellogg Idaho is the worlds largest volume Dodge truck dealer and they somehow manage good service.

J BODY

....there! You answered your own question and now know where to get your truck worked on. All dealers are not the same.

original_tsp

don't choose spelling as a profession though, you might get fired.

Badd Dogg Guy19

I bought a fully loaded 98 GMC sierra stepside in '01. It had 16, 500 mi. on it. It was in a Honda lot, about 35 mi from my house in Jersey, I live In Staten Isl. The first week I got it, I was driving, Put my foot to the floor, brought the RPMs up, and 15 sec later, I smelled Antifreeze. Pulled over, and long story short, I actually blew a freeze plug right out of the block. Dealer sent flatbed to S.I. took my truck back to jersey, gave me rental car, and fixed the plug, was done in about 3 days. A week later, started getting antifrezze dripping from back of motor, was freezeout plugs in back of block. Again, sent flatbed 35 mi. to me, and took truck 35 mi back, Gave me option of giving truck back, or fixing, I chose to fix, wound up replacing every single freeze plug in the motor. No problem since.

Now, this was a Honda dealer, That sold me a used GMC truck, not even a product of theirs, I did have to put up a little fight for the second rental, but I told them, if you dont want to give me a rental, you can pay me my $28 an hour pay, that I will lose, by not having my truck. He gave me the rental. In the end, they also wound up paying me all my tolls, back and forth to dealer, and even gave me money towards gas for my INCONVENIENCE.
If a used car dealer, can go out of his way to make me happy, Than why not a company that I just spent $40 g's on a truck built from them??

Granted, I didnt get my truck yet, its on order, But the reason I chose dodge was for their ruggedness, and there 7/70 warranty. Which means, Dodge is saying, "we are warrantying the mechanical parts for a long time" which they should for over 40 grand!! DARN right, if I pay 40 g's for a heavyduty 2500 truck, and a $20 dealer cost U-joint goes, and will keep me from driving my $40 g truck, I want a rental!!

I'll give them the same option, If you dont want to give me a $25 a day, Grand-am rental, for my troubles, by all means, than pay for my $28 an hour job, that I need my truck for, times that by 8-10 hrs a day, I would say, the rental is the cheaper way!!

If a Honda dealer did what they did, to try to work with me for a used truck, why cant Dodge, help all these un-lucky people having these problems with so called Heavy Duty trucks, when its simple things to make the customer happy. If we pay 40g's for a truck, and some of us prob. will have a payments for years, there lucky that we dont ask to pay part of the payment, when a 1 month old truck is layed up for a week, when its a $20 part, and have a $9 an hour monkey, that knows how to go for coffee, instead of fixing a truck right!!

It still wont make me not want to pick up my truck, but for customers sake, I think a $25 a day rental will make alot of existing and future customers happy. Ok, Im done!! LOL

Maccandy

I guess I'm just lucky. I have nothing but Good things to say about my local service manager, Cheri Orr at Ukiah Dodge. Been happy since 1995. Always been treated fair and in a professional manner.

HOHN

Wow.

It seems some people are a little less jaded with just how easy it is for a bureaucracy (gov't or business) to insulate itself from accountability.

If the local DC dealer was the one that actually MADE the vehicles, I can guaranderntee that they would be a lot more eager to please the customer.


The problem is the way that DC corportate relates to mom-and-pop DC dealer.

I don't envy the DC dealer who gets caught holding the bag for things that DC CORPORATE should be paying for.

Gents, the blame lies with at the corporate level, not with your local dealer so much.

That said, the dealers can often do better, but usually when they are screwing over customers, it's because they are trying to stay afloat as corporate is screwing them over.

jlh

Hounddog

Well I'm retired.Have been for two years.Just get tired of people bashing and making suggestions on topics that have TWO sides to a story and only ONE is heard.I worked several dealers 25 years.Always produced the highest CSI,Gross profit,biggest numbers and kept lots of customers seeing me time after time for years through numerous vehicles purchased.They had NO clue to the internals of a service dept and rightfully so.I also as time went on deldt with a lot of spoiled brat asses(comsumers) that didn't, wouldn't know or deserve good fair service.What is the factory warranty on the powersteering pump that was replaced.I may be wrong but is it not 3/36? If so it was a out of warranty repair with a $100 deduct because of mileage.Did it take them THREE days to diagnois bad u/joints or three days to get to it because of other customers? I never professed to tell others how to run their business or know the in and outs of their internal workings.I just know there is always TWO sides to a story and some of you all need tospend a few days in a dealer repair shop from opening to closing and then voice a opinion before giving away the store.

Reel Native

Houndog, I loved your comment on customers who thought that after visiting a your service department that it would be a great job only to run out sreaming after a few days. As to not agitate everyone off thats the only comment I am going to make.

Edited by Admin

joel

Well, there it is, right there. Explains a lot if even just a few dealer employees think like this.

wouldn't know or deserve good fair service" EVERY SINGLE ONE of your customers DESERVES good, fair service. No matter how much of a "spoiled brat ***" they are.

If you, as a customer service person - and make no mistake, as a service manager, tech or otherwise in that field are just that, customer service - then your job is to provide fair service to the customer. Period.

And by fair, I mean service that is in keeping with the warranty, that is profitable for the dealer (presumably, their policies and procedures are set up to generate profits, though sometimes for CS, businesses will take a hit) and gets good results for all parties.

Yep, customers can be bratty, rude, obnoxious and worse. And you as the CS rep must suck it up (to a point, of course; there are limits) and continue to provide FAIR, GOOD service.

Anyone in CS who thinks a customer doesn't deserve fair service - regardless of how much of a brat the customer is needs to find another line of work.

Fortunately for HD's customers, he has already retired. I can't believe you actually said customers don't deserve fair treatment. Wow!

J BODY

Nice twist on words Joel. He never stated that he mistreated or handled anyone in a different manner, just that there are those that probably shouldn't be treated so cordially even though we do. If you think your demeanor doesn't have an impact on how you are served anywhere in any business you had better wake up. Kind of like two people waiting to be served lunch at a diner. One patiently waits for his meal to be prepared, the other yells and complains that it's taking too long. Both get served with a smile, but one will probably digest the cooks spit.