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Dealerships Being sneaky.


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Three weeks ago I got a letter in the mail for my 2005 Cadillac CTS-V for the ignition switch recall and a fuel pump module recall, so I call my local dealer and make an appointment. One and a half hours later they give me a call and tell me that I need two keys to perform the recall. Being that I only had one I tell them to just cut a second key and bill me for it. Their service advisor provides to tell me that it's going to be 54 for the cadillac key or 9 dollars for a regular key and 150 for programing.

 

150 for programing I ask, yes sir your vehicle has a system called passlock and the key needs to be programed after being cut. She knew who I was and what I do and she still tried to charge me to program a key that doesn't need programed.

 

Just today, I bought a C6 Z06 Corvette in kansas and had it taken to the local dealer for a check up, oil change and what ever else it needed including a few recalls. About 3 hours later I get a call from the advisor telling me that the TPMS needs to be reprogrammed at a cost of 49.95 even though the car didn't have any TPS lights on when it was dropped off. (these cars do reduce performance when you have a bad TPS sensor)

 

So I just told him that was fine Ill take care of it when I get back to Alaska, well he insisted that he will just take care of it for me at no charge so I say thanks and hang up. About 7 min later he calls me back and says that because it requires the use of the Tech2 that he will only charge me 39.95 (this car doesn't require a scan tool). So I decline and tell him Ill just bring the equipment with me to take care of it when I pick up the car at the end of the week. Thats when all hell broke loose and he told me that I didn't know what I was doing.

 

Why is anyone going to the dealers if this is how they are being treated?

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I hate to hear these kinds of stories. I only ever worked for two dealerships. They were very high end luxury car dealerships, and one has published a book on providing top notch customer service. I was proud when I worked there and still brag about how good they are. In fact, I've taken both my employees to both dealerships so they can see the level of service they offer... I know it's rare, I just hate to hear people are being treated like this. I feel like experiences like you described is what gives our entire industry a bad rap.

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I had a customer come in yesterday and she told me the dealer said she needed front wheel bearings. Guess what, I just replaced them with Moogs 2 months earlier, I mean come on it was plain as day the front wheel bearings were new. Same dealer told my sister her front brakes were so bad they didn't want her to leave with the car. She brings it to me, pads are 3/4 full and everything else ok. 6 months later they tell her the front calipers are sticking, they were not. I get crap like this all the time from a local dealer, they prey on women with fear tactics. Too many stories to tell.

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I like the local dealers, they grab the customers with $19.99 oil change/rotate then the customer comes to me with a $900 brake job estimate to see if we can beat it. I can always beat it, and I don't have to give away an oil change to get the job.

 

I'm not sure if there's a new trend but the new car dealers are making the wallet flush chains look like saints.

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We are a Vw/Audi shop, and the local Volkswagen dealer has told a few of our customers that we have sent to them for recalls that we have no business working on their car, that we are not certified to performed the work that her car needs,blah,blah,blah. (My partner and I were the top techs there for over 5 years) All they have done is lost customers for good. When a business speaks poorly of another business i think it makes them look unprofessional but alot of them will still do it.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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