Does your dealer accuse you of things?

[Kari]

I've had several bad experiences with my dealer as of late, and I'm curious as to whether or not anyone else has had a similar problem and, if so, what action did you take.Every time I take my Vibe in to the dealer for some sort of warranty repair, the service writer or whoever that is out front tries to either blame it on me or say it's a "barb in the plastic" or a "quality of molded plastics." And she argues with me about it endlessly, until the service manager or a mechanic comes out there and looks at it and then she shuts right up and does what I asked in the first place.When I had my maplight bulb replaced after it burned out, they attempted to pry the light cover off instead of using the screw that was in plain sight, then she tried to say that the obvious screwdriver gouges that had appeared after the repair had 1) been done by me or 2) were "barbs in the plastic." I had only had the car off the lot for about five minutes before I brought it back to show them! She made it sound like I was ready and waiting with a screwdriver to scratch up my interior! So I finally talk them into ordering the part, and they install it and get greasy fingerprints all over my headliner, then use red interior cleaner to try to get it off, giving me pink spots around my sunroof controls, which I finally managed to get out.One problem taken care of, now the next one to tackle are the intentations in my climate controls and screwdriver gouges in the bottom plastic piece that were caused when they "fixed" a scratch that had been in there since delivery. I didn't notice the marks until I was at the Ohio rally, but it's obvious that's where they came from, since they're pry marks all around that "panel" (which is really part of the one-piece center section). I guess they buffed the scratch out and just said they replaced it. So I take it back and I wasn't pointing fingers, but just asking that it be fixed, because there's nowhere else those problems could have come from. And what do you know? MORE barbs in the plastic! So I tell her that's not a problem I've ever seen on anybody else's car, and we go out back to look at an employee's Vibe, where she attempts to say she feels the same thing. No...you can SEE mine, and his has no such thing. I follow her back to the office area, and she's still fighting me on it, saying she'll have to get the service manager's approval, blahblahblah, and he's not in (but she won't tell me when he will be). We get back and there is the mechanic whose car we looked at, and I ask him to come outside and look at mine and verify that mine has visible dents that his doesn't have, and what do you know, she changed her tune very quickly once he looked at it and said it wasn't supposed to be like that. Amazing how the service manager's approval suddenly disappeared.I don't think I should have to defend myself to my dealer every time I need a repair for, ironically, something they either definitely or probably tore up. I'm tired of having the blame shifted to me every time I need a warranty repair. All I want is my car fixed. I feel like I get BSed every time I go in there, and it's just ridiculous. But unfortunately the only other Pontiac dealer here is apparently even worse. When I get the survey this time, I'm definitely filling it out and I will let Pontiac know how I've been treated and how displeased I am with the service I'm getting from this dealership. Although then I'd almost be afraid I'll really end up on their hitlist and they'll tear things up on purpose then try to blame it on me.What should I do here? Any recommendations? Similar experiences and solutions?

[AKLGT]

nope. not had that be an issue. sorry to hear they're giving you the run around. but from what phil says, that survey helps them a lot guage customer satisfaction and also for the dealership to GM. so i'd definitely state your issues on that! maybe take it to the service manager too.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Kari, I have had the same problems at times. The people who write up these things, Service Write Up People I call them are like this (most of them I run into)i assume you are refering to the service advisor? that's what phil (mavrik) does at his pontiac dealership. but like most jobs, some people are better at it than others. maybe this service advisor just is a real b*tch and for whatever reason doesn't like you. or maybe she just doesn't like vibes! gasp! j/kgood luck to you, kari!

[AKLGT]

i know. but ya, depending on the service advisor, they can be a real help or a real pain in the (removed). sounds like you got the pain in the (removed)! sorry to hear it. you'd think they'd try and be a little accomodating. you did just purchase an item them helps keep their job secure after all!

[Mavrik]

Yes I would take it offensivly if you said "all" service advisors were like that. The only bad CSI reports I get are from ppl that you couldn't please with a million dollors and who hate their car anyway and bash me as a way of telling GM they suck.But in your case with this rather terrible service from that woman I would fill out that report when it comes in the mail and tell them EXACTLY how you feel. It just sounds like to me she doesn't like dealing with warranty work because there is no commission for that. I would bet she feels while she is "wasting" her time with you she is losing the opportunity to make some money on customer pay items and is trying to get you to pay for it.Fill out the report, call ther service manager directly and talk to him or even though managers hate this, go directly to the owner if need be. Call GM customer assistance and talk to them. You should be treated better then this.

[ToolGuy]

Definately talk to the dealership, serv. manager and yes fill out the surveys. Dlrs count on a good CSI Customer Service Index rating and if enough complaints come in, it will hurt them. This perosn sounds like a real dumb B!tch and most serv advisors I know work off commissions plus salery and do not treat people this way. There job is to write up the issue not try and diagnois or point blame. Definately tell the dlr about her uncalled behavior...

[Kari]

Quote, originally posted by MiVibe-ToolGuy » There job is to write up the issue not try and diagnois or point blame. That's what I thought, too. That's why I think it's funny how she always changes her stance in a heartbeat as soon as a mechanic or the service manager looks at it. I've also had issues with her not paying attention to what I said and mis-describing a problem, and therefore, it doesn't get fixed, because it does what I said, not what she said.My uncle bought a Jeep from the same dealership and the transmission kept tearing up. They started refusing to replace and repair it because he "took it off road." It's a Jeep! It's supposed to be taken off road! It shouldn't matter if they have to replace the transmission every week until the warranty runs out.I don't know if she quite treats other people like she does me, but I'm sick of it, and this time I'm taking action.

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »I've also had issues with her not paying attention to what I said and mis-describing a problem, and therefore, it doesn't get fixed, because it does what I said, not what she said.Don't sign the work order until she describes everything to your satisfaction next time.

[drunkenmaxx]

when i went in to get the infamous heat shield rattle fixed, the dingalings said i must have hit something to make it rattle - my faultmy windows were doing the click when going up and down. some screws were loose, no mechanical failure - i pay for iti hate car dealers

[Kari]

If it was loose screws, that's still a "failure" of sorts, and I don't think you should have had to pay for it. I would have refused to pay for it. That's their job, to keep everything in working order, whether it's a broken part or a loose screw. Were they implying you took the door apart and loosened the screws?

[sloth]

My dealership seems to be very willing to warranty items and I didn't even buy my car there. I don't understand why a dealer would fight doing warranty items as GM pays them for the repairs. Deffinately let them know how you feel.

[nismo]

Somethin like this happened to me. Like a month after I got my car, my rear left weatherstripping fell off. They gave me hell. They were like you made this happen. You ripped it off when you were tinting your windows. Now, the thing is that the tint is applied on the inside, has nothing to do with the outside. I dunno. I cussed out the service department and just left.Inder Singh

[Charlievibe]

This may not be a fair question, but is the lady you deal with older? You are fairly young and maybe some of these dealerships don't like dealing with the young people. When I was younger, I used to get my mom to take my car in for service and she never had a problem. I would take it in and it was like pulling every hair from my head with tweezers. Today, I have no problems getting the proper service, but I am not afraid to give it right back to them if they give me the run around. You should not be afraid to express your dissatisfaction, that's your right. If they intentionally screw up your car, you will own the dealership. I wish you lived closer to Nashville, I know of a good dealership there and could send you their way.But anyhow, the age thing might be a part of it. Or, this dealership is just a bunch of crooks.

[Kari]

Everyone else at the dealership is nothing but nice -- that's why I chose them. The salesman didn't make me feel like he was pressuring me. I was able to look at every Vibe on the lot, then when I was ready, I went into the showroom and THEN someone approached me. Not like at the other dealership I went to, where I was pounced on as soon as I got out of my truck, then informed he was going to sell me this car to-DAY, even though I'd already told him I was just looking, wanted to order what I wanted, and wouldn't be actually buying until October or November.The guy we bought it from was super nice, as is the service manager, who I dealt with after they messed up my sunroof controls. Actually, he cleaned the interior personally after they used the wrong cleaner the first time. She's the only one I've had a bad experience with face-to-face...my only other problem is probably just one screwdriver-happy mechanic who thinks he has to pry everything off. The mechanic who told her what part to order owns a Vibe and he knew it was just one piece, whereas she thought each plate was a different piece, and the person who attempted to fix it before obviously thought that too. (Actually, so did I until the Ohio rally.) Anyhow, the point of this post...haha...I don't think they're just crooks...but she is probably in her 40s or 50s so maybe it is the age thing. She probably thinks I'm one of those young kids who just tears stuff up and expects to have it replaced. If only she knew how meticulously I take care of my car. I plan to ask to inspect the part before they put it on, then I will inspect it thoroughly before I even move the car one inch, and if it's not done to my satisfaction, I'm going to talk to the service manager. That's all I know to do until I get the survey.My mom had a few bad experiences at a Buick/GMC dealership once and she filled out the survey, and then they started falling all over themselves to help her out, so I don't know what GM said to them, but it must have been bad. It even spread to me when I got a Sonoma truck...I never had to set foot in the service area -- they met me outside when I brought it in, then brought me my keys and my paperwork into the waiting room when it was ready. They'd never done that for us before and I never saw them do it for anybody else. I'm not asking for valet service...just to not have to feel like I'm going to court every time I need a warranty repair. The next thing on my list is the rubber strip down the roof, which is coming up and doesn't want to go back down flush with the metal, and I plan to take it to the other dealership to see how they do, because at this point, I don't think it could really be worse.

[jake75]

My dealer doesn't like the fact that I refuse to o.k. their recommended "inspections" (at a $30 fee) when I get an oil change. My view, the car is warranted for 3 yrs 36,000 miles and anything that goes wrong is on GM's tab. I should able to drive for 3 years and 36,000 miles and pay only for oil chanegs, tire rotations, coolant change and perhaps a brake inspection at 24,000 miles.

[kostby]

A lady I worked with had her week-old Honda Prelude t-boned when the lot guy took it out to get it washed. They tried to tell her they'd 'fix it like new'. She demanded to talk to the owner, and actually crawled over his desk to get in his face and tell him she wasn't leaving until they GAVE her a new car.She got it!

[cspmeinkc]

for 10 years i was a service advisor for, Mazda and Dodge.I call it "the diaper job, you catch it all!"If you do this job you understand.

[Kari]

Well, I guess I won the argument...I have a 10 a.m. appointment tomorrow to get the part replaced.

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by cspmeinkc »for 10 years i was a service advisor for, Mazda and Dodge.I call it "the diaper job, you catch it all!"If you do this job you understand.I hear you however any job dealing with the public catches it all but this person should not argue with Kari and her issues. A SM should be neutral, non-bias and posses customer service skills.

[Stang2Vibe]

Good luck, Kari, and give 'em hell! I hate it when the dealer screws up and tries to pin it on me. But if peaceful talk with the employees gets nowhere or they try to wiggle out of things that are their fault, I tend to go completely ape doo-doo in a very vocal, loud, and public way. I don't care what they think of me at that point because they must not think much of me in the first place if they are going to treat me like that.I say to fill out the survey in a brutally honest manner. Attach a page if necessary--that will surely get somebody's attention. Also complain to the service manager, and I say to not be afraid to point the finger directly at the person or persons who cause you problems. Even right in front of them if the opportunity presents itself. I want them to know that I'm complaining, doing so loudly, to their boss, and that it is their fault. If the service manager is not helpful, demand to speak immedately with an owner. Be very indignant if need be, it is your money that is going to pay these people afterall. Tell them that you WILL be calling GM directly and will be demanding some sort of resolution from the corporate offices if this is not taken care of immediately. Follow through with that threat if they are still not helpful. If it must go to that point, I would also contact AAA if you're a member, and do an internet search for any automobile associations that exist locally. Chances are that the dealer is a member of at least one of these and if someone has to go so far as to contact these groups, it will really grab someone's attention and may embarass the dealer in front of their association. This was very effective for my stepdad when a dealership refused to refund his deposit on a car that my mom ordered and changed her mind on. Our state laws forbid the dealer from keeping a deposit if the buyer no longer wants the car before it is delivered. The dealer insisted on keeping his $500, and they paid for it. He contacted AAA, local auto associations, and even the state Attorney General's office. There were 7 different entities that were sending the dealer conflict resolution paperwork to fill out and return. After the 7th set of paperwork arrived and my stepdad called the dealer for the 4th time to ask them if they were going to refund his money, they finally told him to come down and pick up his check. He had already put in a call to his lawyer so the 8th set of papers would have been sent out within a week. Tenacity pays off in the end; I guess that's the moral of the story. Fight 'em tooth and nail every step of the way until you get the service that you deserve.I know I wouldn't hesitate for a second to tell the service manager exactly what the service writer was doing. Tell him/her exactly what you told us, I'd do it right in front of the uppity little biotch, too! If she denies doing what she did, call her a liar right to her face. Sometimes you just have to call people out on things. Good luck and I hope you get your car fixed right and without the crap from the inquisitor at the service desk.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by Stang2Vibe »I know I wouldn't hesitate for a second to tell the service manager exactly what the service writer was doing. Tell him/her exactly what you told us, I'd do it right in front of the uppity little biotch, too! If she denies doing what she did, call her a liar right to her face. Sometimes you just have to call people out on things. Good luck and I hope you get your car fixed right and without the crap from the inquisitor at the service desk.LOL! you always make me laught, brandon! you tell her off, kari!

[Kari]

I feel like telling her off sometimes...LOL. I try to not be argumentative until she starts arguing with me, but she's one of these people who uses this sweet tone of voice to call you a liar without ever really saying it. We shall see tomorrow morning...I'm going to ask to see the part to make sure it's okay before they even put it in, so if any marks show up, I'll know where they came from and they can't say otherwise.

[AKLGT]

oh, i'd bring my digicam too. take a few pics of it. that'll scare em for sure!

[Kari]

Quote, originally posted by trdvibe »oh, i'd bring my digicam too. take a few pics of it. that'll scare em for sure! Either that or they'll think I really am crazy...haha.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »I'm going to ask to see the part to make sure it's okay before they even put it in, so if any marks show up, I'll know where they came from and they can't say otherwise.It is a shame that you would have to resort to that, Kari. I suppose you have your good dealers, and then there's the other 99% that remain. I went through three GM dealerships before I found on that was friendly and halfway competent, needless to say a few months later I bought the Vibe from them.When I had to get the radio replaced (for the second time) they obviously tried to pry off the bezel - ended up with this bubbled up place. I didn't mention it to them at the time, I figured I would just deal with it.Then came the lighter replacement... They finished up, handed me the keys, and I was ready to hit the road... But, I jumped right back out and grabbed the service advisor and said "I hate to complain, but..." as we were walking back out to the car. The trim around the A/C controls, lighter, shifter, and even the shifter console itself were badly scratched. He didn't bother to contest it, those guys know me rather well, and how particular I am about the car. They know that I wouldn't expect freebies if I had done some damage to the car myself...Instead he just said "We'll make everything right" and we went in to talk to the parts guy. I pointed out the parts they had damaged, and also mentioned the radio bezel damage from the prior visit - and they replaced that as well, no questions asked - and I didn't even point that damage out when the service advisor was looking at my car.They gave me a new GA to drive while they were working on my car... When I came back to pick it up, it was washed and vacuumed, and they even touched up a few scrapes for free that I had put on the dash myself from various cargo hauling experiments. I certainly wasn't expecting them to fix that... Hang in there, I've certainly been where you're at... Definitely let 'em have it if and when you get your survey. And if there are any other dealers within reasonable distance, perhaps give them a try. My dealer is far from convenient for me - they're about 1/2 hour west of the house (and 1 hour west from work.) But when you find a decent dealer, they can really make the drive well worth it.

[Kari]

Damn, I'd love to be able to go to that dealer...it sounds like the one my grandfather used to be the service manager for. Makes me wish I still lived in Ohio. I am starting to think Charlievibe was right -- it could very well be that the advisor just thinks I'm some kid who's tearing things up and trying to get freebies. She doesn't know that my meticulousness about the car is the whole reason I'm complaining. Because I wouldn't do it, didn't do it, and don't want to just live with it.

[defcon1]

no problem here -so far- i find a problem they fix it ,and i have had quite a few.

[Kari]

Argument won. Piece replaced. Came outside, looked at it, saw some scratches, went back in, she tried to blame me even though I'd only been out there for about 30 seconds to look at it. The service manager looked at it and discovered it was the protective plastic that had been pushed around when they installed it, peeled off the film, and all is well. I will be filling out the survey, for sure. I'll let them know it did eventually get fixed, and the manager was nothing but nice, but I don't think I should have had to fight about it.

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by cspmeinkc »for 10 years i was a service advisor for, Mazda and Dodge.I call it "the diaper job, you catch it all!"If you do this job you understand.I agree... its a thankless job but someone has to do it.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »Damn, I'd love to be able to go to that dealer...it sounds like the one my grandfather used to be the service manager for. Makes me wish I still lived in Ohio. I know! I definitely make it known to them that I appreciate all those guys... I'm glad they finally took care of you, but you had to go through a lot more than was necessary. One thing you could do, if your dealership even has one - contact their customer relations manager. The one working for my dealer has called me after every visit, even simple things like oil changes to make sure everything was cool... Even on the last car that I didn't buy from them. If you could find someone like that, I'm sure they would be more than willing to listen to your story.Good luck to ya out there!

[jmf2]

Reminds me of an incident I had with a Chevy dealer in 1994. I had bought a new geo metro (one of the best cars I have ever owned) and took it in for it's first oil change at 1000 miles, and to get a fan switch fixed. They gave it back to me 2 hours later, without fixing the fan (said they misunderstood what was wrong), no oil change (but charged me for it), and put a large dent (that cracked the paint down to the metal) in the middle of the hood. I had the assistant mgr out at my car in ten minutes, got a paid for an oil change at my favorite lube shop on the other side of town, and got the hood replaced off another metro the next day, it took them a week to fix the fan control. I never went back to the dealership again.Also had trouble 2 years ago getting a visor replaced on my kia sportage, after following up on it off and on for 3 months, the service manager finally went out into the lot and pulled one off a new sportage. Of course the color didn't match quite right, but i didn't care as i was about to unload it for our new vibe!The pontiac service dept I have used once went way above and beyond, so any work I need in the future hopefully will be easy.

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »Argument won. Piece replaced. Came outside, looked at it, saw some scratches, went back in, she tried to blame me even though I'd only been out there for about 30 seconds to look at it. Ok, you're a much better person than I am with this stuff. I would have gotten REAL *crappy* with that lady by this time. As soon as she started with her blame game, I would have just flat out asked her to her face if she was the only person that that dealership has to do her job because I'd really like to speak with someone who is not a chronic sufferer of rectal-cranial inversion. (Hope, I bet you'll like that one too. You can use it for yourself sometime, it will make you feel better when you need it!) Enough said.But on the flip side of things, I agree with the few others here who say that they make it known that they were pleased when they received great service. I like to do the same so that I'm sure to get the same great service the next time I need it. I've even written a letter to the dealership owner before letting them know the details of who fixed my car, what they did that was outstanding to me, and thanked them for providing such excellent care and service. It was a small Pontiac dealer out near my mom's house (owner has since retired) and appearantly they were spreading the word about what a nice person I was for writing them such a nice letter! I was shocked! An acquaintance of my stepdad who used the same dealer for service was talking about my letter with the dealer and the acquaintance called my stepdad one day and was talking with him about it. Funny how things go 'round.Taking an extra step to thank someone for a job well done is something that is important to me. Whether it be at a car dealer, or a restaurant, or wherever, I always like to personally thank people when they do an outstanding job. It makes them feel good about themselves and they deserve it! See that? I'm not all loudmouthed jerk, lol. But I am a very reflectionary person in that one's attitude toward me will be reflected by me back toward them. I see nothing wrong with that. I guess that my patience has just been wearing thin over the past few years, but I guess that happens when certain people/places consistantly jerk you around.

[Kari]

New development...and boy am I pissed off now. Got to looking at it again, and what do you know, a few of the marks are still there. I was going to ask to inspect the part, then decided not to, just to see what happened, and apparently I should have inspected it.... It appears all they replaced was the overlay to the climate controls, and they put it on crooked to hide the biggest marks on the plastic. My work order says they replaced the piece, but it's apparent they didn't. This time I went straight to Pontiac customer service, who is currently trying to get ahold of the dealership, and I have a service order, name, and phone number from Pontiac customer service to get the piece fixed correctly this time. Unfortunately, I have to go back to the same dealership this time, but when he calls me back Wednesday, I plan to ask him to direct me to another dealership with an excellent customer service satisfaction rating. If that means I have to drive an hour to get there, so be it. I'm tired of having the dealership tear my car up. I'm so frustrated right now I'm ready to scream. I'm tired of being lied to and given the run-around, and I don't feel the least bit guilty for alerting Pontiac.

[AKLGT]

sorry to hear that kari. that must be extremely frustrating! and the bad thing, is it's not anything bad about the car itself, it's that the service dept you have to deal with sucks! i truly believe that the dealership makes a huge difference.

[Kari]

It's incredibly frustrating...and I love my car. I don't want another car. My love for my car is the reason I'm not willing to put up with this. I had a GMC truck before and the dealership was awesome with service, but as much as I love the new mid-sized 4-door truck, I want my Vibe. I just want it fixed back to like it was.

[ALi3N]

i've got some blame game too. Last week i took my car to the dealership because the bolts that hold the plastic vanity cover on the engine rattled out and were gone and the sa tried to blame the intake i installed for it. I called her a lair to her face and told her to get the parts under warrantee and when they came in i would pick them up and put them on myself.

[Kari]

I'm debating whether or not to ask if I can install this one myself.

[Kari]

Well, it looks like the dealer and I are going to go 'round and 'round again...the representative from Pontiac called me back today and said the dealership isn't understanding the problem. Why am I not surprised? LOL They never seem to understand what I tell them when I go in there, either. So I'm calling him back tomorrow, this time armed with a typed-up version of what went on, which will also become my "attachment" to my survey once I receive it from GM. Apparently they've been lying to me about this piece all along, because they told me they replaced it because of the scratch in it, but it's apparent that they never did, and left the damage they made trying to get it off. And now they told me they were going to replace it, my work order says they were going to replace it, and all they replaced was half of it and tried to use that part to cover up the worst damage. Gaaaaaaaah.

[Charlievibe]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »Well, it looks like the dealer and I are going to go 'round and 'round again...the representative from Pontiac called me back today and said the dealership isn't understanding the problem. Why am I not surprised? LOL They never seem to understand what I tell them when I go in there, either. So I'm calling him back tomorrow, this time armed with a typed-up version of what went on, which will also become my "attachment" to my survey once I receive it from GM. Apparently they've been lying to me about this piece all along, because they told me they replaced it because of the scratch in it, but it's apparent that they never did, and left the damage they made trying to get it off. And now they told me they were going to replace it, my work order says they were going to replace it, and all they replaced was half of it and tried to use that part to cover up the worst damage. Gaaaaaaaah.I think your idea of getting Pontiac to tell you of a nearby dealer with an excellent service rating is a terrific idea. Also, I would take some pictures of what they said they replaced. You may need these down the road. Most importantly, make certain you somehow time and date stamp them.When I was an undergrad, I lived in this efficiency apartment. My heater and AC had gone out and I was told by the management that they would fix it over the Christmas vacation. So, I went with what they said and I left for home. Over vacation, I decided to head back to the apartment, with my mom, to do a few items. When we arrived, there was my door key taped to my door with a note (addressed to the AC company) stating this was the door key to this apartment. I flipped out and went and bought a camera and a newspaper (they didn't have digital cameras in those days with time date stamps, newspapers were the going thing) and took pictures. I proceeded to move my stuff out and notified them I was done with them and why. When they threatened to sue me for the remainder of the rent, my attorney showed them the photos. Funny thing is, never heard from them again. BTW...this was the final straw in a very long list of things this group had pulled on me. So get pictures, you just never know when you might need them.