The number of service writers I’ve known who should even be in the profession could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
An enormous ruckus with a service writer is what led to my walking away from a large dealership years ago and never looking back. I was in the 100% dead right and still got shafted because of that spineless buffoon. A couple of hours labor doesn’t sound like much in the big picture but the principle behind it had me in a near homicidal rage.
DB, I didn’t mean to imply that there was anything wrong with the techs working and not coming to the phone, just stating the fact that they would never be called to answer the question. I agree though, I’d be happy to pay a consulting fee some times.
There should have been a service writer or service manager that if he didn’t know the answer…could have called the OP back. Not answering the phone…multiple times is just poor customer relations.
I had the same type of thing once. The phone was never answered. I called another place, and on my way to pick up the $400 part…I stopped at the first place to let the Ownerknow of the sale that was lost. As I drove past the “parts” door on my way out…the owner was having a fit at the parts window.
yosemite
I have a few buddies that are mechanics and I used to occasionally take my lunch hour to hang out in the shop, even when some of them worked for dealerships. I thought it was unusual that the manager wouldn’t come around and boot me out but I learned how to blend in, stay out of the way and so my presence was often tolerated. Having hung out in shops and having friends in the business gave me some insight along with what might be considered common sense.
It’s a business. The mechanics are always busy. They rarely even take lunch, preferring to book hours when they can. Giving out free advice during work hours is simply taking time away from their livelihood. It’s not that most wouldn’t help, they just are too busy trying to make a living and the cards are often stacked against them.
When I patronized shops where I didn’t know anyone and wanted some free advice, I would hang around out back where they took breaks and shoot the breeze a bit before asking any questions. That or approach the parts counter and hope someone could answer. Usually, the mechs coming up for parts would take a moment if they could. It helps to go out of your way and visit in person if you want something for free…
The person doing the service writing is often the least capable person in the crowd, because if they could fix cars, that’s what they would be doing. They are usually paper pushers, not very technically inclined.
To repeat myself again,
I did not persue a mechanic. I called the service department. Sorry but Im not some oblivious person expecting a free tutorial on how my transmission works by a mechanic. The question was “I read dexron VI is backwards compatible with previous dexrons, is that true?” Truly not a big deal.
Again, the bigger issue is that 6 different dealership service centers did not pick up the phone to begin with.
I fully understood your premise for the posting. People have come along since then to slightly expand the scope of your original post. That being said, the service department doesn’t make trans fluid. They are not responsible for answering questions about backward compatibility. There are far better avenues you can pursue to get that question answered reliably than a service center. Yes, they screwed up missing out on handing out free advice by not answering the phone. They probably missed out on some lucrative calls as well. But that is probably even more reason not to rely on them for advice, or expertise on fluid compatibility. I’d look at it more like a cheap vetting process for who I would take my car to in the future…
If you read all posts you’d know I ended up calling a transmission expert and got my answer. What annoys me is the tone of your response where its as if Im going in there expecting a big favor “for free”, and bothering mechanics who are hard pressed for time. Last I checked a dealer will sell you trans fluid. And at 12 quarts capacity thats a chunk of change.
In a world where forums are LOADED with opinions (I had multiple suggestions to put in ford type f fluid on another vintage car forum), who better to go to then the dealer who uses these trans fluids every day? Its damn near asking on a forum which is better regular or synthetic?
I’ll just stop there because this thread has reached beyond its point.
I’m not saying that you have an unreasonable complaint Fender. It seems like, yes, you should definitely be able to find someone who will take your call at the service dept. After all, you aren’t asking them about questions in theoretical quantum physics. All you need to know is, ’ do you know or don’t you know what transmission fluid my older caddie uses?’ Answering that would take 30 seconds. If they don’t know on the spot and they are too busy to look it up, you can call someone else.
But there’s another side of this question. If I’m standing in line at the service counter at the same time you phone them up, with 3 people in head of me, and 10 behind, and the phone rings, I prefer the staff ignore the phone and deal with me and the people who are present and waiting for assistance, and a checkbook in hand to pay for it. In other words, if I were a business owner of any retail business, not just an auto servicing department, I’d tell my staff when there isn’t enough time to help everybody, forget the phone. Help the people who are in the store to buy something. Then I’d find out how often the phone gets deferred, and hire more staff if it happens a lot.
I disagree. The phone is not optional. Ive worked in retail a lot unfortunately, and you always have to excuse yourself and at the very least get a phone number to return the phone call. We would be in trouble if the phone even rang 3 times before we picked up.
If you read all posts you’d know I ended up calling a transmission expert and got my answer.
Yes, I read all the posts and frankly, I didn’t consider whether or not your question was eventually answered by a phone survey as germane to the questions posed.
What annoys me is the tone of your response where its as if Im going in there expecting a big favor “for free”, and bothering mechanics who are hard pressed for time
It’s no surprise you didn’t like the “tone”, that’s the typical reaction when someone bothers to disagree with the ranter’s premise. The point is, you DIDN’T go in there, you took the lazy approach and used the phone. It was most certainly asking a favor of them and if by “big” you mean outside the normal course of doing business, having to seek out someone that actually knows the answer and then reporting back to you, then maybe that could be considered a “big” favor. That’s how I would have felt about it if I was the one asking anyway. I’m not buying anything, just asking for free advice or expertise.
Last I checked a dealer will sell you trans fluid
Yep, and a hardware store will sell you a bolt. They’re not going to know off hand if that bolt will fit your kid’s swingset that they sold you last year- without spending the time to look it up for you.
who better to go to then the dealer who uses these trans fluids every day?
Are they repairing 50 year old cars everyday? They know what fluids are specified for MODERN cars, not some antique you’re resurrecting. That’s where old car forums shine BTW. Certainly you have to apply SOME effort to wade through nonsense to get the answer but it’s your car, not the dealerships.
BTW- I’m completely in agreement with George on the phone aspect. Just because some prior employer set rules on answering phones does not make it universally correct. In fact, if I’m standing there as the current customer and the phone rings, if the clerk does any more than say “Please hold”, I’m likely to walk away and go elsewhere. BTDT. Is that any different than someone walking up and butting in to ask their question while you’re trying to transact business after waiting your turn? You want to capture every possible lead? Then run the risk of ticking off and losing the bird in hand…
@TwinTurbo
I like your way of thinking!
It has happened a few times to me, that I’m waiting in line for the cashier. Then when the cashier realizes my transaction will take some time, they ask me “Do you mind if I take care of this other customer first?”
To which I respond “As a matter of fact, I do mind. I’ve been waiting patiently in line, and I’d like you to take care of me now.”
Nobody has ever reacted badly to me, when I word it exactly like that
Come to think of it, most of the times when I call a dealer service department, to check if they have a part in stock, they usually ask me “Can I place you on hold for a moment?” I always say “Sure” and I’m usually not on hold for more than a minute. I have no problem with that
I’m glad I needed ATF for my 1950 Oldsmobile Hydramatic in 1970 when there were only 2 choices. Type F for Ford products and Dexron for everything else.
I understand where you all are coming from but if I call a business, I’d better get the phone picked up or I judge the business very badly. OTOH, if I’m in the store and being waited on, you’d better have someone else available to answer the phone-especially if it turns into researching part numbers etc. I don’t mind a quick answer the phone and put them on hold but not allowing the phone to take control. Its just a training/staffing/awareness thing is all. If there are lines at the counter and the phones are ringing, where’s the boss? That’s his job. Somethings wrong. Either taking too long to complete a sale, poor information systems, staffing etc. Get to work on the problem. In my first job at the restaurant in high school, I learned the importance of an owner/manager involved. The rest I learned over the next 40 years.
I remember standing in line at the Disney Sci Fi restaurant once, and when it was our turn, we apologized because we were taking too long to complete our reservations for some reason. The girl there said “no, now its your turn, no matter how long it takes, then it will be their turn”. Priceless. You can learn a lot from Disney.
@TwinTurbo I have zero problem being acknowledged and asked to hold on. The fact was nobody picked up the phone - period - at SIX different dealers. Thats cause for annoyance.
And as a matter of fact after none answered the phone I DID go down there. ALSO where I wasnt acknowledged. Where I had to stop a tech passing by to get the time of day.
For your own knowledge, GM released dexron VI for vehicles made 2006 and after. They also released a service bulletin stating that this generation dexron was compatible with EVERY previous generation. Seems to me if a service department strictly only serviced their vehicles made post 2006, they’d be missing out on business. It should be common working knowledge.
Also, should they have been able to answer that and say yes dexron VI is backwards compatible and we have it right over in parts sir, I would have thanked them and gone over and purchased 12 quarts. Thats over $80 really. This wasn’t a “lazy” search of “free advice.”
You fail to understand
I don’t think most businesses train their employees that they ARE the company to whoever they’re talking to on the phone. The customer’s entire perception of the company comes from them, and only from them.
And for any business who has a department that receives routine phone calls from their customer base to not have a person (or people, depending on the volume) with one job and one job only… to field phone calls, is unthinkable to me. Automobile dealerships spend mighty sums on marketing and advertising, including advertising their repair services. To not have someone answering the phone… well, they might as well throw much of that advertising revenue in the nearest river.
Things have changed a lot regarding dealership service departments within the last decade or so as far as I can tell. You don’t bother calling up for appointments anymore. When I tried that the last time, they told me to just drive up and get your car in line. No appointment necessary and they wouldn’t take one over the phone. First come, first served. It seems all the other (regular) customers knew that. For someone that rarely, if ever, gets professional service, it was news to me. I have had to take a car in to two different dealerships for warranty work since then and that’s what I did. Simple and no phone conversations necessary. They are trying to make it more convenient to go there…
Also, should they have been able to answer that and say yes dexron VI is backwards compatible and we have it right over in parts sir, I would have thanked them and gone over and purchased 12 quarts. Thats over $80 really. This wasn’t a “lazy” search of “free advice.” You fail to understand
It’s all talk at this point. How many people will actually hang up and drive to the dealership parts department to buy ATF when there are dozens of other stores that sell it far cheaper that are on the way to the dealership? Once you had the info, there was no real reason to visit them and a fairly good incentive not to.
You act like you’re the only person on the face of the planet calling up for information. They get pestered for free advice and information all day long. I’ve heard all the tales from friends with first hand experience. Next time, stop by the parts department and ask them the reality of people who follow up and buy parts from them versus Rockauto for example, once they have the info they need…
Buddy I used to sell musical equipment. That happened to me every. single. day. If anybody, Im the guy who appreciates someone going through the trouble and entering a relationship with that person for future purchases.
Im done defending my position. Clearly we just plain disagree on how a business should be run.
I gotta say I’m with Fender on this. That’s how you generate goodwill and future business. Maybe it takes ten or 20 contacts but maybe eventually when they really have a problem, they go where they know they’ll get a straight answer.
I also have to say that I think dealerships are in transition from the old days. I have noticed a change in attitude since a couple years ago-at least among the service staff (looked pretty close to an 80% turnover with the smart alec kid gone). While I was there though, I looked at the cars in the show room. You know, $70K on down. Maybe they were really busy but not one sales person, man or woman said a word to me. Guess they’ve got a ways to go. I don’t even wear a tie to church anymore, I be danged if I’ll wear one to the dealer just to get someone to talk to me. I’ll just go somewhere else.
I’ve always experienced very different treatment when I’m dressed in a suit than when I’m dressed to paint. I guess it’s human nature to make judgments based on first impressions. Once I was in a retail store all spit-shined for a big meeting I had that day and a lady came up and asked me a question. I simply smiled and said “I’m sorry, I don’t work here”. She laughed and said “you look like you own the place”.