Saturday, took my 07 Tahoe in for a state inspection, oil change, lube and rotation... handed my service writer the keys, copy of insurance and wheel lock nut..
Got my truck back after about an hour and a half, which is about what I expected... I do my standard full walk around checking all valve caps and wheel caps, pop the hood and check for a seated oil fill cap and check or oil on the dip stick, make sure the wheel lock nut is in/on the console cup holder...( every time)
Got in the truck... black greasy hand prints on the door, the glove box, seat adjusted way back and reclined way back (thug position I call it)...

I frown, see my service writer point it out to him wtf?!?, He said he would mention it the tech... I leave...

My short ride home gets me to thinking, that is unusual for it to be so sloppy.. I figure I better do some more checking.... first thing I look at is the grease zerk I can see through the spokes of the wheel...dirty and gritty...never touched...check the other side.. same thing.... one word... LIVID...

I took it right back to Champion Chevrolet on 183 in Austin Tx find my service writer and wanting an explanation of why I just paid nearly $80 for an oil, lube and tire rotation that just might have never F'ing happened!!! ( I saw the sticker for the state inspection)

I pointed out the dirty un-greased fittings, which the service writer promptly stated that he wasn't a tech and couldn't speak to what was or wasn't done but he would get it back on the rack to get it greased, and I was welcome to watch.... and I did...

No apology, no explanation, from the monkey tech, my service writer did provide me the name and number of the service department manager and encouraged me to call and report the incident and said if need be, they would get it back on the rack for another oil change this week.....

This is the exact reason I stopped going to quickie-iffy,rippy U off lubes....Aarrgg!!! Sadly, its also the reason I have encouraged others to go to the dealer instead...

I understand my service writer is not the person doing the work BUT he is the face I put on it... I had higher hopes for the Dealership employing better qualified persons doing basic servicing that is why I have gone exclusively to them, I was even willing to pay a premium because I THOUGHT it was going to be done RIGHT... ( I'm still seething just writing this)

Do I really need to start chalking my tires so I know that they were really rotated? sending my oil in for analysis to know it was really changed?

Mr. Charles May will be hearing from me hopefully its an isolated incident...

 

He'd have mentioned it right then, I would refuse to accept that.

 

Apparently he did mention it to the tech after I had initially left, as when I returned to have the lube done correctly...the second time and I was watching, he scrubbed up like a surgeon, hands AND forearms soap and towel dried before getting back into the truck to back it off the rack...

 

New oil should be detectable on the dipstick.

I always chalk the tires if I let someone else rotate which is almost never.

You should get a survey or phone call afterwards also. At least my dealership does.

 

New oil should be detectable on the dipstick.
True and it did, my point will be to the service manager, is driving home the point that it could appear that it was a scam to charge for, but not change, for someone not in the know of what to look for..

I always chalk the tires if I let someone else rotate which is almost never.
I have chalked for spot checks in the past, and this was one of the few time I brought my truck in not freshly washed so the lite hand marks in the dust on the wheels showed they were at least touched, but again the lack of greasing 2 zerk fitting that are very easily accessible, that took less a minute to do, leads to mis-trust of short cutting. My tire rotations are almost always free due to coupons they send me in the mail...

You should get a survey or phone call afterwards also. At least my dealership does.
I do get the survey,however my service writer is going to take a big hit on it due to being the "face" of my service visit..

Straight up, I feel my service adviser is a great guy and I trust him...he has talked me out of spending money on service I thought I needed... i.e. transmission service at 50k, replacing tpm's at tire change as a preemptive item..

But the dumb *** monkey they hired to do oil changes don't have to be certified or even properly trained and that reflects BADLY in the expected higher quality of service from a dealership... If GM and its dealerships, independent or otherwise really want to improve thier image of not being "st"ealerships, consistent top quality service and give a crap people are a must...

I try to go to bat for dealerships in this forum and it really chaps me when I have to experience just one bad service visit to give credence to the naysayers...

I've been very happy with the service for past 5 years with them, but boy just this one mishap can really undermine customer trust, because I can do all these services myself but I chose to pay them to do it and do it right like I would.... that is what it really comes down to.....

 

I can see the grease marks being a **** off but not the seat adjustment.
It weakens any legitimate issues you do have.

As far as the zerk fittings; how much grease is already in the boot. If its already full; why pump even more into it...to near bursting.

giving away free services is always a bad choice; its sends the wrong message and attracts the wrong clientele.

Your seething and calling the owner; when all you really needed to do was go back and ask to get the 2 fittings lubed and fingerprints cleaned....moderation moderator.

 

Disagree. If I got my truck back with grease all over the inside and the seat reclined "gansta" position, I'd scream my head off. I don't take my truck to a dealership to get sloppy work done and to get it back dirtier that when I dropped it off. I would have driven it around the building and right back into the oil/lube bay and told them to DO IT AGAIN and GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME. There is no excuse for a dealership to treat a customers car like that that. Try to think how you would feel if you took your baby in to get something done and whoever worked on it decided to enjoy a cigarette in your truck. Maybe they left wrappers and a partially eaten cheeseburger on the seat. Maybe the tech even farted in to the cloth seat and the smell WONT GO AWAY. Are you telling me that you'd be ok with it and just drive off into the sunset? I think you stick up for your profession on the wrong subject here. If you're ok with this kind of action, I hope you don't work at any dealership I visit or you and I would have talk.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who demands perfection.

I'm also glad I'm 200 miles from out of warranty, and will never have to see the dealer again.

Do it yourself, then it's done right.

 

I'd go straight to the service manager then and bend his ear if you don't want to burn the service writer.

I lost a good service writer when a couple of customers gave less than "Completely Satisfied" ratings for something that was completely out of his control and they never even discussed w/ anyone. He got reassigned to another dealership by the same owner.

Speaking of TPMS, anyone know how long the batteries last?

 

Disagree. If I got my truck back with grease all over the inside and the seat reclined "gansta" position, I'd scream my head off. I don't take my truck to a dealership to get sloppy work done and to get it back dirtier that when I dropped it off. I would have driven it around the building and right back into the oil/lube bay and told them to DO IT AGAIN and GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME


Same here! I dont tolerate B.S. like that from a Dealership especially with their Bull **** labor rates. I would return imediately and make them clean it and then Slam them on their phone/internet after service survey.