Finally Had It with My Subaru Dealer

[Alan]

Need to vent...

Had been going to Colonial Subaru (Feasterville, PA) for _all_ service since
I bought my car there (04 OBW LL Bean, 45K miles). I made an 8:00 AM
appointment for an oil change. I show up at 7:45, only to be told that they
have no record of my appointment. Okay, mistakes happen (their error, he
admits), but then the service writer starts arguing with me. He says he can
get me in, but it might be a while, and I'd have to leave the car and come
back. We only have one car, so all of my appointments are "waiting". I say
that I can't come back- I have to wait. He says, well you don't have an
appointment, but I'll try to get you in. I said I DO have an appointment,
you just don't have it in your book. He said that another customer is also
having the same problem- made an appointment, and he doesn't show it in his
book. Someone there must have messed up, he says. But, he says it's not his
fault. Okay, but it's certainly not my fault - I made an 8:00 appointment
(first appt of the day). Okay, he says, but it might be a while- and get
this- his exact words, "That's why we make appointments- so you don't have
to wait". I said I DID MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. And so on... Unbelievable.
Anyway, I'd been fed up with their 1.5 hour oil changes (honest- it has
NEVER taken less than 1.5 hours- usually more), as well as their poor
attitude. Well, FINALLY, another dealer opened up nearby- a VERY large
dealership, Reedman-Toll (one of the world's largest). They are new, so
their hours weren't real convenient, which is why I didn't try them sooner,
but I drive on over, they take me right in without an appointment, and get
me right out. Also, their hours are now up to expectations, including all
day Saturday (just started last weekend!) Guess where I'll be going from now
on.

 

[MN]

Okay, he says, but it might be a while- and get
this- his exact words, "That's why we make appointments- so you don't have
to wait". I said I DID MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. And so on... Unbelievable.

So they mistook you for someone who didn't have an
appointment but tried to squeeze-in pretenting he had
made one, ......big deal, things like that happen everyday.

MN

 

[johninKY]

Good for you. Absolutely no reason to support a product or business that
in turn treats you like crap. I eg have not used any Texaco product in
the last 27 years because of how one Texaco dealer treated me.

 

[j]

It is a big deal. Dealers want you to service your new car with them,
but they don't really do much to incentivize. It's an oil change, not
a timing belt. It's total BS that most dealer's don't have some kind
of express lane service for oil changes. For the love of God, how long
does an oil change take? I can do them in my driveway in minutes. So,
am I to understand that, with their facilities an oil change requires
the car to be left for the afternoon? WTF! It's about service, not
your car's service, but customer service. It reflects how the
dealership values you as a customer, and not some jerk they sell a car
to and not care whether they ever see you again. Bottom line, IMHO, 1)
you shouldn't need to make an appointment to get an oil change. 2) the
guy you dealt with needs to be kicked in the nuts 3) the "service" shop
should value your time and patronage a little more by being more
accommodating, especially since he acknowledged they screwed up. My
Subaru dealership (Nate Wade in SLC) has the express lane service for
LOF, and what's more (this is actually kind of annoying) they call me
after each and every service to ask about my experience. The service
writers will usually let me stand around for five minutes or so before
they acknowledge that I just drove a yellow freaking Baja into their
garage, but beyond that it's pretty good. Anyhow, my point is, maybe
you should find someone at the dealership who would appreciate your
feedback, especially since it has motivated you to go elsewhere.

Or, to hell with them.

 

[Alan]

So they mistook you for someone who didn't have an
appointment but tried to squeeze-in pretenting he had
made one, ......big deal, things like that happen everyday.

MN

Okay, but then he basically called me a liar, and argued with me. You can go
there if you want to, but I won't.

 

[Alan]

Good for you. Absolutely no reason to support a product or business that
in turn treats you like crap. I eg have not used any Texaco product in
the last 27 years because of how one Texaco dealer treated me.

Thanks. I hadn't been thrilled with them as it was, and this was the last
straw.

 

[Alan]

It is a big deal. Dealers want you to service your new car with them,
but they don't really do much to incentivize. It's an oil change, not
a timing belt. It's total BS that most dealer's don't have some kind
of express lane service for oil changes. For the love of God, how long
does an oil change take? I can do them in my driveway in minutes. So,
am I to understand that, with their facilities an oil change requires
the car to be left for the afternoon? WTF! It's about service, not
your car's service, but customer service. It reflects how the
dealership values you as a customer, and not some jerk they sell a car
to and not care whether they ever see you again. Bottom line, IMHO, 1)
you shouldn't need to make an appointment to get an oil change. 2) the
guy you dealt with needs to be kicked in the nuts 3) the "service" shop
should value your time and patronage a little more by being more
accommodating, especially since he acknowledged they screwed up. My
Subaru dealership (Nate Wade in SLC) has the express lane service for
LOF, and what's more (this is actually kind of annoying) they call me
after each and every service to ask about my experience. The service
writers will usually let me stand around for five minutes or so before
they acknowledge that I just drove a yellow freaking Baja into their
garage, but beyond that it's pretty good. Anyhow, my point is, maybe
you should find someone at the dealership who would appreciate your
feedback, especially since it has motivated you to go elsewhere.

Or, to hell with them.

You would think that the service department would be bending over backwards
to keep you, especially since this is where the dealership makes their
money. They don't make much on the sale-most of the profit is from service.

I would contact the owner, but he's a jerk. I heard from a third dealer that
Colonial is about to lose their Subaru franchise. This would explain the
opening of Reedman-Toll only 4 miles away. We'll see...

 

[jcz]

Yeah, it is a big deal when you have a job and limited time and are
treated like shit by the dealer. Yes it is.

 

[MK IV]

So they mistook you for someone who didn't have an
appointment but tried to squeeze-in pretenting he had
made one, ......big deal, things like that happen everyday.

No they don't, not in a well-organized and well-managed dealership who
cares about keeping its customers.

 

[djay]

Need to vent...

Had been going to Colonial Subaru (Feasterville, PA) for _all_ service
since
I bought my car there (04 OBW LL Bean, 45K miles). I made an 8:00 AM
appointment for an oil change. I show up at 7:45, only to be told that
they
have no record of my appointment. Okay, mistakes happen (their error, he
admits), but then the service writer starts arguing with me. He says he
can
get me in, but it might be a while, and I'd have to leave the car and come
back. We only have one car, so all of my appointments are "waiting". I say
that I can't come back- I have to wait. He says, well you don't have an
appointment, but I'll try to get you in. I said I DO have an appointment,
you just don't have it in your book. He said that another customer is also
having the same problem- made an appointment, and he doesn't show it in
his
book. Someone there must have messed up, he says. But, he says it's not
his
fault. Okay, but it's certainly not my fault - I made an 8:00 appointment
(first appt of the day). Okay, he says, but it might be a while- and get
this- his exact words, "That's why we make appointments- so you don't have
to wait". I said I DID MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. And so on... Unbelievable.
Anyway, I'd been fed up with their 1.5 hour oil changes (honest- it has
NEVER taken less than 1.5 hours- usually more), as well as their poor
attitude. Well, FINALLY, another dealer opened up nearby- a VERY large
dealership, Reedman-Toll (one of the world's largest). They are new, so
their hours weren't real convenient, which is why I didn't try them
sooner,
but I drive on over, they take me right in without an appointment, and get
me right out. Also, their hours are now up to expectations, including all
day Saturday (just started last weekend!) Guess where I'll be going from
now
on.

Alan,

Take the time that you have spent in this forum to write the management at
the Subaru dealership that gave you the problems. I did this very thing in
California and the results were REMARKABLE. State the facts as you know
them in a letter and send it to them.
In my case the service dept got some "extra" $$ out of me by telling me that
my car was due for a Transmission fluid change. I told the guy that I
didn't think that was correct but allowed him to do it anyway, stating that
he "should" know better than I. After I got home and looked at my service
manual I realized that my Transmission wasn't due to be "serviced" until
another 10K more miles.
I wrote the facts down and told them of my dissapointment and sent it off.
They responded with a free oil change and a check for the transmission
service and a very nice appology.

HTH, DJay

 

[lkreh]

I hate to interrupt the rant, but here goes: you should have confirmed
your appointment. Perhaps the DEALER should have confirmed, but either
way, someone should have confirmed. In the end, it's really not that
big a deal.

 

[j]

It doesn't have to be a big deal. It boils down to personnel. If the
service writer was worth his salt, he would have accepted
responsibility and taken corrective measures, rather than alienate HIS
customer. The big deal is the dealership not investing in resources to
maintain the long term dealer-customer relationship. How much does
losing one customer, and all who they influence, cost a dealer? Too
Bad.

 

[Alan]

I hate to interrupt the rant, but here goes: you should have confirmed
your appointment. Perhaps the DEALER should have confirmed, but either
way, someone should have confirmed. In the end, it's really not that
big a deal.

It is when you take a day off frrom work. And I have never had to confirm in
45,000 miles worth of services.

 

[Deb]

My oil changes at Manfredi Subaru in Staten Island have never taken
less than 3 hours. Yep, 3 hours, with a 7:30 AM "appointment" each
time. The only reason I kept going there is because they were included
for 36K miles with my 2002 LL Bean Outback. They knew I was "waiting"
because I only have one car, yet they never offered me any sort of
transportation, even though I noticed on the recent survey that they
are supposed to.

After the free oil changes expired, I immediately started taking the
car to the local quick-lube place where oil changes take 30 minutes
with NO appointment.

Recently, I was forced to take the car to the dealer again because
that's the only way I can get the cabin air filter changed. This time,
I had an 8:30 appointment and they LOST my paperwork by leaving it
inside my car and didn't even call me for the initial consultation
until 45 minutes later when I complained about not being called. After
that I requested being bumped up to a priority case as I had already
had 45 minutes of my time wasted. They apologized profusely and wrote
VIP on my paperwork but it still took an additional hour. Total time
spent for a 15 minute filter change - TWO hours.

The whole thing is totally unacceptable and I wrote as much on the
recent survey I received.

 

[Grolsch]

Funny, back when I bought my first Subaru in January 1986 (86 GL Wagon), One
of the things I came up with was Owner Satisfaction with Dealer Service.
Consumers Reports at the time rated them one of the top in this aspect. I
suppose the service was a victim of it's own success. Out Local dealer is
pretty good about service, basic 6000km services are <1hr.

 

[lkreh]

I have never heard of anyone taking a day off from work in order to get
their oil changed.

 

[Alan]

I have never heard of anyone taking a day off from work in order to get
their oil changed.

Well, you have now.

 

[tom klein]

I hate to interrupt the rant, but here goes: you should have confirmed
your appointment. Perhaps the DEALER should have confirmed, but either
way, someone should have confirmed. In the end, it's really not that
big a deal.

"confirm" what? the customer phoned, the customer made an appointment,
the customer showed up. that's how it's done - no little r.s.v.p.
cards and no thank you notes.

in this case, someone at the dealership dropped the ball, and either
never wrote it down, or wrote it down in the wrong place. it happens.
but that's not the issue here. the real problem is the attitude of the
customer service rep (another name for "service writer", who shouldn't
be caught dead arguing with a customer over it.

this entire discussion wouldn't be taking place if he had just said:
"sorry, we goofed." which means that he puts it behind him by
accepting responsibility for it, followed by: "we can either do it
now, but it'll take a little longer than usual, or we can reschedule
for another day. which would you prefer?" because the customer
probably has to rearrange his/her schedule around this, so it should be
their call.

yes, it is a big deal. if you have a life...


........ tom klein

 

[Alan]

My oil changes at Manfredi Subaru in Staten Island have never taken
less than 3 hours. Yep, 3 hours, with a 7:30 AM "appointment" each
time. The only reason I kept going there is because they were included
for 36K miles with my 2002 LL Bean Outback. They knew I was "waiting"
because I only have one car, yet they never offered me any sort of
transportation, even though I noticed on the recent survey that they
are supposed to.

After the free oil changes expired, I immediately started taking the
car to the local quick-lube place where oil changes take 30 minutes
with NO appointment.

Recently, I was forced to take the car to the dealer again because
that's the only way I can get the cabin air filter changed. This time,
I had an 8:30 appointment and they LOST my paperwork by leaving it
inside my car and didn't even call me for the initial consultation
until 45 minutes later when I complained about not being called. After
that I requested being bumped up to a priority case as I had already
had 45 minutes of my time wasted. They apologized profusely and wrote
VIP on my paperwork but it still took an additional hour. Total time
spent for a 15 minute filter change - TWO hours.

The whole thing is totally unacceptable and I wrote as much on the
recent survey I received.

I thought I had it bad. Anyway, one of the nice features about Reedman is
that they service Subarus in the same service department as Jaguar. Nine
kinds of coffee...

 

[tom klein]

i've had the opposite experience: the dealer was reasonably
well-organized, and even somewhat helpful (certain items are best
checked, and replaced, *before* the powertrain warranty expires). but
as far as i can tell, twice in a row they failed to torque my lug nuts
properly. (loose wheels or flying lug nuts, especially at highway
speeds, are a BAD idea, and i've had both!)

for various reasons (like being 1,000 km from home), i couldn't take
the matter up with the dealership, but i'm definitely *not* letting
them touch my wheels again.

the funny thing is, about 2 months ago i got an annoyingly long survey
from subaru, aimed precisely at dealer after-sales service. i was
almost looking forward to telling them about my problem, but... no
matter how hard i looked, amidst the 25 different ways of asking just
how satisfied i was with everything about the dealer (with little boxes
ranging from "slightly satisfied" to "overwhelmingly delighted"), there
was nowhere that said "pissed off", or better yet, "scared silly". in
the end, it was just another piece of marketing...

the upshot is that now that my legacy has reached 110,000 km, we've
graduated from dealerships, and i'm off to a nice little indie
mechanic, who knows which end of a torque wrench goes where.


........ tom klein

ps. it is a very good idea to retorque lug nuts on mags after about
1,000 km if the wheels have been off the car. some dealers will print
this right on the invoice, and some will even retorque them for free.