All I ask is to be kept informed.

[Kern Dog]

I'm guessing that most of us will relate to this.
You take your car to the shop for some repair that you can't or don't want to do. They write an estimate and say they will call. You get a ride home and go about your day.
Hours pass. No call from the shop. MORE hours pass, still no call so you call them.
Oh, hello Sir...it has been done for a few hours/is waiting on parts/we still haven't looked at it/was stolen....
Why are these places so bad at keeping their customers informed?
The same complaint applies to other industries...You order parts and wait for the call that never comes. You have parts at the machine shop and the man never calls.
Don't these people ever face the same situation in their own lives? You'd think that if they did, that they would show more interest in customer service.
It really is a simple matter of a phone call. Call me and say what is going on. I can be a very patient and tolerant guy if I don't feel like I am being ignored. When I get stonewalled, I get pissed off. Pissed off customers are bad for business.

 

[Cranky]

I usually ask before leaving is when can I expect a fone call or even some info or when should I give them a call about what's up.

 

[Wojo68]

No communication. Hate that ****. And when you say something, you’re the dink.

 

[Kern Dog]

I usually ask before leaving is when can I expect a fone call or even some info or when should I give them a call about what's up.

I should do that. I am a bit too easygoing when I drop stuff off. Personally, I hate it when someone asks me "When will you be done?" but I do understand. My tolerance switches to anger when I'm waiting for a call.

 

[Cranky]

I'm guessing that most of us will relate to this.
You take your car to the shop for some repair that you can't or don't want to do. They write an estimate and say they will call. You get a ride home and go about your day.
Hours pass. No call from the shop. MORE hours pass, still no call so you call them.
Oh, hello Sir...it has been done for a few hours/is waiting on parts/we still haven't looked at it/was stolen....
Why are these places so bad at keeping their customers informed?
The same complaint applies to other industries...You order parts and wait for the call that never comes. You have parts at the machine shop and the man never calls.
Don't these people ever face the same situation in their own lives? You'd think that if they did, that they would show more interest in customer service.
It really is a simple matter of a phone call. Call me and say what is going on. I can be a very patient and tolerant guy if I don't feel like I am being ignored. When I get stonewalled, I get pissed off. Pissed off customers are bad for business.
I should do that. I am a bit too easygoing when I drop stuff off. Personally, I hate it when someone asks me "When will you be done?" but I do understand. My tolerance switches to anger when I'm waiting for a call.

My 2000 Durango developed a leaking freeze plug under warranty but got another one when the warranty was over. The one leaking was one in the back and had to remove the transmission. I let a shop do that and things went smoothly. Haven't had another car worked on for me since. That might have been around 2008....and I never just say "when will you be done" but I do ask if they have an estimate on when it'll be done.

 

[Wojo68]

I should do that. I am a bit too easygoing when I drop stuff off. Personally, I hate it when someone asks me "When will you be done?" but I do understand. My tolerance switches to anger when I'm waiting for a call.

When I ask, it’s usually “any guesstimate on when it’ll be done?” Just so I know how to plan accordingly.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

You shall be treated like a Mushroom..... Kept in the dark & fed Bullshit....

There's a reason I have so many return customers.... I keep them in the loop... Even it the info I give them isn't what they want to hear at least they have the info....

 

[Ron H]

Can relate. Avoid dealerships for any service/repairs cuz they are rape artists with costs and I don’t have any vehicles new enough to be under factory warranty. My Dakota has had a recall on it for years, the seat heater causing damage. When I called them a couple years ago, service guy asks “Have you had any problems with the heater?” I say, nope, I use it maybe 3 times a year works fine. He says, ok well if you do, bring it in.
Then in the past few weeks I’m getting one text after another about the recall saying should be repaired. I call asking if the repair will take some time, I’ll get someone to pick me up. He says not sure could be a couple hours. Well, I’m not keen on sitting in a waiting room for an unspecified period of time. Make an appointment to drop it off bothering a buddy to pick me up as my wife was busy with other commitments. They call me a few hours later saying I can get my truck. Great, BUT when I get there, they tell me I have to make another app to bring it in as the parts they need are two weeks out! Oh, see THIS drop off was just for an inspection. They say I need new switches now on order! WDF? Figure a recall IS for a certain fix and they'd be prepped to fix it..

 

[Nxcoupe]

Funny you started this thread. This is my #1 pet peeve with dealers I work with. I pound it into managements heads that their advisors need to do periodic updates throughout the day and then give a follow up call after the customer has their vehicle back to verify everything they were concerned with was repaired, their experience was a positive one, and if it wasn't, how can we make it better? Guys who do all this, usually make killer money and have a never ending line of devoted customers coming back specifically for them. You'd think this is common practice, but it's not. Unbelievable. Unfortunately, the dealers that get it and do all this stuff correctly are actually so swamped with work, they start slipping up because they can't keep up. It is frustrating and I'm a huge customer advocate.

 

[Nxcoupe]

You shall be treated like a Mushroom..... Kept in the dark & fed Bullshit....

There's a reason I have so many return customers.... I keep them in the loop... Even it the info I give them isn't what they want to hear at least they have the info....

Good for you, good to hear.

 

[toolmanmike]

Tough sometimes. I remember the days at the service desk. 50-75 a day to handle.

 

[Runcharger]

I try to be easygoing as well but it doesn't work. You can't drop it off and say take your time with it, they'll put it in the back and then hurry the job at the last minute.
Better off to say I need it XXXX and call them an hour before that to check on progress. Better off to have them worried that you could be the guy that will bitch if the job isn't perfect.

 

[GetX'd]

I just went thru this bullshit with Lexus Body Shop. When the car is finally really done . I’m going to have a heart to heart with the manager who seems like a very good dude. But I’ve no choice but to let him in on the job his service manager isn’t doing. I’m done with this little prick - and the boss is going to hear it. I won’t fly off the handle but I will firmly tell him his business is likely being effected by this POS. And lay out exactly why. I’ve had it and I hope I’m not the only one he’s heard it from.

 

[Nxcoupe]

I just went thru this bullshit with Lexus Body Shop. When the car is finally really done . I’m going to have a heart to heart with the manager who seems like a very good dude. But I’ve no choice but to let him in on the job his service manager isn’t doing. I’m done with this little prick - and the boss is going to hear it. I won’t fly off the handle but I will firmly tell him his business is likely being effected by this POS. And lay out exactly why. I’ve had it and I hope I’m not the only one he’s heard it from.

If all customers would handle it this way, change would happen, instead, it's usually some a hole screaming and yelling and one step away from getting escorted out. Then the customer is labeled as the problem, and the person that did a poor job goes unnoticed.

 

[khryslerkid]

There's a local Dealership, body shop that has cameras inside and you can log onto their website and keep track of your car being worked on. Be cool if they all did that.

 

[hemi*guy]

I have two buddies, one owns a regular shop my other one is a Mopar guru that has a shop I let do work on my Hemi Charger. Other than those two shops my cars never leave my driveway!

 

[ckessel]

Back in 04-07 when I ran the body shop, sometimes I could keep in contact with customers but most times not. I was by myself for a large portion of the time I was there. Open at 7, close at 5?, try 6 or later. Organizing work schedules, meeting with tech's throughout the day writing estimates, transmitting estimates to insurance companies[ had to stay on that, otherwise don't get paid for the job], order parts/supplies, sometimes wash cars to help the detail guy. If someone asked me to call them, I would try to do so. Some were easy, others "save the drama for yo momma". When I ordered parts I was a terror on call backs. If the counter guy said it would be x time till I heard back on something, say an hour, at 61 minutes I was calling to see WTF. I really had to stay on top of things to keep from being buried. I always enjoyed it when the shop owner would blow me off as I gave him daily feedback on how things were going, tech issues etc then act surprised when he got a call from an insurance company with a customer complaint or getting confronted in public. I think we went through 7 painters and helpers during my time there. He always got the quality type of worker who would work for what he wanted to pay. Many poor quality hacks. I learned lots of things there but I don't miss the stress. When we got hit with the fire in 07, I had 40 cars on the lot to deal with on my own for estimates/scheduling/parts ordering and probably 3 times that being held out.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Is this about your machine shop ordeal? If it is, you should set a chair up in the parking lot, bring a cooler of beverages and hang out, maybe even invite some friends. I bet he’ll be done quickly!

 

[Dennis H]

Just did it at Lakeland Dodge. I think THEY THINK it’s normal.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Is this about your machine shop ordeal? If it is, you should set a chair up in the parking lot, bring a cooler of beverages and hang out, maybe even invite some friends. I bet he’ll be done quickly!

Just hang out spinning this on your finger...