Dec 1, 2005
By:
Jack
/offroad
|
Dealing with the Service DepartmentA primer on getting your vehicle fixed
under warrantee
Sponsored by
What do you do when you've brought your new 4x4 in for
service and you're told "it can't be fixed, they all do that, we
can't find anything wrong with it..."? A common problem with a simple answer-be persistent! Here's a
little background. I have been involved in the automobile business
for 7 years as a salesperson and inventory manager. I can tell you
quite a bit about how to deal with a recalcitrant service writer
and get yourself some satisfaction! The first thing to remember is
that the service writer has the hardest job in the dealership.
Everyone wants their car fixed now, everyone wants their vehicle to
have priority. The service writer performs a delicate balancing act
trying to keep everyone happy and also trying to productively
schedule his mechanics for the whole day and week. Unfortunately
many of them do this badly. That said, of course as a customer you
only care about your vehicle and getting it fixed in a timely
manner, and fixed correctly the first time. There are right and
wrong ways to go about this. The best example is a customer of
mine, let's just call her Erin, who bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8
from me. She lived a long way away from the dealership, up in the
mountains and had a long drive to and from work every day. Erin and
her husband noticed the transmission was acting funny and brought
it in for examination. This was a well-to-do couple who have owned
a number of luxury cars, Audis, Porsches, Saabs and some Jeeps.
They knew what they were talking about when they said their car had
a transmission problem. The service department, as always seems to
be the case, couldn't replicate the problem and told them their was
nothing wrong. A week later they were back, stating very
matter-of-factly that there was a problem with their transmission
and they wanted it fixed. Again, no problem found. Again, they
brought it back. This happened several times. Needless to say they
were upset at the time they had to spend trying to get the problem
fixed and still no resolution. Sound familiar? They of course came
to me, their salesman, and here's what I told them to do. The rules
vary somewhat by state but generally read that after a certain
number of repeat visits for the same problem, whether it's been
replicated or not, a customer has some recourse. If it is
determined that the vehicle cannot be fixed, you can, under most
state Lemon Laws either: a) Get your money refunded, less a certain
amount of use that you have had before the problem, or b) Get a new
vehicle. The procedure is usually a long hard haul, but you'll get
there. Every manufacturer has a customer service department. The
contact number will be in your owners manual, probably in the back.
Call the number. Keep documentation of your service visits so you
can prove your case. The manufacturer will send a representative to
the dealership regularly to deal with service and warranty
problems. An appointment will be made for you to come in and see
this person and have them look at your vehicle. If you've been
having a serious problem with a particular dealership, sometimes
they will meet you at another dealership, "neutral ground" so to
speak. This usually gets the vehicle fixed, but not always. The key
is persistence . The squeaky wheel gets the grease you know. My
customer Erin went through this process, and got a new
transmission, with an admission from the District Rep (this is what
Chrysler calls him anyway) that there was a known transmission
problem This is known as a "silent recall", where the manufacturer
is aware of a problem, but there either are not enough people
complaining or they've managed to keep it quiet. The only way to
get service under a "silent recall" is to complain, loudly, until
you are satisfied. The new transmission was not the end of Erin's
problems. The Jeep started acting up again, same problem, with the
new tranny. This time, the District Rep offered them a $2,000
voucher to trade in their not-quite 1 year old vehicle on a new
one. The 2 G's was to soften the blow of depreciation that their
vehicle had suffered during that time to make the problem go away.
And they did buy a new one, a Limited model this time, that they
are happy with. Interestingly enough, the dealer sold the trade-in
to someone else who, to my knowledge, has never complained about
the transmission. What should you do? If your vehicle is not being
repaired to your satisfaction, your first step should be to talk to
the service manager. This is the "boss" of the service department
and sometimes once you speak to him your problems are over. The
next step is to see the General Manager or even the owner, the
Dealer himself. Chrysler actually spells this procedure out in
their warranty literature that comes with every new vehicle. If the
GM or the owner don't deal with your problem satisfactorily, then
you contact the manufacturer. There will be a local office from
which someone will be dispatched to help you. Probably they will
want you to call the 800 number and not contact the local office
directly. If you can find out the local number, from your salesman
probably, I would call that and the 800 number. Once the
manufacturer is involved, your problem should go away - quickly.
It's disappointing when your new vehicle starts acting up, and even
more so when you feel you are being ignored or just not being
treated fairly by the service department. Every manufacturer has
programs in place to deal with these sorts of problems, and every
dealer is rated for their C.S.I., or Customer Satisfaction Index.
Surveys are sent to you when you buy a new vehicle and every time
you service it. Fill them out and send 'em back. It's the only way
to let the manufacturer know the good dealers form the bad, and it
does matter to the dealership, believe me. High scores mean more
allocation and bonus money and the dealer wants that money. You can
get satisfaction with a nagging service problem. It might be a long
haul, but eventually it will be fixed, your money will be refunded
or you'll get a new vehicle. Be persistent. Don't back down. Let
them know you won't be dissuaded. And good luck! [ Click
Here for a list of corporate service contacts ] PJ
(Jack) Longmont, Colorado
No Longer a Jeep Salesman,
But I play one on the Web!
http://www.cris.com/~pjacke
[ ORC Main Page
| ORC Tech Page
| Staff |
Advertising
| Inquiries]
Copyright© Off-Road.com, Inc. 1996, 1997
"Off-Road.com" is a Registered Servicemark.
All Rights Reserved, All content with exception of private works
and
corporate trademarked logos are property of Off-Road.com, Inc.
All corporate trademarked names & logos are property of their
respective owners
Off-Road.com,
Inc., a Hawaii Corporation and it's Internet site at
"www.off-road.com" is completely independent publication by and for
off-roaders
and is not affiliated with in any way, K-III
Communications Corp. McMullen Argus Publishing, Inc. or any
"in-print" magazine including "Off-Road"
Magazine. | 
