My first service visit

[ocnblu]

I wasn't going to post about this at first, but decided it was a good idea to air some things.

A while back, the GMC dealership sent me a letter for a free maintenance service, which I appreciated, being a new customer. Two Saturdays ago, I went in and had my first oil change and tire rotation. I was there at 8 a.m. for my appointment. About 20 minutes later, they pulled my truck into the shop. I ended up being there for about an hour and 20 minutes total. It was Saturday, I didn't have big plans, so ok. Everyone was courteous.

Since then, when I was on the highway, I kept hearing this reverberation in my truck somewhere. I thought it may have been the pavement or something, but it seemed odd. Then last Saturday at the car wash, while I was drying off my wheels, I noticed that the two rear tires were on backwards... my tires have a directional tread, and they have arrows on the sidewall to indicate proper fitment. So I went back right away that day, told them about it, and they put my truck in the shop to switch the tires for proper rotation. The excuse? "Oh, they didn't pay attention, they didn't think anyone would change tires so soon since the truck is new."

Also, I run 35 pounds of air, the recommended pressure on the doorjamb sticker. Checking my tire pressure monitor on the DIC, I noticed they deflated my tires to 30 pounds. Then, two days ago, the tire pressure warning came on the DIC and the dash indicator, saying my right front tire was low, indicating 27 pounds of air per the DIC.

I came home, plugged in my air compressor, and proceeded to inflate my tires to the proper pressure... but something was amiss. The DIC wasn't registering a difference in tire pressure for each tire as I inflated them. So I checked my owner's manual. The pressure monitors work off a radio frequency, and each position on the truck has a different frequency. Each time the tires are rotated, a relearn procedure has to be done so the truck knows which tire is which for the pressure display on the DIC. The procedure is kinda time consuming, and by this time I was kind of pissed over the whole matter. So on my lunch break today I stopped back to the service department. As I told my story, the advisor stopped me, nodded, and we said in unison "the relearn procedure...", so he immediately went and got a technician, who came out with a handy electronic GM shop tool. He had my monitors relearned in two minutes. I told him I have a compressor here at the house, and I'd reinflate my tires to the proper pressure now that the truck knows where the tires are. I did, and everything's fine... now. It's not like the 900 SUVs haven't been on the market with this same system for months now, so they should have known to do this.

THREE VISITS FOR A TIRE ROTATION AND OIL CHANGE. Seems to me like two visits too many. I am happy with the courteous service advisors... but the techs, at least their oil change and rotation techs, do not set off this relationship on the right foot at all. And I was scared of the local VW service department? Hmmm...

[Camino LS6]

Not good.

[Paolino]

One of the techs must have a crush on you 'blu and want you to keep returning.

[Screaming Trees]

A friend of mine took his Silverado to the local Chevy dealer for an oil change, he asked the guy to reset the oil life monitor.

The mechanic said "what's that?" After my friend explained it to the mechanic he said "I have no idea what that is"

These are supposed to be GM certified mechanics what gives?

[Z-06]

Not good.

I agree with Pauli, may be he needed some of OCN.

[ocnblu]

Well, I dealt with a different guy each time. I made the appointment with one dude, then a different dude was there for the appointment. Then a totally different dude was there for the rotation return, and finally, the same dude I made the appointment with originally helped me today. :AH-HA_wink: Edited April 18, 2007 by ocnblu

[Z-06]

Perhaps I should have worn pants under my chaps and my truck would have been serviced correctly the first time. :AH-HA_wink:

Well you can work out those details, to optimize the results next time.

[scharmer05]

I'm pretty sure that is the same system they have had in the upper level Tahoes and Suburbans from 04 on up, and I don't know who exactly changed your oil and rotated your tires, but I know a guy who is in auto school and got hired at one of the dealerships here in town to change oil. He had zero experience when he started, so I could believe you had the experience you did if that is who was working on your truck.

[ocnblu]

A "modified X" is what the service advisor called it.

[CARBIZ]

Hence, why it was free! Many dealers or even large shops that I am familiar with often use the apprentices/kids in the lube/oil bays. I've heard of lots of horror stories. The best is when the oil cap is not put back on! You're unlikely to find a guy with 20 years service who makes $60k a year doing oil changes and tire rotations.

[ocnblu]

I can agree with that as well, Mr. Biz. However, I am no less dismayed. I want to be able to trust all of the people who work on my $26k brand new truck. If the kid is new, he needs to be overseen by someone with experience to make sure the end result meets customer expectations. It's the same in my department, the bodyshop. Edited April 18, 2007 by ocnblu

[CARBIZ]

Point taken, but with respect to points I made on the Buick dealership thread earlier, Big 2.5 dealers tend to be older, in more expensive real estate areas and since their margins are being squeezed, frills are getting harder to offer.

Anyone in business knows that labor costs are among the "cheapest" to cut, but often that isn't the smartest long term move.