My Chevrolet service experience

[ocnblu]

I took my truck in to my selling dealer on July 9th for its first oil change and a warranty concern. Intermittently I had to fasten and refasten my seatbelt about 4 times to get the light in the dash to go out. Obviously, the problem was in the switch in the buckle. Here's how that went:

The dealership is in a small town about 10 miles away. I was on vacation, so I waited and browsed the lot while they did their thing. A couple of customers (old guys retired) were hanging out bs ing with the techs in their bays while they worked. I was in and out, didn't want to crowd the tech working on my truck as I know they don't appreciate being watched by customers who may not understand the process. I was outside very near the service department looking at a used Grand Prix when he came out and told me he sprayed WD-40 into the buckle to see if that would free it up instead of ordering a new buckle because he didn't want to go to the trouble of taking the seat out to replace the defective buckle. I was a bit surprised at his statement, but in the interest of fairness, I said OK, I would try it.

I thought he was finished at that point, the oil change was done first, and my truck was parked outside, so I anticipated my departure would be soon after. The place was not busy, early on a Friday morning. About 25 minutes later, I still hadn't been called to get my keys, so I went in and stood in front of the service advisor in case he forgot I was waiting. He looked up from his computer where he was very slowwwwly one-finger typing and said he didn't have my paperwork finished yet. Again, I didn't want to sound like an ass, so I told him I was on a vacation day, no rush.

ANOTHER half an hour later, I was called to the counter to pick up my keys. By then I was feeling a bit annoyed. There were only two other customers there that morning. Still, I managed to remain calm because I know how things go sometimes... customers want their vehicles back in their hands like YESTERDAY.

When I jumped in my truck to leave... the seatbelt light remained on in the dash after I was buckled in. I drove into the service area and the tech walked over. I pointed to my dash and the flashing red seatbelt icon. "Oh, is it still staying on? I will order you a buckle," and he yelled over to the service advisor to order it. I saw the advisor acknowledge him, I asked the tech to have them contact me when the part arrived, and I drove through and out.

No word from the dealer. It takes 1-3 days in most cases to get a part on a stock order from GM. So I called the parts manager to check the status on the 16th. He told me the buckle was never ordered. I told him to order it and have the advisor call me to schedule it. I got a call from the parts manager on the 19th that the part was in. He told me the advisor would be calling me to schedule the replacement. When I got home after work on the 19th, there was a message on my machine from the advisor... "I wanted to wait to see if the WD-40 was going to fix your problem, let me know if your seatbelt light is still coming on and I will order the buckle." WTF???

I called them back on the 20th and spoke to someone in the service department other than the advisor I had been dealing with, we scheduled it for the 22nd, I was to drop it off early and use their beat-up '06 Impala loaner car (which I am not knocking, I understand how expensive it is to keep loaner cars due to insurance costs) to get to work. I called at 4 pm because I hadn't heard anything. The receptionist said I could pick up my truck, that I hadn't been called yet because the paperwork wasn't finished yet (vision of one-finger typing). So, after work, I went and picked up my truck. It was fixed, so I was ready to put the whole thing behind me. Until I got to my mom's house for dinner, went to close the door, looked down and noticed the big chip in the paint on the door sill and the multiple gouges in the plastic sill plate from dragging my seat in and out of the cab to replace the buckle. By now I am beyond pissed with the whole thing. It was 6:45 by that time, but I got on the phone and called the dealership, asking for the service manager. I was patched through to an unfamiliar voice, so I started my rant about the damage, until he told me he was the FORD service manager, next door to the Chevy dealer (owned by the same people), and that the Chevy service manager left at 5. The guy was decent, he told me he'd email the Chevy service manager and get him to call me back, which he did, yesterday morning.

So he's going to order a new sill plate and I told him I will touch up the chip on my rocker myself, but I wanted him to see what his tech did to my new truck. So I will wait to hear from him on the sill plate.

All this to get a simple seatbelt buckle replaced under warranty. A SAFETY SYSTEM PART. My truck didn't know my belt was buckled. The useless technician sprayed WD-40 on a seatbelt buckle BECAUSE HE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE UNBOLTING THE SEAT FROM THE FLOOR TO REPLACE IT! And then when he was forced to do his job (which he will be paid for), he carelessly handled a customer's vehicle and did the damage. Not to mention the circus involved in ordering the damn buckle.

If and when I hear from this clown, I am going to go pick up the sill plate, install it myself, and never set foot in that place again.

The End/rant

Edited July 31, 2010 by ocnblu

[Drew Dowdell]

Forward the entire post to the manager of the dealership. Put a link to the thread for good measure.

[ShadowDog]

So common, and yet, so avoidable. I feel your pain. Something so simple should not be so difficult to deal with.

When we bought my wife's car, the stereo head-unit was not the upgrade version as indicated on the parts list sticker. We wanted that head-unit, so when we went back to bring up the issue we were offered the difference in cash. Um, no, we still want the correct stereo. A few days later, a reply came (in the mail) from the dealership manager that the difference was all they were prepared to offer. My wife later worked at that dealership and learned that since they screwed up on the PDI at delivery, it was now their fault for not detecting the error before the sale, and not GM for installing the wrong head-unit. I contacted the customer care department at GM directly and brought up the issue. A couple days later we were called again to say that GM was sending the correct head-unit and the service department would replace it for free (I should hope so).

When the job was done, I found a dash panel clip on the floor, and a couple of gouge marks on the panel fascia near its side edges as if it had been scraped by a sharp tool. Thankfully, the gouge marks ended up being obscured by the center console when I properly installed the clip and fascia panel some time later when I had the time to do it. All was well after that, so I never bothered to bring up the subject. In hind-sight, it was probably for the best that way, since my wife ended up working with everyone in the service department soon after that.

I hope you have better luck in the future.

Edited July 31, 2010 by ShadowDog

[Intrepidation]

The sort of thing that gives dealers a bad image in most people's eyes.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

I am so sorry. Dang... That is so wrong. This is why GM is having a hard time rebuilding its image. Why didn't he just do it right the first time.

[FAPTurbo]

If I were in your boots, I'd have been trying to get on the horn with whoever is responsible for the operation, or even someone high up on the food chain about this. Hell, even calling up the local news to kvetch. This is the kind of nonsense that gives dealerships such a bad name, but especially a company. I'm sure if you were an average joe who wasn't pre-disposed towards GM products, you'd be checking out a Toyota Tacoma right about now.

GM's connection to its buyers is through dealerships. If they can't get the grassroots to offer the same excellence as their vehicles, then their recovery will be bleak.

[Croc]

Send the whole thing to GM. Give them names and everything. There's no excuse for this, especially since this dealership isn't targeted for closure (I assume).

Take it to the top, be polite yet firm, and don't take no for an answer. Squeaky wheels get greased.

[Intrepidation]

This is also why I like doing my work myself. I'm not very trusting of having other people work on my car for this very reason.

[ocnblu]

I drove out there this afternoon. The service department is closed on Saturdays, I knew that, but I wanted to show my salesman the damage and ask him to follow up with the parts department and make sure the sill plate is ordered. He apologized several times and explained that serious upgrades are imminent in their service department since the new owners took over (which happened very shortly before I bought my truck in April.)

Just so happens I got a letter from him last week asking for referrals. I told him I received it and I have no problem recommending him, but I will not recommend the dealership to anyone, since SERVICE is a much longer term relationship than sales. He said he agreed and would try to speak to someone to "make things right" for me. It's too late for that, I'm afraid.

I've had good luck getting my Cobalt serviced at another nearby small town dealer. They are going to be looking after my Colorado from now on.

I touched up the paint chip, of course I can still see the touched up area every time I open the door, but I do not want bodywork on my new truck, so I will live with it. The new sill plate will further erase the ugly incident from my mind. I am not going to dwell on it, it is done and it cannot be reversed, so I will get over it with no further action... or dealings, with Hondru Chevrolet of Manheim, PA.

Thanks to you guys for letting me rant and for the support.

[daves87rs]

Forward the entire post to the manager of the dealership. Put a link to the thread for good measure.

+1

[Blake Noble]

I hope your dissatisfaction doesn't fall on deaf ears.

My parents' Aura didn't exactly get class-a treatment when they had the BCM replaced. It wasn't a complete nightmare like ocn went through but I will say the traction control hasn't worked since they replaced it.

[ZL-1]

Dealer/service experiences can make or break future deals and get people out of a brand and straight into the competition's arms.

I have the MINI in the shop for an engine repair (started overheating). Been there for 4 weeks because the guy in charge of the service department went on holidays without calling me, just leaving the car there in a corner waiting for God knows what (since the replacement part is, at most, in a warehouse in Spain, which means a 24 hour delivery time)...

For this, and since I'm thinking of getting new wheels soon, no more MINI and no more SANTOGAL (the company that owns this MINI franchise).

[Z-06]

Send the whole thing to GM. Give them names and everything. There's no excuse for this, especially since this dealership isn't targeted for closure (I assume).

Take it to the top, be polite yet firm, and don't take no for an answer. Squeaky wheels get greased.

+1 there. Mark Reuss has been consistently emphasizing on the message on better communications between the service and customers, let his team know the problem.

[GMTruckGuy74]

This is reason #1 for me not wanting to buy a Chevrolet. This happened to me too with my 2004 Malibu LT Sedan - the driver seat frame broken and in order to fix it the seat had to be removed from the car. I understand they are heavy, but come on! Get an extra tech and have some help with it. They damaged my sill plate too and did some other damage that was not repairable. I used them (Bob Maguire Chevrolet in Bordentown, NJ) for both routine service and warranty service on my GM vehicles at the time, but that quickly ended. So far the Buick Pontiac GMC dealerships I've been using the past five years have offered me much better service than any Chevrolet dealer had (this includes Reedman Chevrolet in Langhorne, PA). Sorry to hear about your damage and subsequent displeasure with your selling Chevrolet dealer. If GM wants to make Chevrolet their main selling brand now, then GM has some work cut out for them with making Chevrolet service departments dependable and reliable places for their customers to want to go to.

Edited August 2, 2010 by GMTruckGuy74