Continuing from yesterday …
Today: Stevinson’s Toyota West, which is a much bigger dealership than the John Elway Subaru.
Making the Appointment: Just as easy. Called the main number, got transferred to the Service Desk, and made the appointment. Got told that the person talking to me was Nikki, and that I should ask for her when I arrive. Not sure that “bonus” service is a plus or minus — but I also got a call from Nikki on Monday, reminding me of my appointment, so that’s good.
Dropping Off the Car: Pulled into the open bay, detached my keys, and stepped out. A fellow passing said he’d be with me in a moment, but before he did, Nikki came over, inquired, and confirmed my appointment. She noted the mileage, and did a round-the-car inspection (but not under the hood).
Back at her desk, she pulled up my records and determined the type of service I needed. I was offered a choice between the standard stuff and the full-blown complete stuff, with the delta in price and services pointed out to me.
She also asked if there was anything else, and we discussed the problems with the sliding doors. The service rep sitting next to Nikki went out to check the car, and came back with some advice on it.
The Shuttle from the Dealership: The shuttle was out on a run already, so I was sent off to the waiting area. Like John Elway, it has a coffee maker that charges extra for anything beyond simple coffee. Unlike John Elway, no donuts (which isn’t that big a deal).
It took 40 minutes for the shuttle driver to return. I and three other crammed into a Camry along with him, and we went off. Two of the folks had stops before mine, but the guy knew exactly where he was going (even knew the company name at my building in the Denver West complex), and dropped me off efficiently. Total time to get back, though, approached an hour.
Call Back: Tick tick tick. By about 2 p.m. I was beginning to wonder. Realized I’d not actually told them (or been asked for) a pick-up time. Finally called shortly after that to find out what was happening. “Oh, they’re working on it right now,” Nikki told me. “Sorry, it’s been just crazy here today.”
It’s a bad sign that Nikki was going to tell me that several times more before the day was through.
I mention this in IM to Margie. She tells me (wisely, if ineffectively) I should call back and press for an ETA right now.
Nikki said she’d call me when the car was ready. Around 3 I was starting to get nervous, so I called again. Got Nikki’s voice mail. Left her a message asking her to call back as soon as possible to let me know the ETA. Tick tick tick …
Around 3:50 — suddenly worried that Nikki had gone home, hence the voice mail, I called again. Got through to her. “Ah, I was just listening to your voice mail” (Hrm.) “They’re just finishing up. Do you want to come by now and pick it up?” I mentioned I’d need a shuttle ride. She took my location and building, and said she’d let the shuttle guy know.
I quickly shut down, and headed out to wait outside, given that it’s a five minute drive from the dealership.
The Shuttle to the Dealership: Tick tick tick. Evidently, “I’ll tell the shuttle guy” doesn’t mean “He’s on his way.” At 4:26 [per cell phone log], I get a call from the shuttle guy. “I’m on my way. What building are you at?” I tell him.
The driver looks disturbingly like Arvin Sloane, but gets me to the dealership efficiently.
Picking Up the Car: Nikki is apologetic. “They haven’t sent up the paperwork yet,” she explains, apologizing for the craziness today again. The mechanic is taking the car out for a road test right now. Should be ready in just a few minutes. Go ahead and wait in the waiting area over there.”
I wait. I read. Tick tick tick.
At 4:50 [based on my credit card receipt] or so, Nikki comes and give me the invoice and escorts me over to the cashier. I pay my $400, and the lady there sends my key over by pneumatic tube for them to bring the car around. Nikki thanks me for my patience.
I go and stand out in the service drop-off area. And wait. And wait. In about 5 minutes, I see a worker bee take a key from the pneumatic tube in the little worker bee hut. He walks off onto the lot. Another five minutes, and I see the van coming! Huzzah!
Or … not. I’m sure it was the van, by the pink “Disney Princess” antenna bobble, but it slipped away from my line of sight and has vanished. What the –?
Ah. I told them, at 7:30 this morning, that, yes, I’d love for them to give the van a complementary car wash. I am now regretting that.
Tick tick tick. Nikki, helping other customers, sees me and thanks me for my patience and apologizes for how crazy things were today.
At 5:08 p.m., twenty minutes after I paid for the car, Margie calls. “Hi, how are you?” “Ah …” I trail off. “You don’t sound like you’re in the car.” “Nope.” “You’re kidding.” “Nope — aha!”
The van pulls up. I tell Margie I’ll tell her all about it later.
I take possession of the van. I drive off. I stop. They’ve done battery service, so all of the radio stations are gone. When the felling hell are they going to make car radios with non-volatile memory, dammit?
And, of course, by this time the traffic is such that it takes close to an hour to get home, rather than the usual 35 minutes. And I’ve missed going with Katherine to the Book Fair at her school. Rats.
Customer Service Feedback: Hmmm. No suggestion that I’ll be getting a call for a quality check. No post card. No internet site to go to.
Hmmmm.
Summary: I’ve had similar problems at Stevinson’s before — little things that sort of cascade into a series of 15-20 minute delays, especially on the car pickup. It seems to be getting worse over time, which is unfortunate, esp. since we’re still seriously looking at another Sienna as the “new car.”
Certainly everyone I deal with at Stevinson’s is pleasant and helpful and professional, but not effectively helpful, if you see the distinction. I don’t know if it’s the folks behind the scenes that are messing up, or what, but taking the van in for service is becoming progressively less pleasant.
Overall conclusions (from both days):
- Give a time when you expect to pick up the car. Even if not asked. Especially if not asked.
- Call in advance to confirm how things are going. Don’t assume you’ll be called.
- Plan for extra time, regardless of #1.
- Learn and remember the weaknesses of the place you go in for service. Focus attention on those weaknesses.
- Try to avoid days when things are “absolutely crazy.” Heh.
- Cultivate a Significant Other who will mix you a strong martini (“Sam, fix me a triple!”) when you get home.
‘Nuff said.
Or, as I described it to Margie, “It was like the Keystone Kops in slooooow motion.”
I don’t think you have to get your service at the dealership to maintain your warranty. Like you I tend to do that, but once the dealership gives me good reason not to go see them again, I’m off to another place.
I take the Mazda to another place because the local dealer didn’t know squat about rotary motors when I first went there (that may have changed now that they’re servicing RX-8s), but I’m still taking the Toyota to the dealer beacuse it’s pretty convenient and they haven’t given me a good reason to go elsewhere (except perhaps the prices).
Oh, I know that. It’s just that, all other things being equal, these two dealerships *are* convenient for me — one within walking distance, the other just beyond.
I go to the place across the street from where I work (I have only owned one new car in my life) that also does the work on all of the fleet vehicals. A quick walk, they have paid for loaners in the past when they did not goet the work done in a day, always honest about the work being done and courtious.
Oh I’ll NEVER take the 4Runner back to Stevenson’s Toyota West. This is where they were doing a brake job which they didn’t even start on until the time I was supposed to pick up the vehicle. Then because they were hurrying they broke a bolt off the knuckle — I believe their excuse was it was rusty. Then they tried to tap the bolt off and destroyed the knuckle completely. It had to be replaced — Long story short $1300 for a brake job — no apologies no nothing. Now they won’t touch my vehicle for anything. They do call to see how the service was and then pretty much give you the — it’s your job to maintain your vehicle line. Yes appearently it was my fault the knuckle got broken. Bastards. There is no other way to complain or I would have done it.