Bad Dealer Experience with LBJ Recall (now with pics)

[2003KJ]

So I took the Jeep in for the LBJ recall yesterday....had made an appointment 3 weeks ago for yesterday. I was told it would take 3 hours to do the work. One hour per balljoint, and one hour to do an alignment (yes thats right, they promised me a front end alignment as part of the deal).

So all is well, I drop it off at 7:30am and get them to take me back home with their shuttle service. I get a call around 11:30 saying it's done and I can come pick it up when ever. So I get a ride down there from a friend, go inside the service area to pick it up and give them my name. After fumbling through some papers she then asks me again, what name it was under. I've been going to this dealer for 3.5 years since the day I bought it from them, i'm very much in their computer system and i'm on a first name basis with a lot of people down there.

After fumbling through some papers some more she then asks me "are y ou sure it's under that name?" I responded with "i'm positive...i've been going here 3.5 years."

She then gets on the phone with some people and says "we dont have any record of you dropping it off the morning. it shows that you were supposed to, but there is no record that you did." Of course me response was "WHAT!?!?"

"There's really no need for alarm sir, i'm sure it's just a...."

there's very much a need for alarm...you lost my damn Jeep!!!

"sir i really don't think you need to be this upset"

The hell I don't! I'm gonna be pissed off untill I see my Jeep come around that corner and it's still in one piece! Now find my damn Jeep!!!

This was all after they called me saying it was ready and trying to put a set of front brakes on it....yeah I already know they need to be replaced...it's on my list of things to do.

"Are you sure they told you it was ready?"

YES! You called me, tried to sell me brakes, said it was ready, AND you're all of a sudden not doing the alignment that you promised me. If it pulls the slightest bit, i'll be right back here and you'll be doing an alignment to it, at your expense.

Finally I see my Jeep come around the corner. The mechanic was out "test driving" it to make sure all was well (so I guess they didn't notice their mechanic was gone either....and it wasn't much of a test drive, the engine was about halfway warm when I got in it.

I got in, took it out on the highway and sure enough, I could make a left lane change with out even touching the wheel. Back to the dealer I went.

After much arguement, they finally gave in and agreed to do the alignment like they had told me from the beginning. They kept saying it's not part of this particular recall process. While that may be true, the fact of the matter is they TOLD me from the beginning one would be done, so I expect them to live up to their word. Maybe it was when I pulled out my cell phone and began dialing the number to the owner of the dealership that got them to cave in.

Long story short I got my alignment, and I got my new ball joints. Holy hell is there a big difference. The steering is ALOT stiffer....just like it was the day I got it.

I'm really disappointed in this dealer. I even made it very clear that I had been coming here for 3.5 years and was very pleased with how I was treated, and they've been around for about 90 years. Looks like I might have to find a new dealer.

I appologize for the quality of the shots of the orig. ball joints. it was kinda chilly outside for early fall and that made it hard hold the camera still...lol

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[JeepJeepster]

Wow, sounds to me like you told them how it was. Glad you got it all sorted out!!

 

[jfortier777]

Lol, lucky they didnt cut your brake lines...

 

[2003KJ]

Lol, lucky they didnt cut your brake lines...

Then about half of them would be leaving the building on a stretcher.

 

[jfortier777]

Lol, lucky they didnt cut your brake lines...

Then about half of them would be leaving the building on a stretcher.

Hell yeah! =D>

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Hmm...

Those are the same units that they installed on my Red KJ. They do look a bit.... beefier.

 

[-=JoN=-]

i thought ur camera was broken?

man, at least u got urs changed....

i hate my dealer (see rant thread)

 

[2003KJ]

i thought ur camera was broken?

man, at least u got urs changed....

i hate my dealer (see rant thread)

Yeah it is...borrowed my neighbors for the time being....had to wait till he got home from work tonight to get the pics off of it..lol. I'm askin santa for a new camera this x-mas \/

 

[glaurick]

Sounds like you did snap easy, it helps to go to who you know at the dealership instead of dealing with a desk jockey who see's 100's of pissed off people a day. Trust me, you yelling and demanding doesn't get you anything extra, well maybe a piss in the gas tank or something.
Remember people don't want to upset their friends, but they'll sure remember the angry guy the next time he comes in and won't go the extra mile for him.

 

[2003KJ]

Thats just the thing, I was talking with the same people i've dealt with for the better part of 3.5 years. We know each other on a first name basis...which is why it doesn't make any sense that out of the blue they'd try to screw me over like this. (Aeh)

 

[glaurick]

crazy #-o

 

[hyde]

I don't understand why some dealers don't give paper when you drop it off, that just ***** totally.. Then they pull this on you, get you sweating cold.

 

[Emoto]

I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[hyde]

^ works for dealer? [-(

umm.. how about the following part:

there's very much a need for alarm...you lost my damn Jeep!!!

 

[Emoto]

^ works for dealer? [-(

umm.. how about the following part:

there's very much a need for alarm...you lost my damn Jeep!!!

Good one, but no; I'm a writer.

How about thinking about the normal issues involved in tracking lots of vehicles at one time? All dealers have procedures to do this effectively. In the case above, someone introduced human error, so that for what, 2 minutes, a low level employee was not able to say where the vehicle was or find info about it.

The method that the employee used to locate the vehicle could have been flawed, or someone put a paper or electronic record in the wrong place. A friendly "I dropped it off and was called, so need you to find it so I can pick it up" would have sufficed.

 

[hyde]

I totally agree with your comment, one must keep calm in a situation like that, but when the first response is "we dont have any record of you dropping it off the morning. it shows that you were supposed to, but there is no record that you did." it is given that the owner of the vehicle will have thoughts going through his mind, and will eventually snap at the person who is claiming the vehicle was not dropped in the first place.

I hope Tim will be getting satisfaction survey in the mail, and will be putting this down officially.

 

[Emoto]

I totally agree with your comment, one must keep calm in a situation like that, but when the first response is "we dont have any record of you dropping it off the morning. it shows that you were supposed to, but there is no record that you did." it is given that the owner of the vehicle will have thoughts going through his mind, and will eventually snap at the person who is claiming the vehicle was not dropped in the first place.

I hope Tim will be getting satisfaction survey in the mail, and will be putting this down officially.

Yeah, there was a fly in the ointment somewhere that led the employee to say that. No question about it. The employee should have said "I am not finding it listed here, so let me do some more checking" or something like that.

 

[2003KJ]

^ works for dealer? [-(

umm.. how about the following part:

there's very much a need for alarm...you lost my damn Jeep!!!

Good one, but no; I'm a writer.

How about thinking about the normal issues involved in tracking lots of vehicles at one time? All dealers have procedures to do this effectively. In the case above, someone introduced human error, so that for what, 2 minutes, a low level employee was not able to say where the vehicle was or find info about it.

The method that the employee used to locate the vehicle could have been flawed, or someone put a paper or electronic record in the wrong place. A friendly "I dropped it off and was called, so need you to find it so I can pick it up" would have sufficed.

Try atleast a good 10 minutes before they finally got back with it....it was already gone when I arrived. And i'm well aware of their process of keeping track of vehicles, and they are known for being very careful in that sense. The fact is in the 3.5 years that i've been dealing with them all of a sudden they stabbed me in the back, and just seemed to not care at all....thats why I lost it....plus i am pretty **** about my Jeep...I don't wanna hear "we dont have any record of you dropping it off this morning" which is just a polite way to say "we don't know where the hell it is"

 

[Emoto]

^ works for dealer? [-(

umm.. how about the following part:

there's very much a need for alarm...you lost my damn Jeep!!!

Good one, but no; I'm a writer.

How about thinking about the normal issues involved in tracking lots of vehicles at one time? All dealers have procedures to do this effectively. In the case above, someone introduced human error, so that for what, 2 minutes, a low level employee was not able to say where the vehicle was or find info about it.

The method that the employee used to locate the vehicle could have been flawed, or someone put a paper or electronic record in the wrong place. A friendly "I dropped it off and was called, so need you to find it so I can pick it up" would have sufficed.

Try atleast a good 10 minutes before they finally got back with it....it was already gone when I arrived. And i'm well aware of their process of keeping track of vehicles, and they are known for being very careful in that sense. The fact is in the 3.5 years that i've been dealing with them all of a sudden they stabbed me in the back, and just seemed to not care at all....thats why I lost it....plus i am pretty **** about my Jeep...I don't wanna hear "we dont have any record of you dropping it off this morning" which is just a polite way to say "we don't know where the hell it is"

"Stabbed me in the back"! Listen to yourself. Going off on some low level dealership employee does you no good at all. If they remember you, it may actually impede your ability to get timely appointments and the next time there is a question as to whether they charge you or not for something minor, guess what? You'll be charged. You could have used this as an opportunity to build the relationship with them and come out with a service writer who will remember you as the guy who was nice and patient when he was screwing up. All I am saying is you ignore the human factor in these things at your own risk.

 

[2003KJ]

^ works for dealer? [-(

umm.. how about the following part:

there's very much a need for alarm...you lost my damn Jeep!!!

Good one, but no; I'm a writer.

How about thinking about the normal issues involved in tracking lots of vehicles at one time? All dealers have procedures to do this effectively. In the case above, someone introduced human error, so that for what, 2 minutes, a low level employee was not able to say where the vehicle was or find info about it.

The method that the employee used to locate the vehicle could have been flawed, or someone put a paper or electronic record in the wrong place. A friendly "I dropped it off and was called, so need you to find it so I can pick it up" would have sufficed.

Try atleast a good 10 minutes before they finally got back with it....it was already gone when I arrived. And i'm well aware of their process of keeping track of vehicles, and they are known for being very careful in that sense. The fact is in the 3.5 years that i've been dealing with them all of a sudden they stabbed me in the back, and just seemed to not care at all....thats why I lost it....plus i am pretty **** about my Jeep...I don't wanna hear "we dont have any record of you dropping it off this morning" which is just a polite way to say "we don't know where the hell it is"

"Stabbed me in the back"! Listen to yourself. Going off on some low level dealership employee does you no good at all. If they remember you, it may actually impede your ability to get timely appointments and the next time there is a question as to whether they charge you or not for something minor, guess what? You'll be charged. You could have used this as an opportunity to build the relationship with them and come out with a service writer who will remember you as the guy who was nice and patient when he was screwing up. All I am saying is you ignore the human factor in these things at your own risk.

Once again, they were not a "low level" dealership....atleast not untill now....and i dont really care what they think of me anymore....they've pretty much lost my business.