Today I got my service report from my advisor,

She said I needed a new oxygen sensor and turbo control valve, and a pollen filter (the filter wasnt covered under warranty) and they needed 2 to 2.5 hrs to do that. So I had my laptop, and they had wireless internet and the time went by quite quick.

Anyways she comes back with the bill and a bunch of papers attached to it, now i was already bumming that I had to pay 85$ for the pollen filter. Now I never, never look through any of the papers after the first two pages. But because she said it would be another few minutes for wash and vacuum of my car, I was like what the heck I'll look through it.

I get to the service page where the tech or advisor had handwritten down the comments for the repair

first comment was

"codes found in etc etc blah blah blah"

Second comment was:

"The metallic smelling noise is comming from a heavily clogged pollen filter, reccomend replacing it but I am sure his cheap A$$ wont replace"

And I already had given them the okay to do it. First I went looking for the manager, but delt with the service manger since the delearship manager was not in. He apologized heavily, and said I didnt have to pay the bill. Furthermore, I left the delearship with no paperwork..(not even the work done to the car)..

Do you guys think this is worth pursuing by writing a letter or something? I have been servicing my car for 4 plus years there, and its starting to make me think.

 

1. You shouldn't have let them close to the paper work. You should have kept it in your hand tight as could be.

2. I would have had them call the dealership manager wherever he or she was and let you talked to him or her.

3. I would call Volvo Cars of North America and report the incident.

But since you don't have any proof that it happened and they probably threw it all out, nothing could probably be done.

 

Sticks and stones.
Grow a spine and suck it up.
If I complained about every little annoyance in my life I'd be calling myself an american.....

 

LOL.....

Though I won't be as abrupt as ShaginWagon, I agree you should let it go. If that's the most grief you get from your dealer, you should count yourself as blessed.

Since I have worked as a tech at both dealers and independents in past lives, i can tell you exactly what happened.

The tech simply wrote down his comments longhand on his copy of the work order. The service writer is supposed to transpose (i.e. distill and clean up) the tech's comments for the customer's eyes.

What happened was your service writer was too busy/lazy/etc. to transpose the tech's comments so you saw them unfiltered. If you get mad at anyone, you should be angry with the service writer; hey your tech was just expressing an honest opinion; that's a good quality in a tech IMO!

Does the tech in question know you? My guess is no; further I would guess he has customers turn down his recommendation for new pollen filters all the time (since it really doesn't impact how the car runs); hence his frustration came through in his remark.

At the end of the day, it's not a big deal...

 

I have worked at the dealer level for 5 years for a large frachised group in Orlando (Assistant GM) and I can tell you if I had that happen to one of my customers, I def. would NOT stop apologizing enough and maybe give you your next 3 or 4 Oil changes for free. Furthermore,If I ran that place I would have to bring in the TECH, Service writer AND the service manager into my office and talk about why a TECH would write that on a ticket and why a client saw something like that wether it was short writing or not. I have seen a ton of service tickets that I have had to eat (customer pay and internals) and I have never seen one where the tech has written that. Normally they write something like LF Cv boot and then price that the parts dept gave them. To me it seems as if something "MORE" is going on at that Service Drive. Maybe the tech is having a bad day, maybe he doesn't like where he works,etc.... But sounds like their management obviously isn't doing something right! Now, if the tech is having a bad day, is he working on the car correctly? As we all know when we are having a bad day, we tend to not focus and not [ay attention to what we are doing! So..... gordon386, if it was me, I would have asked for the Dealer officer(General Manager and no one else), bring it to their attention since you have been going there for years and give them an FYI..... After all you are spending quite a lot of money at that dealer. I would say now that it's done with, just forget about it and move on. Hopefully they will have resolved the issue. If they don''t then take your money somewhere else!

 

Im sorry but there is no reason any Tech should ever write anything like that down on any paper that the Service writer or anyone could ever see!!!

That is totally wrong and IMO totally RUDE!!!!

If a Tech has an opinion like that it should stay in his head or a comment to the writer should be spoken only in private.

 

FRCE and TECH are correct. This behavior is uncalled for and furthermore rude and grounds for firing IMO.

Trust me that tech would have received at least a stern warning if not a pink slip from me if I managed that joint.

It doesn't matter what the tech thinks of the person or not, they shouldn't write things like that down, just for the pure fact it could get seen by the customer. The customer is paying this persons paycheck and they have the audacity to say something like that in writing. No I am sorry that is wrong and should be dealt with.

 

thanks for the weigh in guys - its a little discouraging & disrepectful but Im pretty much over it now.

The service advisor did transpose the comments to the official write up, but she didnt remove the sheet with the hand written comments on their. I do agree things shouldnt be written like that.

Furthermore my check engine light is back on p1175 - fuel something bank 1. So I will see what happens when my car gets serviced tommorow.

 

This is a little off focus but it the replacement of the Pollen Filter really $85?

 

i think its the labor that gets you

 

The labor should be 1/2 hour or less!!!!

 

I can see that. But if you are there getting several things done, that could have fallen in a hour that was already been in the works. I guess that is what I appreciate about independant repair shops. If they are 65 per hour and they can get 3 things done in that hour, you save. They don't charge you per job.

 

That IS the beauty of independent shops! And, they know all and sometimes MORE than some dealers!

 

+1.That IS the beauty of independent shops! And, they know all and sometimes MORE than some dealers!

 

Independent shops for life!

Volvo for life!

Independent Volvo shops for life!

 

definately.... 1/2 hr labor turned out to be 50$ and the filter 30$ plus taxes on the filter only.

I just havnt been lucky to find a independent shop in Mass yet lol. But I do like the benefit of being able to take a free loaner car at the Delearship.

 

My independent shop drives me around when I drop my car there. I assume they do it for everyone but I am girl, and not too bad lookin either!

 

More on topic, that whole written comment business is bad news. I work @ a dealership and our techs are quite professional and they've worked here many years. I would be shocked and disappointed to hear that they wrote that down on anything. You make fun of the customers AFTER they leave and not within earshot of anyone important like most work bitching!

 

definately, they are in the process of negociating with me as far as free maintainence, what do you guys think is an acceptable amount?

 

Honestly, (not to sound like a mooch) but get whatever they give... Oil chages are minimal at a dealer (their cost) plus they write those off as an Internal. Just make sure to emphasise that if the tech is doing that, wht else is he/she doing! I would also ask that they not give the car to that person EVER! What did the dealer say?