Service advisers belittling findings on forum...

[foxtemple]

Has anyone else noticed that their service adviser immediately blow off anything that is mentioned about this forum? I am experiencing the creaking noise when going over speed bumps and I told my adviser that people are experiencing this issue and getting it resolved on this forum. The first thing he says [before even taking my car on a test drive or looking at it] is that you can't believe stuff on the internet. Every time I bring up an issue the adviser tries to do some verbal damage control even before looking at my car or looking for TSBs. This has been the case in 3/4 of the ford dealerships I have been to recently.

People on this forum seem to have real issues and are sharing what they have done to fix them. I think Ford really needs to change how it compensates dealers for warranty work. I've even had a dealer tell me that they really don't like taking time to diagnose things properly simply because ford won't pay up.

I've dealt with warranty repairs on BMW's and Lexus'... Let's just say that their process is much more streamlined. I know they are luxury brands but a warranty is a warranty....

 

[Kpwweb]

Ive had the same issue with Toyotas, Nissans, etc... So I wouldn't chalk it up to just Ford. It is more of a customer service training issue than a decree from Ford...

Let's just say there are good repair facilities, there are repair facilities, then there are dealerships...

One reason I started working on my own 36 years ago!

 

[EGUY4]

No mass manufacturer is going to willingly accept that something may be wrong with their tens of or hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road.
Its all about dollars.

I had the same issue with a dealer about a brand new motorcycle that had a tranny crap out. I never would have know that this was a years long coast to coast problem that many owners dealt with if it weren't for these types of forums and the internet.

To be honest I think most manufacturers will dismiss minor issues unless someone is a PITA.

Bumper to bumper warranty should be held to account.

 

[blwnsmoke]

I think that the reason dealerships and Ford have this approach is because many people will read the internet, see issues and then try to get a TSB fixed without the issue. Reality is, I can understand that because if Ford or any other manufacturer came out with an updated part for an issue and your vehicle ends up having the issue out of warranty, it is on your dime.

People read up, think they have or pretend to have issues and try to get things fixed that aren't broken.

It's all about trying to build a relationship with your Service Advisor in my opinion. For me, I found a guy that I REALLY like and only deal with him. We talk about the vehicles but also talk about our jobs, camping that we both enjoy doing etc etc. We've built a relationship to where he knows that I'm not BSing him if I complain about an issue. He takes my word for it and if a TSB is there, they will do the repair without duplicating it.

But dealerships are not suppose to do a repair without being able to duplicate it. This is industry wide for the most part.

Ford will charge the dealership 10 times the cost of the repair if they find that it was an incorrect repair so dealerships are covering themselves. Sometimes the dealership has to send back the old part and Ford tests it. So if they can't duplicate it in their own hands, they won't take the gamble.

 

[skripo]

Service agents don't like to have their competence questioned. It's the same with doctors and just about any professional really, and it's perfectly understandable.

In order to succeed I learned to PROPERLY read a TSB and see if it applies to my build. If it does, I validate that I have the problem and then make a very SPECIFIC complaint trying to stay away from the specific wording in the TSB.

This works 99% of the time, whether it was Chrysler, BMW, or Audi, haven't tried Ford yet but people are people. Nobody likes to be told how to do their job so just be polite and lead them where they need to go. Marching in with references to internet forums and TSBs is counter-productive.

Let them do their job and if they don't seem to recognize the issue, politely mention that you researched the problem and give them the TSB number. If and only if they can't find it or refuse to acknowledge its existence, then give them OFFICIAL TSB printout. Don't print out a bunch of forum posts with every shade tree mechanic's opinion.

If anyone is interested I will tell you how I was even offered a job by with my dealers head automotive electrician.

Here's a little anecdote:

About 6 years ago my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. I researched it to death and combed through respected scientific journals for the latest information.

We were fortunate enough to have an incredible doctor who saw us 3 times just to answer questions but when I asked him to consider a different procedure than the one he was planning, he got defensive and gave us a speech.

I waited quietly until he was done and then politely referenced a study that specifically addressed some of the points he had made. He sent me his personal email so I could send the material, which I did. The next day he agreed to do it provided my wife would agree to see to 3 of his colleagues to evaluate my request. I am happy to report that the procedure is now standard operating procedure at that hospital.

The moral of the story is that if you politely engage people on their level with their tools and their language you will vastly increase your chances of success.

Yes there are some bad apples, but too many people today think it's ok to abuse and insult customer service people.

I may sound like I am preaching but I will never forget the time I saw a poor dealer service person get very publicly berated and threatened by a customer over something that was not only out of their control, but minor as well.

It was very clear to me that the only way that screaming screaming shrew could feel significant was to scream at people who had no choice but to take it.

'Groans wearily as he steps off his soapbox'

 

[jprentice94]

A tsb for the car doesn't expire even if your warranty does I bout an 02 civic for 1200 from a guy and after dmv papers I got a paper in the mail from honda saying your Honda could have a airbag fault and the you should get it checked

 

[JohnBoyToo]

You are correct about recalls, but, in my experience,
tsb's are less likely to be honored once the warranty is up...

 

[blwnsmoke]

A tsb for the car doesn't expire even if your warranty does I bout an 02 civic for 1200 from a guy and after dmv papers I got a paper in the mail from honda saying your Honda could have a airbag fault and the you should get it checked

Anything to do with airbags would be a recall as it is safety related. TSBs are just bulletins for more common issues to guide the tech in the right direction quickly. They are not covered outside of the warranty unless you have an ESP. It states that right in every TSB.

 

[rmp301]

The age of the internet has changed how information can be gathered on just this type of forum. My Terrain Management Fault was unheard of by the service dept AND Ford ........ Unfortunately, there were tons of posts about this problem on this site. Years back, I would have thought, "geeze, I guess I'm just that one lucky person" ........ It doesn't hold true any longer though!

 

[thestumper]

" if you politely engage people on their level with their tools and their language you will vastly increase your chances of success....."

Unfortunately for some us us on this forum that would require a ball-peen hammer and the f-bomb

Seriously, I do wonder how long it will be before some industries/occupations embrace technology to the extent it is possible. While it will always remain true that you can't believe everything you read on the internet, it doesn't hurt to take some stock in the experts that post there.

A close friend of mine used to work in the computer industry; he changed careers and now works at an independent garage. He scours the internet when customers show up with issues - it has become his primary source of diagnosing everything from GM to Mercedes to Saab. His hit rate in terms of correct diagnosis and first time fix is incredible.