my letter to the VW dealership
Sep. 7th, 2004 11:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioDear Mr. Podrosky:
I have just had an unsatisfactory experience with the 2004 VW Golf I bought from your dealership. We spoke on the phone earlier today, but I feel it would be helpful for me to put this in writing for your records.
On my way home from work on Thursday, September 2, my car died. At first it appeared to be a dead battery, but after a jump-start failed and the EPC light came on, I called your dealership around 7PM. The person who answered told me that your service department was closed and I should call VW's roadside assistance.
I first spoke with them at approximately 7:15. They told me a tow truck would take my car (and me) to your dealership and you would lend me a car. As time passed with no tow truck (and no return call), it became apparent that this would not happen before you closed -- and that you did not have a loaner car to give me in any case. At 8:15, I called them and they told me that they still had no idea when I would get a tow truck, but that I should walk home, leaving the car unlocked so the tow-truck operator would be able to tow it when he showed up.
After several more calls I learned that I would not get a tow truck that night at all, and I would have to call at 6:30AM to arrange a tow in the morning. (My car was in a location that would generate a parking ticket at 8AM.) I did this, but even though the tow truck got me and the car to the dealership at 7:45, I did not make it to work (on the South Side, not far away) that day until 10:30. In the meantime, I was given the run-around and at one point one of your employees threatened me with financial loss. Specifically, before we even knew how long it would take to fix my car, he told me it might be ready the next day (Saturday), a day when I could not come pick it up, and that if I didn't pick it up that day I would be responsible for the rental-car fees through Tuesday (the next day you were open). During this discussion he came across as exasperated and rude -- a far cry from the excellent service I had been promised when I bought the car.
As it turned out, the service department had to order a new fuel pump to be delivered Tuesday, so it was completely unnecessary for him to bring this up. Still, I marvel at the lack of sensitivity to a customer's needs, and found myself wondering what would have happened if I had been on my way out of town on a vacation for the holiday weekend when my car died. Would you have insisted that I cancel my vacation? (This same employee was much more polite today, at least.)
This morning (Tuesday) at approximately 10:30 I received a call saying that my car was ready. I arrived around 11:00, expecting to be in and out in ten minutes. When they brought the car up (around 11:15), we discovered that it was covered in some foreign substance. At first the service employee told me that it must have been that way when I brought it in, which it certainly was not. On further examination, we discovered that the foreign substance was an even spraying of light-colored paint on my dark-blue car. One of your employees later told me that someone had painted the fence surrounding your outdoor lot over the weekend, apparently without moving the cars parked there first. (I assume from the paint on my car that he used a sprayer.) I am astonished that no one involved in servicing my car noticed its condition before I was called and told the car was ready for pick-up. Though my car was declared ready at 10:30, it was approximately 12:10 when I was able to drive it away.
Amidst this negative experience, I would like to point out that the people who I saw cleaning my car were very polite and professional. They deserve credit for jumping in and making it right; I just wish someone had noticed and corrected the error earlier.
To sum up, then:
- My six-month-old car with 2000 miles on it BROKE. I am left wondering what other failures are in my future.
- VW's roadside service was not there for me when I needed them. As a result, I missed an appointment Thursday evening and was left wondering about the safety of my unlocked car some distance from my home overnight.
- Because of delays at your dealership, I lost several hours from work on Friday and Tuesday. I will have to make that time up.
- I am astonished that you would release a car that was visibly damaged in your care and try to blame it on the customer.
- I do not feel that you lived up to the sign posted in your service area that "customer satisfaction is our #1 goal".
When we spoke earlier today you offered me a free detailing in the spring as compensation for this experience. This sounds attractive, but based on this week's experience I find myself wondering whether this service will be prompt, accommodating, and competently done. Today's was not, and I find myself reluctant to expose myself to such unpleasant circumstances in the future. I would feel more confident in your dealership if you could tell me what procedures you will implement to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future.
If in the future I bring my car to you for service, what guarantees can you make about the work? If I make an appointment for a specific time, can I be assured that the work will be done at that time and that I will be given accurate information about when to return to pick it up? If work that I pay for is not done to my satisfaction, will price adjustments be made?
Of course I have been talking about this experience with my friends, but I do not intend to be unreasonable here. If you like, I will share your reply verbatim with the hundreds of readers of my weblog who have heard the story so far. If you prefer that I not share it verbatim, I will post a summary. I understand that mistakes can happen and would be happy to share the good news of corrective measures with my readers. I spoke well of your sales people (one in particular) six months ago, and would like to be able to speak well of your service department.
I hope that you are able to restore my faith in your dealership.
Sincerely, [...]
[CC to my salesman.]
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-07 08:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-08 07:18 am (UTC)