Blacktoast

I have not posted in a while because I sold my xB. I just bought a tC. So here I am again. I 've been reading new and old posts. Something has been bothering me. I see a lot of dealership bashing. It hurts to see that. I have been working at dealerships since 2001. Only been at Toyota for about a 1 1/2. When you bring your vehicle into the shop weather under warranty or not I genuinely try to verify your problem and fix it asap. Fix it right. I do make mistakes, but even the guy thats been working on Toyotas 20 years makes mistakes. Im sure there are shady people out there, but some of us are just hard working folk just like your self. Also most people I know that don't work in the industry don't know how the pay structure works. If you have a warranty concern and we can not duplicate. Us techs don't get paid. So it is in our best interest to find the problem since we only get paid when we make a repair. Sorry this is so long.

equinox2355

Now I understand that there are techs like you who work at dealers, heck there is one near me that is the best in the Toyota company (IMO). However I see a lot of techs just want to get through the jobs, cut corners, etc because they aren't paid hourly, that they are paid per job (so to speak). in EVERY company there is about 10% that are exceptional, about 40% that are good, but not the best, and the other 50% are just there for paychecks and to get money, and dont have a passion for the job.

yellowxhoodie

iTrader: (16)

looks like ill be going to WA next time i have problems.

NYNCTC

iTrader: (2)

i happen to agree with equinox, there are a bunch of great techs, my goodfriends boyfriend happens to be one of the techs at the dealership i go to and i know he will always check the car throughly, but when i was at my nissan dealership with my old car, they would just half ___ it. they are the reason i didnt stick with nissan. so i bet you are a great person with a passion for fixing cars, but understand there are those that are not as passionate as you.

overall, i have had no bad experiences with toyota/scion yet (only been once hehe). i hope to not have one though.

i do appreciate you bringing this up tho, because there has been a lot of bashing and we need to recognize those that do their jobs.

NYNCTC

iTrader: (2)

yellow quit posting before me haha

BZinn1

We rock in Washington.........plus the fact we drink more coffee than anyone onthe planet helps productivity..........and keeping plumbers in business.

BlckdOutTC

iTrader: (1)

yeah there are techs like u, but most arent, dealerships suck lol its just the truth

yellowxhoodie

iTrader: (16)

your to slow.

Yanki01

lol @ thread.

optional

the dealership I frequent has a lot of my friends working at it, and the guys they work with are great tech's and have always done a good job with my car, and the service managers know me and like my car and want to keep me happy and coming back, plus Josh, the ScionChampion of that dealer is my friend and he doesn't want Scion owners getting a low-ball

engifineer

There are some people that just bash, but I take a different perspective, since my father owns his own shop (and his customers are VERY loyal to say the least). While it is wrong to assume all dealerships are bad, dealerships typically make the mistake of hiring people because they have some classroom knowledge and that ASE patch on their sleeve, meaning they tend to get a lot of very unqualified people working there.

My father fixes the issues the dealerships cant fix as well as the issues the dealerships cause. And dont get me started on the absolutely ludicrous things his customers tell him the dealership told them they "needed". A lot of them take the approach of replacing parts until the issue is fixed, costing the customer a lot of money (and I have seen proof of this a million times).

It is sad, because it hurts the reputation of not only the good techs at dealers, but all mechanics everywhere. But sadly enough, the worst stories I have ever heard of regarding auto repair come from dealers. Just because someone has an ASE patch does not mean they have any business under your hood. And to make it worse, they charge higher labor than anyone else in town.

So it expected that people get a bad view of them. If you are a good tech and actually know what you are doing, then that is great, but there are tons out there that know jack. I coulld probably post up a whole thread on dumb/crooked stories from all sorts of dealers.

Black_Sheep_xB

I understand what you are saying... I am an Acura tech.. just like the posts above and the posts I am sure will follow.. no one realizes the restrictions on the tech himself.. wether you have expierience or not, the shop as a whole knows wht is going on.. when the manager or the dsm or the manufacturer says no.. its up to the tech/service writer to relay that. We are force to stand the same ground, in the mean time, believe it or not, the tech is doing what he can to make it a warranty.. he just wants to ge paid, even at the crappy warranty rate. When the higher up says "NO" well, we are forced to take the same stand.. because at the end of th day.. my kids dont eat if the manufacturer and the customer says no. So, if the manufacturer says no, I will push it on the customer.. its a crapy system, but that is how they make money.. which I understand how the customer fels.. this is BS, but know the tech himself is not screwing you.. he must diagnos the probelm, and go from there.. then the manager says.. "does he have an intake?" we have to tell him the truth. Then he decides wether to get the customer or ignore it.. the techs are stuck doing whatever is forced upon them.. and I am sorry, but I will not lose my job over your intake and toyotas/acuras opinion of it.. techs just move on with what they got..

Black_Sheep_xB

again things like this, that expierineced private shops dont understand.. the manufacturer says you "must do" whatever they say.. if they dont and the car comes back.. it comes out of the techs pay.. I mean staight up, I just paid to work on your car.. given that we tell the customer that this must happen, because I am not doing it for free or losing what money I have in the end..

engifineer

So the manufacturer tells the techs to tell a customer that a higher rated cold cranking amp battery fried their interior lighting because it "pushed too much voltage" ? Because that is a recent example I know of and shows zero electrical knowledge at all.

Or how about another where the tech replaced two alternators that were perfectly fine (and charged the customer) before they did the troubleshooting they should have done and found he broken wire to begin with?

The list of these goes on and on, and is nothing but inexperience from a rookie tech that should not be working on someones car on their own. That is not the manufacturers issue except them hiring people and putting them on their own based upon a certification and passing some tests. And those techs are what is making the good ones look bad.

But thats fine, guys like my dad will take those mad customers business all day, charge less labor, no minimum shop time and keep them as customers for life.

I understand the policy part of the problem, but there are more than a fair share of rookie techs out there making bad decisions. On top of the crooked service managers. And dont get me wrong, I know of some very good dealership techs, but there are plenty of bad ones in the mix to make people leary. And it doesnt matter to the customer WHY they are getting screwed around and paying too much for it at the same time. Either way they are getting the shaft and dont want to return.

And if a tech choses to stay in a job and lie to the customer constantly because their boss tells them to, then they deserve the bad name. If I was paid to steal from your house, I wouldnt be any better saying "it is my job, my boss told me to"

Black_Sheep_xB

dude.. dont be an a total "A" oK? your dad I am sure is a fine guy.. he is handsome and knows evrything the dealer doesnt, I as one.. am in love with him.. ok?

now that said.. yes.. aftermarket accessories are to blame for most electrical problems.. warranty repairs are based on factory specs.. you buy the afermarket stuff, I dont care what it is.. and these tests dont work.. so the customer being told that he needs to go back to OEM for diagnosis, goes back to your dad and complains.. of course they do.. every one with a new car is "never in the wrong" in their eyes.. I would be glad to have a diagnosis competition with an Acura over any private mechanic.. all day any day. I will kill him at it..

the point is, the pivate shop goes the half a'd side from the customer, who for all you know has been a headache, proved he was wrong and finnaly stomped of to a private shop.. also you think I was born at a dealership? well.. 907-455-8899 ask for Jule Miller have him verify the only tech he had at his private shop for his first 9 year of business. that would be me.. Eric.. I used to be the one bashing dealers.. but then finally graduating to a REAL shop at a dealership I can say from a point of view having done both.. that this whole dealer opinion is BS.. Its a manufacturer opinion, true.. I cant deny that.. but the techs are just as straight up as your dad.. now, you want me to come up with the list of lets just say.. straight engine replacements or transmission replacements done after the great work of a private shop who doesnt know that car? Just to start.. Dude.. all friggin day..

your just another back seat opinion having driver.. fill the shoes then talk about them..ok?

Blacktoast

Thanks Eric,

I am glad that you understand. As for the ASE patches. ASE is crap. ASE certification is the equivalent to a getting your doctoret online. I worked with a lube tech that had every ASE test passed. Did he know anything about cars. Nope

Blacktoast

Independent shops. Cost less than the dealer. Not likely considering that customer brings us their car because the brakes were just replaced and now they are making noise. We always know that the car was repaired at an Independent shop. New calipers, rotors, pads, lines, brake flush. Or misfires because of aftermarket plugs and wires or oil leaks galore because ____ty gaskets. Or clutch pedal feels really stiff. Aftermarket clutch. The list goes on

yellowxhoodie

iTrader: (16)

well that depends on what shop you take it to.

ctclipper24

i understand where your coming from with the hardworking shops and also hardworking dealers.....they are far and few between

it just really ____es me off when i go into a dealer to get my tires rotated under warranty and i drive away with a mis-allignment

engifineer

I'm being an @$$? Yeah dude whatever. So you are agreeing that a different spec battery (still 12 V) is going to cause electridcal issues that I mentioned? If so, you need to go back to school.

And people dont complain when they are told to go back to OEM on an issue, they get mad when the dealer charges them out the butt and still cant solve the issue, so they go to someone that can.

I was making a point, if you want to get your panties all in a wad then go ahead. I didnt point you out individually did I? I have seen countless examples of crap techs talking out their ****, if that hurts your feelings, then by all means, get hurt over it.

Funny, I have seen (and repaired while working at his shop) the very brake issues you described... from a dealer

There are crap people in all of he business private AND dealer.. and I have seen nothing to say the dealers have any less of it.

And apparently you want to get all huffy and call names, saying I am a "back seat opinion blah blah blah" ... Seeing as how I was turning wrenches in his shop since I have been old enough to hold one, worked at his shop plenty while growing up and have no problem running and properly using a diagnostic tool to troubleshoot my own issues (not to mention I have NEVER had one person touch my car to fix it.. even when younger my father taught me to fix my own, he didnt fix them for me) you can go home with that bs. I am not talking out my ****, nor am I some arm chair quarterback talking about stuff I dont know. I would be willing to bet I know more about the electrical side of things than anyone in your dealership since outside of wrenching on cars, my degrees and experience lie in electrical installations, engineering and troubleshooting. Hence my example about the battery bs the tech tried to talk. Maybe know a bit about someone before running your mouth huh?

And again, I never attacked you. You could be a great guy and a good tech for all I know, but your blindly defending ALL of them to no end and your childish name calling pretty much make all of that questionable at best.

Sheesh, the internet mouths are all out in force lately huh?