Frustrations with the dealership parts and service department.

"Baskingshark" (Baskingsharks) 11/08/2014 at 12:09 • Filed to: None

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Oppo am I expecting too much from the weekend crew there or are my frustrations justified?

So here is the scenario, I need a trailer hitch and wiring harness for the new Honda Pilot that we have. I am looking on the Honda website and come across the Estore. They have the parts listed and have the option to purchase them with the installation included at the local dealership. The prices seem reasonable and a few clicks later the order is placed. Get a voice mail Thursday that they are in and so I call this morning to see about getting them installed. My interaction goes like this....

Service department guy "We don't sell parts like that online."

Me "but I paid an extra $130 in labor and it said installation was included"

Service dept guy "yeah that may be true but I have to pay my guys, and we don't sell parts with installation online "

Me "Can I speak to a manager?"

Service guy "I the only manager today"

Me "Can I speak with parts then?"

Parts guy "yeah your parts are here"

Me "I paid for labor to install them through the Estore and the service dept says they don't do that."

Parts guy "Well you have to talk to service I can just make them install it."

Me "Is there someone in upper management I can talk to?"

Parts guy "You can call back on Monday he is off on the weekends "

Me losing my patience "You guys are open for business today and neither of you got are taking responsibility for this. I should not have to wait until Monday. Look at the order!"

Parts guy "uh yeah it's says labor here on your invoice, let me call my boss and I'll call you back."

Few minutes go by....

Parts guy "Yeah we will do it, you have to schedule an appointment with service. Sorry this was the first time anyone has ordered through the Estore like this so we didn't know about it "

I find that really hard to belive, sure maybe it does not happen that often but I can't be the first person ever at that dealership. Plus the head of the parts and service department was cc'ed on the order email.

Thanks for reading this rant and excuse the typos. I scribbled this out on my iPhone. Here is a sweet Audi for your time and feel free to berate in the comments.

Autofixation > Baskingshark 11/08/2014 at 12:38

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I am actually sitting at my computer in the parts department at a dealership, on a Saturday right now. I know that there are computer systems at dealerships that do rarely get used. And sometimes the service department and the parts department don't communicate well. I have actually had to break things down Barney style to the service department so that they can handle the scheduling/labor part of the deal. It is frustrating.

Regardless, they should have handled your situation much better than they did.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Baskingshark 11/08/2014 at 12:50

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In my experience car lines like Honda and Toyota usually employ, let's say, a lower standard of employee. People who would fit right in at a jiffy lube, and those are always the people working weekends. The best guys usually get the good weekday schedule. I'm not saying that the European lines don't do the same thing sometimes, but often those types are intimidated by the higher tech stuff. Some places will rotate their crews to always have at least one or two of their better guys for every weekend.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Baskingshark 11/08/2014 at 13:54

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Dealers are....

I had one tell me that Chevy didn't make a Supercharged Cobalt, so they couldn't help me with the part I was trying to track down. I hung up on them.