[gspec]

I went to this dealer this morning to get an oil change and tire rotation. After everything was done, I confirmed with the service writer that the tire rotation was done too.

When I got to the office an hour later, I noticed that they didn't actually rotate the tires. This is how I know: It just that happened a couple days before the service, some painter drop a bucket of paint next to my car, and small amount splashed on my tire. I remember it was right front tire because a little paint also splashed on the front corner and headlight but it was water based so easily wiped off plastic and paint, but not off the rubber tire.

So I thought that's fine maybe there was some mis-communication between the service manager/writer with the technician. So I called the dealer, and asked the service writer whether they have done the tire rotation or not. I told him upfront that I didn't think they did. He said he sure that they did. So I asked him to confirmed with his technician. So he checked with the technician and told me that the technician confirmed that tire rotation was done. And here when I told him about the paint marking. And he told me they didn't cross rotate, just switched front and back. I told him I am sure that is not done either. He said "I don't have reasons not to believe what the technician said"

About 5 minutes later, he called me back and apologized. He told me that the technician was mistaken my car with other cars he worked on between 8AM to 11AM How many cars did he work on in 3 hours? Actually 2 hours because he probably spent 1 hours on mine.
And the reason he didn't rotate the tires because the thread is still the same. I told him the technician should have told him that earlier and put it on invoice, because I have the prepaid service plan. That means the tire rotation already paid for.
He asked me to bring the car back and I said "No, thank you".

I told the service writer that I have given them enough chance to come up clean. If he was not sure, he should have reconfirmed it, again, with the technician.

I really don't know if this is a real dis-honesty and laziness or just mis-communication. But I cannot trust that dealer anymore.

Do you guys think they are dishonest or this is only a mis-communication? What do you think about the technician decision on not performing a service already paid and not putting on the invoice?

Would you go back to that dealer if you were me?

 

[gspec]

You're kidding yourself if you think they spent 1 hour on your car. Closer to 30 minutes is more likely.

Well I just give them benefit of the doubt
I might over analyze here, but let's do it anyway. Assume he spends 30 minutes per car, so from 8AM to 11AM (when I called), he has worked on 5 cars excluding mine, assuming he worked non-stop. I counted there are only 3 other customers when I was there. Maybe there are some works from the previous days/weeks? How many of them needed tire rotation.
While it is possible, it is very unlikely that the same technician has worked on 5 cars that morning.
So what is the chance here that he confused my car with some other cars? Not to mention that the technician actually gave elaborate explanation on why he didn't do the rotation, which tells me that he was very aware what he was doing. Possible he got confused.., but very unlikely in my opinion.

 

[gspec]

... Techs will usually work on 2-3 cars at the same time. When you are at home and you change your oil you are only working on one car. At a dealer they want to be...ahem... efficient so while your car is draining oil they will be working on a timing belt or whatever ...

It's good the manager actually followed up after you embarrassed him. It's too bad that's what it took. I'd be more concerned about the interaction with that manager than the tech. The manager handled that exchange with you poorly,

Novablue, thanks for the input. I suspected they are multitasking too. I understand about efficiency and have no problem with that as long as it doesn't sacrifice quality.

There are a couple things about the dealer that bothers me:
1. They don't understand what the Prepaid Maintenance Service means. It means that customer and SOA and its dealerships already agree for a set of service to be delivered for a specified amount of money already paid ahead of time. If the service is not needed, but no harm would be done if it is performed.., just do it.., because they are already paid for. No excuse to skip it just because is not needed. I already paid for that labor.
2. They are hasty. If they cannot communicate a simple thing like that.., like the other poster said, do I want them to work on my engine on more complicated stuffs ??? Again I understand efficiency, but not at quality and safety expense.

 

[gspec]

Find a good indy shop near you. Ask people you know and forget the dealer.

I have a shop that I think I can trust. I take my other older car there.
However, stupid me, I bought that stupid prepaid maintenance plan without knowing any good dealer in town (my previous place I had a reliable Subaru dealer worked on my 1st OB)
So I would be losing about 1 grand if I don't use the plan until 45k miles.

 

[gspec]

... The California attorney general's office is full of settlements with major car repair companies for services not performed. ...

If you think about it, charging customers for something that are not actually performed is a lot worse than selling customers something they don't need.
At least on the later, customers actually get something they pay for.
Not to mention the first one is a crime, while I don't think it is a crime to sell someone something they don't need (right?)