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For three years? "Don't worry about it"

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#21 ·
There's another side to this coin that few people know about. A lot of the warranty replaced parts are returned to Chrysler where they'll exam them to both verify the fault and see if it was truly their design that was at fault or their supplier's production of the part that they can charge back to the supplier so that there's no cost to them. If they can't find a defect in these parts, the part price and labor are charged back to the dealer. A lot of service managers don't care enough about their relationship with the customer vs their profit margin to do the right thing for the customer. This is what I was fighting when I wrote service and did the manager thing. Explaining to these guys that this was the right thing cost Chrysler a lot of money and a lot of managers never got the message. Keeping a customer happy with the service department meant a returning customer in the sales department many times over. That was the message they couldn't get through a lot of manager's heads.
 
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#22 ·
You both couldn't be more right. I'm actually quite surprised that I haven't been fired yet because I'm not shy about sharing my opinion with people including my boss, his boss, or even our district reps. I actually used the f-bomb towards our district rep when I had a 18,000 mile minivan come in for a recall and found the tie rods about to break. She told me that wasn't what the vehicle came in for so I shouldn't be looking for it and shouldn't fix it. I looked at her and said what? She came in with 2 small children, spend 40 grand on this van, and it's dangerous. I told her, if you can sleep at night with customer service like this, then go ahead. I can't and I'm going to fix I also said, if she didn't like it too f---ing bad! F-- you and f---chrysler.

I'm sorry to hear of your problems with your Avenger and hope it's fixed now but I do deal with stuff like this from techs I work with every day. They don't want to spend the time to fix something right because they won't get paid. I look at it as, you spent the money on the car, it has a warranty, you just want it fixed, and it's my job to fix it. Most dealer techs don't. If I didn't work for one, I'd never take my car to a dealer for service? not that there aren't other techs like myself that actually care, but most don't. They only care about a paycheck.

Sorry for the rant. It's just that poor customer service really irritates me. I have more stories than my fingers could type on this subject.
 
#23 ·
I made a mistake on the Avenger and had to have the first one 08 R/T AWD.
Should have let them work out the bugs.
Now in hindsight, I got one of the last AWD Avenger R/T's as they stopped making them in AWD because, I'm told, it wasn't a big seller. I couldn't be more happy with the overall performance and safety of this car.
But if it must be known, this is one of the reasons a new R/T D hasn't been ordered by now.
Steve
DOC Pres
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
dakattak, hold your ground. The public NEEDS quality techs with their heads screwed on correctly like you. :clap:

Pres, +1. First year anythings just aren't my thing. We're 1/2 year since the JGC went first but man I just don't know. I'm on the fence. It's not like the D's going anywhere soon and gas just hit $3.55 a gal for premium here so? the mileage of most things I like isn't causing me to run out to nab something up.

Finally, with the D heat showing the 3rd row seat isn't invulnerable, maybe a short D (JGC length) is around the corner too. :idea:
"Right size" that bad boy in the SRT package and Katie Bar The Door!!

IndyDurango
 
#25 ·
Dak, you sound old school with you caring about the customer. remember, they're the ones that pay the bills.
I for one LIKE It. I shudder at the dealer, most of it due to cost, but nowadays the customer service also isn't there. I had a tech at my local dealer that gave me some pointers during my resistor failure and helped me a lot. Like Indy says, hold your ground. If I find myself in the Chicago area in need of dealer repair, I'll ask for your dealer and ask for you.

Last major warranty issue I had with dealer was my 93 Ford Taurus. Oil pressure dropped and it was determined to be a spun bearing. The repair was covered under warranty, but I asked about R&R on the oil pump and the warranty company said no, even though the pump was worn and considered a contributing factor towards the spun bearing. Since warranty said no, I asked the dealer if I could replace pump at the warranty company's cost and they said no! They wanted $400. Here's the kicker. The pump was removed as part of repair and had to go back in, whether it be a new one or the old one. The dealer wanted to charge me for the labor to install a new pump but didn't charge me to reinstall the original BAD pump! I couldn't afford a new pump at the time, so we buttoned it up and I traded it for a Jeep Cherokee and was welcomed to the Chrysler family. Still have a bad taste in my mouth about that dealer and warranty company. I guess I was removed from their Christmas card list after a head gasket and bearing repair both covered under warranty.

For the record, I liked the Taurus. I just thought I was on borrowed time with them not replacing the oil pump.
 
#26 ·
FSTDANGO3 said:
I made a mistake on the Avenger and had to have the first one 08 R/T AWD.
Should have let them work out the bugs.
Now in hindsight, I got one of the last AWD Avenger R/T's as they stopped making them in AWD because, I'm told, it wasn't a big seller. I couldn't be more happy with the overall performance and safety of this car.
But if it must be known, this is one of the reasons a new R/T D hasn't been ordered by now.
Steve
DOC Pres
Click to expand...
I actually didn't even know they made the Avenger/Sebring in AWD until a couple of days ago when one came in. I don't recall us ever having one in stock.
 
#29 ·
I thank you guys for the compliments and for letting me vent.Like I said prior there are so many stories like this I could keep you here for days. You know its bad when a comment like "we're giving you this car because this guy tried 3 times to fix it and couldn't and we know you'll" has become an insult. I hear it daily. I'm not saying I'm the best tech out there or the only one who cares, I know others do,just not many where I work. there are 2 or 3 others there who care.

I had to laugh the other day when I had a 11d in for a prep and found that the door sills on the drivers side said Dodge,the passenger side Jeep. Everyone was shocked I noticed it and ask how I found it.I told them,Isn't it my job to notice this stuff,isn't that why we do the prep? I guess not in everyone elses eyes
 
#30 ·
Dak, as Indy said hang in there. I too felt that way. I was the token writer sent from my dealership to all the seminars that Chrysler gave trying to turn customer service around. When the presenter asked me what I thought the role of the service department was and I told him, he said I should be up there with him teaching the class. Not a one of the other folks there understood what I'd said. When I got back to the shop, the owner chewed me out for making him look bad
 
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#31 ·
dakattack said:
You both couldn't be more right. I'm actually quite surprised that I haven't been fired yet because I'm not shy about sharing my opinion with people including my boss, his boss, or even our district reps. I actually used the f-bomb towards our district rep when I had a 18,000 mile minivan come in for a recall and found the tie rods about to break. She told me that wasn't what the vehicle came in for so I shouldn't be looking for it and shouldn't fix it. I looked at her and said what? She came in with 2 small children, spend 40 grand on this van, and it's dangerous. I told her, if you can sleep at night with customer service like this, then go ahead. I can't and I'm going to fix I also said, if she didn't like it too f---ing bad! F-- you and f---chrysler.

I'm sorry to hear of your problems with your Avenger and hope it's fixed now but I do deal with stuff like this from techs I work with every day. They don't want to spend the time to fix something right because they won't get paid. I look at it as, you spent the money on the car, it has a warranty, you just want it fixed, and it's my job to fix it. Most dealer techs don't. If I didn't work for one, I'd never take my car to a dealer for service? not that there aren't other techs like myself that actually care, but most don't. They only care about a paycheck.

Sorry for the rant. It's just that poor customer service really irritates me. I have more stories than my fingers could type on this subject.
Click to expand...
Nice job for standing up!! :clap: we need more people like you working for these dealers!
 
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#32 ·
Figures Mike, that's the part I don't get.
Steve
DOC Pres
 
#33 ·
It's a hold over from the old school. It takes less work so they have more time to talk with their friends, drink, whatever, and never do anything for us. That's why dealerships have such a bad name.
 
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