Disappointing Dealer/ Buyer Beware

[Julie-Bob]

I called the dealer in AZ to have a re call done. I was told the earliest would be in 6 weeks made a appointment and delivered it on the date and time that my appointment was. The person told me just drop it off and they would call me when they were finished. I asked about a time frame? He stated that my appointment was just to drop it off and he couldn’t tell me when they would get to my trailer. What business model is that?

[Baby Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by Julie-Bob

I called the dealer in AZ to have a re call done. I was told the earliest would be in 6 weeks made a appointment and delivered it on the date and time that my appointment was. The person told me just drop it off and they would call me when they were finished. I asked about a time frame? He stated that my appointment was just to drop it off and he couldn’t tell me when they would get to my trailer. What business model is that?

That's the car dealership service department business model. The appointment is for a time to talk to the service advisor and drop the "patient" off. The next appropriately trained tech will get to your car when he's finished what he's working on. You didn't think the techs were sitting around waiting for you, did you?


Seriously, the premise at the car dealership is that the work would be completed that day unless it's a big job and you're told otherwise. If you're a "waiter" they'll move your job to the head of the line. (A "waiter" is someone in their waiting room, not someone waiting at home). Not sure what the expectation would be at the Airstream dealer, but they should be able to tell you if it's that day, that week, or ???


Good luck with it.

[graysailor]

Most dealers, Airstream and car dealers are all lacking goos service techs. The young folks these days don't want to get their hands dirty. They just want to plug in their computer and diagnose.

[CBWELL]

Interesting observation about "service techs". I noticed a nail in one of my truck tires on Wednesday and took the truck into the local tire shop on Thursday morning. Drove the truck into the shop, showed the tech the nail in the tire and told him that it WAS NOT leaking air, but wanted the nail removed and patched. I watched him remove the wheel from the truck and then proceed to soak the tire in a water/soap solution to find a leak!! Went over to him and again showed him the nail in the tire, explaining again that it had not leaked yet. He told me that was the way he was trained to repair a tire!! What ever happened to common sense, logic and ability to think. If you find a good shop and tech, keep it to yourself, as the business will be over run with customers!!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by graysailor

Most dealers, Airstream and car dealers are all lacking goos service techs. The young folks these days don't want to get their hands dirty. They just want to plug in their computer and diagnose.

Probably because all those goos techs need their computers to diagnose todays vehicles...The main difference 'mechanics' and doctors...when they wash their hands.🤔

Bob

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Stuff happens when you dive into some of these fixes. Parts don't fit, the stock room doesn't have the right part, somebody makes a goof .... I can tell more stories about service on various cars and trucks than I can about service on RV's.

With an AS and authorized dealer service, you also run into the fact that they are mighty thin on the ground. AS is hardly the only brand with this issue. Despite that, even the dealers there are don't seem to be able to hang on to / hire in / build up trained staff. It's very much up to you the customer to do your research before you drop your very expensive toy off with somebody.

Bob

[aftermath]

Originally Posted by graysailor

Most dealers, Airstream and car dealers are all lacking goos service techs. The young folks these days don't want to get their hands dirty. They just want to plug in their computer and diagnose.

Such a negative comment. Yeah, we are all going to hell in a handbag. No hope for us.

[Baby Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Probably because all those goos techs need their computers to diagnose todays vehicles...The main difference 'mechanics' and doctors...when they wash their hands.🤔

Bob

In defense of good techs vs doctors, in some ways doctors have it easy: The human body has been essentially the same for thousands of years, and about the same regardless of race. Once you learn how to fix 'em you're pretty much set for life.

Good techs have to be conversant in many brands and generations of technology. They can't rest on their laurels and assume they can fix the newest model.

With regard to hand washing, dealership employees will joke that techs wash their dirty hands before going to the restroom to pee, parts employees will do so after using the restroom, and the dumb salesmen will do so while peeing. Hope I don't get banned disclosing that.

[Foiled Again]

Find out the truth about how poorly techs are paid, and you'll stop being surprised at how many have limited skills and lack dedication to doing their best work every day. Many dealers do not bank on repeat customers, so they look at service as a necessary evil. Every year the hourly cost goes up, but most dealers don't share any percentage.of that increase with their workers.

The hidden cost of turnover is that inexperienced people work less efficiently.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The flip side is that *some* dealers do indeed have experienced techs that very much know their stuff. Chat with a couple of them at this or that dealership and it's pretty easy to spot which ones hang on to good people.

The real issue is that a *lot* of people only shop price. As long as a $100 difference in a $100,000 purchase is a "really big deal" (and you drive another 1,000 miles to get there ... ) you will run into dealers who only focus on sales.

While that may *seem* like a justification to ignore price, far from it. Price is one of the things that matter. The point is it's only *one* of the things, not the single thing. By no means is this just an AS sort of issue. It applies to a lot of stuff .....

Bob

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Find out the truth about how poorly techs are paid, and you'll stop being surprised at how many have limited skills and lack dedication to doing their best work every day. Many dealers do not bank on repeat customers, so they look at service as a necessary evil. Every year the hourly cost goes up, but most dealers don't share any percentage.of that increase with their workers.

The hidden cost of turnover is that inexperienced people work less efficiently.

Poorly at JC?...possibly.🤔

The last year I bucklenusted, 1999, I made more than enough to survive here in the NE. That continued thru retirement in 2009 working in the shop CS.

"The top 10 percent got over $65,430 a year. A dealership mechanic's salary averaged $45,470, which was better than the average wage of $39,880 that other repair and maintenance shops offered.Aug 8, 2018"

Bob
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