Watch those u-nuts

SilverBolt said:

Back in the day when I was doing outside sales I used those Jiffy ****** places. The last time I ever used one they told me that my rear diff was low on oil. I clarified the rear diff? He said yes. It was a front wheel drive car.

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I wonder how many customers got sucked into that?

Muffler bearing, blinker fluid...

JohnyPython said:

I wonder how many customers got sucked into that?

Muffler bearing, blinker fluid...

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The same thing happens at many Ford dealerships because they put Service Advisors on commission and then purposely look the other way when human nature takes its course. Tranny fluid is dirty, plugs are old, brakes are half worn out, etc. It's real stuff, but it doesn't need replacing.

GordoJay said:

The same thing happens at many Ford dealerships because they put Service Advisors on commission and then purposely look the other way when human nature takes its course. Tranny fluid is dirty, plugs are old, brakes are half worn out, etc. It's real stuff, but it doesn't need replacing.

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I had a family member that managed the body shop at a Ford dealership. The dealership sold the body shop and moved my family member over to service as a writer. He didn't make it a week. The pressure to push unnecessary parts and repair kept him awake at night. His integrity wouldn't allow him to do that to people. He quit after a week. People say that the sales people are the slime balls at a dealership. I think the service writers give them a run for their money.

It cost $450 to change the oil on my Macans, my Panamera, my 911s at the Porsche dealer. They give you a Porsche loaner. Big friggin deal.

it cost $225 at an awesome indy shop I found for Porsche right near the Porsche dealer. Super place. Very into racing, take people to the track, teach you racing, etc.

When it comes to my Raptor, a full synthetic oil change (hey, that's what they call it; I mean, is there such thing as a partial?) at the Ford dealer is $60. How the hell is that not fully worth it?

I haven't gone to a place like Jiffy Lube in over 20 years and would never. Most of the dudes working there are ex-cons just on a way stop to another stint at the big house. All they try to do is bump up the cost. Oh, sir, you need an air filter. You need a cabin filter. You need this, that and the other thing. Bafangool.

SilverBolt said:

I had a family member that managed the body shop at a Ford dealership. The dealership sold the body shop and moved my family member over to service as a writer. He didn't make it a week. The pressure to push unnecessary parts and repair kept him awake at night. His integrity wouldn't allow him to do that to people. He quit after a week. People say that the sales people are the slime balls at a dealership. I think the service writers give them a run for their money.

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Yeah, people with integrity have trouble doing the expected dollar volume, so they tend to not last even if they like the job. Service writers on commission are sales people, and most are every bit as slimy as the average sales guy. The SA at the local Ford dealer told me that the techs there are also on commission. That sounded really weird, and given the number of lies he's told me, could easily be wrong. Does anyone know if that really happens?

MDJAK said:

Bafangool.

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I’ve never seen that spelling hahaha

Reminds me of my dad.

At the Porsche dealership I work at the SA's don't make a commission on the parts they sell. In the past, yes they did. I'm not sure how they are paid but the pay structure changed over the years. In the past every dept that upsold something would get a spiff. They don't any longer. The most common example is a new car is sold. The salesman and new owner walk up to parts and sell rubber floor mats and a cargo liner. Salesman gets his name on the invoice, a copy is made, and he gets a spiff. Now that doesn't happen for sales or service. But like everybody here that is a concern. Hard to ask the advisor if they get commission without insinuating that they might not be truthful when they come at you with the quote that the tech did for what your car or truck needs. Speaking of that, our techs at Porsche do quote brakes a lot. Saying that makes you think sure, easy money, why wouldn't they? But they also look at how the car is driven, mileage on it, track days, etc. If it's at 4mm now, by the time it's back for the next oil change it would be dangerously close to metal on metal. Assuming they got the full 10k on the LOF. So sometimes they quote brakes when the pads are just a bit more than min spec but there is a reason for it. Not to make an upsell but to let the advisor and customer discuss when they might bring the car back, or what are their plans for the car from now until the next oil change.

I went and talked to a service advisor at the selling dealer where my truck is coming. This individual didn't strike me as the kind of guy that got his hands dirty, ever. Wasn't impressed with his answer to my question that was really a test question. I think a service advisor is better if they are a car person. Otherwise you get double billed. They might not even know it or think about it. Say you are having front shocks, or front wheel bearings done and you need brakes too. Calipers have to come off anyway for either shocks or bearings to be done. The brake job should be a minor upsell but will you get hit full bore for both jobs even though they overlap?

Techs are paid on a scale though, I wouldn't say on how many parts they sell or quote but they do and can track how much money is generated on the upsells that the shop sells. More accurately the upsells that the advisor manages to sell. This is stuff that the customer did that they didn't come in for. But the more work the techs do, this sliding pay scale favors the tech that is experienced, works consistently, not always the fastest but doesn't BS with the other guys, and works with the parts dept to make sure that all the parts came in for the jobs he has lining up for the day.

Anyway, my point is that there are slimeballs out there. But like I read maybe on this forum here, the high percentage of trucks sold vs how many visit forums. Your usual forum member knows their way around their car or truck and will ask the right questions, know what to look for from a bad advisor. The techs, you never get to meet them although many of them, ours now, do videos showing you from their phone, your car and the shocks are leaking, the nail in the tire, brakes that are low, etc. This has led to more upsells and customers knowing they aren't getting lied to. Plus they could talk to our techs if they asked. Not all dealerships are like that.

And loaner cars, like MDJAK mentioned above, holy crap that whole thing is a nightmare in itself. If we don't get the parts from Porsche on time, that loaner has to stay out one more day but it was promised to somebody else. Parts catches a load of crap for something Fedex did, or didn't do, truck broke down, whatever. I feel bad for the advisors since they catch a lot of heat for stuff they aren't in control of.

I know I sound like I'm defending them, but they are people like us making a living but also making sure the vehicle is safe when it leaves the dealership. Truthfully we have a couple where I work that are a major pain in my ass in parts. Whole other story. But I don't think any of them are slime balls and do believe once they prove they are working for the customer, the repeat business is where it's at to keep their numbers up. Numbers, another story there. I'm sure we all have numbers involved with what we do in our professions.

I've caught my SA telling me lies multiple times now. He's gone out of his way to lie to me when it wouldn't gain him anything. Stupid stuff, too, easy to check. He twice mentioned that the tech is as eager to get my truck out of one of his two bays as I am to get it back. WTF? They've had my truck for three weeks, the part is still supposedly almost two weeks out, and it's in a bay? Are they that stupid? The second time he said it, I jumped in the loaner and drove by the dealership. It was right where I expected it to be, in the lot outside service. I think he's a pathological liar. I worked with one of those for a week, years ago, before we caught on and fired him, and his line of BS reminds me of that guy. Apparently, he found a job that suits him. Two weeks ago, he told me my part was scheduled to ship today. We'll see what he says today.

Anyway, my new indicator of whether a service department is professional or not is whether the service writers are on commission.

The worst attempted rip at a dealer I ever saw wasn't to me, but a close friend who wasn't mechanically inclined. He bought one of those Mustang II's when they first came out. 4 cylinder with what was then fairly new, electronic ignition. He took it to the Ford dealer for a tune up. After he brought it home he thought the bill seemed high, so he asked me to look at it. He was charged for 8 spark plugs (no dual plug heads) and points and condenser.

I went back in to the dealer with him and got the service manager, showed him the bill and asked him to show me exactly where the hell they put 8 spark plugs and points and condenser in a 4 cylinder with electronic ignition. He literally dropped his mouth open a little and stammered that, "There must have been a mistake, we'll correct the bill". If you get away with that shit half the time, that's a ton of money in a year!

Finally got the skid plate back on after ordering the wrong u-nuts.