I am a Saturn owner. Gearhart Chevrolet in Denville, NJ advertised that they welcome Saturn customers to their service department with lots of big signs. I was hopeful.
Today was my second visit to the service department, and I told them it would be my last. Here's what happened:
I set up an appointment for my oil change. I arrived on time, was checked in, and met with Bernie, my customer service advisor. He filled out paperwork, made no small talk or attempt to to engage me in any kind of conversation, and made me sign off on the oil change part of the work. Then, I looked for a place to sit and wait. There are exactly 6 chairs in the "waiting area, " all of which were occupied. There were also 2 people waiting sitting in the hallway. Bernie set up an extra chair for me in the hallway and I proceeded to wait the half hour they told me it would take for the oil change. I had brought my computer and attempted to work; it was quite cramped and uncomfortable. Saturn Service areas had chairs that were more like living room furniture than office furniture, as well as many end tables on which to place your papers, coffee, etc. as well as a table if you wanted to do work.
At 10:30, Bernie approached me and said my car also needs brakes and an air filter. This is already 1/2 hour past the time that I was told it would be done. At Saturn service, within 1/2 hour they came out and told you what additional work would need to be done on your car. When I complained about this delay, Bill the Service Department Head told me that the reason for the hour is that the tech had to drive my car, then start the oil change, and do the 31 point diagnostic. Huh? Did you ever hear a doctor or vet that doesn't do a diagnostic first and instead starts doing a procedure? He also told me that Saturn, although they said they do a 27 or 30 point diagnostic, did not really do it. Hmmm.
It was 10:30am and I told Bernie, my Service Manager that I had to be out by noon. No problem, you'll be out in an hour.
At 11:45 I was told my car was done. Meanwhile, I was the only person left now in the waiting room. People had come and gone in the meantime.
I asked to speak with Bill, the Service Department Head, and explained why this would be my last visit to the Service Dept and that I was done with them. I explained about how long I was kept waiting, how uncomfortable the waiting area was, and how I thought that the techs were not working as fast as they should so they could get more money per hour. He told me that I was just venting and they are not paid by the hour, it's by the job/service. OK, so then did I really need those brakes, or was that so they could get more money? Do they reluctantly work on Saturns, and take all the Chevys first? I'm sorry, he said - and complained that I was not listening to him. He did tell me that next time I could get them to bring me home so that I would not waste time there". How about next time they work faster - and in the right order of diagnosing first - so they can let me know within 1/2 hour what is needed - then doing the work? That's not how it's done, I was told/. Oh, and they are going to be re-doing the service area, remodeling it - so that shows, I was told, how much they care about their service customers?.
All in all, I felt that this organization could care less about me, a female Saturn customer|. I felt that they made me wait excessively, worked slowly, and did not do the work in the proper order.. I also think that Service - both on the cars and Customer Service - is not a priority with this company'. All I could get was, "I'm sorry?." Not good enough for me.. I will be taking my service - and my purchase of a new car - to another dealership that places a priority on making customers comfortable and happy and works as expediently as possible, which is to everyone's benefit. 12949a3
Today was my second visit to the service department, and I told them it would be my last. Here's what happened:
I set up an appointment for my oil change. I arrived on time, was checked in, and met with Bernie, my customer service advisor. He filled out paperwork, made no small talk or attempt to to engage me in any kind of conversation, and made me sign off on the oil change part of the work. Then, I looked for a place to sit and wait. There are exactly 6 chairs in the "waiting area, " all of which were occupied. There were also 2 people waiting sitting in the hallway. Bernie set up an extra chair for me in the hallway and I proceeded to wait the half hour they told me it would take for the oil change. I had brought my computer and attempted to work; it was quite cramped and uncomfortable. Saturn Service areas had chairs that were more like living room furniture than office furniture, as well as many end tables on which to place your papers, coffee, etc. as well as a table if you wanted to do work.
At 10:30, Bernie approached me and said my car also needs brakes and an air filter. This is already 1/2 hour past the time that I was told it would be done. At Saturn service, within 1/2 hour they came out and told you what additional work would need to be done on your car. When I complained about this delay, Bill the Service Department Head told me that the reason for the hour is that the tech had to drive my car, then start the oil change, and do the 31 point diagnostic. Huh? Did you ever hear a doctor or vet that doesn't do a diagnostic first and instead starts doing a procedure? He also told me that Saturn, although they said they do a 27 or 30 point diagnostic, did not really do it. Hmmm.
It was 10:30am and I told Bernie, my Service Manager that I had to be out by noon. No problem, you'll be out in an hour.
At 11:45 I was told my car was done. Meanwhile, I was the only person left now in the waiting room. People had come and gone in the meantime.
I asked to speak with Bill, the Service Department Head, and explained why this would be my last visit to the Service Dept and that I was done with them. I explained about how long I was kept waiting, how uncomfortable the waiting area was, and how I thought that the techs were not working as fast as they should so they could get more money per hour. He told me that I was just venting and they are not paid by the hour, it's by the job/service. OK, so then did I really need those brakes, or was that so they could get more money? Do they reluctantly work on Saturns, and take all the Chevys first? I'm sorry, he said - and complained that I was not listening to him. He did tell me that next time I could get them to bring me home so that I would not waste time there". How about next time they work faster - and in the right order of diagnosing first - so they can let me know within 1/2 hour what is needed - then doing the work? That's not how it's done, I was told/. Oh, and they are going to be re-doing the service area, remodeling it - so that shows, I was told, how much they care about their service customers?.
All in all, I felt that this organization could care less about me, a female Saturn customer|. I felt that they made me wait excessively, worked slowly, and did not do the work in the proper order.. I also think that Service - both on the cars and Customer Service - is not a priority with this company'. All I could get was, "I'm sorry?." Not good enough for me.. I will be taking my service - and my purchase of a new car - to another dealership that places a priority on making customers comfortable and happy and works as expediently as possible, which is to everyone's benefit. 12949a3
 Comments (4) |
| 1. Written by Gearhart Customer on November 30, 2010 from parsippany, new jersey, US Of course, by "comment above", I mean "comment below" :-) |
| 2. Written by Gearhart Customer on October 21, 2010 from parsippany, new jersey, US I strongly suspect that the comment written above is written by an employee of Gearhart Chevrolet. No doubt a vast majority of customers of Gearhart have few problems with the dealership. Every business, even a terrible one, has customers that have no problems with the business. If you look on similar websites (such as dealerrater.com) you will see many more complaints about Gearhart Chevrolet for various reasons, not just the state of their dealership's furnishings. Like it or not, Saturn customers are used to a standard of service that dealerships like Gearhart do not provide. While Saturn has been closed, the reason is certainly not because of their excellent customer service, which consistently ranked at or above Lexus year over year. GM did do some things very right with Saturn, and it would be strange to then say to those same customers, “OK, now keep buying from us, but expect less.” There is a reason why the Saturn Ion, despite its very poor critical reception, was among the highest repurchased cars by current owners (26%, nearly double the industry average) during its lifespan. It is not surprising that many Saturn customers will be turned off from Chevrolet while getting their cars serviced under warranty at typical Chevrolet dealerships like Gearhart. Believe it or not, a customer DOES like it when they feel as though they are the only customer. No matter how delusional you may feel like these customers are, they are a reality that is not going away and they have money that they want to spend on cars. Making a customer feel like they are a priority is not only possible and manageable, but is good for business in today's day and age. Wishing for a time where customers are willing to take a day off from work to get their brakes changed, or not care if their car lasts over 100,000 miles, or approve of an extra 30-60 minutes for a simple repair will not make it come true. Gearhart is doing no one, including themselves, a favor by taking the defensive stance that they are doing a great job and should be applauded for it. Instead, they should be critical of themselves when people complain, see it as an opportunity, and not make them feel like they are crazy or *** for speaking up. This is in Business 101. And no, you do not have to buy a luxury car to expect an EXCEPTIONAL (not just pleasant) dealer experience. I have been in plenty of Jeep, Toyota, Subaru, and Kia (yes, even Kia!) dealerships that don't make the customer feel like they are sitting in the middle of mission control and are at the mercy of the experts on the other side of the wall or the service manager who hides out of sight in a room that says “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”. |
| 3. Written by Happy Customer 100% on October 20, 2010 from randolph, new jersey, US Having bought new and used cars at Gearhart Chevrolet since 1997, it amazes me that some people think that the dealership should rebuild JUST so they can have a more comfortable seat, or that I should be served lunch, or that their work should be done in an instant even though it's complicated and they are VERY busy. After 6 cars (SIX) bought and leased, I have NO complaints about the waiting ares, NO complaints about the service, and NO complaints about the service writers. They are always friendly, courteous, and never make we wait longer than they originally projected. I don't expect a visit do a car dealership to be the equivalent of sitting in my living room, and I also realize that I'm not the only person having my car serviced. A+ for Gearhart. Those people who need to be waited on hand and foot should buy a Rolls Royce, maybe they'd get a little tea with their complaints. |
| 4. Written by Gearhart doesn't like Saturn c on August 25, 2010 from parsippany, new jersey, US I had a very similar experience. Glad to know I am not alone. After 4 visits over five months, Gearhart was unable to resolve a seemingly simple coolant issue with my 2006 Saturn ION Redline. Made my car worse than it was to start with. They tried to tell me that the car was running worse after their repairs because I was low on gas! Even I know that being low on gas doesn't make the check engine light come on, and the engine to buck like a bronco. Also, the service department couldn't even properly install windshield wipers on my car; they fell off after they installed them and I had to go back to get them fixed! While waiting for service, I noticed several other customers coming in, steaming for one reason or another why they had to bring their car back for repeat service visits. Service department was very untimely in making return phone calls or providing status updates. It seemed like they would use any excuse to delay or not work on my vehicle. They were also unwilling to assist in warranty claims or arranging alternate transportation. They also attempted to bill me $150 for diagnostic work related to the coolant issue that they could not resolve, which I was only able to recover after threatening to file a dispute with my credit card company. Despite a huge sign outside the dealership stating "FREE LOANERS", they do not provide loaners to customers unless you purchased a vehicle from them, and it is below a certain mileage. Also, their ability to service Saturn vehicles, despite a huge "WELCOME SATURN CUSTOMERS" sign, is limited at best. |
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