Tips for a swirl free visit to the dealership tomorrow morning?

A

ahunt01

New member
Hi, almost everyone here has heard my horror story about the Honda dealership giving my car a "complimentary" swirl job, I mean car wash:rolleyes:.

Anyways, I have an appointment for a different Honda dealership to fix a window problem. I plan on having them put in writing to "not touch my cars paint, and if it absolutely must be done then do not clean it at all and of course do not wash it. I also planned on having the service manager look at the three dents on my car and put in writing that he saw that there is only three dents, and also put in writing that the car is dirty (I'm leaving it dirty on purpose to make sure it doesn't get touched). I also am going to request to talk to the mechanic to make sure my wishes are verbally given, as well as written.



Shew, ok, that's my plans. Does anyone have any other ideas on how to go about dealing with this place?:confused: :confused:

Any tips/ideas would be greatly appreciated.:)



BTW, the car is going in early tomorrow morning, so any tips fast would be a blessing.:D
 
sounds like you have it under control.You dont sound to harsh buy asking these things and If he askes why just tell him.good luck:xyxthumbs
 
Cool, I was worried he may think I'm a little demanding. I really feel I have to be now though, since I've gotten really burned by my last experience with a Honda dealership. I'm think that if he won't comply with my wishes then I'm gonna say see ya
attention003
and drive away.
 
really I dont blame you if you do. A good dealership should be at your hand and foot.You got the car from there or where ever.Ask anysales man out there,there is a potential buyer every time the door opens,even if its not the same dealer(like a GM goes to Ford).If Iwas to go to a place and they did treat me like gold I would put in consideration of them when buying my next car.But good luck with it and let us know how it went!!!
 
Sounds like a good plan. The idea should be to make them like you (the best way to get ANYTHING done in a car dealership; I know, I've worked in dealerships for 18 years), but also understand that this is one way that you are very different from all the other customers, and you want them to respect and honor that.



The part about showing the dents, leaving the car dirty, etc, might seem like overkill to some people, but what you really want to do is make sure the message gets passed down the line. In a dealership that does routine washes, the service writer hands the car off to the mechanic, who hands it off to the porter, who washes it and returns the keys to the counter. THAT'S the guy who needs to get the message. The porter. If you don't make an impression, the message won't get passed down, but if everyone's talking about "Don't wash the black 2000 Civic, the guy'll freak if you do," then the message gets passed and it won't get washed.



Then, on subsequent visits, as they get to know you, you smile, hand them the keys, the service writer says, "No wash, right?" and you smile and say, "That's right!"



Hopefully, anyhow.



Tom
 
i went to the honda dealership yesterday and i made it quite clear to the guy at the desk that it wasn't to be washed and he said ok but jsut to be safe i wrote in big letters on the work order *DO NOT WASH* and i told him if its washed don't expect me to pay for my visit.



It wasn't washed :)
 
Mosca, thanks for the explaination of how the whole process works. How do you recommend that the porter gets the message?

I don't know if me showing them my dents and making them put all kinds of stuff in writing is going to make them like me much. But like you said, I want to get the point across that I don't want it washed. And I was hoping that if it's in writing, then if they did wash it and scratch it up, or dent it up, then I could have some legal recourse.

2000_EBP_civic, I love the idea about telling them I won't pay if it's washed.
 
Write it in eraseable markerboard marker all over your windshield! Now that would make an impression. ;)



Maybe attach a tag to your keys? I know I usually need the keys when I wash cars. ;) The wash boy probably will too. Honestly, the dealer I work at doesn't give complementary washes, and I don't know how they could. I'm pretty busy. When you go, could you please glance and see how many wash bays there are? I can't imagine keeping their used car lot cleaned up as well as washing customer's cars. At least doing it the way I do it...(rinse mitt at least half way thru roof, half hood and trunk rinses, not as particular about windows, maybe a side, upper body pannels, and lower body pannels - rinsing between each. Now that we have a wheel brush, I do wheels first-yay, talk about well equiped, huh? )
 
It's easy. when you do it, smile, be friendly. Ask the service writer to indulge you. Explain that you know that you are pickier than almost everyone else about this, so, to make it easier for everyone, you find that it's best to show exactly what will make you a satisfied customer, because after all, most misunderstandings come from you not communicating what you need. After all, aren't you asking them to do less work for the same fee?



Most service people higher up, the writers and mechanics, are car guys. They have their own babies as well. I'm thinking of our guys; a '65 Mustang, a '77 MG, an old '50s Ford (a Crestliner?), etc. Those guys don't want to take grief from you, grief that they will understand but will have to smile through anyways, because of what the porter did. So, by showing what you expect, the writer will make sure that he tells the porter n ot to wash the car. And the porter, for his part, then gets to go out back and have a smoke on your 15 minutes, so everyone's happy!



The sign is a good idea, too.



I had my service dept inspect my car today. They gave it to the guy we call "Pigpen"! Jeez, I about freaked, but nevertheless I went back, and showed him the little dings, and asked him if he took the wheels off could I re-torque them, etc. Sheesh, I'm the guy who paid for the car, and who's paying for the service. I let them know what bugs me, and they try not to bug me, and the world spins a little bit easier for a short while. That's the secret to lots of things, I think.





Tom
 
ahunt01- Guess I'm joining this post a little too late to be of any use to you :o.



I'm with Mosca and the others on this. No, you're NOT being too demanding. The shops I patronize KNOW what I'm like (no wash, no lubing of hinges/latches, no touching the paint, etc.) because I tell them in no uncertain terms (I'm ALWAYS polite about it). I tell EVERYONE who needs to know, or at least make sure the manager tells them. I've even showed them how to open/close the doors, hood, trunk, etc.



One thing I'd question is the leaving the car dirty. Yeah, you can see if they touch it, but by then they've marred it. I always have my cars spotless when I take them in, which I think also helps reinforce how careful I am with them. Six to one, half-dozen to the other, I suppose. Hope everything goes well.
 
Just remember to be polite about it! These guys are just doing their job. To most people a car wash is doing the person a big favour! *** But to us, it is not a favour but rather a concern that they will add scratches.





Just be polite and direct so that they get the message and everyone feels happy!!



Tim
 
Yeah...I always take mine in spotless...a shine like that just screams "Anal owner". However, from now on I am also taping signs to all windows...DO NOT WASH, in addition to telling people (politely). Also, don't assume they understand what you are talking about...I tell them they have never met anyone as freakishly anal about their car as I am. I ask them point blank if they will be able to deal with me, because I WILL notice everything. I'm nice, but I give them an out too.
 
This is kinda long, but here's what happened. It went alright, and I was extremely polite. I just asked to not have a car wash, and didn't bother having him inspect the car or anything like that, I also put a piece of white tape on the keychain that said "do not wash car". Their policy is no car wash unless the customer requests it because it takes up their time and they're a VERY fast moving place.

The guy seemed pissed that I made him give me a written statement saying "car will not be washed", and seemed even more pissed after I told him my story why I was so concerned because of another Honda dealership giving my car a wash (without my permission) and scratched up my mirror like finish. But I guess he cooled down because when I paid the bill he apoligized if he came off being rude, and said he understands my concern. They also serviced my car for free, I guess it was close enough to the warrenty expiration.

But because of his initial attitude, and because I saw after I gave them my keys how they drive the cars into the bays (I could have sworn I heard them squeal one guys tires because they take off so quick with every car), and plus I heard them reving my engine some because I guess my loud "honda ricer" exaust sounded cool in a closed garage, so I don't know if I'm gonna go back. They wouldn't let me talk to the mechanic because of how the place is ran, I guess because it's such a "get ya in and out" kinda place they feel there is no time. I think I'll feel so much more comfortable at a smaller shop where I can talk to the mechanic and explain how Autopians want their car touched (or not touched;)), and be able to watch them working on it. I was snooping all around the place and there's no way to watch them working on the cars.



Thanks a bunch for all the tips and info everyone, I don't know what I'd do without this message board and it's friendly members.:bigups
 
Accumulator, I would have loved to tell the mechanic how I want him to open and close my doors, etc. But once again they wouldn't let me talk to him, and I could imagine they would give me one heck of a smart butt answer if I asked. They might have been so snotty to me at first because I'm only 21. But who knows. Once again I think that's why I'm going to go somewhere else. I think they figure, "hey, it's just a cheap Honda, it's not a Porche or anything so why treat it as such". Atleast thats the impression that I got from watching them drive the cars and park them.
 
ahunt01 said:
They might have been so snotty to me at first because I'm only 21. But who knows. Once again I think that's why I'm going to go somewhere else. I think they figure, "hey, it's just a cheap Honda, it's not a Porche or anything so why treat it as such". Atleast thats the impression that I got from watching them drive the cars and park them.
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That sucks. Give some people a chance to win a customer for life, and they can't help but screw it up. Oh, well.



Glad that your car came back unscathed, though, and the work was free.



Tom
 
I guess they feel they don't really need to please the few demanding customers. Man I have never seen a place move cars in and out of the shop so fast!

They have colored teams, blue red green grey white silver yellow orange black and I think that's it.

Anyways you drive into a huge two car garage with these little cubicles lined up in a row and you go to your assigned color cubicle and give them the keys and give them any other instructions you have.

Right after they give the keys to a team of drivers who park them in a line in another huge empty garage joining the "reception" area, and then a seemingly endless team of mechanics picks each car up almost as fast as they get parked and drive them into the shop (another garage which must be huge that's joined with the garage with the waiting cars).

The whole process is really amazing, almost like an assembly line. Obviously the speed comes at a cost, the customer is nothing more than a #.
 
Sounds to me that if possible, a small private service station would be great. My dad has his Vette serviced at one and they let him go in the garage when the car is on the lift and he and I detail the undercarriage while the mechanics are doing their job. BTW, a few $5 bills here and there to the mechanics always "helps" them take better car of the car too ;)
 
Insurance regs make it difficult to allow customers into work bay area. The risks are far to great any more.



Swirl Free Pickup:

My truck dealer even asked if I wanted the white travel film left on before I picked up my 02 Truck. Railcar to truck transport to me. The window sticker was not even applied, it was on the seat for me. Customer is always right.
 
Customer isnt ALWAYS right. It really depends on the situations. Also I would wash the car before giving it to them because it will be less dust/dirt on the car which means less scratches. Obviously they have to touch the car and stuff to fix the problem and you don't want a dirty car. Maybe there could of been a different route to know if they washed the car or not? Maybe open up the engine bay and see if water will fall.
 
True there are other routes, but if I was going to have them verify that the car was dirty on paper, and they bring me a clean car, then I was hoping that I could take legal action against the dealership IF it got scratched. If it's already clean, it'd be hard to tell if they washed it and dried it, and be harder to prove.

That was my plan, but I ended up not having them verify anything on paper about my car being dirty just instructions not to wash it.

Now that I look back I probably should have washed my car, but everything worked out for the best.

I'm now going to start going to a place in PA that works on tons of show cars, their lot is awesome. The cheapest car I've seen them work on is an Acura NSX. I figure if they work on nothing but show cars, then they know how to treat your paint.
 
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