Overheard At Toyota Dealer's Service Dept

I thought this would be standard throughout the industry and country, but here in California the service advisor has you sign a form with an estimated cost for the work to be done. If it goes over that amount and you do not authorize the increase, you have recourse. But the dealer is protected as well, because you have agreed to the estimated charges, in this case for diagnosis of a problem. It does take a really laidback personality and loads of patience to deal with some customers.

 

What ever happened to "the customer is always right"?

 

Time=Money.

"Excuse me sir, but do you have any volunteer techs that can diagnose my car for free, so that I may then find out what is wrong so I can take my car somewhere else to get fixed?"

The customer is always a liar and an a$$hole.

 

The SM is right. Normally in a shop they'd have to pay a fee upfront but it gets applied towards the bill in case of a repair.

 

Yeah I like to spend time working for free too. I find it's a great way to go out of business quick.

 

Happens at dealers and private shops. People figure diagnostics isn't actually working on the car.

 

2 hours to diagnose a problem in a car? :der:

 

Sure, one hour to diagnose the real problem and one hour to get around the problems the owner added trying to diagnose it himself.

 

The only thing I'd say in the customers defense is that most dealership service departments have the fabled "Service Advisor".

Usually an estimate for service is provided upfront, and anything like a set diagnostic fee is presented upfront, to head off anything like this happening.

The thing that is upsetting to me? Is that the idea that your vehicle was provided a service, and that "service" was diagnostics, is a concept that I think anyone and everyone can understand.

Sounds to me like a case where someone thinks if they complain loud enough, they will get something for free. I hope the Service Manager didn't back down, and they actually got paid for diagnostics...which every service center WILL charge you for...

 

That is probably the flat rate labor book allotment, 1.0 hour / symptom times two symptoms described by customer. The actual clock time is very likely shorter. Possibly much shorter.

 

that went out the window, down the drain a long time ago. It's what the customer "think" it should be. I deal with customers all the time at work. A good example would be if they have a blue paper in their hand, it has the description that this paper is blue, I tell them that it's blue, their friend tells them that it's blue. However, they seem to argue with me that the paper is red...go figure.

 

Agreed. Two hours to diagnose something and they couldn't find anything wrong. Has SCAM $$$$ written all over it.

 

mm at my dealer those things are called "service" there is no bill for looking at a problem
you get the bill if you repare it.
but i geuss in time we will also have the same system due to pure capitalism and financial crisis

 

I guess it depends. If they have a full Toyota service history and purchased the car from that dealer then I reckon the dealer would diagnose a problem for free or at least for a discount.

But if they purcased elsewhere and serviced the car themselves and then come in demanding free diagnosis, then they would be met with the reaction they got!

Nor do we know the history of that chap. That could have been his fourth visit for a non existant issue?

 

Most people have no idea just how much time goes into getting their car looked at. Someone has to spend a few minutes on the phone with them to schedule the appointment. Upon arrival the service advisor writes up a ticket based on the complaint. Next the valet delivers the car and the ticket to the actual technician. We are already at 10 minutes of overhead at this point. Techstream, being the slow POS software that it is, takes about 5 minutes to hook up and read the codes. Then the tech has to parse and filter the codes that come out. For example, there is almost always a code for the solar sensor, because the car is being checked away from direct sunlight. There may be three or more codes present but only one that indicates any real meaningful problem. This then has to be communicated back to the service advisor, who then has to dumb-down an explanation to the customer. All things considered, it takes roughly half a person hour to process a check-engine light read.

Just because you have a computer, the service manual, and a scan tool, it doesn't always make diagnosis easy. Please do read the thread for this poor guy with P0301: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-technical-discussion/105545-misfire-cylinder-1-a.html

You wouldn't believe how badly people flip out when they see the Maint Reqd, Service Engine Soon, or a picture of a wrench come on. All the car is asking for is an oil change, but they think that it is time to trade it in because there is a major problem.

 

Hardly a scam at all. It takes time to diagnose problems. Two items is not unreasonable at all depending on the situation.

MB860 ? 2

 

Oh I agree with you and massp but these issues are systemic to a much larger problem. That saying was relevant not to long ago.

 

If they actually spend time figuring it out, they deserve to be paid. The only time I have a issue with this fee is when they cannot figure it out or when I tell the advisor exactly what the problem is, and how I want it fixed.