This is an e-mail I sent to Chaplin's VW service department yesterday afternoon after I was told that they would not have a promised loaner for me until at least 6:00 pm (although it was promised at 4:00). After you read it, I will tell you what finally happened.
Not sure why this keeps happening but your service people keep right on disappointing me. I called for a service appointment three weeks ago (before December 1) which was supposed to be for tomorrow (December 18). I was scheduled to use a loaner. Now, I understand loaners and loaner availabilty. But I was told I would have "free" owners for life if I bought by car from Chaplins, which I did. So I set up to have a loaner for tomorrow's appointment. Due to appointments at an early hour on Friday, I scheduled when I made the appointment to drop my car and pick up the loaner at 4:00 pm today (December 17). I was just about to leave and drive to the dealership when I thought I had better check and make sure all was set. Good thing I did. Even though I was promised on my original call, that I could have a loaner at 4:00 pm today I am now told I can't have a loaner until 6:00 pm. That doesn't work for me. I have appointments tonight. So then I am told I can pick it up tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. Only problem is, I have an appointment at 7:30. There is no way I can get from your dealership to to that appointment in half an hour at 7:30. Had I known about not being able to pick up the loaner until 6:00 pm tonight, I would have scheduled differently. Since I thought there was no problem, I scheduled accordingly. Why do your service people continuously do me the "honor" of giving me poor service. And maybe it's not poor service, it's just lying to me. Or promising something that you know damn well you can't do. If your policy is to not send out loaners the night before prior to 6 pm then make damn sure that you tell people that. And that you don't tell them that the loaner will be available at 4:00 pm. I was having both warranty work and service done on my car. Now I will have only the warranty work done by you. I will take my car to an independent shop for the paid service. They are blocks from my house while it takes me a good 45 minutes to reach your dealership--in each direction! This situation is just typical of the kind of service I have had from your dealership since I purchased my car there in April 2008. Prior to the purchase I had been told by numerous people (including my step-daughter who had previously purchased a Jetta from you) that the sales staff was great but the service people continuously lied to her, did shoddy work and did not care even a little bit about her time. They were very willing to to take her money but forget working with her (or ME) to fit into our schedules. You guys work on your schedules, not the customers. Seems a strange way to do business. When I originally heard this, I discounted it as "typical complaining." After almost three years of service at your dealership, I now know it wasn't. It was just people warning me of something that was true. I have brought my car in on numerous occasions and every time has left a bad taste in my mouth afterward. I wish I had never bought this car. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I bought my Eos, I just wish I had never bought it from Chaplins.
Actually, I am probably just spoiled. Prior to this I had owned a long line of Subarus I purchased from Eastside Subaru and their predecessors at that location. As my wife still drives a Subaru, I still deal with Toby their service manager and I take her car in from time to time. They never have a problem scheduling me doing the service work in less than an hour (for the same work--oil change, etc) and being very upfront on how long the car would be needed and exactly what time we could/should drop it off and pick it up.
I will now become one of those people. The ones who say that I love my car but I wouldn't buy another car from Chaplin's EVER. Just because of their service department.
So here's what finally happened. About 20 minutes after I sent this e-mail from their website, their service manager called. He said they had a loaner immediately available. This is after I was told that there was absolutely NO WAY I could have a loaner before 6:00 pm and here it was 20 minutes before 4:00 and they had found one. Of course by then, I had made other plans for the afternoon so I agreed that if I could get a loaner the next morning around 10 and get the car back by 4, I would be all set. He said fine and that's what we did.
The work they did was fine. It was my 20,000 mile service, my satellite radio was out and they even fixed a window ding for me. I will say that it was interesting that the independent shop I have been using only charges $200 for a 20K service and Chaplin's charged me $400. See why I don't like them.
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