Dealership oil change... advice?

Remember also that not all oil changes are performed by quality techs at a dealership. Some dealerships hire lube techs to do the oil changes and small, quick services. This frees up the line techs to take care of the bigger problems. I think it is interesting that not only here, but in the world, when a person has a bad experience in a dealership or shop, they will announce it to the world, putting said location down, but the ones that get a good job done, and be treated fairly? Not a word is hardly heard.
I find that living in this small town that life is refreshingly different. People talk about my shop all over town, and about 75% of my work are repeat customers, and 20% are customers who have been recommended to come to my shop. Here, when you do good, people talk about you.

 

My first two dealership "repair" experiences cost me my engine and $3000 dollars... you bet your ass i will announce that to the world.

Now, as it is, despite trepidations, i gave them a chance again, and this time the tech did good (and i think i chronicled that fairly). Once bitten, twice shy.

If the dealership continues to do good work, i will say so. If they do bad work, i will say so. I owe them no favors either way; as it is, i feel they owe me an engine, but that is a different subject..

 

I understand your feeling. I have been on both sides of the coin myself. The point I have been trying to get across is that between an independent shop and a dealership, the dealership DOES tend to have better trained techs. Now again, a tech is only as good as the quality of his work. you could have just as well taken your vehicle to an independent shop, and a shoddy tech done just the same amount of damage to your engine.

Yes, you do not "owe" them any favors at all. However isn't it just good human relations to pass the word or good things? (and bad) I always will tell people when I have had a good experience with anything. Be it a restaurant, a movie theater, a parts store, etc. Maybe it is just the way I was raised, and the community that I live in. Here, you don't look up places to go to in the phone book or on the internet, you ask your friends for personal recommendations. In the past year of business I have literally spent less than $750 on advertizing, yet I have been able to keep this shop going strong due to quality work, and word-of-mouth advertizing. I depend on it. Yes, you did mention that they appeared to do your oil change properly, and as expected. For that I, and other techs around thank you. You have a job as well I would assume. Would you like it if people talked bad about the company you worked for just because some other guy screwed up? I hope not.

 

I guess I am not seeing the problem.. I am happy to pass on a good word where one is deserved (Toyo auto in Albuquerque did a great job replacing my 1st gens engine).. As it was though , up until this point, that shop had failed me twice, with expensive results. Between this , and other horror stories (oil and/or filter not being changed, things not tightened right etc), you bet that I will go in with apprehension. I didn't go in bashing a random dealership.. this one had already dropped the ball and has to earn my respect back.

I would be more than happy to get the same tech on the future.. she did a fine looking job, and I know that one tech does not a whole shop make. But once bitten, twice shy. As it is, I am happy to give a positive review, and hope to do more in the future..

 

Glad to hear it! I do understand the feeling of apprehension you would feel when bitten. I guess I was reading too much into yours. So many people on this forum want to bash dealerships and their techs without making sure the fault is correctly applied to the right place. I will admit I get a bit defensive. You did specify more directly that dealership. I just hate when people suggest throwing out the entire bushel just because of a few bad apples. I'll get off my soapbox. lol