Oil change 6 hours?

So maybe one of you guys can enlighten me about how dealership service centers work? I scheduled an appointment about a week ago to have my 30,000 mile service done. The dealership has now had my truck for 6 hours and the rep said they are just now servicing my vehicle. Why even bother making an appointment if it takes all day just as it does when I don't schedule an appointment?

 

This is why I do my own service

 

Why not ask the dealer?

Then find an independent shop who'll do it, and other work, for you at a reasonable price/time frame.

Or learn to DIY.

Normally a DIY'r, I am in a situation I had to have my oil changed this AM and could not DIY. I was there at 7 and out at 7:30, charged 15 minutes of labor and materials.

 

Yep. I despise dealerships. Both the salespeople and the service folks. The service centers ALWAYS leave my vehicle dirty, with the seat in some random position I didn't leave it in, and the stereo usually gets messed with as I always have had aftermarket stereos in my vehicles. This is part of the reason why I try and do all my maint at home.

 

I've been in this similar situation. Think of dealership appointments like dentist/orthodontist appointments. They over book them, knowing people will cancel or they'll wait. Some dealerships are better than others. Find yourself a new dealer, as 6 hours is ridiculous.

 

It seems like you already solved this by not getting your truck serviced at the dealer... but a sure fire way to make sure they don't touch your radio, is to turn it off. Service guys hate getting into a vehicle and getting blasted with the music of YOUR choice. If you turn it off, they have no reason to touch it. If they then turn it on, then you have a reason to bitch to the manager.

 

Courteous thing to do would be advising the customer about the length of time their vehicle should be expected to remain there.

With that being said, for increased efficiency, techs will normally work on two cars at once so it's normal to get side tracked from a LOF job while taking care of a bigger job.

Then you've also got the customer(s) that come in without an appointment, have an issue with their new(er) vehicle, and expect service without an appointment; things happen and vehicles can break. So unfortunately, a vehicle can make it in front of the line before your scheduled appointment.

You wouldn't want to be the customer that shows up unexpectedly because you got an engine light on, and got turned away because you don't have an appointment right? It's like asking you when you expect to break down, so you can get ready for it.

Some dealerships have dedicated quick service lanes, and some do not.

All depends on the volume of cars being sold and serviced by said dealership.

If you want expedited service, go to one of those quick lube/jiffy lube/speedy lube/etc. places and get it done there, or better yet, do it yourself.

 

Not sure if this will help you, but when I took my truck in for its 5K mile service I thought it would only take a couple hours at most. Waited about 8 hours and thought it was taking a bit long so I called the SA to see what was going on. He says, "oh, it's been ready for a while and I thought I had called you". Not sure how long it would have sat there if I hadn't called.

 

should have asked for a loaner car if it takes that long

 

Thats excessive. I would have no way sat passed 2 hours before getting up and saying wtf to a service advisor. Especially if u got an appointment. Idk how big your dealership is though.....

 

Well Josh from the lube pit called in sick because he went on an all night bender with Rachel who works at Fridays. The service manager got the call at 7:30 AM and had to make the choice call and cancel appointments or just try and grind through them and hope that Josh sobers up for work on Tuesday. Josh has a thing for Rachel, Rachel dreams of becoming an asst mgr at PetCo. What Rachel doesn't know is Josh's alcohol problem will only get worse the longer he stays in the trade, by age 35 he'll be burnt out and disgusted with the pay and the hours. He'll try and re-invent himself by enrolling in UOP if you're thinking University of the Pacific you'd be wrong, but University of Phoenix. In the end he'll end up dropping out with $20k in student loans and he'll take a job at a nursing home fixing broken shit as a handy man. The nurses will love him and will sit outside and smoke with him as he tells war stories about the lube pit.

 

Reading this I can picture Josh and Rachel.

 

Me blasting music wasn't the issue. My issue was the service guys blasting it.

I've always had aftermarket stereos with subs, and the service guys love to crank it up and see what kind of bass you're working with.

 

I was really pulling hard for Rachel

 

Dealerships are a cesspool of suck, avoid at all costs.

 

I’m surprised these yahoos haven’t roasted OP for being crazy enough to have an authorized Toyota dealer service his Toyota.
Why pay Toyota to do it correctly when you can save 3 bucks and do it at home.
Then post here surprised the next day when your check engine light comes on.

 

If changing oil is too hard for you then yes, go to the dealer.....

 

It’s too easy to do on your own oil changes. The oil filter is right on top and has a stupid convenient oil catch and drain hole. I take an empty beer can and a small bungee cord to hold the can under the drain hole. Takes maybe 15 minutes from engine stop to engine start. A fumoto valve, hose, and catch can will make life even easier.

 

Very much this, being a mechanic it ticks me off, half of the new stereos don't have an obvious on/off button so you end up pushing all the buttons to turn the fucking thing off.