This soon to be well written article, about my recent visit to the Chevy dealership, was, as stated in the title line, “Infuriating but enjoyable”!
Before we get into this true story about my venture yesterday, I would like to note that the so called TV news was talking about some baseball game? They said this team was the World Champs. Did this team play all the teams around the world? If not they aren’t the world champs.
Back to me! J
The Ford’s Chevy had a problem. The touch screen basically stopped working. I could change the radio channels but I could not turn the radio up, down or off. The clock stopped working along with all the other functions. I called the dealership and a female said, “Bring it in, the computer needs to be updated”!
I arrived at 8:01am, met with the adviser and she took my information and key, saying it would take about an hour. I went to the waiting room. Let me tell you about this area (adviser desks and greeting areas, there were 3, waiting room, management offices) all the walls were glass. You could sit anywhere and see what was going on. I have told staff on different occasions, that the entire area is a downer. When one walks in, there is nothing to encourage a person to be happy or positive. Maybe one can’t be positive when they are getting their car repaired or maintained.
I should note, I had a blue pull over shirt on which was the same color and looked like the employee’s shirts.
I sat for a while in the waiting room were a couple other men were waiting. We discussed many things including the dealership and some of its flaws.
After about an hour (which was how long this so called update was to take) I decided to get up and walk around a bit. I noted that there were no personal items in any of the offices. There were four employees in the adviser greeting areas. One female who may have been there to answer the phone, she sat at a desk and eat several things while looking at the computer screen. There were three advisers, one female who seemed to be doing most of the work, and I told her that. There was a male who did not know how to smile, and appeared to be in a bad mood all the time. There was another male who appeared to be new, he asked a lot of questions but did not seem to help anyone.
There were glass walls between the adviser areas but they did not go to the ceiling, which allowed me to hear their conversations. I took a standing position centrally located, watching and listening to everything that was happening. The female approached me saying they were working on the vehicle and it should be done shortly. I stood in this position for about 30 minutes. I, mentally terminated two of the staff and gave the female advisor a pay increase, even though my vehicle was not ready yet.
Then I saw it! There were three men approaching the service area, two in suits, one not. It was easy to see at a distance who was the top person, who was number two wanting to be the top person, and who was the grunt in the bunch.
They entered the area with quick good mornings to anyone they walked past, and they all went into the back office. A couple minutes later they came out with the senior person going to the other office and placing his brief case on the desk. He sat down and made a couple calls using his cell phone.
The number two man began investigating each area. The low man on the totem pole began to look around, he walked over to me and asked if I had been helped. I said yes, and I noted that it seems as if the bosses were here. He explained that he was the new manager and this is his first day, the other two suits were corporate. I wished him good luck.
I was then approached and asked if I was from the corp. office. This person noted, I see you observing everything that is going on. I explained that I was just a customer.
Still observing the goings on, I mentally terminated two other staff. There were calls that were not answered. I overheard phone conversations where the employee was providing false information.
2.5 hours of the 1 hour process had passed and the female advisor again approached me saying they were having problems updating the computer. I smiled at her even though I was irritated, but enjoying watching all the goings on and thinking what I would do to make this place better.
I ventured back into the waiting area where the same people were waiting. We talked about prices of vehicles and how high the payment some people had to pay. One fellow said he bought his wife a new car and the payment was $860.00 a month. How or why anyone could or would make a payment like that is beyond me.
I again ventured out of the waiting room watching the corp. bosses point out things that need to be gotten rid of or moved. I was near one of the unused advisor desks when a female customer approached me asking where a certain employee was. I said I had not seen him. She then told me the names of a couple other employees that she thought did a good job and I agreed. She obviously thought I was an employee.
One of the advisors took a call. He said, you are still waiting, didn’t they come and get you? He hung up and called for the person that would drop off and pickup customers. This older fellow also needed to learn how to smile. He commented something to the effect, I drove over there and did not see anyone. The adviser walked away talking to himself but loud enough that anyone could hear him saying, “It wasn’t my fault, I sent him”!
I noticed the head suit ask one of the advisors to come into the office. 30 seconds later the advisor came back out. Would you believe the top suit wanted to know who I was? That made me feel good, I was noticed.
The female advisor came to me and said my vehicle was done and she would go get it. It took 20 minutes for her to get it to me.
All in all and irritating and enjoyable experience.
I see on the work sheet that it took .60 of an hour to update the computer, why was I there 3.5 hours? I had to reinstall several things as I believe they may have only disconnected the battery allowing the computer to shut down and reboot.
May your irritating experiences also be enjoyable!
Don Ford
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