Why not blame the Dealer.

[deecee@exit109.com]

I have been reading and responding to many posts on this list as well as
the others about the poor service VW owners receive from VW dealers.  Maybe
we are to blame because of the following . Car not fixed right the first
time or finished when promised, Returned with grease stains on the floor
mats. We ordered the wrong parts necessary to fix your car, The final bill
was not the same as the estimate given. And on and on and on.   I will
stated just the facts that pertain to my shop. I am sure the same things
happen at other VW shops also. Compare what I say to your next visit for
service.
First off we will hire anyone who can hold a wrench. Providing someone even
bothers to come in and fill out an application. Remember the last Porsche
Tech we hired? He was so bad the GM didn't want him to work on the cars he
was hired for. He works on Your car even with ZERO VW training.  Next our
special tools and basic diagnostic equipment is either broken, missing, or
out of date. Find out how much product knowledge the Service Advisor has.
Remember he is the one who transfers your complaints into instructions for
the technicians. If he/she does not have any product knowledge chances are
slim your car will get your car fixed the first time.  Lets move on to
parts. How many trips does it take to get the correct part? A good parts
person is just as hard to get as a good technician. The product keeps
changing as parts are constantly superseding and in some cases just trying
to get the right part when there might be 10 choices is a struggle.  If a
part is out of stock and on back order from VW it might be coming from
another depot in the US/Canada or from Germany. 

Yes the dealers should take the blame, but let me also say Volkswagen
should take their fair share and the anger that is given to the dealer
should be directed to VW.

First off I didn't make your car in the first place. I am only an agent for
the manufacturer just like you are all agents for your employers. I am not
the one who designed the squeaky doors, ABS problems, random MIL
complaints, transmission failures or other assorted complaints. Maybe I
didn't fix your car the first time, but I sure gave it my best even though
our latest repair manuals on CD-ROM just plain suck, our wiring diagrams
have not had any updates since April. And that was for the 1998 cars, I am
assigned cars without the proper training because VW hasn't offered it
anymore due to down sizing. I try to install an engine only to find out
that a modification has to be done because it also fits another model.
Nobody bothers to tell me about the product changes. Ample supply of parts
on hand or promptly shipped from depots.

But let me get a bad CSI report and all hell will break loose.

Maybe you should take the time and contact VW and bitch at them for
building a lousy and sometimes unfixable product.  

I am not here to toot my own horn, I have what I feel is a good work ethic.
I will go to the extreme to fix a problem.  I will call anyone or e-mail to
get the answer I need to finish a job. I could be like other people I work
with and stop when a problem surfaces. I thrive on solving problems it does
give me a good feeling even though I hate what I am doing.


I would break my Sons arm if he ever told me he wanted to fix cars for a
living.  I wish I had some guidenance while in high school and maybe I
would be working in a different field.  Believe it or not I always wanted
to be an Mortician.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Don