It must be a "carry-over" from years of business. I just hate to do things that I view as wasteing my time. Things like standing in line at a fast food restaurant is annoying. Long lines at the bank or waiting for the dreaded renewal of my drivers license all are designed to make me angry.
Well this morning I went to my local "Big B" auto dealership to get my oil changed. In an effort to keep my Saab in good operating condition I change oil every 5,000 miles which is much less than the advertised 10,000 needed for change. Waiting 10 minutes for the "service door" to open to just get my car to the check-in counter should have been a clue. I kept my instructions clear, "just oil and filter". I signed a slip that I authorized anything up to $65.
So I was off to my seat in the customer service area. Sitting next to me was a slick salesman for drugs and medical supplies in the area. He had on an earpiece that allowed him to talk to clients without holding his cell phone. The little shit spent 40-45 minutes trying to impress secretaries, nurses and doctors with his spellbinding sales pitch. Meanwhile I was trying to watch the "View". I mean it is important for me to listen to those liberal left wing sweethearts. You get the point. Listen to the salesmen or the View. I was in hell.
'When I was a kid I would change the oil on my cars. You have to uscrew a filter, let the oil drain, screw in a new filter and dump in 4-5 quarts of oil. 10 minutes top! It is not rocket science.
After about 45 minutes, the service manager comes in and says my tires should be rotated. This is a ploy to get me to spend more money. Un-beknownst to the manager, I had my snow tires taken off yesterday and we strategically placed all the tires in the right places on the car based on wear. I did not need to rotate tires and spend another $60. They're not playing with any dummy here! No rotation.
Then after about 1 hour and 15 minutes they announced my car was done. My expectations were about $25. The bill came to $61. You are kidding! Nope. The oil was $35, filter $10 and labor $15 plus tax. To be fair, I got free burnt coffee and they did run my can though some sort of automatic car wash.
General Motors wonders why it is in trouble? Yes it is drowning in a sea of promised benefits to workers. Yes it has many inefficiencies. Yes it has missed the boat on cars that are fuel efficient not to mention lack of innovative design. But did it ever think about giving a customer what he/she wants? Quality products at a fair price and service that is customer oriented.
I happen to own a Toyota Camry. I can drive to the dealership without making an appointment for an oil change. I am promised I will get my can back in less that 30 minutes and the bill is never more than $25. I get free soda and coffee. Car washes are random depending on how busy they are. Toyota knows their customers. I still hate wating for an oil change but Toyota minimizes the pain. The last time I looked Toyota was making big money.
Well one good thing did happen. I had my blog to vent on! I feel better. Now I need to look forward to my next battle with General Motors. I can hardly wait.
Love,
Dad
...hey, you could have been at work? what was it again, worlds smallest record player was playing something...man if only I could remember