now you have me started

I ended up fixing the AC myself with eBay parts for under $50.00.. I hate working on cars but looks like I better get use to it..

I went to the local Chevy dealer the other day needing some parts for my '96 Suburban. I had the VIN # on my car and the specific parts written down. I helped the parts guy look all them up on the computer. We nailed down the exact parts #'s & everything - and he said they'd be there in the morning.

Went over that next day (Tues) and he said there was a delay - they'd be in Friday. I said fine, but I really needed them by then, because I was leaving on a 4000 mile long trip that next Wed.

Went over Friday and he said "they were shipped, but the truck broke down...". They'd be in Monday. I said, "well, OK - as long as you're sure they'll be in Monday...".

I CALLED over Monday instead of making another trip and the moron wouldn't take my call. Kept passing me around until I got the low guy on the totem pole - he says 'yeah.... What was the VIN # on that car again??!!'...

Don't ask me why - I'd never done anything to make them mad - but those morons hadn't even ordered the parts in the first place... I guess they were just trying to set some Guinness Book of World Records for stupidest parts department in the entire world...

That's the Guymon Oklahoma Chevy dealership.

Howard

george

I wondered ,because my step son works for atlantic
tractor ( the old enfield equip)and it sounds like
some of their dealings. I know one of the fellows
in fitches shop , he used to work in the local jd
shop ,good guy . I do some machine shop work for
the local branch of atlantic tractor(things they can't do)and he usually brought the jobs to my
shop.Jim is the fellow with the little round,
hippy glasses.
In the 4240 or 4430 can't remember which ,
the pto thru shaft bearing would break the snap
ring grove and spin the bearing,they would strip
out the rear housing and I would set it up on the
horizontal boring mill , build a repair and install
it. I did all of that model that they sold but one and it still has not been done ,that one belongs
to my neighbor.

george

Anyway, the reason I was in the dealer was my 5 yr old car was mis-firing intermittently and it happened one time as I was passing my dealer. I pulled in and, with the engine shaking like a leaf, asked if they could do a quick check with a scanner. Answer: soonest they could "look" at it was the next day, if that. When I pointed out that is was happening right then and it may run FINE the next day, the rep suggested I make an appointment (even worse suggestion). There was no line of people waiting. I understand that it would have required them to go and interrupt a guy working on a car for 5 minutes, but they had no interest in helping me. The robotic demeanor of the service rep (after asking if he could help me, he kept typing away on his computer the whole time he was talking to me) had me shaking my head as I left.

On the other hand, I took my Chevy p/u to a dealer I had no experience with (didn't buy my truck there) for a recall item. The Service rep was very interested in my issue, called me the next day to see how the truck was running. I went there for another item and got the same type of service from a DIFFERENT rep. Guess where I'm buying my next truck at?

However, it has to be tough for any dealer (not just tractors) today to compete with the instant access to parts via the Internet and UPS. I call up a dealer, get an outrageous price on something, hop on the net, find it across the country for sometimes half the price and it's on my doorstep within 3 days. It's not that I don't want to support a local dealer as I will buy locally even at a higher price, if it's REASONABLE.