optionstrail said:
TZ--
When you say "they don't want my business"......would you care to elaborate?
...
Just wanted to know the reason why you wrote them (Pontiac/Buick/GMC/Cadillac dealers) off.
Edit: I haven't written those brand dealers off completely, just this one particular P/B/G/Caddy dealer.
Opps, Edit again: This dealer doesn't sell Buicks, those are next door at another dealer. Never tried them, except for their used car lot, where they failed to sell me a used Buick I wanted.
Mainly it was the service department. Although if I remember correctly we weren't too thrilled with the sales staff either- like if you weren't there to drive out in a $60k Cadillac, you were bothering them. Also, they had absorbed the standalone Pontiac dealer from across the street, where I had already had MISERABLE service in the past, so who knows how many of those service people came over in the deal- maybe that's why the service sucked so bad.
I tried to use their service department three times:
-One time I wanted a new remote for my keyless entry. Was told that it would be $80 (high, but fairly normal I think) plus another $30 or $40 to "program" it. I happened to know that procedure, which I had had done on other cars at other dealers as a courtesy, was shorting two pins in the diag port literally with a paper clip from their desk, and holding door and remote buttons at the same time for a few seconds. I looked at him in disbelief and said, "$40 to stick a paper clip in the port and press two buttons?" He just smiled and said "Yep". I walked out.
-Second time, I was looking for the text of a TSB, and was told they would have to charge me $80+ diagnostic fee or some such. All I wanted was to see the text of a TSB from a different model Oldsmobile, to see if it might be relevant to a problem I was having on mine. I walked out.
-Third and final time, I was having a problem where the battery cable wasn't making real great contact with the battery- sometimes it would cut out or fail to start. Still would have accessory power, but not enough juice to run the engine, and the battery and alternator already tested fine. I dropped it off and asked them to replace the battery cable. I got a call later that day saying it would be $400! I picked up the car and got it the hell out of there. Sure enough, next time I took it for an oil change at a local independent shop, I mentioned the cable. They fixed it for free (just needed a new cable end).
THAT is how you take care of a customer. I've given that independent as much of my repair, maintenance, and tire business as I can, and I refer as many people as I can to them. I won't go back to that dealer, nor will I recommend anyone to go there for sales or service.
Sorry that was a bit long winded. But that is what I mean when I say they didn't want my business. I tried to give it to them several times, but they apparently didn't want my money, or maybe they would have tried harder.