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Premier Subaru of Branford, CT Gary Cristiansen Incompetent, Rude, Unprofessional ZERO interest in customer service despite advertising brags! Branford Connecticut
As another reviewer on Yelp said, if I could give this place negative stars I would! This is supposedly the ONLY AAA approved Subaru Repair shop in Connecticut.This dealership is an embarrassment to itself, Subaru and to AAA, and it should be removed from their preferred list of vendors. They are incompetent, rude, have zero interest in customer service, and utilize false advertising to draw people in. Then they fail to deliver on their promises, as outlined below:
I have a new 2016 Forester with radio problems. 1st, they advertise they have the largest fleet of loaner cars in CT - 20 Cars. Yet, each time I have called to make an appointment and ask for a loaner, I am RUDELY rebuffed, telling me it is at least a 2 week wait. WHY brag and advertise about your HUGE loaner fleet if you are not willing to loan a car? And, each time I have been there, they have 6-8 unused loaners just sitting in their parking lot.
On the first visit for radio and a recall, I finally convinced them to give me a loaner. I lost a day's work, and when I got back in my car, the radio was still broken. They were willing to send me away with a still broken radio because obviously they did not test it properly to see if it was working. They offered me a half price detailing if I would come back and let them fix the radio, because they needed a "download" from central Subaru to re-program the radio. They said they would call me in 2-3 days after they got the download - they NEVER DID. Again, it was like pulling teeth to get a loaner for my second visit, but finally they agreed. Again, I lost a day's work.
When I got back in my car, I noticed that they had scratched a plastic piece of the console in detailing it, & the radio was still broken. At first Service Mgr Gary Christiansen said he would replace the plastic, then he reneged on his word (as all LIARS do) and said the damage was "My Fault" and they would do nothing. I asked the "Customer Concierge" Barbara Mullen to intervene - she walked away when the conflict was on to "have her lunch." Again, they advertise online and in the shop with a BIG poster with her picture that she is the only "Customer Concierge" in CT, and that" Barb doesn't need to ask for manager approval, she IS a manager."
Yet, she told me she "needed to check with the owner" Robert J Alvine / Bob Alvine about assisting me, and he said NO. She also mentioned she was about to go on vacation and didn't have much time to deal my issue. Now they tell me I have to come back for a 3rd attempt to fix the radio, and they will absolutely NOT give me a loaner. I am supposed to sit there and wait and lose another day of work while they TRY to figure out what is wrong after TWO failed attempts. I would never go to them again, or recommend them for anything, and they should be taken off AAA's preferred vendor list.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Karl
GUILFORD,Connecticut,
Guilford
I believe this customer 100%
#6Consumer Suggestion
Wed, July 19, 2017
I had a three year relationship with this dealer...I bought a one year old used cat that was badly miss-represented by an eager salesman. The car had NONE of the features that the dealer stated it did...I finally became frustrated when the service department man-handled the poorly designed glove box when they inspected my cabin filter.......Mr Alvine is a fantastic salesman, he knows how to win over people with words and his body language. People eat this stuff up. Mr Alvine is great, and if you do not believe that then just ask him and he willl tell you "Im Great". .....very different story when an issue arrises because if there is an issue then the customer is unreasonable.
More LIES, ABUSE - and Poor spelling
#6Author of original report
Tue, August 23, 2016
Gary Christiansen, and Barb Mullen, made it 100% Perfectly Clear to me that I would NEVER get another loaner car if I chose to return to your shop - as if THAT would ever happen. Scott was the only one who advocated for me getting a loaner car, and Gary said NO. The reason you absorbed 100% of the cost of my detail was because they did such a SHODDY job - no one in their right mind would pay for that - spots, unbuffed areas, dirt left on the interior and on the mats. And again, Scott (as far as I can tell, your only helpful employee) was the one that said we will not charge you for the detail, not Saint Gary, who zoomed away in my car while I was still talking to him to get additional buffing and cleaning done.
And STOP trying to impugn my reputation just because I am an attorney - that has nothing to do with these issues. I never mentioned my profession, you obviously got that information off my voicemail. Again, abuse of the customer seems to be your modus operandi. You STILL have NEVER apologized to me, or admitted to ANY mistake. It seems to be ALL MY FAULT in your deluded world.
And my manner, without "boundries," (do you mean boundaries?) does NOT seem unreasonable to me when I drive one hour each way and my repair is not accomplished after TWO attempts, I lose two days of work, and I get nothing but abuse and shoddy performance. And you NEVER "acquesed" (do you mean "acquiesced?") to my demands, you just told me all the things you would NOT do for me. Take it up with corporate Subaru, I believe they are on your case.
Robert J Alvine
Branford,Connecticut,
USA
Response to Attorney Oswald, Stamford, CT
#6REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, August 13, 2016
Attorney Oswald/
You are correct - we accepted your business and made every effort to accomodate and satisfy you. This included abosrbing 100% of a vehicle detail job. As you know, Barbara Mullen had agreed, in advance, for our company to absorb 1/2 of the cost of a detail. The decision was made by our company to absorb the complete job as a matter to try to satisfy you.
Subaru is very aware of their alternative loaner car policy. During your last visit, the remaining loaner vehicles on our lot were pre-reserved for clients with major repairs dropping off that very afternoon.
You were not reasonable.
The manner in which you write - and the manner in which you choose to deal with people - demeaning and, without boundries. Our customers mean everything to our team. I am proud and privledged to know so many of them and count so many as friends Our employees mean the world to me. We may make mistakes (and, I have apologized numerous times over the year) but, there isn't a single person that is a liar in my employ - especially Gary Christiansen, who has worked very hard over the last 14 years. Gary has been recognized as a leader in customer service by Subaru.
As Gary indicated to you when you completed your service, if the radio issues continued, we would make another appointment with you and pre-arrange a loaner vehicle.
I am sorry that you believe you can bully people into acquesing to your demands, but, you should save your antics for the courtroom - and, treat people with kindness and respect.
Once Again, Customer Always Wrong, Bash Customer and Lie to Protect your Cashflow
#6Author of original report
Mon, August 08, 2016
Robert J Alvine a/k/a Bob Alvine - Not only did your dealershio FAIL to exceed my expectations, you FAILED miserably. And clearly you DON'T know how to apologize for something gone wrong, you just accuse the customer. I was NEVER told when I booked my car for radio repair that I should go to the original dealer. Aren't ALL Subaru dealerships supposed to participate in the warranty program? You did the recall repair, you accepted my business.
I was NEVER told I was a second class citizen, and given lower priority in loaner cars or anything else, because I hadn't bought my vehicle at your dealership - UNTIL NOW. I'm sure corporate Subaru will be interested in this - I will make them (and AAA) aware that this is your policy. I WANT to see the video you supposedly have of my interior plastic shifter console (NOT DASHBOARD) showing pre-existing damage - because I suspect like your RUDE Service Manager Gary Christiansen you are a LIAR.
Everyone should know you treat ALL Subaru owners as LOWER PRIORITY if they have not purchased their cars with you. And all your loaner cars were not OUT when I visited - four times, coming and going - there were 6-8 sitting there, unused. Again, you are an embarrasment to Subaru, AAA, and yourself - if you have any integrity.
Robert J Alvine
Branford,Connecticut,
USA
Unfair Review
#6REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, August 08, 2016
Dear Attorney Oswald/ We believe that your review is unfair - and, your words actually hurtful to our team members.
For more than 16 years, we have worked hard to ensure that we exceed the expectations of our customers. We truly care about the experiences that our customers have and, we are proud of our AAA Approval. Our team isn't an embarrassment - as you indicted, yet, is made up of long tenured employees that truly care about the customer experience. We are proud of our team members. While we aren't perfect - we know how to apologize for something that has gone sour and develop plans to correct it - and move beyond it. Customers want to do business with companies that they trust - and we want to be that company.
We take complete exception though to the adjectives that you used towards our team members. You have chosen to air a very one sided correspondence into the internet when actually, your unreasonableness is a primary reason for our inability to meet your expectations.
The Subaru of America owner's manual is very clear in the manner in which you need to achieve warranty work - and, the need to return to your selling retailer (of which we were not). While you didn't do that, we welcomed you and attempted to understand your frustrations with your audio system. You first brought your car into us on 06/24/2016 for a general service and a radio complaint. Our certified technician completed the work on your vehicle and, was unable to duplicate the issue that you had on your radio. We did indicate that we were expecting updated software and, would download that software when it was received. You spoke with Barbara Mullen, our Customer Concierge, after the service to voice your displeasure and, as an accommodation, Barbara agreed to cover 50% of the cost of a vehicle detail for you. On your service visit (08-03-2016), we downloaded an update to the audio software for your vehicle. When we tested the radio, it showed operating as designed. We indicated to you that, when driving the vehicle, if you found that you did have issues, that, pursuant to the Subaru protocol, you would need to return and we would have to do a more exhaustive diagnosis. During that visit, we also completed the cosmetic detail (we did it as quickly as possible as you ran very late for your appointment), as well as worked with our body shop to obtain an estimate for the damage that the exterior of your vehicle had suffered.
As we indicated to you, we have all areas of our operations on camera and, for our mutual protection, video the vehicles for pre-existing damage. We also do a physical inspection of each vehicle - inside and outside - when the cars are received -especially for a detail. It was noted that the scratch on your dashboard was pre-existing and, therefore, not the responsibility of our detailing department.
If you also check with your customer receipt, you will notice that Premier Subaru absorbed 100% of the cost of the detail and, not the 1/2 that we had committed too.
As you should have been advised by your selling retailer, Subaru's loaner policy for warranty work is governed by the repair time a job takes. So, any of the repairs that you have requested wouldn't have qualified for a loaner vehicle. At Premier Subaru, we do have the largest loaner car fleet in Connecticut and are proud of it. We routinely provide vehicles to our customers when they request it - whether qualified under warranty or not. The priority is to those customers that have purchased cars from us - then, to all others. During your last visit, we had our entire fleet either out with customers - or, pre-reserved. So, it would have been impossible for us to have provided you with a vehicle.
Attorney Oswald, your unreasonableness in personal actions caused our entire team to be involved in your situation and, we expected that you would use post such a review. The two employees that you identify have some of the longest tenure with our company and, a quick review of online reviews will show - have some of the strongest reviews of any of our team members. They involved our owner, who also investigated every aspect of your situation. While we are completely empathetic with every customer problem, your personal and attacking manner of dealing with our team wasn't something that anyone should accept.