Complaint Review: Wilk

This customer called in to schedule a recall on their late model caravan, they also asked me to perform a 30K service and inspect their brakes (noisy).

They dropped off the vehicle at the appointed time on a Saturday, where the husband and I discussed the costs involved for the 30k. He agreed and I watched as he went over to tell his wife while they got into their other vehicle.

I called back with an estimate to repair the brakes (metal to metal but not so severe as to require rotors). He approved the additional work.

After the needed work was done they arived and took posesion of the vehicle. About 30 minutes late I learned that parts were not available for the recall and had been ordered, so I called the Wilks' and informed them of the oversight. Mrs. Wilk was very condescending in her tone about the inability of our dealership to correct the recall. Even though I tried to assure her that every effort was being made to make amends she was not satisfied. She wanted to be paid for having come to the dealership, which she claimed was a significant inconvenience for her as she experiences severe back pain.

I told her I would do what I could to try and get my manager to maybe consider her request for a 10% discount. She showed up right away. I unfortunately had to tell her that my manager was not working that Saturday but that I would have to speak with him Monday. She informed me that we had broken her radio as now it was playing Spanish music (most likely a result of the battery service) and her clock time was now out of sycnh with the atomic clock-which caused her great distress as she was in traffic while trying to reset the clock. I offered to reset the clock and radio to her satisfaction but she refused.

On Monday, my manager and I agreed that having parts on order which should arrive in a couple of days is ok and that Mrs. Wilk is pushing the envelope by wanting the 10% discount. She is entitled to a discount on subsequent repairs but in 30,000 miles of driving has never been back to us for ANY service, therefore the dealership doesn't see a compelling reason to reward her with anything.

When I called her back, I offered to fill her tank and wash her van- which would have been about the same or more than a 10%discount. She lambasted me for the design flaw of the recall, she was upset that I had spoken with her husband about the brakes, she said we overcharged for the 30K service, she said our computer software (reynolds) was partly to blame. She stated she was considering putting a large lemon on the side of her van and that she might stand in front of the dealership for several days with a sign saying we are crooks.

I tried as politley as I know how, to ask her if it was such an imposition for her to get out of bed and struggle into the dealership for the service as she claimed she was essentially bedridden, then how was she going to stand in front of the dealership for several days?

I again told her that we do not want to offend anybody and that we do value our customers but if she was truly intent on doing these kinds of things that we really couldn't help her much more.

I suspect that she is mad at the world for her back problems- I understand this. I also suspect that she is mad at her husband for not talking with her about the costs involved in maintaining their vehicle- I understand this too. What I think is coming about is something I don't understand, it isn't logical. Why is she placing blame on us for trying to help her?

I think the answer is that she is trying to get something for nothing. Beware this customer!

Mike
San Antonio, Texas
U.S.A.