Honda Car Forum

Hi,

Two days ago i posted an incident about a request i made at a Honda
dealership that didn't go that well.

Since my overall experience was really lousy I made sure that the
survey that Honda always makes reflects just that.

I just got a call from the Manager of the facility that should have
never occurred. The call made a bad situation... worst.

I was really inclined to forget about the incident and now i want to
get to Honda Corporate and make sure that the incident doesn't go
unnoticed.

Now i feel like if i ever make the mistake of servicing my car at the
referred facility i'm going to have sugar on the gas tank, or that
something mob like will happen to my car.

Any of you experienced something similar? What did you do? What are the
proper channels to get to Honda Corporate?

Thank you,

F

<filipeapinto@msn.com> wrote
> Hi,
>
> Two days ago i posted an incident about a request i made at a Honda
> dealership that didn't go that well.

You asked them to do for free things that you couldn't do.

> Since my overall experience was really lousy I made sure that the
> survey that Honda always makes reflects just that.

> I just got a call from the Manager of the facility that should have
> never occurred. The call made a bad situation... worst.
>
> I was really inclined to forget about the incident and now i want to
> get to Honda Corporate and make sure that the incident doesn't go
> unnoticed.

Honda Corporate would be no more if Honda dealership service departments did
things for free.

Honda Corporate is not going to tell the dealership to give away its
expertise.

> Now i feel like if i ever make the mistake of servicing my car at the
> referred facility i'm going to have sugar on the gas tank, or that
> something mob like will happen to my car.
>
> Any of you experienced something similar? What did you do? What are the
> proper channels to get to Honda Corporate?

What exactly is it you want from Honda Corporate, the manager, and the
dealership?

An apology?

If that's all you want, then you need to let this go.

It's possible you are quickly acquiring the label of a "high maintenance"
customer, and the cost of doing business with you is higher than any profit
they stand to make from you. So neither the dealership nor HC aren't at all
necessarily going to welcome you back with open arms.

This is a hard lesson, but IMO it is reality in today's world that less and
less is given away at no cost. Since other "professionals" stand by this
principle (that every minute of their time should cost the customer), it
should be no surprise that it trickles down to people as "lowly" as service
managers and car technicians.

What i want from Honda:

1 - where should i service my car next time. I won't obviously be going
to this place again.

2 - I want to know from Honda Corporate if i need to buy an Accura next
time. Maybe I've outgrown what Honda service people are willing to
provide without rapidly acquiring the tag of "High-Maintenance".

Fair?

<filipeapinto@msn.com> wrote
> What i want from Honda:
>
> 1 - where should i service my car next time.

Such that they won't try to demand payment for the service you previously
described?

Or so you can start fresh, with a clean slate?

> I won't obviously be going to this place again.

Okay. I don't like dealerships myself, 'cause I do a better job. :-)

> 2 - I want to know from Honda Corporate if i need to buy an Accura next
> time.

Come on now. They already know you're angry. This comment going to help? Is
it going to get you a digital readout of the code and what it means on your
dash?

(You know those codes are still rather vague, right? That a technician with
experience often has to dig a lot further for all the possible causes of a
CEL code, right?)

> Maybe I've outgrown what Honda service people are willing to
> provide without rapidly acquiring the tag of "High-Maintenance".

That's only my hypothetical tag. It's possible the Manager might call you
back and say, "Look, we had a misunderstanding. I still have to charge you
in the future anytime you want a code read or explained, 'cause the boys and
I have families to support, the dealership owner has a family to support.
But let's write this past episode off as a lesson in understanding how
service works. Here's a coupon for a free oil change to help us all start
fresh. What do you say?"

If you're going to insist he do this for free, well, I hope you give your
doctors and lawyers the same crap when they seem to rip you off.

> Fair?

If I may: I suggest you get into the frame of mind of never expecting
anything for free. Nothing. Always be willing to pay for any service for
which you specifically ask.

'cause no, I don't think you're being fair.

I am well-acquainted with a loose gas cap causing a CEL. It happens so often
that these service shops would lose business if they didn't insist on
payment for reading and explaining it each time it happens.

Ya know, it is all very discouraging, having to pay for every minute of a
person's time. But it's also motivation to get educated. One of the reasons
I post here so much on distributor problems is because my bank account was
raped by a few shops and dealerships for trivial distributor stuff that
wasn't even fixed right. After a few years, I became an 'amateur expert' on
distributor problems. I can have that puppy off and diagnosed within half an
hour. Yeah, I'm good (in my own egotistical mind!)

Write this episode off. Be happy that you are not out an arm and a leg; that
your car is running great! Come back here often when you have another Honda
problem. Let the group (and google, and various online manuals, yada) enrich
you with knowledge, provided free, as a community service.

Don't let the bastards (at the dealer's or Honda Corp or wherever) get you
down! DIYers of the world, unite! Solidarity!