You remember the story of how I hate the Mazda dealership where I got my car, right? And how you shouldn't go there (remember, this is Liberty Mazda in Wakefield), and tell your friends not to go there, etcetera, etcetera?
Well, I did finally write them a letter, just to let them know why I won't be coming back. At first I wrote a long, detailed, every-single-thing letter, but then I decided no, let's just hit the highlights. To be honest, based on their track record, I wouldn't be surprised to get no response at all, so who knows if they'll even read this. Why waste time or paper? So I summarized. This is what I sent them.
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Service Manager
Liberty Mazda
81 Bay State Rd.
Wakefield, MA 01880
Every time I have come in for service, I have received a letter afterward, claiming you want to know if I am less than perfectly satisfied with the service I received. I am not sure I believe you, considering the continued mediocrity of your service, but I am going to try once final time to get through to you. Do you want to know why I hate your dealership and your service department, why I deeply regret buying a car from you, why I plan never to return, and why I am telling everyone I know and people I don't know to avoid you at all costs?
It was bad enough on my first visit, for the inspection after buying the car, when I arrived to pick it up and they couldn't find the car for half an hour.
It was bad enough when my first oil change took three hours.
It was bad enough when I had an actual automotive problem, and instead of giving me a loaner so that I could go to work while they diagnosed the problem, they made me wait for two hours while they tried to diagnose the problem first. It was bad enough when it turned out that they hadn't fixed the problem, so it happened again, and I had to bring the car back in. And it was bad enough when it turned out that the problem was caused by the installation of the security system in the first place.
But all these incidents have been impersonal, problems with an entity, not with the people within. Those incidents only made me consider not returning. The final straw was the condescending, sneering attitude of one of your employees as he "helped" me on Saturday, July 28th. He "helped" me realize that I never want to deal with that attitude again, in fact. While I will return if the part that he "fixed" breaks again, I otherwise will not be coming back, and I am writing to you on the off-chance that you care at all about the loss of a customer. Judging by your attitude, I doubt that you do, but perhaps as you lose more and more customers, you will come to realize that people do have a choice, and when you treat them like idiots, like they are bothering you, they will be more than happy to take their business elsewhere.
Sincerely,
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You realize now I have to find a mechanic. I'm sure I'm already overdue for an oil change, if not more. That damned to-do list is never going to shrink. Depressing thought. I push it away from this otherwise pleasant weekend. The cat on my forearm chases it away. So there.
I mostly knit, sometimes crochet or cross-stitch. I read, a lot. I love cats. I love hockey, especially my no-longer-local team, the Boston Bruins. Want more? Read on.
Good luck getting some satisfaction. I fear it may never come, but I hope it does. I've never dealt with dealerships for service much, but we've never bought new, either! If it's a case of warranty and such, could you possibly use another Mazda dealership?
ReplyDeleteMore or less unrelated, but I love my Mazda, which is nearly 6 years old. Also a hatchback/wagon. We are lucky that my husband has been going to the same mechanic since he was in high school (my husband, not the mechanic).
Well, I doubt they'll come up with anything genuinely satisfactory (though you never know -- squeaky wheel gets the grease). But at least there's the satisfaction of I don't have to consider their side of the story. I don't have to be more than minimally polite. I can finally forget every single last manner my mother pounded into me, and tell you, with maximum acerbity and vitriol, just what *&^%$#@! idiots you people are. Does wonders for one's stress levels, I find...
ReplyDeleteBrilliant letter--however little hope it has of actually stirring anyone to action there. Unfortunately, from what you described, the whole problem falls back onto bad management---which is who will probably get the letter. But I hope for you that it gets some attention--what a bunch of morons! BTW, you might want to include the name of "mr helpful" just to make his day, and also cc the company itself--they are the ones who hand out the dealerships!
ReplyDeleteI admire you for actually taking the time to write a letter. I have wanted to many times, but it is another one of those things that I get all fired up about,then realize it's another thing to do, and give up! :p
Good for you! Now, wouldn't it be nice if one of your local newspapers, trolling blogs for news bits, happened across this post... [veg]
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck on finding a new mechanic. Maybe ask on your local Craigslist discussion??
Love the letter. If nothing else, it allows you to blow off steam. Hope it does more than that. I despise dealing with people who act like you are just an annoyance when they are supposed to be helping you. I mean, that IS their job.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the search for a mechanic.