Scheduling service? Beware.

March 14, 2006 – 8:28 pm by Matt Radel
Filed under Rants

Did you know that when you call the customer service line to schedule maintenance, you’re not talking to VW? It’s actually a third party that knows nothing of VW’s - or cars for that matter. Granted, they’re pleasant. They seem extremely accommodating and they’ll fulfill their purpose of scheduling your appointment. But don’t expect them to have answers to questions such as “How long will this service take?” and “How much will this cost?” with anything but a “Your customer service representative will be able to tell you when you reach the dealership.” This doesn’t help a great deal in planning around your appointment.

And a word of caution: don’t expect them to really pass along any “additional concerns” you might have about your vehicle to your dealer. I brought up such a concern recently, and was a bit surprised to find that they knew nothing of it when I showed up for my appointment. This led to another explanation of the issue, an annoying (and time consuming) delay and ultimately wasted my time, as I have to go back because “the right dude wasn’t in to take care of it,” and “If we’d been aware of this issue, we would have rescheduled your appointment”. If you have any concerns about your vehicle outside the scope of normal service, call ahead and make sure they’re aware of it ahead of time. You’ll save yourself some hassle.

DON’T rely on the customer service line. If you have issues, be sure to tell your dealer (or just complain here).

Scheduling service? Beware.
March 14, 2006 – 8:28 pm by Matt Radel