Receptionist "trying" to answer my car related questions.... = POINTLESS
By Michelle
@infatuatedbby (94909)
United States
February 2, 2017 11:38am CST
I called a local dealership and asked to speak to a service advisor because I had a few car related questions + pricing inquiries.
The receptionist told me she could answer my question for me.
(Right....)
I proceeded:
- How much is the brake fluid flush for the car?
- Around how many miles do I typically change it?
- When changing the brake fluid, do you also change the clutch fluid or how does the clutch fluid work?
Her answer:
(Hold on)
Let me check....... it's $150. What is a brake fluid? What is a clutch fluid? You can make an appointment and bring the car down here.
THATS WHY I ASKED YOU TO TRANSFER ME.
I called another dealership, same thing but I made an appointment there because it's $130. Are they trying to cut costs or what? Or, they want you to bring your car in, so they can point other problems too. So annoyed!
Well, appointment is in an hour - off I go to grab breakfast then to the dealership for car servicing!
Have you noticed many places are cutting down employees and customer service is lacking?
15 people like this
18 responses
@AmbiePam (120988)
• United States
2 Feb 17
I would hate to have to try to answer questions I don't know the answers too. And trying to call and get answers for my car has to be so frustrating when it should be a simple task. I can't imagine how much you must want to pull someone's hair out. Preferably not yours!
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
2 Feb 17
I asked my husband - he has worked on cars since he was a teenager! And he normally gives me a straight answer!
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
@AmbiePam Oh yes, not my hair! But so annoying to why they even tried to attempt when they didnt know the answer.
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill Glad your husband knows his cars well! 
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
I know right? At two locations the receptionist wanted to answer the question they were clueless on. 
2 people like this
@CookieMonster46 (13453)
• United States
13 Feb 17
Most places hire the receptionist to cut off the calls to service managers , bosses, etc, They will get so may calls a day and not get other work done. Best to go done, book your appointment, kind of like calling the doctors office you will get the nurse and not get straight to the doctor.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Feb 17
Very true but you can get transferred to the service advisor if you request.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Feb 17
@CookieMonster46 I dont want to drive down there to make an appointment. It'd be a waste of gas since its a further drive =) I dont mind to be on hold though!
@CookieMonster46 (13453)
• United States
13 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby chances are they are busy, they are not usually sitting around for calls, they won't pick up. You ever get that when you call and you are on hold waiting, and no one comes? car places are crazy busy. I always go down in person, walk in there, because it can be a hassle by phone.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128837)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Feb 17
When I first bought my truck, I went straight over to the service area and found out who the service manager was. I struck up a good conversation with him, and got his business card. He's the only one I have ever called or dealt with since that time. He knows me well enough now that he knows my number when I call to make an appointment. He always makes sure I get a quick service appointment.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
Wow that is awesome, you are quite the friendly =) See scooping up deals left & right with your mouth 
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Feb 17
@moffittjc Lol key word *YET* =)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128837)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby I must not be that friendly or have that great of a mouth...I haven't scooped up and married some rich woman yet! haha
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43645)
• Denver, Colorado
5 Feb 17
Yeah, can you transfer me to anyone that knows a little more, even the finance officer would work. 
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
I would have hurt her feelings if I said that 
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43645)
• Denver, Colorado
6 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby - Yeah, that's true.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
@teamfreak16 I am pretty sure she would be offended lol
1 person likes this
@amandajay (23262)
• New Zealand
4 Feb 17
yeah some places are like that.... even here we face such things... not helpful at all,,, so annoying....
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
4 Feb 17
Yes it is absolutely annoying if they're not helpful = waste of time!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
@amandajay yeah i am not a fan of calling them, next time i will ask if i can skip the whole receptionist and go directly to the service advisor place
1 person likes this
@amandajay (23262)
• New Zealand
6 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby yeah.. Really waste of time. We all should ignore such shops. They should give good customer service
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
8 Feb 17
Well that is pretty ridiculous if you ask me that the receptionist could not give you the correct answers. I really think she should have been able to answer those without you having to take your car in to the shop in person. I would be pretty darn annoyed. I think it is a ploy to get you in there and find other problems like you said.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
2 Feb 17
Where I work we are supposed to try to see if we can answer the questions or look up the questions so that we don't bother people in other departments who are quite busy. Of course if we can't get the answers then we have no choice but to transfer the call.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
3 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby Yeah, that's just rude and bad customer service..
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
They didn't want to transfer the call. And when I asked them the pricing, they go 'around' X amount without even looking it up or asking what kind of car I am asking to service. Very rude and hung up before I had the chance to say bye or anything else.
It is understandable to help not clog up the lines but they didnt even answer the question right.
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Feb 17
Oh, yes all to save the almighty $.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
Yeah - it is happening everywhere. Some people taking on different positions to cut down employee costs.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby .....Sounds about right for now days.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
Speaking of customer service, people in general! No idea who they hired.... while getting the car serviced, we went to go look at new cars.
I liked one in particular and I read about it before hand so when my boyfriend and I approached the salesman. We asked if this comes in AWD, RWD and he didn't know. He said he will go figure it out. Then, I asked him some other questions like the HP difference from this and the other models - he did not know.
Basically, all the questions I had for him ~ he did not know how to answer them.
EVEN SiMPLE ONES LIKE What color does this car come in?
Did you end up getting transferred?
Did you end up getting transferred?1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
7 Feb 17
@Madshadi Glad you were able to switch to a cheaper & better service provider =)
1 person likes this
@Madshadi (8840)
• Brussels, Belgium
6 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby I don't know how they think! If I can't find those simple answers I'd go look elsewhere.
Yes I switched to a less popular - yet cheaper and better service - provider.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
2 Feb 17
Brake fluid and clutch fluid are the same thing and unless your car is very old it doesn't have to be changed/flushed ever.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
The person said they use the same fluid, but different process. For the clutch they have to flush , clean out the reservoir or something and put the same fluid as the brake but separate changes / costs. We ended up not doing any for now since we may end up selling the car and buying another. It's 6 years old now and almost 100K. Plus with the traffic we have, he doesn't want to drive manual anymore.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
3 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby Good idea. Anyway, don't believe everything the dealers tell you...they just want your money.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
@AbbyGreenhill Of course dealers want to rip you off! When we took our other car to get an oil change for the second time. The service advisor inputted the information in the computer and said I know it's right before Christmas but which plan would you like?
The prices were ridiculous ranging from $120-240 like what in the world are you doing?
The oil change packages shows a whole bunch of checking but not doing/changing like, check fluids, check cabin filter, common sense things that don't need changing at like 10,000 miles!
I broke his bubble and told him, I have an oil change plan for my car (it was included when I bought the car negotiated in).
@Daljinder (23193)
• Bangalore, India
2 Feb 17
lol I am impatient person so you can imagine my reaction.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
I am impatient too! I was super annoyed!
1 person likes this
@AkoPinay (11496)
• Philippines
5 Feb 17
I am reviewing recorded phone calls in car dealerships US. I haven't heard conversations like this so far receptionists usually ask;
"Would you like to set an appointment or talk to service advisor?"
You've reached the "wrong" car dealership
receptionists usually ask;
"Would you like to set an appointment or talk to service advisor?"
You've reached the "wrong" car dealership 1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
I asked to be transferred to a service advisor. She told me she could answer my questions. 
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
6 Feb 17
@AkoPinay She's horrible! Why attempt? Maybe she wanted to get bonus points for being helpful? lol
1 person likes this
@Friendlypink (3805)
•
2 Feb 17
Maybe they are just lazy or trying if they can handle it even if its not their line of duty
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
Yeah, I guess it could be a busy day too!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
3 Feb 17
@Friendlypink Could be and just trying it on me since I'm a female calling in =)
@Friendlypink (3805)
•
3 Feb 17
@infatuatedbby maybe she wants to learn or just talk haha
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
6 Feb 17
Argh! The dealership I go to changed hands a few months ago . . . they actually got rid of their receptionists and now the guys that handle the customer service in service have to handle all those calls and cashiering on top of that. Bad for them as they have an extra thing to take care of, but good for the customers. I find that the quality of customer service has been lacking period in a lot of places I go to.
@kevin1877uk (36987)
•
7 Feb 17
$150/$130 to check and change break fliud, WOW, they know how to charge.
From what I know, all you need to do is top up break fliud if needed and if you are doing it a lot then you need to get it checked because you have a leak somewhere. You should really need to be having to top up or change break fliud, usless the manufactors of the car recommend doing so, maybe once a year.
I had cars over the years and never changed or had to top up break fliud. Maybe newer car they recommend changer the fliud.
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
4 Feb 17
I have listened to that kind of calls in Humanatic when the receptionist were already asking those problems. Probably the service people are under staff or they just got their calls qued with so many inquiries. Maybe they just don't want to talk it over the phone since it's a waste of time for them unless you come over.
