Well crap, I hate to update with such a disappointing experience but I feel like I should. Our brakes started lightly squeaking recently, so I called and scheduled an appointment to have it looked at. While there, I also asked if they could do an oil change, since it is advertised on their front window.
I'm not going to go over every single detail here, but at first the man helping me (not "Mike" or whomever was the guy helping me last time) was pretty pleasant and helpful. However as my experience continued he treated me like I was pretty stupid. We were thinking our brake pads would need to be replaced, but he told me that the rotors also would be replaced because that's just how they do things, and "they don't make them like they used to," and other weird one-liners. I was asking specific questions, like "Are the rotors too thin or damaged/warped?" and "If there isn't anything wrong with them, why do we need to replace them?" He didn't answer any of these specific questions. I told him it just wasn't in our budget, so we'd have to come back later.
So then he says "So we're just doing the oil change and replacing the air filter then," and didn't really give me much of a say. Honestly I prefer to go to the Lube Center, and I only thought to get the oil change as an "we're already here" kinda thing... but it sounded like they had already started it, so yeah... The total for the oil change and air filter was $65. Eeeek- a bit steep. We later found out it was the "standard 10W30 oil" and not synthetic, because they aren't "an oil-changing place." Well hello, don't advertise it in your window then- also when I first arrived he asked if we had standard or synthetic the last time and when I said I didn't know, he said he'd find out. So it was just weird- he contradicted himself a lot.
My husband was pretty upset by this and called when he got home- the guy was incredibly rude to him on the phone and very condescending, much as he was with me (although with me he was credulous but polite.) He asked to speak with the owner, but was told the owner doesn't work there. And yet, he was totally there, in the front office and talking with some other people who came in, while I was there. That was the nice guy that helped me out last time...don't know why he wasn't available, but we asked specifically for him and the dude on the phone would not allow my husband to talk to anyone else- just said he was the manager and that was that. Anywho- when he was ringing me up for the oil change, I asked him if he could write/type out what he said was needed with the brake pads/rotors because I didn't quite understand and wanted to be able to let my husband know exactly what was needed/why. He said "sure," but then just gave me the regular, non-detailed receipt, which had NONE of that information on it at all.
While we were waiting, the guy did bring out a little treasure box of toys and let my young son pick a toy. That was a nice feature. I don't think this guy was shady or was trying to scam me, however I just don't think he was treating me fairly or responding to my needs. It was also strange that he didn't come and show me in writing what needed to be done. When I came last year, they showed me the breakdown of the cost/parts/labor, and everything, so the expectation was clear. The closest thing I got here was "About $500," and then when I asked what it would be without the oil change (before he told me the price of the oil change- which he didn't do until he rang me up for it, when they were finished), he said "I could do it for about $400.)
I just don't know what happened here. He treated me like I was totally stupid, and didn't answer my specific questions about what was needed and why. On top of all this, I was easily able to see that the parts cost half of what he quoted (quote before labor- just parts) on AutoZone after a friend told me to check it out.
One last nitpicky thing- while asking if it was possible for me to be able to wait a couple weeks or so, so we could work this expense into our budget (as we were budgeting a more realistic ~$200, and were quoted "around $500") he said "Well it's not going to kill you to wait."
Oh really? That's great, since we're talking about a critical safety system in my car- glad to know it won't KILL us. Thanks. Choose your euphemisms wisely, dude. read more