I called them to have my car towed when my car wouldn't start and AAA couldn't jump it. I believe I got an answer right away when I called. They were good about it. I told them I was looking for a locally owned garage instead of the national brand I was using. I also said I really needed my car back in a hurry to pick some stuff up. The car was on a trickle charger for a few days. I talked to Matt originally, I believe.
The next morning they determined that the starter put in over the summer was bad; the oil drip pan was leaking; bad tie rod; struts need replaced. I agree, all good.
I asked for the starter to be replaced along with the drip pan. I was good with the estimates for these, thinking these could be done quickly. We set that up. I forgot to ask how long that would take. I called 5-6 times over the course of the day and no one answered the phone. I think after about 30 rings it finally bounced to a voicemail for a different phone #.
They finally called me around 4:00 pm. I told them I needed to know when my car would be ready and they never answered the phone. He was dismissive, which made me more frustrated, AND he was not grasping that I was getting more pissed as the convo went on.
Apparently this was a different fella (Chad, I think?) He tells me it was the starter and he replaced it. He would work on the tie rod and the oil pan tomorrow. I told him I never asked them to replace the tie rod. He said he couldn't tell me how long I had on the rod so he was going to replace it. I told him I needed my car to pick some stuff up and would make other arrangements for the tie rod. I already told Matt this.
Someone said they would work on the pan the first thing in the morning. I believe they did work on it first thing. Chad(?) picked me up. I was in a good mood, chatting, joking. By the end of the day I was screaming at Matt in my driveway. As I write this, I want to strangle them. I'm sure neither one can figure out why, even after reading this. They will both scratch their heads and blame their victim. Absolutely no self awareness what-so-ever between the two of them.
I got my car home. I went to make my pickup over in Macedonia ( approx. 5 miles round trip). The car wouldn't start. I called 2-3 times before I got an answer. My previous frustration of their inaccessibility returned. I became anxious. When I explained what was going on, they were incredulous that I would have a 2nd bad starter. They would get a truck out asap to take care of it. Great.
I asked if they had a loaner car I could use briefly for my pickup. I was not mad about the starter. I know shit happens. Matt said he would need my insurance card. I said I didn't have insurance right now because I don't go to many places these days. [I'm converting my house into a bed-&-breakfast.]
Matt said he couldn't loan me a car for the pickup I desperately needed because I didn't have an insurance card. He was afraid of something happening and getting sued. Seriously. For a 5-mile local round trip. I asked what the odds were that he would end up in a lawsuit as a result of helping me. He said "probably low" but I was asking them to break a long-time procedure. I could visualize them clutching their pearls. Drama much, boys?
I was fuming at his point but just let it go. I let the tow truck driver have it and asked him to pass it on.
When my car was finished, Chad(?) called me to tell me it was finished and he started it 20 times to make sure it was good. In that call, I asked him if he needed the starter to be functional in order to replace the oil pan. He said "no." He proudly told me he wanted to wait to make sure the starter was the problem before doing anything else. I tried to get him to understand I told them many times I needed my car. I stopped the convo when he started changing his story.
They dismissed me, a potential loyal customer, and treated me like I was a problem for them. The two of them dropped my car off because I told them I was never setting foot in that business again. When Matt handed me my key, his lips were puckered up like a sphincter. I congratulated him on saving his business from ruin.
This is when I began screaming at him to get through to him that I was a human being. He didn't take me seriously until I told him that the half-million dollar property he was standing on was partially a result of my pre-covid career as an international business consultant for retail.
All of the sudden I got some respect from this guy. I made sure he understood that this was not about a car, this was about a shitty experience pretty much from the get.
These guys are not problem solvers. They are too self-absorbed and have no self-awareness.
I will never go back and I will never recommend it. I'm going to Boyce over in Sagamore. They actually helped me out without a shit-ton of drama this past summer. read more
