I just want to say that I am not mad but I am a little annoyed. This is the second time I have taken our Honda to the Kwik Kar on Greenville Avenue to have the oil changed, because it is near my work. The first time I went was the first time I’d had the oil changed since we got the car from my mom and dad (they were the previous owners). The service technician called me out of the waiting area to show me all of the things that I “really need to have done if they have never been done on this car”. Totaling hundreds of dollars, actually closer to thousands. And of course they were the ones to do it! RIGHT NOW!! We knew we had to take care of the strut replacement already, and that would be $1K on it’s own. We had that done in February at an independent shop.
- Timing belt replaced
- Spark plugs replaced
- Brake fluid replaced
- Fuel system (some kind of service or flush?)
- Radiator fluid (a flush?)
- timing belt replaced
- drive belts replaced
- valve cover gasket, seals and washers replaced
- brake fluid replaced and master cylinder checked for leaks
- cooling system serviced and flush done
UPDATE 9/14/09: Blog post about who is responsible for honesty in service, in response to comments below.
what a scam!!! which makes me sad, because we’ve taken our car there as well, and they’ve always got a grocery list full of repairs that need to be done on our car. i’m never going back there again.
Seriously! Happens to me every time too. I take the list of the things they tell me I need and go somewhere else with that list. This place is the WORST about scamming you! So bad.
Makes me feel better knowing others see this too and that my fears weren’t pointless.
Hey I go there too. I think they have some system that they run and it tells “reccomended service” items… I usually get out of there fine but one time I really did have a problem. I think they are just doing their jobs, but they know that the average consumer is not saavy enough to know which items are not necessary and this tends to make us feel like were are being talked into something that we don’t really know what is or if we need. Ultimately I agree. If my car is going to go the next 3000 miles without it, I don’t need it. PS I googled kwik kar greenville to get their phone number and came to your blog. I will be reading again soon!
Thanks, deyonnavseverything!
Please let clarify a service that is recommended by a technician. We are making you aware of the scheduled maintenance services that are recommended by the manufacture. If you’ve had the services performed,then you are keeping up with the recommended service intervals and no service is required. The services recommended are not based on what a technician “sees” but what the manufacture recommends. If we have not serviced the car in the past we have no history on what services have been performed.
As the owner of Kwik Kar on Greenville, I want to assure you that we strive to satisfy every customer. I like to address a customers concerns in person at the time of service or after the service if necessary. Our reputation is the most important asset we have. I will do anything within my power to meet every customers needs. If you request not being called to the service area we will make a note in our system not to call the customer out to the bay. WE TAKE SERVICE VERY SERIOUSLY AND WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MEET YOU NEEDS.
Joe Redmond
Owner Kwik Kar on Greenville
Hi Joe and thanks for your comments. However, none of the times did the technician present the work as a “suggestion”. All times they insisted it was work that needed to be done and done immediately.
On the specific visit mentioned in this blog, the technician even took me out to the car and showed me some “dirty fluid” that needed to be changed, which I later found out had just recently been changed and was not dirty at all. I am not sure where he got the “dirty” fluid he showed me, but it was not from my car. In my opinion, this is not honest.
It doesn’t matter to me if I am called to the service area or not, deceptive practices to con me into spending money on things that don’t need to be done is not something I want to support with my hard-earned dollars.
This blog is about making conscious choices regarding how I utilize my resources. It’s my personal opinion that I should not have to police the honesty of those providing service work on our vehicles, and that my time and resources should be spent at a place that values honesty over making a quick buck. We’ve since found a shop where they are very honest to service this car and our other car, I am happy to be spending my money with their establishment. They may be a little more of a drive but I feel it’s worth it.
J
I understand your comments and respect your opinions, however I have never heard one comment from you regarding any problems. We are not perfect and if a mistake has been made I promise I will correct it. NEVER should an employee show fluids or make a statement that the service MUST be completed. Blogs are great but as a business owner if I don’t hear from customers when it happens I can’t fix the problem. I see over 20,000 customers a year and if my employee makes statements that are not correct I want to fix the problem NOW. Keep blogging but take 5 minutes in the future to advise businesses of the problems.
We are in the service business and if we don’t know about the problem its difficult to fix.
Joe Redmond
Owner
Thanks, Joe. I do desire to patronize a business where the only way I can be treated honestly is to complain to a manager. I should not have to do that. I will not be back and I will be leaving this blog post up so that others can make their own, informed decisions.