BACKSTORY

Took my car in this morning for the M flash and the A/C TSB. My appointment was for 8:00 am. Got there, they didn't have a loaner, so I had to take their shuttle to work. No big deal. Service Tech called at 3:00 pm to let me know they were just pulling the car into the garage to take a look at it and they'll probably need to keep it overnight. I figured, ok, they're a little backed up. No big deal. Now, suddenly, they have a loaner. I get off work, go grab the loaner, a Mazda 6. Just for the hell of it, I blast the A/C just to compare it to the 8's, and there's a world of difference. The air was cold, no noticeable difference when it cycled, and when I put it on face and floor, there wasn't a big drop in airflow through the face vents like there is in my 8. When I choose the same mode in the 8, face airflow drops to nil, while floor pressure stays high. I was hoping the 8's, when serviced, would do the same.

WHY I'M PISSED

Tech called at 6:45 pm to let me know the car was done. He said the flash was done and they couldn't find anything wrong with the A/C. I asked him if he noticed a difference in airflow when choosing the face/floor vent mode. Nope. He said they measured temp at 38 degrees when cycling and 35 degrees when not. I questioned this, because I simply don't think that's true. He said it was, and the car was ready, I could come and get it now or wait 'til morning. He then proceeded to tell me that I should use recirc with the A/C, and when they got in the car, it was on fresh. I said sure it was on fresh, that's cause the A/C wasn't on. I switch it to recirc when I turn on the A/C. Otherwise, I keep it on fresh. He apparently didn't believe me, because he repeated himself about when to use recirc. I let it go. I asked him about the A/C TSB (0700204) and he said THERE WAS NO TSB! Now I'm starting to get irritated. I told him to hang on and I would pull up the TSB on my laptop. He said I could look it up all I want, there's nothing wrong with the A/C. I told him about my perceived difference between the A/C in the 6 and the 8, and his response was, "Maybe you should have bought a different car." WTF?!? I should have bought a different car? What kind of customer service is that? Then he said if I wanted to dispute their findings with the A/C, I could take it up with his manager in the morning.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

As I write this, I'm pissed beyond belief. I'm spending $30k with this dealership (which is Capital Mazda in Cary, NC, by the way), and some tech tells me I should have bought a different car. He won't even accept the fact there was a TSB about the A/C. So I've decided I'm going to dispute this with the service department manager (and with the general manager, if necessary).

I do customer service all day long. I'm a network administrator for a company with 12 sites from Virginia to Georgia. I get calls all day from people who have broken computers and I have to either fix them remotely or walk them through it. I waited tables and tended bar all through college. Therefore, I feel I'm qualified to talk about customer service. I feel that it's really bad customer service to tell a customer that maybe they should have bought a different product. This infers that maybe the product I bought is inferior in some way (and right now, if they don't do something about the A/C, it is). How can something in a less than $20k car (the low-end Mazda 6 loaner they gave me) work better than Mazda's top of the line sports car? I really wanted to blow up at this guy, but I know that would only lower my credibility when I talk to the service manager tomorrow morning.

So what do I do now? How should I approach the manager? I'm not a really pushy person, but I can blow up with the best of them (just ask my wife). If it comes down to it, I might just tell them to stick the car up their a$$es and I'll get a 350Z. I love the 8, but if somebody's going to tell me I should have bought a different car, maybe I should take him up on it.

-djb

 

Tell them to put it writing and send it to Mazda USA

 

May be you should... I mean come on man. Its a hot engin under that hood. And my AC works just like yours and by 2000 Eclipse GS was the same. I have not looked into the TSB with my Mazda dealer. But I plan to. I hope I don't get the same BS. But I know CS too and some times the customer is not right...

 

My A/C flutuates just like the TSB symptoms refer to also. I talked to the service department, and they also said that they have not heard about that one. It makes me wonder if these guys are keeping up on their training? When a technical part of our pumps change, I'm in manufacturing, we educate all the reps in the field about what it is, and how to repair it if it fails. We discuss advantages as to why we changed it, so they can tell the end user to educate them. Makes me wonder if the service departments just watch the clock and can't wait to go home at 5PM.

 

My service guy said when they plugged my baby in the AC didn'y throw and codes. I then asked him if he actually drove in the car. One hr. later he said the part was ordered. One month backorder.. grrrrr

After the amplifier its a little better but not great.

 

If it's a case of something that cannot be fixed, I may indeed be looking for something else. However, since there IS a TSB, there must be a fix. It's the unwillingness to fix it, and the unwillingness to even admit to a TSB's existence, that is irritating me. In this case, it's not a question of whether or not I'm right, because no investigation was even done to see who's right. The tech has made the assumption that HE is right, and even with the proof I have at my fingertips, refuses to listen to me, the customer. That ain't customer service.

Let's say I've got a user who thinks he's got a virus which is affecting his machine's performance. He took a screenshot of his anti-virus warning. I'm not going to tell him that screenshot doesn't mean anything because I didn't see it, or refuse to admit to the warning's existence. I'm going to ask him to send me the screenshot so I can use it to help me diagnose the problem. I'm damn well going to check it out, that's my job. In my case, I have the screenshot (the TSB) for the tech, and he doesn't want to see it. That ain't customer service.

BTW, my cars previous to this one have been a Jaguar XK-8 convertible and a '99 Eclipse GST Spyder. Needless to say, Jaguar's service department was exceptional, as it should be when you have a $75k car. Mitsubishi's also was exemplary, and I didn't even buy the car from a dealership. I never had any problems with the Eclipse's A/C. As for the 8's engine running hot, of that I have no doubt - I don't know of an engine which doesn't. I'm not too sure I understand, though, how that excludes Mazda from having an A/C unit which performs adequately. I also don't see how that excludes a service tech from checking out additional information offered from a customer.

-djb

 

I had the same problem with my air. My dealer here in Wilmington NC has been great. The first time I mentioned that the air wasn't right was back in May. The day I brought it in was cooler than usual so when they tested the temp it was within spec. I said ok but I'm coming back when it is hot because I knew there was a problem. I brought it back a few weeks later and they agreed something wasn't right. They ordered an evaporator and installed it the next week. Air was better but still not right. I then brought it in for the tech bulletin on new revised M flash and the air amplifier. No problems or debate, they did both and air is good now. The cycling problem is gone and it blows cold. It isn't the best air conditioning I have ever had but it keeps me cool on days in the high nineties. Takes a little time on high to cool off car after it has been in the sun, but with a black leather interior, large windshield and hot rotory that is to be expected. Your dealer, or at least the guy you spoke with isn't treating you right. I would take the tsb into the general manager and simply say what has happened and you want the car fixed as per the tsb. If that doesn't work, call the Mazda hot line number and register your complaint.

 

Definately take the guy up on his offer and bring it up with his manager in the morning. Tell the manager that you're not super impressed with the guy's attitude and you'd like him to take care of you since you spent good money on the car. Tell him that comments like "maybe you should have bought a different car" aren't constructive and all you're asking for is that they they at least try their best to solve the problem. Tell him about the TSB/service-advisory that the tech said didn't exist, then hand him a copy of it and restate that all you're asking them to do is a thorough job of trying to help you out and that based on your unsastifying experience so far you don't think they are achieving that. Ask him where the service feedback forms are, get one and tell him that you'll fill it out after you come back to get the car when they've finished looking at it.

Then leave it at that - don't rant or rave, just use the service manager for what he's there for which is to go between the techs who can be arrogant and the customer. Keep going up the chain of command until you get some satisfaction, but you need to be calm and courteous otherwise you probably won't get any satisfaction.

 

The best thing for you to do is not lose your cool when you talk to the service manager. I'm sure you think Mazda betrayed you, or made you feel like crap. And the technician's remark didn't help either. Don't lose your cool, or you will be in a world of trouble. Treat them with the same respect that you would want if you were in their shoes.

 

I've been holding off on getting my ac fixed because I don't want to deal with droping it off. My dealer never does anything quickly. But after last weekend, I plan on making an appointment once the strikes over (it started today) and hope I don't get the runaround described above. The ac sucks and that is totally unacceptable in a 10k plus car, much less a 30k plus car.

 

Why not just take it somewhere else more accomodating?

 

Isn't the TSB notice posted somewhere on this forum? Perhaps you could print it out and bring it to them.

 

If anyone in the DC area needs the A/C amplifier replaced, I highly recommend Gaithersburg Mazda. Just ask to see Mike Key.

When I told them I wanted the TSB service, they ordered the part with no hesitation. When it came in, they installed it immediately while I was standing there in the bay. Took 15 minutes.

A/C isn't frosty, but it gets quite cold quite quickly and stays cold.

TSB is here:

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...07-002-04.html

 

I had some of what you experienced at my dealer re: A/C. Handed the service writer my list of complaints WITH fixes - the exact TSB# and amp part# to replace.

He said they couldn't just do what I asked even though their computer records from past vsiits had the same unresolved complaint from me! THEY NOW had to diagnose it from my current complaint all over again.

Of course service writer didn't attach my paper to the work order, didn't tell the tech except to test the A/C. Tech did, then took me into the shop to show me how, according to the temp dif at the outlet, all was normal.

I TOLD the tech of the TSB, he had not heard of it. I then GAVE the TSB to the tech, who said first he had heard of this fix(?)! I left telling him all I could say was what I knew to happen in using the A/C, regardless of his instruments.

Not sure what transpired after I left, but the part is now on order (?)! You would think that the dealers would post a list of current TSB's regularly so techs would know about them (and be able to CORRECTLY and EASILY fix problems).

Mazda needs to help their dealers nationwide use smart troubleshooting technique, i.e., get educated and pay attention and use the TSBs from mother Mazda!!

 

I must have missed something. What strike?

-djb

 

I spoke with the Service Mgr. this morning. He was a nice guy. I told him about my rather unsavory experience with his tech last night, and since the tech was standing there, he denied saying that I should have bought a different car, or that he didn't want to hear about the TSB. I told the manager, "Of course he would deny saying those things, nobody wants to admit to saying something so retarded." I asked the tech if he would mind filling me in on what kind of car I should have bought, since he seems to know my tastes so well. Then the manager and I went outside (I think he could tell I was starting to get pissed), and he wanted to know about the TSB. I gave him the number, and my symptoms. I told him what the fix was. I even told him that I don't expect it to be fixed today since the part is on back-order until at least the end of the month. He said he didn't know about that, but he would check it out and try to resolve this to my satisfaction. I then told him that I didn't appreciate having a person who works for Mazda telling me that I should have bought a different car. He said he understood (good customer service technique - try to empathize with customer) and said that he would have a discussion with the tech. Hopefully, the manager follows through on what he said he's going to do. I'll keep everybody updated.

-djb

 

Jeff, did you by any chance get your M-flash done there too? I don't think mine was done (tried the brake-test, no stickers anywhere), and I bought my car from them. I gotta give them a call and see if they can flash it next time I'm in town. Thanks,

-arattle

 

Actually, I'm still on "L". I haven't had the time to go get the "M" done.
I'll probably get it after vacation (end of August).

They did "L" while I waited also.

 

lol buncha retards.

That's why all the best service departments I've gone to have service advisors talk to the clients, who are different from the service techs that work on the cars. They know how to talk to customers, and I've found that they tend to have bubbled up from tech work - more knowledgable, etc.

 

for me i would rather talk to the Tech.. the one that will be working on and Scratching up my car.. the Service writer is the one that mess it all up IMO .. theses guys dont even know how to change there own oil and there the ones telling the Tech how and what to do ..

I want to go to a place where i can walk out to the bay and talk to the tech while my cars on his rack....

anything elses is just to many people in the loop..

At least here in Santa Barbara thats the way it is.. The service writers are idiots and the techs are pretty good.. they just need better leadership.. Hey Mazda Start makeing your Service writers the techs that dont want to wrench on cars anymore.. like a move up the ladder to a sort of Middle manager .. at least then your service writers would know what the hell they are talking about !!!


I agree Mazda Needs to start training there Techs and there Service Writer better..

Here in my town its a Lincoln /Mazda dealer.. like 15 % of there sales is Mazda.. so you can see where My needs fit in..

 

^^^^^^^^^^

 

Write down everything that happens shortly after it happens (while it's fresh). If the manager doesn't take care of the problem, file a complaint with MazdaUSA (ph# is on the website).

 

I have my car back, and the A/C performs noticeably better after the amplifier was installed (they had the part in stock, imagine that). I can't believe all the BS someone has to go through in order to get warranty work done. TSB's are not published to owners, so for those of us who do find them, we shouldn't get any lip or crap, the dealers should just do the damn work. Oh, and the tech tried to charge me $69 until I reminded him that this was warranty work and I wasn't going to give him a dime (same guy who told me I should have bought a different car). He sheepishly said, "Oh yeah, you're right." These people are always trying to get over on someone! If I was ignorant and didn't know any better, I wouldn't have gotten the amplifier installed, and I would have paid $69 for the flash. That's friggin ridiculous. Needless to say, I'm going look for another dealership to do my service work. Thumbs down to the service department at Capital Mazda of Cary.

-djb

 

I wouldn't take my car back there. I'd be afraid that the tech guy would hold a grudge and sabotage my car. Hopefully there is another dealership in the area you can go to.

 

My experience with Service Writers is they are comissioned sales people. Their motivation is making money for the dealership, and themselves.

Honestly though, I should be able to bring my car in and say "keep it as long as you need to and update it with all the TSBs." I should not have to bring a list for them.