NastyGram

At the request of Mr. Schprock, and for little more reason than I have not thought of anything to blog about since last week, I post this slightly altered version of my first draft of the letter I will send to the dealership who didn't fix my SUV in my moment of need. As I warned Mr. Schprock, it's probably anti-climactic, and, in any regard, I will edit it further before I send it, so it may arrive at the dealership completely different from what you see below. The names have been changed to protect my ass:




Farrago T. Farragi
123 Notyer Street
Chicago, Illinois 60600




Mr. Bill N. Scruhum
Parts and Service Director
Dumschitz Nissan
4444 West Irving Park Road
Chicago, Illinois 60641

December 12, 2005


Dear Mr. Scruhum,

On Thursday evening, December 8, 2005, I suffered a minor mishap, resulting in a broken tail-light on my 2002 Nissan Xterra, which my wife and I purchased at Dumschitz Nissan in December, 2001. As I had to work the next day, I did not wish to risk incurring a traffic citation by driving the vehicle in its damaged and illegal condition.

On Friday December 9, 2005, at approximately 8:40 a.m. I called our usual auto repair establishment, Reliable Auto Repair Center, hopeful that they could get my vehicle in that morning. I was, however, informed that they were too busy to fit me in. As this was a minor emergency, I then called the Service Department at Dumschitz Nissan at approximately 8:45 a.m. I had hoped to salvage at least half the day and be in to work by early afternoon. I inquired of the young man on the other end of the phone line, whom I know only as Stosh, if your service department could get my vehicle in the same day for the repair. Stosh consulted a schedule and confirmed that Dumschitz’s Service Department could indeed get me in that same morning. He asked me when I could get the vehicle to your location, and I told him I could have it there by 9:30.

After I arrived at Dumschitz Nissan, and my Xterra was being processed into your system, I noticed the sign on the wall that informed customers of your “inspection fee” of $95. I understood what the sign meant and, as this was an emergency for me, I accepted it. Since I had the vehicle there, I also asked Stosh to have someone take a look at the driver’s door switch, as it no longer indicates when the headlights have been left on or when the keys are in left in the ignition. I was explicit with him that I wanted only an estimate where the door switch was concerned.

When Stosh completed the inspection order, I asked him if I should wait in the Dumschitz Nissan customer lounge, or if it would be a wait substantial enough that I should go home. He indicated that it could be quite a long wait, so I decided to take public transportation home.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. Stosh called and informed me that the part needed to repair my Xterra, a right side tail-light assembly, was not in stock at your location, nor was it in stock anywhere in the vicinity of Dumschitz Nissan, and that, due to the recent heavy snow of December 8, getting the part delivered to Dumschitz Nissan would take until Tuesday of the following week at the earliest.

Stosh’s news troubled me deeply. That I would not make it in to work at all that day, there was no doubt. But there were responsibilities and obligations that I could not miss on Monday and Tuesday. I asked Stosh if there was absolutely no way around this, and he told me that indeed there was not.

Feeling on the verge of panic, I once again called Reliable Auto Repair Center and, hoping against hope, I asked them if they could possibly get their hands the part I needed for my Xterra. After a few moments on hold, Andy, the owner, came back to me and said that he could get the part, “No problem.”

Thinking he had some secret supply system, I told him that I was amazed, for I had just been told by Dumschitz Nissan that there was no such part within easy reach until Tuesday or Wednesday of the next week.

Andy laughed out loud and told me that when he had put me on hold, he had called Dumschitz Nissan to inquire about the part, and Dumschitz had told him they had it in stock. He told me that he would have the part delivered on Saturday morning, and he could get me in then to install it.

I returned to Dumschitz Nissan where I was charged $105 for the inspection of the faulty “smart entrance control unit”: the $95 inspection fee plus $7.60 for “shop supplies” and $1.87 for “EPA waste removal.” I understand and accept the charge of $95 to pay for your technicians’ time, but SHOP SUPPLIES? WASTE REMOVAL? What consumable supplies are required to determine that a switch or a circuit is operating improperly? What waste that would concern the Environmental Protection Agency is generated by determining that a switch or circuit is operating improperly? Did you charge me for a technician’s bathroom break? Were it not for my emergency, and Stosh’s promise that he could get me in that morning, I would not have bothered with getting the “smart entrance control unit” checked. I spent the better part of the day confident that my more immediate problem was being solved, but instead it was wasted waiting for you to tell me that you didn’t have a part that it turns out you had all along.

The next day, Saturday December 10, 2005, I took my Xterra to Reliable Auto Repair Center where Andy, who had received the right rear tail lamp assembly from Dumschitz Nissan earlier that morning, replaced my damaged tail lamp within two minutes of my arrival.

I notice on the tail lamp replacement estimate from Dumschitz Nissan that the price you charge for the part is $161, and the labor to replace it is $48. Reliable Auto Repair Center charged me only $122.68 for the same part, and $10 labor to install it. It appears not only that you charge mysterious and unnecessary shop fees, but you apply at least a 30% surcharge to your service customers for items from your own parts store, and your labor charges are extortive.

Mr. Scruhum, when my wife and I bought our Xterra at Dumschitz Nissan, it was the most pleasant car buying experience either of us has ever been through. But this most recent “service” has soured our opinion of the entire operation at 4444 West Irving Park Road. You missed your “#1 Goal” by 100%. Unless you can give me a coherent, viable explanation of why your service department wasted my time by telling me that the replacement part my vehicle needed was unavailable when, the very next day, my preferred -- that's PREFERRED -- mechanic was able to have it delivered FROM DUMSCHITZ NISSAN'S PARTS STORE, then you can look upon the $9.47 of frivolous fees you charged me as the last Dumschitz Nissan will ever get from us, and you can count on my recommendation to others to steer clear of your operation.

Sincerely,
Farrago T. Farragi



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