Toyota Mechanic Shows How to Spot Bad Dealership Service Departments

Dealerships Good and Bad

Have you ever had a problem develop with your car, but could not get the problem resolved by a dealership―the very guys who are supposed to the experts on your car? And worse yet, wind up with other issues that they “found” and said needed immediate repair, of which you sought a second opinion and received conflicting diagnoses? You are not alone. And often it is hard to know who to believe and what you should do.

That is the unfortunate truth of being a car owner and having to rely on someone else to help you take care of your car.

According to a recent Car Care Nut YouTube channel episode, the host discusses this problem within the automotive industry where there are both good dealerships with some bad technicians or other service members, and bad dealerships where the technicians are good but are pressured into unsavory tactics by management to generate more profit per repair or maintenance visit.

His answer to the problem is to understand how service departments work so that you can better understand the process and thereby be better able to detect whenever something isn’t right about your maintenance service or repair.

Related article: Why Car Owners Should Listen to Service Center Techs

How to Spot Bad Car Dealership's Service Departments and What to Do About It

Follow along with the Car Care Nut host as he goes into detail about:

• How Service departments operate.
• The biggest red flags at a dealership.
• Things you can do to make your service a better experience.
• How to deal with problems during service and repairs.
• Some final bit of advice that goes a long way toward finding (and keeping) someone you trust to work on your car

In case you do not have time for the video, skip to the summary of each of the bulleted items the host talks about that follows below the video.

Here's How to Spot Bad Car Dealership's Service Departments and Good Ones

Video Summary

How Service Departments Operate

• Dealerships operate in a state of organized chaos.
• There are no “teams” within a dealership to handle your problem or issue. It’s a shark-eat-shark work environment between departments and individuals.
• The first person to greet you at the dealership doorway (a service porter) is unlikely to be someone you want help from related to your car problem. Their job is to get you started in the right direction.
• The second person to greet you at the dealership doorway is typically a service advisor. The service advisor is the liaison between you and the mechanic working on your car. The key skill of the service advisor is to be knowledgeable about your car model and understand what the mechanic reports to him.
• The one guy you want to eventually be taking to is the technician/mechanic who will be working on your car. However, you will typically be blocked by the service advisor, which can sometimes be a problem.
• Breaks in communication between you and the technician can occur at the service advisor level due to the service advisor might not be as truthful as the tech. However, sometimes the technician can cause a break in communication by being in a hurry and not passing on all he knows about your car’s problem to the service advisor.

Biggest Red Flags at a Dealership

• Service department staff are rarely cordial to the extent of bordering on friendly―they are too busy, and you have just made their day harder. This is normal. However, if the service department staff i.e., the service advisor suddenly changes his tune and starts being very friendly and helpful―it’s the biggest red flag something has gone south on your car, and they are either covering it up or trying to break the news to you gently.
• If the service advisor answers your question with a “It’s too complicated to explain to you,” it probably means he really does not understand what the tech told him is wrong with your car.
• Upsells for added services are red flags triggered by words such as “flush” or “cleaning” which most of the time can be translated as “We need you to help us fill our quota.” Especially when upsells are pushed before anyone has even looked at your car and are basing it on your car’s mileage alone.

Things You Can Do to Make It Better

• Don’t admit that you know everything about cars. Let them tell you what your car needs and compare that to what you know about your car to see if they are scamming you or not.
• Never admit upfront that you know nothing about cars―you are begging to be taken for a ride.
• Be honest and clear. If you or someone else worked on the car and might have done something wrong, the technician needs to know this to help with a quick and correct diagnosis. Info is vital for helping the tech understand what might be going on.

How to Deal with Problems

• Refrain from getting angry and start yelling. It won’t help as they can always refuse to provide service and send you away.
• If the service department messed something up, keep it civil and address them with the problem without drama. Give them a chance to fix a mistake.
• Keep your expectations realistic. Yes, you might get a scratch or some minor damage during a repair. Give them a chance to make it right (or at least a little better) but do not expect a new fender, rim, or something similar.
• When there is a problem, do not jump the chain of command. In other words, go to the service advisor first and work up from there until the problem is resolved. Don’t ask for the dealership owner without first trying to work out the problem with his staff.

Last Bit of Advice

If you feel that a service advisor did a good job, be sure to make personal contact with them in some way such as a little pleasant conversation or even praise when a job is well done. Same goes for the tech who worked on your car. You can always request to schedule a specific service advisor and technician that you have confidence in to do your next maintenance service or repair.

For additional articles on how to deal with mechanics and dealerships, here are three for your consideration:

• Six Things You Should Never Say or Do to Your Car Mechanic
• 5 Things Never Say to a Mechanic if You Want to Save Money on Your Repair Bills
• Never Say This to a Mechanic

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on  “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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