Reviews

Review Details

• Review fromRay P

  Date: 05/17/2023

  1 star

  Ray P

  Date: 05/17/2023

  Today, Wednesday, May 27, 2023, I brought my 2014 Chevrolet Cruze into Pat Clemons Inc. 1720 S Marshall St, Boone IA 50036 to have the Catalytic Converter replaced. Per my service call last Wednesday this dealership said that the check engine light on my dashboard, and their mechanic’s check indicated the need for this replacement.
  This morning when I arrived at the service desk I asked for an estimate that would also specify that the replacement part was OEM. The service advisor said I had no right to receive a repair estimate even though I kept insisting that under Iowa law it is always the right of the customer to receive a written repair estimate before repairs are made.
  
  My wanting a written estimate prior to the commencement of work on my vehicle is based upon my dealings with this dealership and staff, specifically:
  
  (1) Last Wednesday this same service advisor said it would take two days to get the part - it took many more days than two days. The part was ordered in the morning last Wednesday, May 10, 2023 and was not received until Monday, May 15, 2023 after 2 PM according to what the Service Manager told me over the phone this past Monday.
  
  (2) This same service advisor last Wednesday said the repair would cost over $1,700 but later I was told that it would be over $1,500.
  
  (3) This same service advisor’s original time estimate last Wednesday was four hours but after speaking with the Service Manager on the phone this past Monday after sending him an email about my poor customer experience he said it would take two hours.
  
  (4) This same service advisor said this morning that I was not entitled to a repair estimate and only after insisting many times in my conversation with him did he finally relent by saying I could wait in the waiting room to get my repair estimate - how long that wait would be was not indicated.
  I decided not to get my car serviced at this dealership especially after the same service advisor asked me if I wanted to take my car elsewhere.

  Pat Clemons Inc

  Date: 06/01/2023

  There is so much to unwrap here....we still are not sure what triggered this person, but he obviously was having a bad day.  His version does not represent the truth or facts.  Our Service Dept has had previous experiences with this person, went fine before -- we have communicated several times between phone, in-person and emails.  On this particular repair, our staff contacted him by phone to get his authorization since he was not there in person, talked about the repair and gave him a quote -- he verbally authorized the repair (like he did with his last repair and didn't have a problem with it) so that we could get the parts ordered.  That day he came in very agitated and started off screaming and threatening if he didn't get a written repair order right away he was going to his attorney and authorities (as if they don't have more important things to do).  Then he started screaming about the part being late; he was screaming not only  at our employees, BUT IN FRONT OF OTHER CUSTOMERS.  Our Service Manager moved him to the drive, told him if he wanted an estimate printed out he could get him one if he would wait in the lounge.  He tried claiming (while yelling) "it was illegal to do a repair without a written estimate" which is obviously not true.  Most customers just want to give their authorization over the phone or text which either way is fine by us, it doesn't matter because we have to create an R.O. (Repair Order) anyway before we perform the work, which upon completion the customer reviews to make sure it matches what they were told and signs.  At no time did anyone say he "did not have the right to a printed estimate" as he claims, which is just ridiculous -- our Manager did tell him it was not illegal to do work, which is more than likely where he is changing the words to make our people look like bad guys.  We have nearly 500 customers come see our Service Department month in, month out and majority of them are repeat customers; if we were such bad people they wouldn't keep coming back.

  He also had a problem with the parts delivery; there were two parts involved, one of them on backorder indefinitely, the other he thought should have arrived earlier (he was told 2 business days, by the time we ordered on a Wednesday, the supplier did not process until Thursday, then Friday and Monday for delivery) -- we ARE NOT in control of the supplier, we can only order parts and communicate what was communicated to us.  In this day and age of supplier constraints, late and back-ordered parts are very common unfortunately.  We don't like it either, we don't get paid until we fix the car and the longer it sits waiting for parts, the longer it takes to get paid.

  He also seem confused on the prices -- he authorized $1767.95 + tax, the part cost was $1469.95.

  We can understand something getting confused and mixed up, that's normal and human -- but yelling at employees, ESPECIALLY in front of other customers is unacceptable.  We even gave him the option to not have his car repaired and take his car which he did.