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Ford dealership story

LUCA

LUCA

Boomstick\Owner
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Dec 23, 2000
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FL
The other day I'm looking for my new TB gasket, can't find it anywhere so I call a dealership where the parts department is open late. It's not the dealership that I normally deal with.

Me: Hello. I need a TB gasket for a 98 SVT Contour. It is a V6, 5 speed. (I know they are going to ask so I just tell them ahead of time)

Parts guy: Hmm, it's a V6?

Me: Yes. It's the SVT model.

Parts guy: I have one for the V6.

Me: Is it for the SVT or for the V6 non-SVT? They're different.

Parts guy: No they're not different.

Me: Yes they are.

Parts guy: Oh, for the SVT you need to buy the Upper Intake Manifold

Me: Bulls:censored:t! No you don't. They sell the TB gasket separately.

Parts guy: No, you have to buy the whole thing.

Me: No way. Look again.

Parts guy: Yep, you have to buy the whole thing.

Me: You're wrong, look again.

Part guy: Oh, I see it. You need to buy the TB too.

Me: That's insane. No friggen way. Look again. I know Ford sells the TB gasket separately. Why the hell would someone pay $500 bucks just to get a $4 gasket?

Parts guy: Do you have the part number?

Me: Sure, give me a minute and I'll get it for you.

Parts guy: I found it. You can buy the gasket separate.

Me: I told you. When can you have it for me?

Parts guy: Monday

Me: Never mind, I need it tomorrow.

Poor guy. He was aggravating me, big time. It's lucky that I knew what I was talking about or I'd be buying a new UIM and TB just so I could have the gasket. :help:


After I hung up I started laughing.

Just thought I'd share.
 
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No Zac, not at your work. It's a local dealer.

I kind of felt bad for the guy, I just kept telling him "you're wrong, look again".
I must say it felt really good knowing that he wasn't going to con me into buying something I didn't need.

At least he now knows that you can buy a TB gasket separately. ;)
 
I don't know if anything amazes me anymore with dealerships. They are loaded with dumb asses who seem to know nothing about proper repairs, parts, and sometimes cars in general...

I still remember when I got my first CEL and I went to Ford Dealership and I asked the guy about getting the code read to see what I wanted to as to fixing it...then he told me it was $90 for the FIRST hour of them checking over the car. I laughed at him, asked him if he was sure. Then I told him I can buy a code reader at advanced for $50 dollars. He seemed pretty stupidified by the fact I knew what a code reader was (maybe it the fact he didn't...he worked the desk afterall) I didn't even fully end the conversation and just kinda left. :nonono:
 
I always try to give the dealership part numbers. Tends to make things go faster. Also helps that I used to work there and get a discount :)
 
ZeroHour said:
I don't know if anything amazes me anymore with dealerships. They are loaded with dumb asses who seem to know nothing about proper repairs, parts, and sometimes cars in general...

I still remember when I got my first CEL and I went to Ford Dealership and I asked the guy about getting the code read to see what I wanted to as to fixing it...then he told me it was $90 for the FIRST hour of them checking over the car. I laughed at him, asked him if he was sure. Then I told him I can buy a code reader at advanced for $50 dollars. He seemed pretty stupidified by the fact I knew what a code reader was (maybe it the fact he didn't...he worked the desk afterall) I didn't even fully end the conversation and just kinda left. :nonono:
Click to expand...

I remember when I first got my Contour and called up the dealer about my air-bag light flashing... I even had come on here and gotten the code to tell them what was wrong and if they would fix it... The lady said that they still would have to bring it in and have is read for $90... Well, that was my first ever and last experience with a stealership...
 
Psh, sounds like a Ford dealership. Last time I went in for the pull handle on the door (like a $7 part), the guy there told me I would have to replace the entire door panel because that part didn't come off ($458). I was like "then how'd I get it off to show it to you", and he said "you probably busted it off, because it's attached". So I reached in my pocket, pulled out the handle and the 2 screws holding it in, and said "yeah, with these" and left. It's never worth it going there.
 
Different regions of the county must make a huge difference.. When we were in the Ames, IA area I always took my car up to Gookin Ford, small, family owned dealership, was always treated right by service and parts. They never had trouble finding things, even showed my why the parts were bad. Where we are now isn't too bad either. I take the SVT to Fox Valley Ford, and both service and parts seem pretty good. I took a Chiltons manual in for our Windstar, showed the parts guy the part I needed, had it in my hand within 2 minutes.

Of course on the flipped side it took Chrysler like 3 months to get a tranny for my dad's Intrepid. I particularly loved how they "lost" the part in transit from factory to dealer. How do you loose a transmission, not like a fuse or something small???
 
the parts guy here at the dealership on the island was actually pretty helpful when i went there. There were actually 2 guys, one younger guy who was kinda dumb...and an older guy who if i didn't know the part number of what i needed would sit there with me and go through all the exploded views of stuff on the computer until we found what i was looking for.
 
It was Milham Ford, Toyota, Saab.

I don't normally deal with them, I go to Bethlehem Ford. Brian at Bethlehem Ford is great to deal with. Sometimes I have part numbers for him and if not, he shows me the screen so I'm sure he's getting me what I want. No stupid crap like you have to buy the UIM with the TB gasket from this guy, ever.

It was fun to own the guy though. I guess we all need to have a laugh every now and again at the expense of a parts counter guy. ;)

You're right dacker. :) Many of the smaller dealers will do that, show you the part that they are replacing and tell you why. I just don't think many people care about that these days and therefor most dealers won't do that unless you ask. If I go to a dealer for work, non-warranty, I ask for my old parts back.
 
LUCA said:
You're right dacker. :) Many of the smaller dealers will do that, show you the part that they are replacing and tell you why. I just don't think many people care about that these days and therefor most dealers won't do that unless you ask. If I go to a dealer for work, non-warranty, I ask for my old parts back.
Click to expand...

That's why I love using small dealers\shops for work that's outta my ballpark, don't feel like I'm taking as much up the ass.... Plus, most of them (again depending on market\region) know that they can't afford to loose even one customer because of a bad experience. As we all know negative word of mouth advertising can cost someone more than a years worth of professional advertising (ok, that might be exagerated, but you know what I mean)!!
 
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