Art Linkletter!
* Art Linkletter.
Art Linkletter would have had a blast with this one…
Yesterday, Jeff Eats spent over 4 hours at my- Hyundai dealer getting my brand new Santa Fe SUV’s BSD System (Blind Spot Detection System) fixed. Just got the vehicle 31 days ago and -I already had to waste my time sitting in Hyundai’s waiting room.
To make a long story short,
I’m a gregarious guy…during those 4 hours I must have met and spoken to at least 15 different people. Nothing for nothing, to the man-woman-everyone raved to me as-how they LOVED their (2011-2014) Sonata, Gemini, Elantra, Santa Fe…yet to the man-woman, everybody was there for a “recall” matter or because something needed to be repaired…not one person was there for a regularly scheduled maintenance call. Just so you know, everybody bitched about having to spent 3-4 hours at the dealer-on something that was the manufacturer’s fault.
The point of this “rant”…it seems to me that the American Public has come to accept MEDIOCRITY as part of their daily lives.
There is absolutely no reason why Jeff Eats -or any of you guys should have to spend our valuable time-dealing with problems caused by Hyundai, Comcast, ATT, General Motors, Sun Sentinel, _________(fill in your favorite screw-up company’s name)…without being fairly and reasonably compensated. Personally, I think that Hyundai should have paid me $100 per hour for my lost time…you can figure out your own hourly rate! Guaranteed, if every product sold in America came with a “Waste Your Time Dollar Guarantee” the products and services sold in this country would be better made/performed-and you wouldn’t get bills from ATT and Comcast that try and crook you every month.
Now you know and I know that- Jeff Eats is talking out of his hat here…but how in hell-can you LOVE a car that just made you waste 4 hours because some guy in Japan didn’t correctly calibrate an electronic system?
Thanks for listening…I mean reading!
Lastly…for you guys who don’t “get” the Art Linkletter theme here…GOOGLE
Postscript 10/18/14- The BSD System that was repaired-stopped working this morning. That means that all of the hours spent on getting it “fixed” were an absolute waste of time. If this latest development doesn’t support my “get paid” for lost time idea-then I don’t know what will!
Jeff, They can love the car because they only had to spend 3 or 4 hours at the dealer.
I had a Lexus ES350 that required me at least 3 times to lleave it at the dealer and drive away in a loner car. Talk about wasting time.
4 hours, that’s nothing.
I once had an Audi that had me at the dealer 11 times in 5 months with 4 loaner cars thrown in before the dealer took the car back. Throw in 50+ phone calls to get them to take the car back. Talk about wasting time.
Every bill I get from ATT results in at least 25 minutes on the phone trying to get overcharges removed. 25 X 12 and thats a ton of wasted time
How about Comcast is good for 2-3 visits a year to my home and countless hours on the phone for crappy service.
I’d be rich if COMCAST paid me $25 an hour for all of the hours they have cost me over the past 25 years.
My last Jaguar resulted in a meaningful relationship with my service manager. He was a hell of a nice guy but schlepping very frequently from my house to the dealership, waiting or even getting a loaner, which meant a schlep back to the dealer in a day or two, became the main reason I chose not to do another Jag. When it ran right it was great, and I am sure those people in the waiting room with you had the same feeling. When their cars ran right……
Part two: Jeff Most people aren’t as open as you are. Ask anyone what they feel about their car and its great. Nobody wants to admit to making a big mistake such as buying or leasing a lousy car.
Jeff
What I really enjoy about Jeffeats.com is that you often write about what most of us just think about.
I can’t tell you how many hours Ive wasted over the years waiting in dealers’ waiting rooms, calling companies about incorrect bills, waiting for cable people to fix my service. The list is literally endless. If there were as you suggest monetary penalties products and services would be a whole lot better.
No doubt in my mind, if the dealer would have had to pay you for your time you probably would have been out of there in 30 minutes or less.
Nobody gives a crap because Americans are now just a bunch of big old pussies.
Jeff
I lease a 2014 Sonata. It’s a good car with a terrific lease price.
Last week I spent 3 hours at the dealer on that recall. You are right just a waste of my time. You got a great idea there but you know it won’t happen.
Simply put Americans are ruled by big business and there isn’t too much that we can do about it.
Cal,
Got to disagree with you there.
Ever hear the term BOYCOTT.
Not easy to pull off, but what would Publix do if everyone who normally shops there agreed not to buy anything there for 5 days and followed through and then demanded that every item in the store be reduced by 6% or the boycott would continue, I’ll bet you Publix would reduce its prices. Take it one step further, Let’s say a certain car leases for $299 a month and people boycotted the brand until the price was reduced to $278 bet you the price would be dropped.
The problem the USA has is that the consumer lets the manufacturer get away with murder.
You are wrong on that. In most cases you have choices. What are the odds on your buying a Sonata again. Did you let Managment of the Auto company (not the dealer) know your opinion. How often do you wait an hour to see a Dr. for an hour when you have an appointment, but have to wait because the Dr. overbooked. I walk after an hour and then call to make sure that the insurance company doesn’t pay the bill that the Dr. will always submit. I’d rather live in an area run by big business than by big government, because I know what motivates big business.
I just spent 37 minutes on the phone talking to ATT trying to straightened out over billing. Got it straight but if I hadn’t called I would have overpaid by $29 for the month. What a waste of time.
Every wonder why all of the errors you find in your bills favor the companies and not you?
Jeff has the right idea.
It sure would stop a load of this fake billing.
Jeff Eats,
I once had an Audi Convertible that had me in the dealership at least once a week for 6 months. The biggest waste of time and the crappiest car of all time. To their credit Audi USA refunded all of my down payment and lease payments and cancelled the lease after I accidentally bumped into the President of Audi USA in a diner in New Jersey and he heard how I was being treated. A very rare outcome but it happened.
There should be a rule, for every hour you spend at a dealership with an item covered under a warranty you get a $10 gift card. Thus 4 hours, $40 gift card. Not sure how it would all workout but the dealership would be getting its service people to work a whole lot faster. Even a token $10 an hour gift card would make workers and mgt move fast.
In recent years I’ve had had MDX, BMW 530, VW CC and never had one single problem. I now have a LEXUS LX 2014 what a mess. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
This time snake eyes.
Talking about mediocrity. A baseball player hits .300 and makes it into the hall of fame. Just think about it he makes millions for getting a hit 3 times out of ten. Now that’s what I call being just plain mediocre and getting rewarded.
Americans put up with too much nonsense.
How many times have you called a vendor, been put on hold and then 5 minutes into the hold been disconnected?
A system that FINED companies for poor service would be phenomenal.