This is more than a complaint and should be considered a WARNING to anyone who is considering visiting the Pep Boys store in Pasadena, California for anything more than an oil or change of tires. I, myself, will NEVER patronize them again for any reason. They may have a great variety of products but after what they did to me, I will never patronize them again.
On 2/24/09, I left my car at the Pep Boys Pasadena store so that the service department could install a new alternator on my 1999 Mercury Cougar. Less than 2 weeks later, the alternator light began to come. It would come on when I first started the engine though later in the day, when I restarted the car, the light would not come back on until I had drive more than 10 minutes.
I returned to Pep Boys a few weeks later and asked if they could replace the oil pan which had a leak. I also asked John, the manager, if he could check the alternator light, describing the problem I was experiencing. He assured me he would have the mechanic check the light. He told me to allow at least four hours for the work to be completed. I told John that I live in Atwater and would wait around in the area until the work was done.
At 12 noon, I called the Service Department to ask for status of the repairs. The man answering the phone said the vehicle was still being worked on but disclosed it would be ready by 2 P.M.
Not having heard from the shop, I called at 2:30 P.M. The man answring the phone placed me on hold and several seconds later, returned and said the car would be ready in 2 hours. At 5 P.M. I called again and was told that the car would be ready by 7 P.M. Though I left the car at the shop at approximately 8 A.M., the work took 11 hours to complete. I rationalized that if the work had been done well (and I had no reason to believe otherwise), then waiting 11 hours was fine though tiring.By the way, no one ever offered a ride to my home or a place where I could rent a car.
At 6:30 P.M. I returned to the Service Department at 6:30 P.M. And waited. Sometime after 7:15 P.M., I was told the work had been completed. While waiting for someone to assist me, I noticed a young woman with a man, speaking to who I believe is Jesus (a short, overweight Latino man). She was showing him a part she had just purchased and asked if someone in the service department could install it for her. Jesus told her that the instructions to install the device were printed on the backside of the package, though he did offer to help if she was unable to install the part. As she and her companion left the service department desk and made their way across the parking lot, Jesus turned to two co-workers and said, "If she can't change it maybe Mighty Mouse can help her, " a reference about her companion and his stature. Disparaging patrons. Evidently Jesus is ignorant about who customers are to the continued success of a business including his employment.
As I drove away from the store, the alternator light came back on. It never occurred to me before leaving the shop to ask if the alternator had been inspected.
On April 30, I returned to the Service Department. It was at about 10:30 A.M. And I asked an employee named Chris if I bring my car to the Service Department on Saturday, May 2, explaining that the alternator light was coming on and my air conditioner had stopped working two days earlier. Chris said that Saturdays are their busiest day of the week but said the car could be inspected and any work done, if I arrived no later than 7:30 A.M. He wrote my name in a book and said he would see me on Saturday.
On Saturday, I arrived at the Service Department at 7:25 A.M. And after parking my car noticed that the Service Department was closed.in fact, not one door to the department was open though I did notice that the actual store's front door was open as employees set up displays just outside the entryway. None of them were mechanics, however. So, I waited.
At 7:45 A.M., an employee arrived and began opening doors leading to the Service Department's work bay though their office doors remained locked.
At 7:59 A.M., John, the manager, arrived and opened the door to the Service Department office. I could not explain why I was asked to arrive at 7:30 A.M. My annoyance was overshadowed by my concern that the repairs be performed properly so that I would not have to return to the shop again with the same problem.
I advised John that the alternator light continued to come on and off and also asked if he could inspect the air conditioner, which as I wrote before, had ceased working two days earlier. He searched what I assume is the Service Department's database but after a questions about the previous work completed by his department, it became apparent that little or possibly even none of the information about the previous work was in the computer. I handed him the receipts for work completed during my prior visits including the documents proving I purchaed an extended warranty on labor. During my initial visit, I was also told the alternator was covered by a lifetime guarantee. I signed off on the work and John asked that I allot him a few hours to identify the problems. He never said he needed a few hours to correct the problems so I concluded I would soon received a call. I was wrong.
At 10:50 A.M., I called the Service Department because no one had called to provide status of my vehicle repairs. Chris answered the phone and said he would check with the mechanic and assured me he would call me back in a few minutes. As Chris had said, he did call back a few minutes later and told me that vehicle was in the process of being inspected. I found it odd that the inspection had not been completed particularly since I was the first person to arrive at the shop. I told Chris that if I did not hear from someone at the store, I would call again at 1 P.M. He said this would be fine.
At 2 P.M. I called again. The man answering the phone said he would check and call me back in a few mintues.
Because no one called, I again called at 2:40 P.M. This time Jesus answered the phone. I believe this is the same Jesus - a short, pudgy Latino who made disparaging remarks about a customer during my visit on on 2/24/09. I asked for status on my car. He placed me on hold though quickly returned to the phone stating, "They're performing a diagnostic." The car had been in the service department for more than 6 hours and they were STILL performing a diagnostic! I asked how long it takes to diagnose a vehicle but Jesus merely said, "I don't know, that's all I can tell you." Unfortunately, for Jesus, his tripe response was inappropriate and seemed an attempt to brush me off. The impression I was getting is that no one at the service department seemed to want to accept accountability. At this point I concluded that they have no concept of what constitutes sound customer service.
As I stated previously, I had chosen to remain in the area because I live too far from Pep Boys to return home. I called and spoke to Jesus from across the street, something which he was unaware of. I had a clear view of my vehicle and though the hood was raised no one was inspecting the vehicle. So who did Jesus speak to? Obviouly, he lied.
I immediately crossed the street and entered the Service Department. I asked a man named Hector if he could assist me. I asked if he could tell me what had been found from the diagnostic. Hector walked into the service area but returned quickly, stating that Jose, the mechanic assigned to my vehicle, was at lunch and would return in about an hour. I told him I would walk around the neighborhood and asked that he call after he spoke to Jose.
I left the store and walked about 2 miles when Hector called. He asked, "Are you nearby?" I told him I was a few miles away. He asked that I return, saying, "Yeah, I need to show you something on your car."
I returned to Pep Boys about 40 minutes later. Hector asked that I follow him into the Service Department's work bay and taking me to my car, said the diagnostic had found that some of my wires under my dashboard had "RECENTLY" been burned which he attributed as the reason my airconditioner had stopped working. I told him that the wires had burned about three years ago but that problem had been corrected. Hector replied, "No, it's recent." I found it amazing that Hector thought disputing what I said would somehow validate his allegations. I told Hector that this was not possible and pointed out that I would have smelled singed wires but he continued to insist the wires had burned recently.
Hector also said that Pep Boys could not repair the problem though Jose might find the cause of the problems I was experiencing if he removed the entire dashboard. He said by doing so, Jose could inspect the wiring harness. He added this would take several hours and would be very expensive. He said that Jose might be able to find the one burned wire causing the problems amidst the many wires found in the harness.
He also said the air conditioner was working, so it was definitely not the air conditioner. He added, "Jose jump started the air conditioner and it works." Jump started the air conditioner? He also said that I would have to leave the car with them for 2 days. I asked how he determined that an inspection would take 2 days. His statement had to be based on something factual. He didn't reply.
I next asked if Jose had inspected the alternator. Hector said that the alternator was operational but the light was coming on because of the burned wiring. He also said that the burned wire had caused the amps to surge far above what is normal and seemed concentrated in 1 wire.
I asked Hector if Jose could reassemble the things he had taken apart so that I could leave. Hector asked that I allow 15 minutes. As I walked out of the repair area, Hector asked if I might be interested in leaving the car at the shop for 2 days and then quickly added, "Oh, but Jose is off tomorrow." I turned and told him there is no reason to leave the car for 2 days if Jose is not going to be at work tomorrow and reminded him that moments earlier, he said that his shop was not qualified to do the work. He stuttered, saying, "Oh yeah." By then, I was left with the inedible impression that Jose has all the credibility of the proverbial used car salesman. Obviously, more of a fast talker than mechnically savvy.
When my car was ready, Hector began to calculate my bill and explained their was a $45.00 charge to examne the air conditioner plus a $99.00 charge for the diagnostic. He paused and said, "Well, I've got to charge you something, so just pay $45.00."
As I turned to leave, Hector asked if I planned on taking my car elsewhere, a question whose answer seemed obvious. I told him I would visit the dealership on Monday, Jose shook his head and said, That's going to be expensive, stating it would require 9 to 15 hours to inspect and repair the vehicle and quoted the costs as anywhere from $900 to $1500. I wondered how Hector could estimate what a dealer might charge if he himself, did not know what had actually caused the air conditioner to stop working. I also wondered how he knew what any dealer might charge per hour and how he knew how long it would take to inspect and conduct repairs.
I FINALLY left Pep Boys at about 7:15 P.M. I had waited in Pasadena 11 hours & 45 minutes just to be informed what they thought was the problem with my car and with no repairs having been conducted. How could a simple diagnositic using a computer, take more than 10 hours to complete!
As I drove home, I noticed that the alternator light was on. I pulled over and shut off the engine, but when I restarted the car, the light remained on. This was a new development because prior to leaving the car at Pep Boys earlier that day, the light would come on and off, but never just remain on. I again wondered how the air conditioner caused the alternator light to come on weeks before the air conditioner stopped working. I was left with the distinct impression that I had been given the "runaround" from your poorly trained staff.
Returning home, I located the telephone number of an electrician who only works automobile. I called him and he agreed to come to my home the following day. The cost to inspect my automobile would be $80. Add the $45 paid to Pep Boys for basically doing nothing and the total I spent over the weekend was $125.00, just for an inspection.
On Sunday, 5/03/09, the electrician inspected my car without using diagnostics equipment. Evidently, some technicians have the ability to inspect automobiles without relying on the use of computers. How novel. Following a 45-minute inspection, he concluded that the problem was not electrical. He explained that the air conditioning fan was operational as was the air conditioner though the condensor had burnt out. He also informed me that the alternator was inoperative and said he could not conduct repairs until it was replaced. I asked if the singed wires under the dashboard had been a recent occurrence. He replied that those had been burned long ago and said these had nothing to do with the reason my air conditioner stopped working.
Hector said the alternator light was coming on and off because of burned wiring yet sometime during the diagnostic, the alternator was burned out completely and was now inoperative. Yet, neither Jose, Hector or even John, the manager, seemed aware of this fact.
And I again wondered how Hector had exclaimed that Jose, the mechanic had been able to jump start the air conditioner when it was in essence, inoperational.
The following day, Monday, 5/4/09, I returned to Pep Boys. I arrived shortly after 8 A.M. And told John that my car had been inspected by an electriican, on Sunday. Surprised, he exclaimed, "On Sunday?" I don't know why he found it odd that an electrician inspected my car on Sunday when your Service Department is open on Sundays.
I explained that the electrician discovered that the problem was not electrical but for repairs to be conducted, I needed a new alternator installed. John stated, "Then it burned out after you left." Ah, no, the alternator burned out before I left the shop because the light was one as I exited Pep Boys' parking lot. And as I wrote previously, the light never shut-off again. I asked that a new alternator be installed. John like his other staff, did not offer a ride and so I told him I was going to take the bus to work. I also told him I needed the car by 1 pm as I was scheduled to attend a conference in Long Beach, which started at 3 P.M. John replied, "I'll see what I can do, it'll probably take 3 or 4 hours to finish the work." I told him that was more than enough time.
At 12:30 P.M., I called Pep Boys as I had so many times previously and asked the man answering the phone if he could tell me if the work on my car was almost complete. He placed me on hold only to return and advise me that his manager would have to provide me with the status of my car. He said his manager was at lunch but would return in "5 minutes."
At 1 P.M., again called the service department. This time Chris answered the phone. After advising him that I was calling to obtain status of the repair work, Chris placed me on hold. When he returned a few seconds later, he explained that Jose needed to remove the dashboard so that he could inspect the wiring harness. At this point I grew incensed. I asked why Jose was checking the wiring when I explicitly told John that all I wanted his shop to do was change the alternator. I told him that I had made myself quite clear when I left the car at this shop that morning, wondering why John had not communicated clearly to Jose or why Jose ignored what he had been told and chose to do something which only 2 days earlier, Hector had said they were unqualified to do.
I told Chris I wanted the vehicle ready within an hour because I had 3 P.M. Meeting to attend. Chris said he would have Jose begin the work immediately.
At about 2 P.M., Chris called and told me that there was no way Jose could complete the work by 2 P.M. And that the car would not be ready until 5 P.M.
As a result of your staff, I missed my meeting and was reprimanded by my employer. Because of the staff's ineptitude and evidently limited intellect, I had spent a total of about 30 hours for the replacement of an alternator, installation of an oil pan and an alleged diagnostic.
At 6:15 P.M., my car was ready.
As I left the Pasadena store, I heard rattling coming from the front of the car. The rattling was accompanied by a pronounced thump which occurred each time I drove over a bump or hole.
The following day I noticed that my left front light was loose and the fixture now moves when touched.
What did Pep Boys staff do? Not only did they waste my valuable time, they did not repair what I asked them to correct, and also damaged the alternator, the front light and I could not understand what they might have done that had caused the rattling and thumping sound.
On 5/15/09, I visited another shop in Hollywood. An examination discovered that FRONT Strut Housing was broken. On a 1999 Mercury Cougar, installation of the alternator requires loosening of the axle which coincidentally is alongside where the strut housing is found.
So how did Jose, the mechanic miss the broken housing? Either because he is inept and imcompetent or because he may have broken the housing himself while performing work he is unqualified to do.
If the housing was broken, shouldn't he have noticed this when I first had the alternator installed? And if he didn't, why didn't he notice that the housing was broken during my May 2nd or May 4th visits? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
If your car requires anything more than tires or an oil change, I urge you to avoid Pep Boys all together. I, personally, will never purchase anything from them again, not even air freshner.
Pep Boys long success lies in the products they sell, i.E., batteries, car mats, oil, seat covers, etc. They are not qualified to provide more complicated mechanical work and based on my experience their work is at best, shoddy.
Leave actual mechanical work to the professionals!
I also noticed during 2 of my 3 visits to the Pasadena store that mechanics will drop whatever work they are given to go change oil and tires. Evidently, these jobs have preference.in the meantime, customers, like myself, must wait an unreasonable length of time, waiting for work we are paying for to be completed. This clearly denotes poor organization and an inability to prioritize.
Furthermore, customer service is non-existent. The staff is ignorant and Pep Boys have not inculturated them about the relationship between customer satisfaction and repeat business. They have also failed to instill in them that without patrons, they cease to exist as a viable business.
They definitely do not return calls while employees like Hector try to dupe customers with inane rambling porported to appear as professional assessments.
In closing:
John the store's manager failed to comport himself professionally or competently and evidently shirked off his responsibility to ensure my car was ready by 1 P.M. From his behavior, it is obvious he sets the current tone for the entire staff at the Pasadena store.
Chris unlike Hector or Jesus, is polite and the only one who showed any concern, though I have yet to explain why he asked me to arrive at the shop by 7:30 A.M., when the department does not open until 8 A.M.
Hector's limited abilities, knowledge, and intellect are attested to by his inaccurate disclosures, inability to notice that the strut housing was broken and his fast talking effort to dupe me into believing something which even I, a non-mechanic could discern was untrue. I guess deceiving patrons is just another day at Pep Boys.
Jesus should be sent to classes and taught how to respond intelligently and appropriately to customer inquiries. He should be engrained with the understanding that as a representative of your business, he is neither nor allowed, to disparage your patrons. Remember, without our money, you cease to exist.
Do mechanics hired by Pep Boys have any actual hands on experience or are they ASE Certified? Do they even possess an equivelent in mechanical education? OR are they merely trainees and if so, whose training them?
Though I was told the work would take no more than 3 to 4 hours to complete each time I visited the service department, I spent more than 25 hours in total waiting for the installation of the alternator and an oil pan, a diagnostic and finally, replacement of the less than 3 month old alternator. Like any business, Pep Boys views time as money but do not realize that time for customers also translates into money and convenience and is no less valuable to the individual than it is to the corporation. Because of Pep Boys I missed an important meeting and though Pep Boys failed to live up to its assurances, their failure had absolutely no effect on them as a business.
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