[little rant]
While I can understand your feelings on the extra bill for the thermostat and water pump I also understand what it's like from the other side of the fence. What they have done is standard practice for any main dealer. They have quoted you the 'book time' for the water pump and thermostat change. This is how all jobs in main dealers are quoted and charged. Many people don't realise that a dealership relies on it's aftersales department (service/warranty/parts) to cover the running costs of the whole dealership. Income from new and used car sales is negigable in comparison. This doesn't help the man on the street but the money has to come from somewhere. The workshop controller would have no say in how the job is charged out that decision would be made by the service advisor you deal with or the service manager if you make enough fuss.
The problem is the brand image that is all so important to VAG UK costs a fortune to reach and maintain. It's a minimum of £1 million for a new dealership nowadays and everything has to be supplied by VAG approved suppliers and done to VAG plans. Right down to the position of biscuits on a tray and the colour of christmas lights on the VAG approved christmas tree (Seriously, I've seen the documentation)
Before I am swamped by a barrage of criticism for sticking up for main dealers I would like to finish by saying that I don't blame you for taking the job away from them. As many of you know I work for a main dealer group and will never allow any of my own cars (or Carlys) to be worked on by them. Even though officially I would be fired for admitting it I have on occasion told my customers that they ought to go to alternative garages than our own. The fact of the matter is if you have an older vehicle chances are you cannot afford the hourly rate of a main dealer and I would much rather my customer is happy with the service I have provided and comes back again than if they felt they had been ripped off and never came back.
[/little rant]
Back to the matter at hand. Have you got all the tech info for the cambelt change? If not I can forward it to you if you like.
Ben
While I can understand your feelings on the extra bill for the thermostat and water pump I also understand what it's like from the other side of the fence. What they have done is standard practice for any main dealer. They have quoted you the 'book time' for the water pump and thermostat change. This is how all jobs in main dealers are quoted and charged. Many people don't realise that a dealership relies on it's aftersales department (service/warranty/parts) to cover the running costs of the whole dealership. Income from new and used car sales is negigable in comparison. This doesn't help the man on the street but the money has to come from somewhere. The workshop controller would have no say in how the job is charged out that decision would be made by the service advisor you deal with or the service manager if you make enough fuss.
The problem is the brand image that is all so important to VAG UK costs a fortune to reach and maintain. It's a minimum of £1 million for a new dealership nowadays and everything has to be supplied by VAG approved suppliers and done to VAG plans. Right down to the position of biscuits on a tray and the colour of christmas lights on the VAG approved christmas tree (Seriously, I've seen the documentation)
Before I am swamped by a barrage of criticism for sticking up for main dealers I would like to finish by saying that I don't blame you for taking the job away from them. As many of you know I work for a main dealer group and will never allow any of my own cars (or Carlys) to be worked on by them. Even though officially I would be fired for admitting it I have on occasion told my customers that they ought to go to alternative garages than our own. The fact of the matter is if you have an older vehicle chances are you cannot afford the hourly rate of a main dealer and I would much rather my customer is happy with the service I have provided and comes back again than if they felt they had been ripped off and never came back.
[/little rant]
Back to the matter at hand. Have you got all the tech info for the cambelt change? If not I can forward it to you if you like.
Ben
Comment