Lesley Lambert

Today I am reminded of how linked my days as a REALTOR in Western Massachusetts are to my vehicle…

Yesterday my car spewed boiling hot anti-freeze onto my foot, which can’t be good.  Now mind you, it is a newer car (2008 Subaru) which I purchased for it’s reputation as being reliable and safe transportation.  I decided to take on the larger car payment for a new car in exchange for the peace of mind that not needing regular repairs can give.  Well, as I drove with my scalded foot and the toxic stench from the anti-freeze mist, I can tell you I wasn’t feeling the peace of mind…what I was feeling was much closer to pissed off.

My mom’s husband and my boyfriend researched the symptoms and it seemed that a very rare issue with the heat core had literally sprung open on my foot.  Being so new and low in miles, I was keeping myself calmed with the thought that a warranty would kick in to take care of the issue.  I am so cute when I am naive.

I had called the local dealership to inquire about the warranty and they told me I needed to come in for a service check to look into the issue.  So this morning I drove my toxic and bubbly Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (insert SH for ever CH and you get a better line) to the dealer in West Springfield, MA.

Problem number one: they failed to log my appointment, name or anything about the call that I made the day before.

Problem number two: the service representative kept walking away and making random phone calls without talking to me or letting me know what he was working on.  Finally he calls Subaru America and is told that I am, in fact, out of warranty.

Problem number three: he asks me if I want a quote for the repair, to which I respond in the affirmative.  No mechanic looks at my car, in fact, no one investigated anything outside of my diagnosis.  I am not a mechanic, what if I am wrong?  This issue doesn’t deter our fine customer (dis)service representative who gives me a quote DOUBLE that of what I researched.

Problem number four: DOUBLE?  Really?

So I leave, of course, and just a few miles down the road the car overheats and starts to steam in earnest.  The car and I were at about the same temperature at this point, so I pull over for us both to cool off.  As I sit waiting for Morriss (my boyfriend) to rescue us both, I decide that I will take this time to call Subaru America and state my dissatisfaction with the circumstance.  Throughout this whole visit, my good friend Jeff had been advising me and encouraging me to ask more questions and pursue the issue to the end…I took his advice.

I am greeted by Meghan who clearly payed WAY MORE attention at customer service class than the bonehead at the dealership.  Meghan listens to my story with empathy, asks if I am in a safe location or need any help and then assures me that she is following up on the issue and will be in touch before the close of the day.

Next phone call is to a mechanic at a private shop that I trust who quotes me a price that is more than half what the dealer quoted….can you say scalping boys and girls?  I thought you could!  This mechanic also asks if he can, get a load of this, actually look at the car to determine if my guess is correct before ordering parts.

Within two hours of speaking with Meghan, she has left me a message stating that Subaru America cannot use a warranty to help me out, but will assist me with partial repair cost reimbursement.

So, what I will share with you is this:

I hate the local Subaru dealership and will NEVER EVER use them for so much as an oil change BUT,

I remain a happy Subaru owner as I feel that the company stood by their product and was determined to regain my trust, loyalty and business in a tangible and responsive way.

Meanwhile, I was unable to do several tasks that I needed to do today including reading a water meter for a closing next week.  A reliable car is a must have for a busy real estate agent in Western Massachusetts.   Lucky for my clients and I, my iPhone was working just fine, so I ran business without too many hitches today, even with the car troubles.  My mobile office (aka my car) is schedule for repair next week, when I will be reminded yet again how much I use it and need it to function as a REALTOR.

Thank you Morriss and Jim, and Jeff and Meghan, and my mom and Chris Allen of Allen Afforable Auto Repair in Southwick, MA who will get my business because he is ethical and reliable.