PDA

View Full Version : Town and Country Motorsports (Chandler)


schlizzag
02-28-2007, 03:54 PM
I'm going to stick to the facts and say exactly what has happened so this doesn't turn into a visceral rant about why I'm pissed off right now. Here goes...

During the second week of February, I called T&C to schedule an appointment to bring my Katana in for its 7500 mile service (part of the service plan I paid for when I bought my bike from them new). They got me in the next week, and I dropped my bike off at the end of the day on February 14 to be serviced the next day.

On February 15, I get a call from the guy (Joe) saying my rear brake pads are worn down and need replacement. At this point, I recall that I had noticed some squeaking for the past month and was aware that this was the case (must have just had a brain fart when I dropped it off not to mention this). Anyway, I authorize him to get some new pads and put em on. Fine.

He calls me back later in the day to tell me that it seems as though the brake rotor is messed up and needs to be replaced. This is because the metal of the worn down brake pads had been grinding up on the brake rotor. Well, that sucks. But because I knew the pads have been worn down for a month I figure he's probably right in that diagnosis, and I tell him to go ahead and get another brake rotor.

I call back the next day (February 16) and he tells me that no one locally has the part needed for the job, and he will have to order it from Suzuki in California. He estimates it will arrive at the latest by the next Wednesday (February 21) and I should have my bike back no later than that Thursday (February 22). To me, this is great news, as I'd then be able to make it to the big ride to Saguaro Lake.

Having this news, I don't want to be "that" customer by bugging him every day, so I wait until the Wednesday late afternoon to check in on the part's arrival. Joe tells me it still hasn't arrived, but he's cleared room in the schedule for Thursday to make sure and get it installed if it shows up in the morning. He warns it may not be available to me until Friday even if the part shows up on Thursday.

To this, I'm becoming a bit sad. But I deal with it. Fine. No way will it take longer than Friday. I should still be able to ride my bike over the weekend.

Thursday rolls around, and I call him in the afternoon to get an update. He tells me he was about to call me (actually, he told me this almost every time I called him) and tells me he's not sure what's up. He then says he'll call me the next day by noon to give me an update.

He does call me on that Friday to update me, but has some bad news. He says he got off the phone with Suzuki in California, and tells me the following: Suzuki says they shipped the part, but it must have gotten lost somehow. He then tells me he has reordered the part from them with expedited shipping and it should be here by Tuesday of the next week (February 27 ).

I give a heavy sigh of disappointment, but I accept the fact that I won't be riding for a second weekend in a row. Not only that, but I have been spending about an extra hour on the freeways in my car each day - and spending extra gas on said car versus riding the bike to commute.

Anyway...

Tuesday rolls around, and I call around 1pm. They tell me that he's out to lunch and would call me back. I figure I'd give him until nearer the end of the day before bugging him - I was sure he'd be busy with the part and getting it back on the bike. Around 4 in the afternoon, I get a call from Neil at T&S. He tells me Joe has been out for the day. I explain to Neil the situation and he tells me that the part had just arrived that afternoon, and he'd try to get it on the ticket to be taken care of on Wednesday (February 28 ).

Wednesday rolls around and I call around 11am to get a hold of Joe. He tells me that he's working on getting someone to put the part on, and he'd call me back in an hour. At 1pm, I call back again. Still the same deal, and he'd be back at me soon with an update. 4:30 pm, I call again, and after being on hold for nearly ten minutes I am told he is with a customer and will call me back in just a bit. At 5pm, I call again and am told the same thing. He's with a customer and will call me back soon. I ask the guy on the line if he can check on the status of my bike. He tells me that the part hasn't been installed yet. He tells me he'll have Joe call me back as soon as he's done with the customer he's with. Fine.

Joe calls me back in another five minutes. Tells me he's trying to get someone on it. He tells me the reason for the delays today is because they want to get the original guy who diagnosed the problem to install the part. He tells me he will call me back tomorrow (Thursday March 1) with an update around noon or 1pm.

This is where things stand now. I don't want to go bashing people and abusing this forum for its purposes. I just have to admit that I'm a bit skeptical about what has gone on and am absolutely at a loss for words as to how my bike still isn't back in my hands.

/novel

*updates below*

CENISTR
02-28-2007, 04:12 PM
i have had problems with them to..when i had my 01 gsxr i took it to them to replace the tires...i get my bike back and the next day i realized my bike keeps slowing down and im not on the brakes and i hearing a rotating grinding noise...one of the bolts on the rear caliper is messing...the caliper is wedged against my rim. so now my rim is scratched and my caliper...i call them about it and they tell me to go ahead and drive it in..are you kidding...i tell them to come pick it up...so they do and then they fix it....i ask them what they are going to do to make it up....they give me a fuckin $20 gift card....i will never go back to them...thats all i have to say about them....

06Gixxer King
02-28-2007, 04:52 PM
While disappointing the only part i can see that isn't normal dealer bs ("well you came for this but: this, this and this need to be done too") and bad luck is the last part once they received the rotor.

A brake rotor doesn't need the diagnosing tech to fix it. Anybody who is a tech in that shop certified for Katana's should be fine to do it.

As for the 1st part i have been on the other side of the shipping the part thing and sometimes that is just the way it goes. I have ordered the parts and seen the invoice but never had the part come(be it shipping issues, out of stock, whatever)

but it seems in the last few days the customer service has been horrible and after you get the bike back and have the keys (as you are about to pay the bill) look over the work and then ask to talk with the manager. explain to him the situation and that you think the delay once the part arrived was unreasonable and see what he says. Hopefully he can discount the bill for you as a way to make up for the hardship.

Birdman
02-28-2007, 06:03 PM
Sad story and I have heard it before. I even have my own personal experiences there.....specifically, they had my bike for a month to fix an oil leak that I originally told them how to fix.

06Gixxer King
02-28-2007, 06:06 PM
Sad story and I have heard it before. I even have my own personal experiences there.....specifically, they had my bike for a month to fix an oil leak that I originally told them how to fix.

okay now thats just wrong a month for an oil leak? even if you didn't tell them how to fix it that is a long time.

Blue Devil
02-28-2007, 06:22 PM
Tell them you want your bike tomorrow with rotor or not. Come over to my place and use my tools to put it on. It will take 30min maz to do it.

Birdman
02-28-2007, 06:43 PM
True story, find sometime and I'll tell you the whole story.

BTW, you should use new bolts when you put the new rotor on...but you can re-use the old ones.

Blue Devil
02-28-2007, 07:15 PM
True story, find sometime and I'll tell you the whole story.

BTW, you should use new bolts when you put the new rotor on...but you can re-use the old ones.

exacty... dont wanna retorque bolts that have already been stretched when they were torqued the first time. I have a torque wrench too haha

AZIROC
03-01-2007, 01:06 AM
my question is.. who the hell uses their rear brake.. let alone enough to wear it down THAT much!?? MY 02 R6 i had new in june of 2002 and when i sold it 2 years later, i STILL had the OEM pads on there and they looked BRAND new. the ones on the busa are barel used as well (except for the few "oh shit" moments where i used them).

sucks to hear about ur situation though. i bought my 02 R6 there and they TOTALLY screwed me.. long story short, my 02 R6 cost me 13k by the time all was said and done.. ohh. and that yamaha warrenty.. that SHOULD be $400... they got me for $2500. i didnt know this still about a month after and when i brought it up to them, they basically told me to bad. same thing happened ot my friend when he bought his 02 F4i *we bought our bikes the same day* so yea.. f that place.. and all the az motorsport places/

schlizzag
03-01-2007, 06:20 AM
my question is.. who the hell uses their rear brake.. let alone enough to wear it down THAT much!?? MY 02 R6 i had new in june of 2002 and when i sold it 2 years later, i STILL had the OEM pads on there and they looked BRAND new. the ones on the busa are barel used as well (except for the few "oh shit" moments where i used them).

chalk it up to heavy wear early on when i really really didn't know what i was doing

oh, and i just remembered another issue with these guys.

last year i brought the bike in for one of these xxx mile routine services. i got the bike back and thought something seemed.. off. the next morning i rode in to work and realized the throttle cable was loosening up. i was able to get it home, but honestly - just barely. i had very little throttle available to me, and i realize it was not a safe thing to do

i get home and call them up, and they tell me it's my responsibility to get the bike there, even though they clearly messed up. luckily, i get free tows via AAA, but i had to take time off of work the next morning to get that whole deal set up. they took care of the problem - took all of five minutes.. but damn. that was annoying too

schlizzag
03-01-2007, 06:22 AM
on a positive note - i bought my bike there a little over a year ago brand new for about 700 dollars below MSRP and they threw in a jacket and gloves. i think i at least got a good deal in that respect. the service dept has just been.. questionable at best

Tack_R6
03-01-2007, 11:22 AM
They Stink and i Hate Em!!!!! I will never do business there!!! Had a buddy who worked there, he said it was shady as hell!!! They jack up prices and are usually dicks anyway.... I will stick with YSA and the RideNow in Surprise... As well as reliable ol Cycle Gear. :)

schlizzag
03-01-2007, 01:06 PM
*update*

He did not call as he said he would. I waited an hour and a half after the noon-1pm window he gave, and called them up.

Could not get a hold of Joe, so I just talked to whoever the guy was that I got redirected to. I asked him to check on my bike, and it showed up in the system as not being ready yet. I then asked him if I could just pay for the part and take it with my bike and go. He said that's not a problem, and happens quite often. I told him to let Joe know I would prefer to do that if the bike will not be ready by the end of the day. Regardless, I wanted to come home with my bike today.

Joe calls me back on his cell phone a little bit later and gives me an update. He says he is on lunch but wanted to keep me in the loop on what's up. He seems to keep making the point that the bike should be serviced by the tech who diagnosed the problem. He then tells me it's scheduled for this Saturday.

I ask if I can just take my bike as it is now and the part and I'll figure out how to replace the old rotor. He then tells me the bike probably isn't together and ready to ride with the old rotor on it. I ask him to go check it, and he does and tells me the back wheel is disassembled.

He suggests I call back on the T&C line and get a hold of a service department manager. In doing so, I could explain the situation, and they could probably get things rolling faster since I have been waiting so long.

I give up on him and call T&C back and ask for a manager at the service department. The guy on the phone says there's one manager who is with a customer right now and asks for my name and number so the manager could call me back. I give it to him, and now I wait...

Rodskii
03-01-2007, 01:17 PM
Damn screw that place

GixJello206
03-01-2007, 01:35 PM
Damn screw that place


Dude I say we go get your bike fuck them lets just walk in drop the cash for the part on the counter and we will carry the bike ouT!!! this shit is starting to piss me off and its not even my bike.:mad:

schlizzag
03-01-2007, 01:38 PM
*update*

45 minutes after I called and asked for a manager, I got a call back from the manager. He told me that he has a guy on it now, and not only are they putting the new part on - but they are also finishing up the routine maintenance part. He said it should be ready no later than noon tomorrow (Friday March 2nd).

Asking for a manager did make a difference (of one day, at least).

What a headache.

I'm not at all pleased with the outcome, but I am at least happy that I now have a real expectation of when I get to ride again.

Unless something else crazy happens, I should have my bike back at the end of the day tomorrow and I will see you all Saturday at the bike wash!

06Gixxer King
03-01-2007, 01:45 PM
Make sure you explain what happened before you pay any bill with them. And do not pay full price tell them they had the bike X number of extra days even after the 2nd part arrived and it was in appropriate.

If they do nothing i would have no issue never doing business with them again or advising others not to go

AZIROC
03-01-2007, 01:59 PM
what he said.. when it comes time for the bill.. u need to tell them how long it has taken.. and even go above the managers head... imo, u should only have to pay for the parts*at a discount* and no labor.

schlizzag
03-01-2007, 02:22 PM
Yes, I will be speaking with them about what I'm paying. No, I do not intend on paying their full amount. That's not the big issue for me (time taken and quality of work take precedence), but it is one that I feel needs to be addressed.

Regardless, I have no intent at this point of doing business with them again (at the very least on the customer service side.. but probably not at all). I have already paid for one more service to be done (or maybe two, I have to double check) - but I will not let them diagnose and fix any other problems that may arise. If they diagnose the problems - fine - but they're not doing the service work.

I have a service manual and can work through it - hopefully - with the help of some of you guys. I'd be greatly appreciative to be able to learn more about my bike and its parts - and yes, beers would be involved to show my appreciation.

schlizzag
03-02-2007, 09:06 AM
*update*

Just got a call from Joe. They just last night found that there's a valve leakage problem.

Good news is that they were able to get the needed part(s) locally and it still will be done today and I will go home with my bike today - AND it is covered by warranty so this *new* problem won't cost me any more time/money.

I still just have to wonder why in the past two weeks they couldn't have taken care of the service that was supposed to be done originally on February 15. If they hadn't been able to get a part locally.. then what? Did they plan on trying to have me wait another week? (Not that I would have at this point..)

GixJello206
03-02-2007, 09:07 AM
They had to make the part! lol

schlizzag
03-02-2007, 09:43 AM
They had to make the part! lol

LOL seems like a reasonable explanation

06Gixxer King
03-02-2007, 11:38 AM
Wait so they didn't even complete the initial inspection when they found the rotor issue and just stopped all work on the bike?

WTF they should have done everything else they could have while waiting for the rotor so when it came they would slap it on and have it ready.

schlizzag
03-02-2007, 11:46 AM
Wait so they didn't even complete the initial inspection when they found the rotor issue and just stopped all work on the bike?

WTF they should have done everything else they could have while waiting for the rotor so when it came they would slap it on and have it ready.

That's what I'm saying! And then when they're expecting the part this last Tuesday... they should have set aside time for Wednesday to do the installation - real quick done.

I'm just waiting for the call to go pick it up, and I'm leaving work early. :p

Sc4Gixxer
03-02-2007, 01:26 PM
that sucks to hear man, ive only been over there a few times and was never really impressed by the people there. plus they seem to be overpriced on stuff, like one time they had a yellow and purple F3 for $5999. so after hearing your story im def bailing on this place.

schlizzag
03-04-2007, 08:49 AM
I got my bike back Friday afternoon.

Closing this thread so it doesn't turn into a bash-fest.