If you are ever on Cape Cod and need your Volkswagen serviced, run, don’t walk, to Tracy Volkswagen in Hyannis. This is the best service department of any VW dealer I’ve been to. Granted, this is only the fourth (fifth if you count the one in Connecticut who couldn’t get me in while I was on vacation a couple of years ago). But still, how many dealers do you usually end up dealing with?
We have been having a problem in our van. There has been a hissing noise coming from under the steering column, that stops when you step on the brakes. We decided that we better have that checked before we started driving all over New England this summer. I called to try to get an appointment with our nearby dealer and the only time they could get it in was when Ellen would already be in Vermont with the car. Since I didn’t know for sure when she was coming home, or what our schedule looked like, I decided to call again after she returned.
While in Vermont, the “check brakes” light came on. A year ago, Kevin, at Midas, said to expect it pretty soon, so I guess we were lucky it lasted so long. I called to make an appointment and was told I had to speak to one person in particular, but after two calls where he was unavailable to take my call, I left a message for him to call me. Still waiting.
I called Grammy & Grampy’s VW dealer, even though they are 40 minutes away. I was able to get the car in the day before we were to leave for vacation. They told me that I needed new front brake pads and rotors, rear brake pads and rotors, and a new brake booster (a broken vacuum hose was causing the hissing noise). Unfortunately, he said, they didn’t have any of the parts, and they were nowhere in the state of Ohio. Mmmkay. So, after $76 to not fix the car, I went home weighing my options.
I decided to call Tracy Volkswagen. I explained that I was in Ohio, but that the next day I would be in Cape Cod, and could they do the repairs that my local garage had told me needed to be done. The service tech was very nice, telling me that they could easily get me in the following week, but she would have me talk to the parts department to make sure they could get the parts I needed. Parts said that they had all the brake components in stock, but they would have to order the brake booster and it would be in in two days.
After ordering all the necessary parts, I got transferred back to service where I got voice mail. I left a message saying that I needed to schedule the service, then I pounded back out of the voice mail and ended up talking with another service person, who cheerfully scheduled a time for Tuesday morning.
Less than half an hour later, I got a call from the original service person in response to my voice mail message!
When I brought the car in this morning, the service person asked me if I needed a ride anywhere! I was absolutely floored because the garage where we bought the car (cough...Dave Walter VW...cough...in Akron...cough) insists that I drop the car off for service (so I don’t rush her technicians by sitting in the lobby reading a book) and if I need to get anywhere I can rent a car from them. Just to be sure I didn’t have excessive ear wax, I double checked, and yes, I could get a ride wherever I needed to go (within reason).
While we were at the cottage I checked the messages on our answering machine at home. There was a message from Tracy VW reminding me that I had a service appointment this morning. When the car was ready they called the cottage and left a message with Mom. Then they called our cell phone to tell us that they had called the cottage and left a message with mom.
When we picked the car up it had been washed, including all the brake dust on the wheels.
All of this may be “standard service”, and may be what is supposed to happen at all VW garages, but I can tell you from experience that it doesn’t. And if I know I have a significant repair that can wait until I get to Hyannis, Tracy Volkswagen has my business.
We have been having a problem in our van. There has been a hissing noise coming from under the steering column, that stops when you step on the brakes. We decided that we better have that checked before we started driving all over New England this summer. I called to try to get an appointment with our nearby dealer and the only time they could get it in was when Ellen would already be in Vermont with the car. Since I didn’t know for sure when she was coming home, or what our schedule looked like, I decided to call again after she returned.
While in Vermont, the “check brakes” light came on. A year ago, Kevin, at Midas, said to expect it pretty soon, so I guess we were lucky it lasted so long. I called to make an appointment and was told I had to speak to one person in particular, but after two calls where he was unavailable to take my call, I left a message for him to call me. Still waiting.
I called Grammy & Grampy’s VW dealer, even though they are 40 minutes away. I was able to get the car in the day before we were to leave for vacation. They told me that I needed new front brake pads and rotors, rear brake pads and rotors, and a new brake booster (a broken vacuum hose was causing the hissing noise). Unfortunately, he said, they didn’t have any of the parts, and they were nowhere in the state of Ohio. Mmmkay. So, after $76 to not fix the car, I went home weighing my options.
I decided to call Tracy Volkswagen. I explained that I was in Ohio, but that the next day I would be in Cape Cod, and could they do the repairs that my local garage had told me needed to be done. The service tech was very nice, telling me that they could easily get me in the following week, but she would have me talk to the parts department to make sure they could get the parts I needed. Parts said that they had all the brake components in stock, but they would have to order the brake booster and it would be in in two days.
After ordering all the necessary parts, I got transferred back to service where I got voice mail. I left a message saying that I needed to schedule the service, then I pounded back out of the voice mail and ended up talking with another service person, who cheerfully scheduled a time for Tuesday morning.
Less than half an hour later, I got a call from the original service person in response to my voice mail message!
When I brought the car in this morning, the service person asked me if I needed a ride anywhere! I was absolutely floored because the garage where we bought the car (cough...Dave Walter VW...cough...in Akron...cough) insists that I drop the car off for service (so I don’t rush her technicians by sitting in the lobby reading a book) and if I need to get anywhere I can rent a car from them. Just to be sure I didn’t have excessive ear wax, I double checked, and yes, I could get a ride wherever I needed to go (within reason).
While we were at the cottage I checked the messages on our answering machine at home. There was a message from Tracy VW reminding me that I had a service appointment this morning. When the car was ready they called the cottage and left a message with Mom. Then they called our cell phone to tell us that they had called the cottage and left a message with mom.
When we picked the car up it had been washed, including all the brake dust on the wheels.
All of this may be “standard service”, and may be what is supposed to happen at all VW garages, but I can tell you from experience that it doesn’t. And if I know I have a significant repair that can wait until I get to Hyannis, Tracy Volkswagen has my business.
