Windshield change and how things can go wrong.
07-15-2012, 11:55 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Windshield change and how things can go wrong.
Beginning of the may i reserved a time for a windshield change from Honda dealers damage repair shop.
Got earlier few stone/wintertyre spike chips and then about 2ft long crack started from some old one.
I have insurance what pays for repairs (free for me) and if the windshield has to be changed my share would be 180e.
When i reserved the time, i said that i will bring it to them bacause i want OEM glass and i want the job to be done properly.
Foreman of the shop ordered the glass and gave time on 15th of may, two weeks should be enough to get the glass.
Wife took the car to the shop, i am working on the opposite direction and she was at home, she got a rental car for free, that is included to the insurance also, and they said that car is ready next day afternoon.
It was, she picked it up and came home.
Next day was a holiday in Finland and i was at home. I started to look the quality of the work.
First, windshield washer didnt work, it was caused by wrongly routed hose what was under some panel and pinched.
Some plastic fasteners were missing, some of them was broken. That black plastic part where the washer nozzles are was loose on the driver side because the tall plastic fastener was missing, only the screw was hanging there.
Toolmarks on the driverside pilar, not on the metal but trough the paint. Scratches on the top of the passenger side front fender and the list grows on.
Trims didnt fit around the glass, upper horisontal trim wasnt straight, driver side was 6mm lower than passenger side etc.
I made a list, 12 different failures, but it kept water outside
Next day i called to the shop, same foreman at the phone, i introduced my self and asked if he remembers what i sayed when i reserved the time for a windshield change, he did.
I sayed that only thing what was ok was that it is not leaking water and explained all to him. He said that unbeliveable, bring the car back and gave a time for next week. I asked that why it was given back in that condition, silence....
Wife took the car back and got again free rental.
Next day the guy called me and sayed that you can pick up the car, they fixed everything they could but they have to order new windshield, fitting of those trims cant be fixed unless they take away the glass and they are afraid that they will broke the glass when cutting it off. Ok, they will call me when they have the glass and then we will get a new time for it.
Scratches from the fender was polished away, they were only on the clear coating, fine.
After three weeks i called them and asked about the windshield, surprise, it was just arrived... We booked the time on the beginning of the july, my summer vacation started then and i took the car there by myself, again free rental and next day they called me that your car is ready, didnt have time that day but i went there next day to pick it up. When i took it there and when i picked it up there was different foreman and he was really pi##ed of about whole thing and made it quite clear, i responded that we wouldnt have any problems unless they wouldnt have fu##ed it up at the first time.
Ok, everything was fine now, they had installed totally new trims and fasteners. But forgotted one thing, when i was talking about the bad job quality with the first foreman he promised to install new wiper inserts for free but this seemed to be too hard task.
They payed dearly about learning to change the windshield.
They sayed that the first one was somehow slided down from the driverside when the glue was getting hard.
Original amount of the bill to the insurance company was something like 1100e plus my 180e
And all of this took time from the middle of the may to the beginning of the july.
Got earlier few stone/wintertyre spike chips and then about 2ft long crack started from some old one.
I have insurance what pays for repairs (free for me) and if the windshield has to be changed my share would be 180e.
When i reserved the time, i said that i will bring it to them bacause i want OEM glass and i want the job to be done properly.
Foreman of the shop ordered the glass and gave time on 15th of may, two weeks should be enough to get the glass.
Wife took the car to the shop, i am working on the opposite direction and she was at home, she got a rental car for free, that is included to the insurance also, and they said that car is ready next day afternoon.
It was, she picked it up and came home.
Next day was a holiday in Finland and i was at home. I started to look the quality of the work.
First, windshield washer didnt work, it was caused by wrongly routed hose what was under some panel and pinched.
Some plastic fasteners were missing, some of them was broken. That black plastic part where the washer nozzles are was loose on the driver side because the tall plastic fastener was missing, only the screw was hanging there.
Toolmarks on the driverside pilar, not on the metal but trough the paint. Scratches on the top of the passenger side front fender and the list grows on.
Trims didnt fit around the glass, upper horisontal trim wasnt straight, driver side was 6mm lower than passenger side etc.
I made a list, 12 different failures, but it kept water outside
Next day i called to the shop, same foreman at the phone, i introduced my self and asked if he remembers what i sayed when i reserved the time for a windshield change, he did.
I sayed that only thing what was ok was that it is not leaking water and explained all to him. He said that unbeliveable, bring the car back and gave a time for next week. I asked that why it was given back in that condition, silence....
Wife took the car back and got again free rental.
Next day the guy called me and sayed that you can pick up the car, they fixed everything they could but they have to order new windshield, fitting of those trims cant be fixed unless they take away the glass and they are afraid that they will broke the glass when cutting it off. Ok, they will call me when they have the glass and then we will get a new time for it.
Scratches from the fender was polished away, they were only on the clear coating, fine.
After three weeks i called them and asked about the windshield, surprise, it was just arrived... We booked the time on the beginning of the july, my summer vacation started then and i took the car there by myself, again free rental and next day they called me that your car is ready, didnt have time that day but i went there next day to pick it up. When i took it there and when i picked it up there was different foreman and he was really pi##ed of about whole thing and made it quite clear, i responded that we wouldnt have any problems unless they wouldnt have fu##ed it up at the first time.
Ok, everything was fine now, they had installed totally new trims and fasteners. But forgotted one thing, when i was talking about the bad job quality with the first foreman he promised to install new wiper inserts for free but this seemed to be too hard task.
They payed dearly about learning to change the windshield.
They sayed that the first one was somehow slided down from the driverside when the glue was getting hard.
Original amount of the bill to the insurance company was something like 1100e plus my 180e
And all of this took time from the middle of the may to the beginning of the july.
Last edited by Maintenanceman; 07-15-2012 at 12:01 PM.
07-15-2012, 02:31 PM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
Forgot to mention that in that "more than three week" period of time i got a customer feedback inquiry from my insurance company. They wanted to know that was i satisfied about their customer service....
I answered and told them truthfully how things were going and that i dont blame them at all because service f##ed things up.
After two days i got an e-mail from my insurance companys customer service chief and he was sorry about everything and last sentence was:
We will be in touch to the service.
I know how to be an a###ole customer (sorry,quality-conscious), i meet those at my work sometimes.
I answered and told them truthfully how things were going and that i dont blame them at all because service f##ed things up.
After two days i got an e-mail from my insurance companys customer service chief and he was sorry about everything and last sentence was:
We will be in touch to the service.
I know how to be an a###ole customer (sorry,quality-conscious), i meet those at my work sometimes.
Last edited by Maintenanceman; 07-15-2012 at 02:36 PM.
07-15-2012, 08:29 PM
#5
Senior Moderator
You find lazy-assed people everywhere, I guess. What an awful story. I'm glad everything worked out for you. It never surprises me anymore, that people return your car back to you with scratches on it, hoping you won't notice. Just unfrickingbelievable. 
You can tell this has happened to me....
You can tell this has happened to me....
07-16-2012, 08:55 AM
#7
Senior Moderator
Nice rant!
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