On Saturday afternoon, I took my husband's Jeep Grand Cherokee to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. They were just about to close, but they didn't hesitate to wave me in. They did a quick oil change, didn't pressure me too much to do extra services (and even offered to work with me on the prices if I changed my mind), and got me out the door in less than 15 minutes.
All seemed well until the next day. I got home from the movies and noticed a trail of oil leading from the street all the way to a puddle of oil beneath the Jeep. My husband had only driven to the computer store and back, but by the time he made it back home, the "low oil" light was on.
As soon as they opened at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, I called Jiffy Lube and told them what was happening. They suggested I drive the Jeep over, but once I checked the oil level and found the dipstick completely clean, I called back and said I wasn't comfortable driving it.
Here's where the customer service portion of this story kicks into high gear. The guy on the phone got my address and said he'd be right over. Sure enough, he arrived in about 15 minutes. I raised the hood of the Jeep so he could have a look and he immediately said, "Just as I suspected, we cracked the oil pressure sender while we were replacing the oil filter."
While I fished the receipt out of the glove box, he made a note of the vehicle's engine size and said he'd be back with the part and some oil within the hour, apologizing for the inconvenience. I was so surprised not to have to argue about the whole situation that I didn't even mind that it was going to make me a little late for work.
He must have returned while I was fixing my hair because he had already replaced the part and topped off the oil before I noticed he was back. By then, my husband was up and around, so I let him take over, but not before I heard the Jiffy Lube guy apologize again for our inconvenience and offer to degrease the Jeep's engine and bring over some degreasing solution for our driveway.
I know it shouldn't be a huge shock when a company takes full responsibility for one of its mistakes and makes amends, but it is. I'm so used to the idea that a customer has to fight for satisfaction in a situation like this that I hardly knew how to act when everything was handled so satisfactorily.
So, hooray for Jiffy Lube! Sure, they have at least one careless guy on staff who needs to learn to take it easy with the oil filter wrench, but they clearly have a solid plan in place in case of trouble. As another Jane would say, "What's not to like about that?"
I'm glad to hear that you had a good experience with them. We've stopped going to places like that because of too many bad experiences, add-on sales and the like. Instead we found a local guy that is fantastic. If you're ever in Oshkosh, I'll recommend him.
Posted by: Stacie | October 04, 2005 at 08:34 AM
We have Jiffy Lube Knock-offs that suck. We refuse to go to 1 in particular. The pressure is bad and the service wasn't that great. If we move, I'll have to try one.
Posted by: Huts | October 04, 2005 at 08:51 AM
I have to report that I have had bad experiences with Jiffy Lube as well - HOWEVER, you should have given us the location! As with all franchises, that's what makes the difference!
Posted by: cagey | October 04, 2005 at 09:36 AM
Jane, it's so refreshing to hear SOMEONE have a good customer service experience. We hear about all the bad ones, and there are a lot...mainly because noone stands up to be accountable. Nice to hear when someone does.
Posted by: Joy Des Jardins | October 04, 2005 at 10:54 AM
Hmmm, just when I say I'm dumping Jiffy Lube! The time before last they changed my air filter and the A/C stank for 3 days. When I asked my husband to make sure something wasn't dead in my engine, he found a tool they'd left inside (but no explanation on the smell). And LAST time I went, I was driving with my boss down the highway (80 mph) when I noticed my hood shuddering. I pulled to the side to check and it was unlatched! Now THAT could have ended badly! Maybe I should call them...
Posted by: Pharmgirl | October 04, 2005 at 12:20 PM
Jane, after the kind of day I've had with British Telecom trying to shag me for a fiver for being late paying (in their opinion), your story was refreshing.
KP
Posted by: Keith Povall | October 04, 2005 at 02:22 PM
Glad you had a good experience. Jiffy Lube actually destroyed my car. Went for a simple oil change and got suckered into a few additional services. Well, they ended up installing the incorrect filter on mine and it seized up on the highway. Ruined my entire engine to a tune of $6,000 for a new one. Finally settled out of court about 6 weeks later for $3,000 but I never got my car back. I cringe even driving past one now wondering what problems each person driving out of there is going to get.
Posted by: Eric W | October 05, 2005 at 11:18 AM
Eric W - I was very afraid that the Jeep's motor was going to be ruined and I'm still not confident that things would have worked out so well if that had been the case. It's always a risk to trust your car to other people.
Posted by: Jane | October 05, 2005 at 01:21 PM
Good story, Jane. As always, it depends on the people -- not the franchise. I'll be staying at another Radisson tonight. We'll see how they compare.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | October 19, 2005 at 11:18 AM