Creating my future, one miracle at a time

I picked up the Versa Friday from the repair shop. It's a combined Versa/Mercedes body shop at the Dealer, so I was (mistakenly) sorta at least hoping for SERVICE. Politeness, on-timeness, attention to detail, that sort of thing. They even made me an appointment, for a week later, so they could get the bumper in. Ooh. how thoughtful.

So I bring it in Monday and leave it.

Tuesday, I get a phone call -- that bumper they ordered was damaged and they'd ordered a new one. (uh, nobody had looked at the bumper on Monday? Wasn't the point of waiting a week for an appointment so that they could make sure they had a bumper?) Did I want to come get it and bring it back Thursday (Two days to get the bumper? Thought that took a week?) so I could drive it Wednesday? I told them no, it was more trouble to get someone to help me pick it up and drop it off than to just be without it. Unless they were going to have it through the weekend, in which case I'd rather come pick it up and just start over Monday. No, no, they could go ahead and get started on some of the prep work (get started? I brought it in yesterday why?) and the bumper would get there and I'd have it by Friday.

So, Friday around lunch I call and ask about it. I'm assured that it's basically done and it just needed cleaning up, and they'd call me. About 3:45 they call, it's ready. ooh! Three hours of cleaning!! Must be beautiful (yeah, right)

I get there, it does look great from the outside. But the inside was the same as when I left it. Not vacuumed, and little gray kitty prints on the door and dash. Yes, it was all my mess.  But, hadn't I just been waiting for 3 hours for it to be "cleaned up"?

So when I walked in, I said, in a casual, slightly surprised but not important, just commenting voice, "You didn't vacuum it? Saturn would have vacuumed it."
Man: (in disbelief) "What? We didn't vacuum it? Did we get it dirty?"
Me: Talking at same time "That's okay" (it's too late now) But he's already started out the door and was looking in the car"
Girl: "we usually only clean up if we mess something up."
Me: Still very casual, matter of fact, not important 'too bad about the rain' kind of voice "Really? well, you know, you take five days to do a two-day repair, I'd think you'd be wantin' to impress me...." (Man back inside for the end of this) "Whenever I take the Saturn in, they make it look like it just rolled off the showroom floor."
Man: "When was the last time this car was vacuumed?" (looks like your mess lady)
Me: (Still oh so innocent) "Well, I'm sure it's never been vacuumed -- it's barely 3 months old, it's never even had an oil change."
Man: (in a I'm doing you a big favor voice) "well, we could get someone to vacuum it."
Me: (Smiling that well aren't you an interesting little specimen' smile we usually reserve for children who've wet their pants in public -- I'm channeling my Southern Grandmother ) "Oh, no, no, not at all, I'm not complaining or anything, just letting you know that maybe you don't have THE BEST shop in town."  (gauntlet thrown, Grandmother cheering)
Well, he must have had a Grandmother too, because keys were grabbed, car was disappeared, vacuuming and cleaning was commenced, and it became a car to be proud of.  As he drove it back out he said something about "they even washed the windows." I just said "good"  What? he was expecting a Thank you?  then, "oh! well, streaked my windows anyway." door closed, car started

I'm resigned to the fact that I'm not going to get good service anywhere anymore (I mean really, if Mercedes can't be bothered, who can?)  But I am through pretending like I like it.