Times may be tough, yet customers continue to get their vehicles serviced. Are you getting your share? According to some sources, nearly 65% of maintenance work is performed by non-dealership service facilities. Jiffy Lube accounts for about 15% and ranks second to general independent shops, so I decided to mystery shop in order to compare them to my dealership's service department. Here's what I found:

The Service Drive

I was approached while still in my car by a man who turned out to be the manager. He didn't say "hello" but simply asked, "Here for an oil change?" After I responded in the affirmative, he reached his hand into my car and pulled my "next oil change" sticker off the windshield and said, "That's not mine!"

The Write Up

Without comment, the manager walked over to a computer terminal, covered by an umbrella, that was adjacent to the drive. He keyed in my information and then asked, "How are your wiper blades?" I replied, "Fine." He then suggested that a transmission service be performed because that is what the manufacturer recommends at my present mileage. I told him I had it done already and no further sales attempts were made. Note: He never provided an estimate for the service nor did he ask me to sign a service order.

The Waiting Area

Upon arriving inside, I noticed a variety of posters that explained what and why each of the available services were offered. It was interesting that each of the posters had a note that stated the recommendations were based on the manufacturers' "severe" maintenance schedules. The manager hadn't told me that when he suggested the transmission service.

The Delivery

The one positive experience I had was when the tech who serviced my car came in and reviewed everything he had done including vacuuming the vehicle. He asked if I had any questions and then handed me a frequent visitor card that provided an increased incentive for each of my next 5 visits. By the 5th visit, my service would be reduced in cost by $10.00.

Nothing about the visit caused me to want to take my car back to Jiffy Lube. But if my dealership experience were the same as Jiffy Lube, I'd take it back there in a heartbeat. So how does your dealership stack up?