I took my 2005 Chevy Malibu in this week for THREE recall repairs. The brake lamp, transmission shift cable, and a turn signal issue have been reported, but I haven't experienced any problems myself. I have actually never been to a dealership for service, and I have procrastinated these repairs for a good long time. I called ahead, got an appointment, and found out about the courtesy shuttle because I have no other way to get around without help driving me elsewhere. I arrived on time and was seated in the waiting area quickly. That's where the story turned sour.
I discovered that the list already had 16 people on it. This meant that by the time they got to me, it would be at least an hour. What's the point of getting on the list if it doesn't expedite the day? What was the point of an appointment if people who just show up can get on the list ahead of me? If I had known that, I would have shown up at 7AM to get a spot higher on the list. I mean, the service department was efficient up to that point, much to my amazement, but they had one shuttle driver. When she took her first load of four people, she took the list with her, and I started weighing other options.
I decided to walk to work since by my reckoning the dealership was only 4 miles from where I work. I can walk that in an hour any day of the week, and by the time the shuttle returned and got me to work, assuming I was the very next stop which I doubted, I would arrive at basically the same time. This way, I wouldn't just sit there doing nothing, and I'd get some exercise to boot. So, I asked for some information to get my bearings and hit the road.
My calculations about time and distance and ability were wrong. It was 96F that day as a high, it was humid for Vegas, and I was quickly out of the energy provided by my morning V8. As it turns out, the dealership was actually 6 miles from work, so it took me 90 minutes to walk. Good thing I wore my nice new shoes! So, I made good time, got in a good workout, but by the time I got to work I was wet and slightly odiferous. I am sure people noticed and objected.
I appreciate the shuttle service usually. It's nice to not have to rely on someone else or inconvenience a friend, neighbor, or relative to get you where you need to go. However, this was supremely inefficient and ineffectively articulated. If I had known, I would have made alternative arrangements. At least they gave me a loaner/rental later since it was going to take a few days, but I reaffirmed my belief that going in for service is a huge hassle. By the time I waited on the shuttle, I'd end up taking off half a day. No wonder people do what they do. Hopefully they won't break anything while the car is there. Now, I thank God that I had the endurance and stamina to complete the walk. It's a desert out there.
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