600 Mile service done in Houston

[jcthorne]

Picked up my Spyder this morning. Had the 600 mile service done yesterday afternoon. Just thought I would make a post about how things went. Not all that bad but not all that great either.

I asked what name brand synthetic oil they carried for the Spyder, service writer replied they carry Royal Purple. Great, please use the Royal Purple oil in my oil change as part of the service, I will pay the difference. Noted on service order, or so I thought.

I was asked if I was going to wait for it. Said no, please call or text me when its ready as I would like to pick it up in the afternoon. No problem.

Any difficulties with the bike? Yes, it emits large amounts of fuel fumes whenever sitting in traffic and fills my garage with gas fumes each time I park it after sitting in traffic. The fuel is boiling in the tank. Please check. Noted on service order.

No call all afternoon so about 5pm I call to check. Service manager answers the phone, checked on bike and tech says it is finished. OK, since it is now late in the day and I could not get there before they close I will pick up in the morning.

Arrive this morning. Bill is $387.42. I asked if that included the Royal Purple upcharge. No, they used BRP oil that came in the kit. Please call ahead next time to be sure the RP is available. (I did, made the appointment a week in advance and asked for the RP then). Checking the service order when I got it, there was nothing noted. Asked about fuel fumes, nothing found. Hmm guess they looked real hard.

Then there is the pricing. They admitted they used a Can Am oil change kit, but rather than charge me retail price for the kit, they list each piece down to the o rings (which come with the filters if purchased separately anyway) and copper washers. Total parts for an oil change of regular non-synthetic oil: $91.59 before tax. Then they charged me 3 hours labor at full rate for the service. Really? a fully trained tech needs 3 hours to do an oil change?

Bike was returned dirty and the grill for the left service panel was sitting on the passenger seat, I had to pull the panel and re-install it myself. What else did the tech forget? Suppose I need to pull the panels and go over it myself. It did seem to run fine on the way home.


Sorry but if they are trying to build a working relationship, this was not the way to do it. All future service will be done by me, in my shop. Only seeing the dealer if there is a warranty repair to be done. I had wanted it to be otherwise but not this service dept. If they had just done a through job and handled it well, I would not even complain about the high charges. OK, the dealer recovered an additional $300 revenue from me. No more. Rant over.

 

[Chupaca]

Bummer..!!

sorry for your rather unpleasant expeirence. Saddly we see a lot of that here. I trully feel the first service should be done free as it is to make sure the product sold to you is in good working order after break in period. I now do my own work but always have the first service done by the dealer so they can have no claims...!! :thumbup:

 

[wetmountainman]

sorry for your rather unpleasant expeirence. Saddly we see a lot of that here. I trully feel the first service should be done free as it is to make sure the product sold to you is in good working order after break in period. I now do my own work but always have the first service done by the dealer so they can have no claims...!! :thumbup:

I feel lucky, my 600 mile service was $175.00 in September. Even that sounded high to me, for mainly just an oil change. Who knows what they really did after that. They show a check list, but you know how that could go.. check, check, check...etc.

 

[cuznjohn]

600 mile

i payed 400 plus tax

 

[wd5gnr]

Picked up my Spyder this morning. Had the 600 mile service done yesterday afternoon

Mind if I ask which dealer? Mancuso Gulf did mine and they seemed ok although like you say the bill seems high for a maintenance item. I also had a loose panel (post not pushed into a grommet) and the bike was dirty, but I didn't have any other trouble and they've been helpful running down other issues (bad shock, the recalls)-- they have other locations, too, so don't know if you were there or one of the two or three others around Houston.

 

[Petah50]

Mind if I ask which dealer? Mancuso Gulf did mine and they seemed ok although like you say the bill seems high for a maintenance item. I also had a loose panel (post not pushed into a grommet) and the bike was dirty, but I didn't have any other trouble and they've been helpful running down other issues (bad shock, the recalls)-- they have other locations, too, so don't know if you were there or one of the two or three others around Houston.

Interested as well. I need to get my service done soon.

 

[twain]

I have been to Mancuso Southwest, LaMarqe, Wild West and Gulf Freeway. Best results for me have been at Gulf Freeway. Even with all my problems with ST they have taken care of me to fix my problems to the best of their ability. As a side note also ordered a Indian Vintage from them today.

 

[Petah50]

I have been to Mancuso Southwest, LaMarqe, Wild West and Gulf Freeway. Best results for me have been at Gulf Freeway. Even with all my problems with ST they have taken care of me to fix my problems to the best of their ability. As a side note also ordered a Indian Vintage from them today.

Congrats on the Indian! Good looking bikes!

 

[jcthorne]

My 'service' was done at Mancuso Southwest. Perhaps I should try Gulf freeway location or is there one up north side? My wife gets her Harley serviced at Mancuso Crossroads HD on 290 and the experience could not be more different that what I had. I will likely do my own service going forward. I do on everything else I own but would like not to have to. Suppose its a good thing I did not expect them to actually fix anything.

 

[twain]

At SW I feel like the Spyders are red headed step children. They tend to favor the crotch rockets and Ducati crowd there. Just my opinion though.

 

[ARtraveler]

Your posting is typical of what we see at many dealers. If you have a choice, it might be better to take your business elsewhere. Sounds slipshod and mercenary this go around.

I do like Chupaca's suggestion that 600 mile service should be free. On a machine this expensive--why not?

 

[redflasher]

$440.00 for my 600 service.

 

[Spyder4Tess]

Arrive this morning. Bill is $387.42.

Then there is the pricing. They admitted they used a Can Am oil change kit, but rather than charge me retail price for the kit, they list each piece down to the o rings (which come with the filters if purchased separately anyway) and copper washers. Total parts for an oil change of regular non-synthetic oil: $91.59 before tax. Then they charged me 3 hours labor at full rate for the service. Really? a fully trained tech needs 3 hours to do an oil change?

Did you get price's(reg. oil and RP oil) for the work to be done first?
Yes they did screw up by not using the oil you requested but if the service price is what they quoted you,it does not matter if the kit was itemized.

 

[flybuddy]

The standard "Powersport" dealers sell crotch rockets, 4 wheelers, jap bikes of all types, wave runners, etc. In many cases only a small percentage of sales are for Spyders. Given the unique and complex servicing needs of a Spyder, the average wrench turner/tech at the dealer in is over his head. Ways to improve Spyder maintenance include:
* BRP doing a more thorough job certifying service centers
* owner having work done at a dealer that sells a lot of Spyders
* owner researching dealers reputation with other Spyder owners (word of mouth, forums, etc)
* learn to do your own maintenance and only utilize dealer for electronic, BUDs type issues.
I believe there is a market for owner maintenance classes. BRP has been reluctant to do this but IMO, some enterprising, knowledgeable Spyder guru could make this work.

 

[HuckFin]

The standard "Powersport" dealers sell crotch rockets, 4 wheelers, jap bikes of all types, wave runners, etc. In many cases only a small percentage of sales are for Spyders. Given the unique and complex servicing needs of a Spyder, the average wrench turner/tech at the dealer in is over his head. Ways to improve Spyder maintenance include:
* BRP doing a more thorough job certifying service centers
* owner having work done at a dealer that sells a lot of Spyders
* owner researching dealers reputation with other Spyder owners (word of mouth, forums, etc)
* learn to do your own maintenance and only utilize dealer for electronic, BUDs type issues.
I believe there is a market for owner maintenance classes. BRP has been reluctant to do this but IMO, some enterprising, knowledgeable Spyder guru could make this work.

On your "ways to improve Spyder maintenance," I go with #4 *learn to do your own maintenance and only utilize dealer for electronic, Buds type issues. If you have done your own maintenance on your other vehicles in the past, I think you will find your Spyder is easy to work on, although the front suspension grease fittings were a little hard to get to without a motorcycle jack... Got one now.

 

[Dan McNally]

Picked up my Spyder this morning. Had the 600 mile service done yesterday afternoon. Just thought I would make a post about how things went. Not all that bad but not all that great either.

I asked what name brand synthetic oil they carried for the Spyder, service writer replied they carry Royal Purple. Great, please use the Royal Purple oil in my oil change as part of the service, I will pay the difference. Noted on service order, or so I thought.

I was asked if I was going to wait for it. Said no, please call or text me when its ready as I would like to pick it up in the afternoon. No problem.

Any difficulties with the bike? Yes, it emits large amounts of fuel fumes whenever sitting in traffic and fills my garage with gas fumes each time I park it after sitting in traffic. The fuel is boiling in the tank. Please check. Noted on service order.

No call all afternoon so about 5pm I call to check. Service manager answers the phone, checked on bike and tech says it is finished. OK, since it is now late in the day and I could not get there before they close I will pick up in the morning.

Arrive this morning. Bill is $387.42. I asked if that included the Royal Purple upcharge. No, they used BRP oil that came in the kit. Please call ahead next time to be sure the RP is available. (I did, made the appointment a week in advance and asked for the RP then). Checking the service order when I got it, there was nothing noted. Asked about fuel fumes, nothing found. Hmm guess they looked real hard.

Then there is the pricing. They admitted they used a Can Am oil change kit, but rather than charge me retail price for the kit, they list each piece down to the o rings (which come with the filters if purchased separately anyway) and copper washers. Total parts for an oil change of regular non-synthetic oil: $91.59 before tax. Then they charged me 3 hours labor at full rate for the service. Really? a fully trained tech needs 3 hours to do an oil change?

Bike was returned dirty and the grill for the left service panel was sitting on the passenger seat, I had to pull the panel and re-install it myself. What else did the tech forget? Suppose I need to pull the panels and go over it myself. It did seem to run fine on the way home.


Sorry but if they are trying to build a working relationship, this was not the way to do it. All future service will be done by me, in my shop. Only seeing the dealer if there is a warranty repair to be done. I had wanted it to be otherwise but not this service dept. If they had just done a through job and handled it well, I would not even complain about the high charges. OK, the dealer recovered an additional $300 revenue from me. No more. Rant over.

Check your oil level. I checked my oil, regularly, as the owner's manual said to do. At 600 miles, it was the same level as when I got it the first day. For some reason, I trusted the dealer and did not check when I got home after my 600 mile. I checked it a few weeks later and it took over a half quart. at 2000, the level remains full. Does anyone seriously believe I burned no oil in 600 miles, then burned over a half quart it the next couple hundred miles, and then none for over a 1000 more? Always check you oil, as soon as you get home, if someone else changed it for you!

 

[jcthorne]

Did you get price's(reg. oil and RP oil) for the work to be done first?
Yes they did screw up by not using the oil you requested but if the service price is what they quoted you,it does not matter if the kit was itemized.

The quote given verbally by the service writer was 'about $375' but I understood that to include the Royal Purple oil as we had already discussed that and he had added it to the service ticket...or so I thought. They charged me $11 a quart for BRP blended oil. 5 qts. Also there is no way to review the service ticket when dropping off. They put it on an ipad and have you sign it. Problem is the form is supposed to be 11 x 14 inches printed, but reduced to 10" ipad. The very small print on the form is reduced to illegiable dots. Its really only a release for them to operate the vehicle and work on it but should be readable when sighned. Its pretty much not enforceable as used since the customer cannot read it. The whole experience was underhanded, dirty and dishonest. And yes, I felt like the step child in the Ducati service department.

Sorry to disagree with you but it matters a lot that they itemized the parts rather than charging for the kit. I found one more item last night, they charged me for the new long filter cover that comes in the kit. My 2013 RT came equipped with that cover from the factory. $16 more pure profit to the dealer account.

I also found out the Royal Purple they claim to 'not have' was sitting on the shelf in the dealer showroom accessories area. Yea, they just ignored the request and wanted me out of there as soon as they could get my money.

I spent a good deal of time this afternoon getting Mancuso crud off my bike. Oily hand prints, spilled oil and over all sloppy work. Nothing appears broken or leaking that I could see so not too awful there I suppose. Just not the kind of trip to build a service relationship on. Quite the opposite. They made it clear I was not wanted there. I can take a hint.

Does BRP send out dealer quality surveys after service like the automakers do? BRP needs to learn how dealer service is administered by the major auto companies. Forget Lexus and other top tier dealers, they could learn a lot from a basic Ford or Chevy dealer service department.

 

[jcthorne]

Your posting is typical of what we see at many dealers. If you have a choice, it might be better to take your business elsewhere. Sounds slipshod and mercenary this go around.

I do like Chupaca's suggestion that 600 mile service should be free. On a machine this expensive--why not?

To get away from the Mancuso franchise, I would have to travel to Austin or San Antonio for service. I can do it myself far easier than traveling those distances. I should not have to. BRP needs to do better.

 

[Petah50]

To get away from the Mancuso franchise, I would have to travel to Austin or San Antonio for service. I can do it myself far easier than traveling those distances. I should not have to. BRP needs to do better.

Did you ever consider Wild West in Katy?

 

[joet82]

Here at Pitbull Powersports, in Springfield, MO, we charge $206 after taxes for our services. and we do a full onceover on the bike. change oil, check all fluids, hook up to buds, etc. it sucks hearing about these dealers who upcharge everything and give shotty service. but I've been on the receiving end as well. will never step inside Cal Coast in Ventura, CA, again because of a $300 dollar oil change on my 4wheeler.