Pep Boys Auto Parts & Service

Reviews 3

BR

Brayden Cressman

Yesterday I made an appt online to bring my car to Pep Boys 1901 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall, PA 18052 for a simple oil change. My 2008 Honda Fit is not any type of special, advanzed car, so it only requires a standard oil change. I showed up on time for my 11:00am appt and waited a few minutes while the employee finished up his phone call before he checked me in, gave me my receipt, and confirmed that I would be waiting for my car (which was printed on the appt sheet as well). Time went by, and I kept myself busy in the waiting area as people came and went. Eventually, 45mins went by and I started to get concerned, but I figured "theyre just busy" so I kept waiting. Then an hour went by, and an hour and a half and I was extremely frustrated. Another frustrated woman waiting next to me encouraged me to go see what was happening with my car, so I waited in line until I was able to talk to someone. The guy who checked me in was on the phone again, so I spoke with another employee who had just come on his shift. I started off nice, and politely told him the situation and asked for an update on my car. He looked around a bit, and pulled my car information sheet right out of the "completed" bin. I asked him how long it had been in there, and he replied, "probably an hour." At that point I became angry and told him that I understood it was not his fault, because he had just arrived at work, but that it was unacceptable that I sat there and waited (which it said on my form) for an extra hour because no one gave me the courtesy of walking the 5 extra feet to tell me my car was finished. I then proceeded to tell him that I will NEVER again be a customer of Pep Boys (a promise I intend to keep), and he tried to tell me that "we are the best; thats why our parking lots are always full". I told him that I did not hold that same belief, and he then decided to try and explain that "all other places just empty your oil and put it back in without cleaning your filters or anything" which, Im sure, he is not an expert on. He did not apologize for wasting an hour and a half of my day, instead he wasted more of my time by attempting to convince me that I had to be understanding and that I was wrong. When he gave up, he handed my paperwork off to a different mechanic who replied "I dont know" when asked why I sat for an hour and a half while no one told me my car was ready. The only apology I got was "sorry for the wait, maam" and he took care of my bill. I have NEVER been treated so poorly in my life getting service on my car. In fact, I have never been treated so poorly in any customer service atmosphere. I have worked in the customer service industry, and the first thing you should do with a dissatisfied guest is APOLOGIZE, not try and make them feel like an incompetent woman not capable of understanding what it takes to do simple mechanics on a car. The fact is, I could have changed my oil myself, but I do not have a place to do it since I dont have access to a garage or somewhere to legally dispose of the old oil. I am not one to complain (or I would have gotten up way earlier to bother the mechanics about my car), but this experience was unacceptable on so many levels. I had an 11:00am appt, and I didnt even walk over to bother the mechanics at the desk until 12:30pm just to find that my car had been done for who knows how long. I hope that other customers dont have to experience the horrible, apathetic treatment that I received at Pep Boys in Whitehall.

A

A Private User

Well I would like to say that if I could rate this NO stars I would. I took my vehicle in for my inspection this year. I contacted them around the 22nd Of December to schedule my inspection/emissions. I was told by "JED" that I could come down that evening to have it done. When I got there he dicided to inform me that it could not be done because his emissions certified person did not show up for work. I never got a phone call stating that they could not do it. Right away Jed told me that "Our emissions guy comes in whenever he feels like it, he works full time for Jaguar and comes in when he feels like helping us out." That was the first time I wasted my time down there. Then Jed rescheduled me for the 31st of December.......THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH! So on the 31st I go to take my car in and the roads were a little "damp". snowed a few hours prior to when I went in. Also I had to take time off work to get it done. I get there and Im told "Oh we cant do it because the roads are wet." Meanwhile he tells the guy in line behind me that his inspection is done. So I never got a phone call again stating that they could not do it, I had to take 4 hours off work, and now Im srcrewed missed hours and no inspection. I was rescheduled again for 2 days later. I got my car in at 8am. Normal places get a inspection/emission test done in about an hour and a half at tops. The first hour and a half all the mechanics and management staff just stood around, talked and drank their coffee. After Sitting there for 4 and a half hours my car was finally finished at 1230pm. FOUR AND A HALF HOURS TO DO AN INSPECTION AND EMISSION TEST? Overall they SUCK! They have horrible customer service and are very unprofessional. I do have to agree with Renalp who posted the review below They stand around and talk and offer NO assistance while using profanity left and right. I dont want to hear who had sex with who last night and who was "bangin this chick last night." It is rude and unprofessional! If you want to go to a good reliable shop, go to Midas across the street or Midas on Lehigh St in Allentown. They will take care of you.

CJ

CJ S

Many years ago they ripped me off double charging me for inspection (all because I had to take my car at the time for service elsewhere where it was under warranty for a particular part they said needed to be tended to in order to pass inspection). Double charging for the same service is clear and outright theft, and they refused to refund me. It would give anyone pause in thinking they could get overcharged for any other service being done. Their in-store inventory (floor space) has shrunk at this location, all for probably increasing parts inventory space for overpriced parts. Case in point, for some oil filters they can charge as much as 3 times as other similar filters. Even after complaints years ago about mismanaged items in their computer they never fixed it. I can get the exact same brand/model filter (in another brand in their own store too) at other auto stores for the same price as similar filters. In fact the type of oil filter I use could potentially cost a little bit less than others, as I use a filter thats a little bit narrower than most and does not have a canister to contain it. Just goes to show you how industries like this can have outrageously priced items they never do anything about, and chalk it up to probably being just an "industry standard" price and dont care as long as people keep paying it.