Gateway Automotive Experts (Sedro Woolley)
We used this repair shop for years and had wonderful experiences when it was Vollan's Automotive. Since being sold to Gateway, our family has had several bad experiences. The first was taking our SUV in for a driver's side window repair (it came off the track/broke and wouldn't go back up. They called us and said we needed a new front left tire because it was badly worn and unsafe to drive (we had gotten new tires the previous week). They said they noticed it when it was put on the rack (why they put it on a rack to fix the driver's side window is beyond me). After several hours of back and forth phone calls, they finally admitted that their mechanic had gashed the tired when putting it on the rack and they paid for a new tire. The second issue was when my son took his car in for an oil change. They gave him a huge list of repairs that the car needed immediately or it would be unsafe to drive. Fortunately, he didn't authorize the repairs and got the car looked at elsewhere. The biggest item on the list was that the check engine was on (it wasn't on when he went in) and they said the engine had a bad misfire and needed immediate repair. Turns out the oil fill cap was bad and it wasn't sealing. Strange coincidence after an oil change. They also overfilled the car with fresh oil and said they wouldn't be able to drain it for two weeks. Very poor response to something they obviously did incorrectly. I've noticed that this business leaves snarky, sarcastic replies to negative reviews. I'm sure I'll be seeing that shortly. Everyone makes mistakes, I get that. Not being willing to take responsibility for them is not acceptable.
Dear Rachel, We appreciate your loyalty over the years. Many of the same mechanics that you have all come to know and love are still with us and growing into positions of leadership and influence. While mistakes are and have been made, when we do make them, we acknowledge and make it right, as you’ve indicated. Many times mistakes that appear nefarious turn out to be communication errors, as demonstrated by your first account. Eleven months ago, when this issue occurred, we were in COVID lockdowns and we were developing a new technology to allow our customers and employees to employ touchless vehicle diagnosis and repairs. These technologies allowed us to communicate via messaging app, sending text, charts, video and pictures from technician to advisor and from advisor to customer. Sometimes, as in your case, a face to face and verbal communication would have been preferable for the technician and advisor, as that miscommunication caused the wrong recommendation to be sent to you. These mistakes from early adoption of this great technology have largely been eliminated in the past year thanks to the willingness of great clients like you to be forthright and honest about what you are seeing. So thank you again. As to your second example, we just don’t tell people that their car is unsafe to drive unless it truly is, and that is so rare as to almost never happen. We completely agree with you, Everyone makes mistakes, but not taking responsibility for them is unacceptable. That is why we hold ourselves and our employees to a higher standard. We understand that when a favorite advisor or mechanic retires, it’s natural to feel nostalgic especially in these uncertain times. We promise that our staff will always treat you with respect and repair your car quickly and accurately.
- Gateway Automotive Experts (Sedro Woolley)