| I am writing this letter to let you know of a business in our community that deserves recognition. The business is Advantage Nissan in Bremerton, and I am probably the last person that would write such a letter. I have worked as an Insurance Fraud Investigator for over a decade, so let’s just say that the letters I write are of a different nature than this.
I recently had some repairs done on my Nissan’s air conditioning at the Advantage Nissan dealership. Let me say right up front, I did not purchase the vehicle or the after market warranty from them. They replaced a condenser core (a thingy derbop that is essential to making the AC blow cold air, to those of us that aren’t mechanically inclined). My after market warranty covered the $650 repair, minus my $75 deductible.
To my dismay, an AC hose failed shortly thereafter, so back to the dealer I went. Cost to replace the hose and recharge the AC, $224 plus tax (and hoses are not covered under the after market warranty). Oh well, it is a used car with over 90,000 miles on it and I knew full well that warranties don’t cover everything.
When I dropped it off at the dealer, I asked to speak with the service manager, Brad Bakken. I explained briefly to him that I would appreciate it if the tech would thoroughly test the vehicles AC after the repair to assure that nothing else was wrong so that I would not end up back a third time.
Without any hesitation, in less than a nano second, he said. “Your not paying for this repair, we will”…What??… It took me more than a few seconds to absorb and comprehend what I thought my ears had heard, and believe me when I say; in my business you hear a lot of shocking things. He said that it should have been caught and repaired the first time.
Huh?? A business that admits a mistake… unusual
A business that stands behind their diagnosis and workmanship to the point that a failed part that was never replaced by them is bought and installed free of charge and the business is an automotive repair facility… more rare than finding pure gold nuggets in your garden.
Additionally, they provided a free ride home while my vehicle was being repaired AND when I picked the vehicle up, it was washed and vacuumed.
In an era where the public more often than not, curses most automotive repair facilities, here is one that stands as a shining example of how we all wish that all businesses would act — professionally and responsibly.
Why would they do such a thing? Maybe because they realize the value of obtaining long term customers. Maybe they understand that to be recognized as a “professional” and a business of “high caliber” is more than the ability to print fancy brochures proclaiming you are.
If all businesses acted as responsibly and professionally as Advantage Nissan does, I think we would all trust business’s more in general …and I would probably be out of a job, which is just fine by me.
Joe Nessinger
Bremerton | 