Barrie Nissan

Barrie Nissan responded

Hi ct4x4lb, Please accept my sincere apology for providing you a service experience that didn't meet your expectations. This is not our goal, of course, and everyone here genuinely works hard to make customers happy and, more importantly, build trust in our service. There is no excuse for not returning calls and/or poor communication relating to lost time or misinformation. Mistakes can happen and clearly a few mistakes happened this last visit. I am very sorry for both circumstances, as neither of them lead to trust or satisfaction... Having checked with the technician and service manager, I can confirm that the amount of oil put in your vehicle, and every other vehicle, is correct to Nissan Specifications. Unfortunately not all dipsticks read exactly the same, whether physical or electronic. I have worked for GM, Audi/VW, BMW and now Nissan over a 30 year span, and have had this complaint from a few customers over time. The reason it's only a few is also unfortunate, as most people don't bother to know their car or check the oil, tire pressures, etc. The owners manual is also written in a very strict (black and white) fashion, making some things seem more extreme than they need to be. This is mainly to protect themselves from people who really don't know what they're doing, but also to alert customers to the importance of checking regularly. We see so many vehicles every day, where not a drop of oil is showing on the dipstick, because no one has checked the oil and it is normal for an engine to consume some oil between oil changes. The dipstick on most of our vehicles shows only the top 0.5L-1.0L of total oil in the crank case, contrary to a lot of customers' belief that it shows the whole amount. For oil to be dangerously high where it might create damage, it would need to show substantially above the "max" mark. The actual amount differs by vehicle, but it would need to be at least 1.0L-2.0L(depending on model) overfilled to be of concern. Not having seen your vehicle personally I don't wish to speculate on how much more it was showing. Our shop does have a digital oil dispensing system which gives us the precise amount requested. I say that, because there is always the possibility of human error, however it is extremely precise and for this reason we stand by the fact that it is unlikely to have actually been overfilled. If we overfilled your car twice, it would be a huge coincidence and highly unlikely. With the number of cars we service, it would also be very poor business practice on our part to be giving away that much extra oil without charging for it... at $59.95 for a full synthetic oil change, I am sure you understand how little money we make in that transaction. Please do not misread my intention to make this right by the long explanation above. Let me know how we can make this right for you and keep you as a customer. I'd also like to win you back so we can prove to you that we do sincerely care about you and your car, and that your 2 service interactions were not our norm... we are much better than that. Please reach out to me so we may have a conversation about how to move forward. As I cannot verify your identity from your review, please call me on my cell# (647)885-8314 or email me at bsurmann@barrienissan.com . Sincerely, Bjorn Surmann General Manager - Barrie Nissan

ct4x4lb responded

Mr Surmann, thank you for the prompt reply. Will consider the content and will respond soon. Regards, Sterling

Barrie Nissan responded

Thank you Sterling, look forward to speaking with you. Bjorn

ct4x4lb responded

Mr. Surmann, Thank you again for your prompt reply. Its appreciated as there is a portion in the service industry where that customer concerns is diluted or superficial. I do not doubt your intention to build the trust between us. Reputation in any business is intangible gold. Aside from my core issue the minor annoyances we were subjected to is water under the bridge. I do not doubt your technicians work ethic to build reputation. But what brings dissatisfaction to the surface is the defensive nature of the staff about an issue they seen for themselves. It was measured twice by the staff member. Instead of looking for other areas to find the root cause it was just explained away. The machine which meters out the oil is not wrong I was told. I do not doubt the oil dispensing system works fine. As well, I do not doubt what the oil dipstick is showing either. However, your claim in your first response that “Unfortunately not all dipsticks read exactly the same” I do not buy. These parts are put out like postage stamps. I am certain the oil dipstick is consistently manufactured for the Micra. And I know how to read one very well including following the instructions in the owner manual. Which brings me to the crux of the matter. Warranty claims. This is my highest concern. As explained to your technician that Saturday, should come a situation where an engine seal blows because of the hydraulic effect from too much oil, or some other engine failure, will Nissan Canada take care of us? With all the warranty bad news on a variety of media sources one does think twice. Honda, Kia and Hyundai come to mind. As you mentioned the manual covers things in a ‘very strict’ manner but making them seem to be more extreme than necessary as you suggested conflicts what is written by Nissan. There is no disclaimer in the manual to take customer checks with a grain of salt. Sounds like your telling me it doesn’t matter if its overfilled. So, what am I to follow? Listen to you and disregard that it is overfilled? Or follow the owners’ manual? If it is as you suggest put it in writing on proper letter head and I will see you for the next service cycle. Even after some oil was removed from the Micra by the technician on the Saturday there is still half cementer of oil over the maximum line. I was told 3.2 liters was pour back in. Point (.3) of a liter was removed. When we first got the Micra I checked the oil within a few days, and it was noticeable below the maximum line and stayed pretty much there until the first oil change was performed. Nissan specifies 3.5 litres to be added. Nissan also states clearly not to overfill with oil. So, what is going on? I will leave that with you to look into. If you need to verify my identity to validate my claim just check your service departments’ records for the December 28 that is documented herein. I’m sure your service staff can fill in the blanks if any. Regards, Sterling

Barrie Nissan responded

Thank you Sterling! You are absolutely correct in saying that these cars are mass produced and the dipstick should be the same, just as you are correct in asserting that you should heed the factory advice in every way. You as a consumer cannot assume or interpret anything differently than what is suggested, as you will be the one who loses that battle, should it occur. Here's the great news... as a representative of the factory we have the backing of our manufacturer. When you perform service with us, it is very different than servicing with an unknown/non-Nissan certified shop. If all your servicing has been performed with us and you have a problem within warranty, the oil level(or any other relevant specification) is a non factor in determining whether or not something is covered. It is assumed that we have the right parts, skills, tools and knowledge at our disposal to have done the job properly in the first place. This cannot be said for another shop. We have your back all the way and would never deny you warranty based on this. It is very unfortunate that we came across as defensive, as this should never be the case. There should have been a clear apology for not meeting your expectations and a more collaborative approach to solving the issue with you. Our service staff are a proud bunch and may not have taken the more humble approach. For this I am truly sorry and assure you that we are working on this with the staff. we do have a few younger staff that may not have the experience to deal with every situation in the appropriate manner. We do take customer feedback very seriously and ensure that we coach them on how situations could have been handled differently to get the desired outcome. Please let me know what I/we can do to make this better for you going forward and to hopefully turn the current situation around. Sincerely, Bjorn Surmann General Manager - Barrie Nissan

ct4x4lb responded

Mr. Surmann, received your reply and will ponder its content. Will reply accordingly. Regards, Sterling

Barrie Nissan responded

Hi Sterling, Thank you for the update regarding the Micra forum. I was not aware that this is such a well documented issue. When I referred to "not all dipsticks reading the same", I meant that in mass production there are tolerance variances that the factory stays within, and has to adjust regularly. Specifications almost always have a range of acceptability in production, but when a machine starts to produce a part that falls outside of tolerance, they stop production to perform regular maintenance on the equipment... just like with our cars. In past, as service manager, I have seen many issues with various brands that fell outside of customer expectation, but within what is considered acceptable production tolerance. There is often nothing that can be done to "fix" the issue, and the issue really doesn't pose any safety or reliability concerns for the consumer. All manufacturers I have worked for were very good at correcting these issues through technical bulletins, when and where a fix was possible. Let's see if anything more comes of this through Nissan or the forums, but in the meantime, I wouldn't be concerned about the oil level that appears to be overfilled. If we know the right amount of oil was put in then we don't need to be concerned, and we will certainly not give you any trouble with warranty claims, should any repairs be necessary that might relate to maintenance of your Micra. Thank you for honest and open dialogue about this issue, as it is always better for both of us if we can come to an understanding and move forward. Our team will always be there to support you with any automotive needs you have, especially as it concerns your Micra. If I may ask you to reconsider your score on Dealer rater, it would be very much appreciated. We work very hard to keep relationships positive and mutually beneficial. Your trust in our store is hugely important to us and other customers, like you, read these reviews and mostly take them at face value. At this point our conversation has been a private one. Should you see fit to adjust your score and/or comments I would be very thankful to you. Not asking for a specific score, just your consideration. Also... Happy New Year and Happy Motoring!!! Sincerely, Bjorn Surmann

ct4x4lb responded

Mr. Surmann, Your welcome for the open dialogue on this matter. It has been a great insightful discussion. Thank you for your patience and willingness to engage. There was much learned. I plan to research further into this and follow it for a time. Think there is more to know. In regards in adjusting the score or comments on the deal rater site I am going to leave it as is. Although I believe from my leg work in researching the issue the over filling of engine oil is completely unintentional by your dealership but the experience remains the same. Retracting it or changing the score offers no benefit to Micra owners. They need to be aware. Which is fair. As well it offers an opportunity for your dealership to be more proactive with the issue as it is clearly a Nissan owned problem. Not a customer problem. I consider this conversation on this matter closed. All the best Bjorn. Regards, Sterling

Barrie Nissan responded

Hi Sterling, I respect your decision to leave it as-is. I will be replying publicly, which I'm sure you'll be notified of anyway. Not sure if you want to update your comments to reflect our "discussions" , or just leave it. You can write something first if you like and I will wait, or you can wait to see what i write and respond as you see fit. Bjorn