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I want to start by pointing out that when I purchase a vehicle, I do so to keep it till it gives up the holy-ghost and it is beyond practical repairs; so, I do maintain them to the highest standards, inside and out. I've owned the shop manuals for every car I've ever purchased, and I even own a micro-meter torque wrench, which I use to torque all fasteners per factory specs! I've NEVER had a problem with maintenance services, or repairs, that I completed on my vehicles, or anyone else's for that matter... and I ALWAYS successfully complete my work! 😁
On the other hand, I've had problems galore with work done at dealerships (such as Moritz) and retail auto repair operations (such as Western Auto, Pep Boys, and most recently, Best Buy [note "Latest Ramblings"]). In the case of the damage done by the mechanics at Moritz, I was forced to take legal action against the dealership (and won the settlement, although it took over a year), and I had to go back and insure that the proper repairs were done, myself.
In my adult life, I've known four professional mechanics whom I'd trust with my vehicles; all four are small business owners, and they are: Mr. Massey Ibrahimi (Massey's Auto) in the city of Denton, Texas, Mr. Bob Taylor (Taylor Automotive) in Arlington, Texas, Mr. Todd Phanid (Arrow Autoworks), also, in Arlington, Texas, and Mr. Soheil Funedhal (K Cowboys Auto Repair) in Fort worth, Texas... the aforementioned are almost as picky as I am when it comes to quality work, and I stand by my recommendations, and excellent customer service.
Among my family members is only one, and he tops everyone else I have ever met with mechanical skills in my life, or even whom I've learned of in history... he'd later become my mentor and inspiration, my uncle Atia (second oldest of seven children)—may he rest in peace... a heavy equipment mechanic of over half a century, who retired at 70—forced by the family and not by his own will, starting in the business during his teen years, to help the family (the Great Depression Generation)... I still believe that the day he "started to die" was shortly after he stopped working... the most capable of all hardcore Grease Monkeys, he was!
He was one who only had to listen to, or touch, a vehicle before accurately diagnosing a problem, or accurately predicting when certain parts are projected to fail many years later... In the case of the Silver Bullet, a singular mechanical failure that he correctly predicted will happen a decade later—beyond typical maintenance, based on a sound he heard as the vehicle drove, which I couldn't discern at all, even with my acute hearing in the very quiet cabin! He did so the day I purchased the vehicle (he had accompanied me on the test drive)!
Among friends, only two, and they are Mr. Carlos Ramos (a Masters in Biology graduate), and Mr. Omar Nabas (a PhD in Physics, degreed in three other science disciplines, and an IT expert whom I lost count of the number of specialty IT certifications he earned, and who was a contributor to the Cold War era Star Wars program)... the rest of my pals are not worthy, and many, kindly and generously, rely on my skills as a mechanic! 😜
I should elaborate that Carlos
and I used to buy used cars, then repair and detail them, then
sell them, so to make extra money on the side, to pay for our
schooling and other expenses; the last I did was a 1988 Pontiac
Fiero, which I sold to a female student and her father.
Eventually, Carlos went into that business full-time, including
investing in body repair equipment and painting tools.
Moreover, prior to founding his business in the early 1980s, Massey was a graduate of Mechanical Engineering, and also owns, in partnership with his wife, a jewelry store too... he's a true entrepreneur, with an eye for "saving" on expenses!
The first vehicle I owned was a used metallic-gold-speckled and pin-stripped, maroon 1984 Ford, Mustang LX, with the TBI 3.8L V6 engine, which I bought during my sophomore year in college, while earning my first degree. My intention was not to purchase a sports car at the time; it happened to be the first sound vehicle I found within the cash budget I had in hand.
I pampered this vehicle—as would any gearhead with his first car, until one day, years later, an orange warning lit on the dashboard indicating low oil pressure; initially, it was an intermittently lit indicator, nonetheless, not able to arrive at the root-cause myself, I drove the car to Western Auto (which was a subsidiary of Sears) before my classes started in the morning, at their request, and returned around noon after I received a call advising me to return to pick-up the car.
When I met the mechanic, he advised that there was no problem, and that the indicator is an—and I quote—"idiot light," and that he checked, and that he couldn't find any problems with the engine and the performance of the car, even after he took it on a road test.
His paid consultation was to just ignore the warning light, because "Fords are known to have electrical issues like this," and just to "check the oil level manually every time you refuel the car." I thanked him, paid the cashier, and left back to school with the vehicle. This was a Monday.
Saturday arrived, and as I embarked on the 55-mile (90km) return road trip, from Arlington, Texas, to Denton, after visiting with family, and shortly after I crossed the threshold of the city of Lewisville, in the fast lane, driving at 65mph (105kph) with the cruise-control activated, during a scorcher of a day, the car started loosing power; I floored the accelerator to no avail... I instinctively turned on the hazard lights indicator, and started pulling over to the shoulder of the right lane. As I arrived, and brought the vehicle to a stop, it stalled, and wouldn't start again.
Long story shorter, and after walking miles to find a payphone to call my roommate to help, around sunset, and after baking in the sun, help arrived, and we towed the Mustang home. After diligent investigation... nope, I joke... within a short time, my roommate and I confirmed that the front engine seal had blown, and being that there was no oil pressure, I seized the engine... in other words, trashed it! May karma address that damned mechanic from Western Auto! 😂
The aforementioned adventure put me on the path to shop for a replacement means of transportation, and within a couple of weeks, my second car became the silver 1981 Audi 5000S, FI 5-cylinder Diesel. As the years passed, and for different reasons, afterwards I concurrently purchased a white with gold trim 1982 Chevy Camaro Z-28, powered by a carbureted 5.0L V8, and a white with silver trim, and a black vinyl top, custom 1986 Chevrolet Z-24 Cavalier, powered by the MPFI 2.8L V6 plant; the Camaro Z-28 was a project car.
I drove those cars throughout my years of college education, when the last to be purchased—during that phase of my life—was the star of this site, during my second round in college, my 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme S, with the DOHC 3.4L MPFI V6 engine in the power-barn... I nicknamed it "The Silver Bullet" the moment I test-drove it! I instantly fell in love with this exceptional piece of human ingenuity, engineering, and artistry (sans the location of the alternator 😄)! It truly represented my personality... man and machine in synergy!
Since, I've owned a 1988 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4x4, which required restoration, including, but no limited to electrical repairs, which I completed, and afterwards had it painted fire-engine red to compliment all the chromed parts... I used it as a pickup truck to tow my Ski-Bass Nitro 18-footer boat, with its 150HP outboard, and handle "dirty work" (transporting gardening and construction materials) since I didn't want to install hitches on my other vehicles... it was so bright that you could see that SUV driving down the road from miles away! 😆
Shortly after, I purchased my daily driver, a "forest green" 1994 Jeep Cherokee, which was a high to drive, and which I had restored to mint condition, to be followed by a green 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, after the 1994 Cherokee got smashed by a hit-n-run 18-Wheeler the day I returned home from an international assignment overseas, ironically a war-zone.
The Grand Cherokee, which I bought from a lying/cheating Argentinean-Italian fella who I truly thought was an honest fratello, came with grand problems, as I later discovered... electrical, mechanical, and even safety recalls. After dealing with a very negative experience relating to the manufacturer's recall, the seemingly endless electrical and computer problems, and dealing with Jeep/Chrysler (who still owe me several hundred dollars), and feeling that the vehicle isn't safe for me to drive, especially with passengers, I decided that the American auto manufacturers no longer build vehicles that satisfy the standards I am seeking, so, I started to consider import vehicles... I was the last in my family to do so.
I returned to driving the Olds, which up to this stage was being pampered, garage kept, and driven on special occasions such as dates, or to gatherings where people are showing off their cars! ... I wanted to keep the Silver Bullet in such a state; so, in addition to the pride of my fleet, the last vehicle I purchased, was a silver 2007 Nissan Xterra, which is another most delightful vehicle to own and drive, and continues to be my daily driver.
Though I am not, normally, a fan of Nissan vehicles, I perceive it to be in par with the good ol' Silver Bullet... it was christened "The Enterprise" for the timing of its purchase during a continuing burst of material and personal growth in my life then! ☺
It is to be pointed out that I did lease another import vehicle, long term, while living in France for a while; it was a silver 2006 Renault Megan II convertible (cabriolet), powered by an underpowered, but loads of fun, MPFI DOHC 1.6L mated to a 6-speed manual (the first time I drove a 6-speed, for until then, no American cars on the market utilized anything above 5-speed manual transmissions).
I did read online specifications that state the top speed for this Renault to be 200kph/124mph, which is nonsense!
Based on the experience I had with the Megan I leased, at best, with the pedal pushed to the metal, it barely reaches 90-95mph (145-153kph) with three adult occupants... now, going down-hill is fun! That said, like greased-lightning, I did pass an old-timer (donning a beret, sh*t you not) driving a blue-grey 1950s/60s Citroen 2CV (image), revving its tired 9-horses as he zig-and-zagged up-hill in the countryside of eastern France! I was tempted to reverse and help push his car uphill! 🤭
A fellow gear head cousin of mine (member of the French branch of the family) assured me that the Magan's 1.6L engine limitation wasn't intentionally set by governing the engine, and that it is a limitation of the engineering of the powerplant. If so, I certainly wouldn't use this drivetrain configuration as a daily driver on the insane Texas highways or interstates! 😄
click to enlarge images
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Ford Mustang LX |
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Audi 5000 S |
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3.8L, V6 , V6 Gasoline 4-Spd, Automatic RWD Fate: Engine seized/destroyed; donated
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2.0L, Straight 5 Diesel 5-Spd, Manual FWD Fate: Sold for tuition! Gotta pay the bills! |
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Chevrolet Z-28 Camaro |
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Chevrolet Z-24 Cavalier |
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5.0L, V8 Gasoline 3-Spd, Automatic RWD Fate: Donated after long honorable service! |
2.8L, V6 , V6 Gasoline 5-Spd, Manual FWD Fate: Wrecked while parked!
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Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme S |
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Jeep Cherokee XJ |
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3.4L, V6 Gasoline 4-Speed, Automatic FWD Fate: Lives for another day!
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4.0L, Straight 6 Gasoline 4-Spd, Automatic 4x4 Fate: Stolen.
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Jeep Cherokee XJ |
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Renault Megan II |
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4.0L, Straight 6 Gasoline 5-Spd, Manual RWD Fate: Wrecked; 18-Wheeler hit & run!
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1.6L, V6 Gasoline 6-Speed, Manual RWD Fate: Returned to leasing agency after lease. |
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Jeep Grand Cherokee |
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Nissan XTerra S |
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4.0L, V6 Gasoline 4-Speed, Automatic RWD Fate: Electric problems galore; donated.
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4.0L, V6 Gasoline 4-Speed, Automatic RWD Fate: My favorite SUV. Lives for another day!
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The Star Of The Show!...
My favorite transportation! ....
Phases of the project
The objective of this effort is to return the Silver Bullet to fully-operational status.
Due to the vehicle sitting without
any use for over five years, several systems have failed, and,
in addition to the fact that it has been parked outdoors, the
unit has become somewhat weathered (click to enlarge image).
I've confirmed that there are components that I have no doubt will be replaced, which are the battery and the fuel cell. After the effort is completed, I intend to replace all four tires, complete an oil & filter change, and then detail the exterior. Meanwhile, these are the step-by-step phases I intend to follow in order to deliver on this project:
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Back To Proj. Resurrect-24 Checklists
A MEMBER OF
Being that there will be no timeline to follow (a choice I made, so to fit in work anytime I can), I'll be operating via checklists, rather than a bonafide project plan, as I was originally going to implement, using the MS Project software.
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Sur Moi
Well, howdy y'all!
"I've
the need for speed!" I do! But I find that thrill while
flying airplanes, sailing speed boats, and racing cars on the
track... not the streets! That said, I hope that you
realize—unlike my beloved brother, Michael "Cha-Ching" Davis—that the thrill
is found in the state of acceleration and change of force vectors, not
in the actual constant "excessive" speed! So, whether its an F-16, a "Hercules,"
a Cessna-172, or a beautiful Piper Cherokee Warrior II, it doesn't make a difference until then!
#Acceleration!
My name is Raéd Alexander Ayyad (first name is pronounced Ra--Ed... "Ra", like the Egyptian sun god and "Ed" like the smart horse... Mr. Ed!). My given nickname is "The Ra!" (thank you, Mel!—a cousin, and Cold War era US Army Ranger), and my call-sign is "Em-Dash" (thank you, Doug "Double-D" Dow!—a best friend, and fellow aviation enthusiast)... the latter, on the radio, is WRZD647 (thank you to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission—FCC! 😄).
My passion for everything mechanical started at a very young age; to be specific, two years old, being mesmerized with airplanes and aviation! The fascination with everything electrical goes even further back! My venture into mechanical repairs started with repairing my own toys with dad's tools, of course, then helping my father build components like bookshelves and doing repairs around the house and the property. My skill for creating parts from "scratch" was undoubtedly helped along by playing with toys such Legos and TinkerToys!
The true application of skills, and development of insights into
correctly troubleshooting mechanical problems started at around
nine years old, but they bloomed further during my early teen years,
which is when I earned the nickname: Mr. Fixit, bestowed upon me
by dad, and praise from someone like him is worthy praise!
I became the go-to for home and appliance repairs for the family, and after diagnosing and solving a couple of problems with my father's car, specifically, one with the hydraulic clutch system of his import 1981 Mazda 929L Luce luxury sedan, and another with the windows not operating from the driver-side control center (due to corrosion developing on the copper contacts). I just learned that, apparently, this car was branded as an RX9 when sold in some countries, too. Many memories, with the family were spent with me sitting in the back seat (image) with my siblings! 😃
My dad had ordered the white, with a beige vinyl top, vehicle from Mazda, and had it shipped by sea from Japan, where he received it at port, and drove it back home (~260mi/420km)! I was fascinated with the sensors and warning-lights' center, which was positioned at the top of the center console, and above the location of the 5-speed manual shifter... anything of performance, or safety, value had a failure warning light associated with it. It didn't feel like it drove on the road, it felt as if it hovered! I wanted to learn about what made this machine tick, and I studied everything I could find about it! It was one heck of a reliable vehicle.
Father drove it into the early 2000s when he replaced
it with a Toyota Camry (overseas, where he was serving as an
executive for a major petrochemicals and polymers corporation),
and a seventh-generation Honda Accord EXL, V6, (at home, Texas,
after he retired).
My dad's first brand
new, from the dealer, car, after
college, was a green
1968 Plymouth Barracuda, with the 383 Super
Commando engine... it's also when he was pulled-over, for
the first time, after he left the dealership, by
a police officer! Nope! not for driving too
fast, he was driving too slow on the Interstate!
We still joke about that incident during our family reunions, especially when we all, now, know that dad was "hell on wheels" during those years (before he got married to my mom), and a confidently charming and handsome "babe magnet" (which he continued to be after he married mom, till the day he passed-on)! 😃
To that latter point, on an occasion during my teen years, when we were on a flight travelling through Europe, while I was seated next to him, I couldn't help but notice that the female flight attendants were, well, very attentive to my dad, grouped in the isle by his seat, some standing and others kneeling on the floor, and talking and flirting with him... during a break when they needed to prep for meal service, and after they excused themselves to address said duty, I looked at dad, and being whimsical, said: 'heyyy! You need to leave some girls for the rest of us!' to which he replied, with a subtle grin, without skipping a beat: "that's your problem; find your own girls!" 😂... he was right, that was my problem, for I used to be VERY shy... 'still am at times, to some degree! 😊
All I remember of the Barracuda, as a 2-year old child, which by then, my father had for many years, is the black leather back seat, the chrome trim and green exterior, and a memory of the frosted Chrysler five point star logo on the bottom corner of the back window, as I looked outside at a person leaning over, only to learn during my teens that it was my father digging the car out of the snow, when we lived in Boston for a year, before returning to Texas, because, and I quote the man himself when I asked him why we left: "son, it was too damn cold!" 😄
The Silver Bullet & grease pit garage online
The inspiration for this site was born after my attempt to
research this model of the GM "W" platform (the Oldsmobile
Cutlass Supreme), and finding very few resources available to
the relatively few owners of this generation, which lasted from
1988 till 1997.
A bit o' General Motors History
The W-Platform (also
known as the W-Body) was a
General Motors
automotive platform underpinning both
mid size and
full-size
front-wheel drive cars across the platform's three
generations from 1987-2016.
Code named GM10, the program began development in 1982 under Chairman Roger B. Smith and debuted in 1987 with the Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Regal, and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupes—with the four-door sedan body style introduced for 1990.
The 1997-2005 2nd Generation, or W2 Platform, used both a 110.5 in full-size wheelbase as well as a 109 in mid-size wheelbase.
From 2005-2016, the W3 Platform used a 110.5 in, full-size wheelbase in sedan and coupe configurations, including for the Pontiac Grand Prix (2004-2008), Buick LaCrosse/Allure (2005-2009), Chevrolet Impala/Impala Limited (2005-2016) and Chevrolet Monte Carlo (2000-2007), each with high performance V8 variants.
As elaborated on at Wikipedia, the platform cost $7 billion to develop, with engineering executed by the Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canada (CPC) group; also known as the small car division. The original program was intended to replace all midsize cars produced by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick on the G and A platforms. This ultimately did not happen; while the A-platform Chevrolet Celebrity and Pontiac 6000 were quickly discontinued, the A-body Buick Century and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera remained in production until 1996.
The plan was for seven GM plants that would each assemble 250,000 of the cars, or 21% of the total U.S. car market.[1] It was badly executed from the start, but GM's 1984 reorganization, combined with changing market dynamics, wrought havoc with the program and it never recovered. In 2008, prominent shareholder activist Robert A. G. Monks noted that GM had lost $2000 on every car it produced in 1989, the year before the last of the original GM10's were launched.
The GM W Platform was phased out with the production of the new long-wheelbase Epsilon II platform. The last car produced on the W platform was the ninth generation of the Chevrolet Impala, which was replaced by the Epsilon-based tenth-generation Impala, beginning in model year 2014. GM continued to produce the W-body Impala to fleet customers only under the name Impala Limited until production ended in May 2016.
Source: Wikipedia
Specifications of Silver Bullet
A MEMBER OF THE
JULY 28, 2024:
It may be of
interest to note that this is not the only time I had
encountered problems with quality service at Best Buy,
over the past several years, specifically: shorthanded staff, and
demonstrably incompetent and absent [store] management; I still think that
the root-cause is a store manager problem... that said, after this
extended
misadventure, now I'm wondering if this is the new culture of
the company.
There was a lot of hope in 2020--by my circle of business consultants, and I, who are all customers of the enterprise--that the hiring of Ms. Corie Barry (image), as the CEO, replacing Mr. Hubert Joly, will raise the standards, not end-up with what we see here...
... It seems that they have become a gauche, low-class, operation that is run by unskilled store managers, and young frontline employees who, notably, have neither been trained and invested in, nor empowered. It seems that, while there are exceptions, it's also true that "if you want to destroy a business's legacy and long-term success, put a bean-counter in charge" where a leader with long-term strategic thinking skills are needed! I really, wholeheartedly, hope that this is not the case here.
I should, further, point out that the "survey" tool that Best Buy employs doesn't work. Every time, after I completed surveys that I was invited to fulfill, and after I spent the time typing, the system would not allow me to submit them. I reported that problem to the store, and I was advised by the employees--with visible embarrassment on their faces--that they are aware that system doesn't work, and that they've always had problems with it.
Moreover, there were several occasions when I provided in-person feedback over the years, to the store, and every time I was told, again, to use the online survey tool... another Catch-22. This is not a culture of feedback, process improvement, and growth, this is a culture of cover-ups and deflecting blame onto others... a perfect demonstration of what corporate incompetence and the onset of near-death and decomposition looks like... if they were an animal, the buzzards would already be circling over them!
By the by, in an apparently very timely move, I had just ordered Mr. Joly's book: "The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism;" I will be contrasting it to Mr. Herb Kelleher's book "Nuts!", and that of Mr. Horst Schulz's "Excellence Wins," both of which I've studied. Perhaps the outcomes of this experience will inspire me to author a future "lessons learned" article that may inspire others who work with business processes and customer service in the retail sector.
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| Click on the images above to enlarge. | ||
The way I see it, from a business consultant's/analyst's perspective, is that the absence of notable competition to the company, after the four major competitors: Radio Shack, Fry's Electronics, Circuit City, and Comp USA, went out of business in the area (all for good reasons, primarily unskilled/short-sighted leadership), has obviously been allowing incompetent decision-makers at Best Buy to take liberties they would have never taken in a competitive brick 'n' mortar marketplace in their segment of industry. If they stay on this path, at best, they may be able to return as an online only eCommerce business, without stores, just like Radio Shack, or to be taken-over by Wall Street investors, and sold in pieces to the highest bidder, like Sears.
Just start by imagining if this vehicle was a BMW, Audi, Benz, Cadillac, Ranger Rover... SUV... November 27, of 2023, I took The Enterprise (the Nissan Xterra) to have a new infomaint/GPS head unit installed, after the previous Kenwood unit completely failed a fortnight before. The latter, a Kenwood DNX570HD (a VERY good unit), was installed as an upgrade to the manufacturers OEM unit, directly after I purchased the vehicle, and was, also, purchased and installed at the same Best Buy location in Arlington, Texas, at 1730 Pleasant Place, off Interstate-20. This was the main reason that I chose to do business with the store (my original experience was exceptional!)
Actually (not including my recommendations to others in my life, and aside of all the Information Tech I bought there, including, but not limited to--by far--two Toshiba Satellite, and a Samsung Chronos, top tier laptops, mobile phones and peripherals, digital photography--three Canon digital cameras, and loads of peripherals/supplies, and entertainment needs/wants), every vehicle headunit I purchased since the mid-1990s, whether for myself or a vehicle purchased to sell, was from Best Buy--with a singular exception, a unit that was purchased for, and installed in, one of my Jeeps, which was done at Fry's Electronics, for I had known the installer who was a true professional and an audiophile, and who, I'm sure, is still a credit to his trade wherever he is at in his career.
While I'm a very optimistic and obliging fella (some say "too optimistic and obliging at times"), the signs were obvious that this will not be a positive experience from the first moments of my arrival to the store. While I had scheduled the installation appointment in advance, and had arrived with time to spare so to read and complete all the necessary paperwork, I was told that they are behind on installations, but they will page me in about 30 minutes, and requested that I wait in the showroom... it was over a hour, and my collective time invested was over two hours.
When
I was called so to be advised that my vehicle will be taken in, the
installer asked me about the head unit, to which I answered that
I had already paid for the unit and the installation online (as
instructed), and
I was told to just bring the vehicle in and that they had the
unit in stock. It took another 20 minutes before the installer
located the head unit. The gentleman was courteous, and I have
no doubt that he was doing the best he can with what he's been
given by his employer.
One of the immediate things that I noticed about the free/open bay where my SUV was being driven into, is how dark it was... a singular dim florescent lamp against the wall in front of the vehicle... that's exactly what it seemed like from where I stood at the showroom's entry door to the installation bays, and by contrast to the other bays to the right of it (as the vehicle drove in), which were brightly lit... but, I figured that it's not my business; they are professionals, moreover, I was anxious to have the installation completed without interruptions from me, for I had an upcoming date, and I wanted to make sure that all was functional in my vehicle before then.
Long story shorter, and after a couple of hours of me walking around the store, then returning to staring at the installation bay via the window in the door, I was summoned and advised that the installation was complete. The young man wanted to demonstrate the installation and asked me to follow him into the installation bay and ushered me into the SUV. As stated earlier, it was so dark in there that the installer needed to take out a mini flashlight to shine light on the unit in order to demonstrate the GPS mapping system.
It took a short while to realize that it didn't work, most probably because the vehicle was inside the building, which is a state we both agreed to; instead he demonstrated the music player using his own Smartphone. We agreed that I can test the GPS when I back out of the structure, which he offered me to do myself. It is to be noted that they had closed for the day... it was already past the hours.
I asked for the old head unit, which he provided piled haphazardly, with the old harnesses, and user manuals, etc., inside of the new unit's box, and handed me the installation paperwork. I placed the old unit, with the paperwork, in the back of the SUV, shook the gentleman's hand as I thanked him for his work. I asked him for his permission to, "god forbid," return if there were any problems, which he welcomed--as if I had a premonition about where this installation will be going.
Backing out the vehicle into the driveway, and then stopping parallel to the bay doors' wall, I readjusted the driver seat's distance, and the mirror on the windshield, then decided to test the GPS and other functions before I drove off home. They already were shutting the bay doors. I couldn't get the unit to play the music files from my Smartphone, but the GPS seemed to be working, so, I decided to drive home without my music.
As
I left their property, I decided to turn on the radio and listen
to WRR 101.1 (a classical music station that broadcasts in North Texas), but that didn't work...
I scanned for any stations, such as the country-music stations
(which usually have very strong transmission signals), but that
didn't work either... I quickly realized what may have happened:
he did not connect the antenna cable as his did all the others,
ranging from power, speakers, to USB. I started to sing Frank
Sinatra's "Fly me to the moon,"
among other songs, as I
drove till I arrived home.
Next day, I called and spoke with the young man to whom I proposed my diagnoses and what I thought about the antenna cable, to which he agreed; so, I advised him that I'll stop by after work, in the evening. Once I got there, I was asked to bring the vehicle around from where I parked it, and just place it in front of the bay doors, where I was motioned to go.
Again, it is late November into December, so, the sun sets relatively early, and it was dark outside. The young man got into the SUV's cabin to test the radio, and confirmed that he believes that the antenna cable is the problem, and asked me for a moment to grab a flashlight and his tools. He started dismantling the dashboard to access the head unit so to uninstall it.
I stood outside the ajar driver's side door and watched as one of the large dashboard components, connected to wires that service buttons on it, kept falling down, so, I offered to assist, which he gladly welcomed; he sat in the front passenger's seat, and I in the driver's seat, and he commenced doing his best at working in the dark. I offered to hold the flashlight, which he handed me, and I kept the aforementioned components from falling by not interfering with his choices of action, but simply keeping one of my fingers on one of the components with a light touch so it doesn't fall and swing around as it was doing before.
He extracted the head-unit and moved it forward enough to get his hand and fingers behind the low-profile unit (Kenwood DMX7709S HD, which I do not recommend at all; I'll add a review, later), and he connected the antenna coax after a few attempts. He tested the radio, before we both confirmed that all seems good, and he started reinstalling the dashboard components as I backed out of the car, but I continued to hold the mini flashlight for him and shine the LED light on his work areas at his instruction.
All was done, and as I thanked him, again, and left him to return into the shop to place his tools back in their place, while three other, seemingly, management employees (two men and a woman) stood talking and laughing aloud in the brightly lit right-hand bay space. I got into the car, turned on the radio, and hit the road heading back home. Till this experience, all my driving in the vehicle was done during the dark hours. a few days later from the beginning of this adventure, having no office work, I decided to detail the car in preparation for the coming date.
It
was a glorious day, and the
sun was shining brightly. As I sat in the driver's seat,
after placing the cleaning materials and tools on the front passenger's
seat--from the front passenger's side door, my eyes,
immediately, observed a multitude of notable scratches on the
dashboard that didn't exist before, and all were around the installation site... these were deep
scratches that were obviously newly created, because their color
was much brighter, and were not yet weathered/"blended-in" by
the years of UV exposure and the application of plastic
treatment compounds, etc. ...
... Shortly after, I also noticed
panels, which were removed during the installation, that were no longer flush with the
surrounding dash-components, only to confirm that the fastening
tabs were
broken (photos below)!
Sighing in distress, I applied some of
the interior Maguire's brand cleaning solution and wax, and
tried to rub the scratches out, at least, in hopes that they were
shallow, and just look worse than they are... they were as bad
as they seemed, and stood out in stark contrast to their
surroundings.
It was obvious at that stage, after keen observations and analysis, that the scratches were created by the sharp metal fasteners that are attached to the integrated plastic fastening components (one piece molded components), to install and hold the panels in place, rubbing against the rest of the dash as they hung/were placed against it during installation, and as the installer maneuvered in the front of the cabin during the installation process... most the panels are not attached with screws and other such fasteners, they are the "align and snap/click in place" type.
I was bothered to no end, for two reasons: the first is that I am very picky about taking care of my things and keeping them new-looking, and second, as members of my family describe me, I'm stereotypically "OCD" (perfectionist)... the scratches visually present were a constant aggravating reminder of the damage, and amplified my frustrations... they continue to!
I called Best Buy to report the problem, and I was told that some one will call me back, which never happened... thinking that it was because they were busy due to the Holidays, and being that it was not an emergency, I decided to report the matter online (via chat).
It took them a long while before they were able to locate the purchase and installation, and after all was confirmed, I was advised that I need to speak with the "Geek Squad"... it suffices to say that the whole of the "Geek Squad" are incompetent, which I can demonstrate at anyone's request. They advised me that I needed to talk to the installers, which, by the way, do not have regular hours, and are available only by appointment (as I was told when I requested my call to be transferred to their extension)... and here starts the Loopy-de-Loop misadventure!
I requested, on a multitude of occasions, to speak to a manager, to no avail. I should point out that all this does not take into consideration the time I wasted interacting with their phone VRU system, and the number of times my calls were dropped and I had to call back. The Holidays came and went, and I still wasn't able to get anyone to acknowledge what's going on. The goodwill I started this journey with, at this stage, was out of the window, for this has become a compounded case of "insult on top of injury."
I decided that I needed to report the problem to concerned management at their Corporate Office. It took me a while to locate such a number from online resources, since no one I spoke with at Best Buy was able to provide me such a contact number. The first barrage of calls, the call center reps would not forward my call to anyone in management. My frustration at this stage was compounded even further, and I had to bite on my tongue so not to loose my professionalism and politeness, knowing that if I "crossed the line" they can just hang-up on me, and I'll find myself right at the beginning, again!
Luck of the draw, eventually I ended up reaching a professional at one of their centers located in Puerto Rico (if I recall correctly; I know that it was a call center in the Caribbean), who apologized profusely for the challenging experience I've been going though, and documented said experience promising to escalate it, and that I should expect a follow-up; to which I advised her that I prefer any follow-ups to be done by email, but if they must, they can call my personal mobile phone number to reach me at anytime, between 10am and 9pm, Central Time.
Next business week, I was awakened by a morning call from a "Geek Squad" manager, who asked me about the problem--as if I didn't explain it in nauseating detail to several people, including, but not limited to the last young lady (who told me that I will not need to bother explaining anything, for she will document the details), yet, feeling optimistic, I held back any critique, cleared my throat, and started from the beginning...
... I was shortly interrupted, and the man took over the conversation, while expressing notable frustration and passive-aggressive behavior in reaction to the fact that he had to be talking with me, where I barely was able to get a word in edgewise so to answer his own questions to me! Within less than five minutes, he advised me that I will need to schedule an appointment so that they can investigate and verify the damage.
With exuberance, I gladly accepted (I said: 'GREAT!'), and asked him when should I come in, to which he told me that he will call me back to schedule that appointment, and just as I was offering to email him the photos I've taken (desiring to ask for his contact information), he hung up on me! I recall saying to myself: "Lord, please let this not be a harbinger of how this new year is going to be!" It was approaching noon, but I did something I never did before at such an early hour of a day... instead of my morning coffee, I grabbed a bottle of chilled Blue Moon beer from the fridge, twisted the lid off, and sat down at my study, while breathing deeply, and stared at my laptop's screen! I started feeling really humiliated, as if I was the metaphorical "redheaded step chilled being bitch-slapped around!"
February goes by, and while I called the Best Buy toll free number on multiple occasions, every one of my calls were hung-up on as soon as a singular connection-tone sounded, throughout the month, into March... I thought that they may have blocked my number! so, I went on a quest to locate that phone number that I tracked for corporate (it's near impossible to find any such contact info, for Best Buy, online). It took me a couple of days to locate the slip of paper that I wrote that info on.
After several other calls to the main number, I was able to speak with another young lady via the Corporate number, who advised me that she saw no documentation of my previous calls (shocking, not!), but then told me not to worry, for there is no need to. She added that she is surprised that the first time I contacted customer service, or when I called the store, that they did not direct me immediately to the phone number of the claims division (they outsource the service to an insurance company called Sedgwick), and she provided me with the needed info. This professional surely knew what she was talking about, and was demonstrably well informed.
At their adjuster's request: By email, I completed all forms, forwarded the photographic evidence, and then set-up an appointment at a highly "star rated" body/repair facility (Tran's Autobody), and obtained an estimate for the cost of the replacements/repairs, and then confirmed that he received it all...
At this stage, it was already April of 2024... four months after the fact. Tick-tock... nothing happening... requested updates, and was repeatedly told to give them more time so that they (Sedgwick) can communicate with the Best Buy shop...
Here we are today, as I start typing all this and sharing it with y'all... Now, we are a few days from the beginning of the month of August... eight months after the fact, and nothing tangible has been done to finally resolve the problem at hand, yet!
Ironically, the adjuster contacted me on July 10th to ask if I have access to my receipts because Best Buy are not able to locate my invoices (which were paid via my Visa card (so, I have multiple proofs of purchase), that is after contacting me on July 1, 2024, to confirm my contact info, and Best Buy record data (I've been a member since the 1990s!)... and I was told that the Best Buy store denied that they ever did any work for me, or had any interactions!
... My email reply to him:
"It looks like I am the only one assisting with your work! All that is in their systems, else why would they ask me to fill the damned forms--permission to do the work- sheets?!-- It seems to me that from the first day I reported this claim/damages to Best Buy, y'all have been playing me and wasting more and more of my time! You had everything needed so that they can look-up my purchase records via your employers!! Look it up!!
If I provide any more records, including receipts, emails, print-outs or the online reviews I did and chat sessions, and voice recordings of calls with corporate Best Buy (including the names of the people I spoke with), I will be providing them to an attorney! Since December of 2023, right after the installation and discovering the multitude of problems, I've been nothing but courteous, kind, polite and professional in dealing with you all collectively; and y'all have been nothing but rude, dismissive, incompetent, malicious, and wasting my most valuable, and unrecoverable, asset: time!
Enough! This weekend, I will create a portfolio with all my evidence in order to escalate this, just incase this is dragged any further. I am done working for y'all for free! This is outrageous!"...
... I am yet to hear back as of this date. I will update this rant if anything changes (below) . It is truly amazing that such a relatively simple and direct issue has escalated thus far, and for so long! What do y'all think? Have you had similar experiences at Best Buy? If so, feel free to share them on our new forum page!
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August 15,2024: (Click on image below to enlarge and read the last email comms.):
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August 22,2024: (Click on image below to enlarge and read the last email comms.):
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September 12,2024: At last; the bastards settled to pay for the damages after nine months of chasing after them, and starting a 'media campaign,' but not for the time I spent chasing them to do their jobs (and doing their jobs for them), or for the components that are not available on the market anymore... I accepted just to put this miserable case behind me... after decades of being a "loyal customer" to the brand, I have all intentions to take my business to other online vendors and service providers after this undeservedly malicious treatment (Click on image below to enlarge and read the last email comms.)
After decades of being a "loyal customer" to
the Best Buy
brand, I've all intentions to take my business (&
that of my recommendations) to other vendors/service
providers—whether brick & mortar, or eCommerce—after this
undeservedly malicious treatment.
This is another demonstration of what happens to a business
when you hire sound-vision lacking bean-counters to run a
major corporation: focusing on saving pennies while risking
burning dollars.
By
the by, I did finish reading Mr.
Hubert Joly's book, which I found to be very intuitive
and logically spot on (I have been following this model
since my days working with the top of the line quality team
at Allstate
[1990s]), and, again, I think that Ms.
Corie Barry
(current CEO) may benefit from reviewing it too...
especially starting with p.63, "The Business Of Building
Cathedrals."
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That said, there
are still alternatives to Best Buy for automotive electronics,
and installations, in the area, among them is
Car Toy's, and now,
even eBay have partnered with choice installers for those
who shop on their eCommerce platform... In the future, when I need such a
service, I'll, certainly, be considering the latter for the task,
or just doing the job myself.
A MEMBER OF
I enjoy solving technical questions, including general mechanical and electrical appliances/devices inquires, too. I'm known for not to falling for out-of-the-air opinions' and nonsense half-ass "solutions" (such as using WD-40 to solve the problem of polycarbonate headlight lens clarity!) "Do it right, every time, the first time" is the motto I live by.
If you have such questions that you'd like to ask, or discuss, then feel free to contact me. Do not send SPAM, else you'll will be blocked and banned permanently from communicating. Please note: I do not guarantee that I will solve every problem, but I will give you the facts that I have access to based on my lengthy experience and that of my network of fellow enthusiasts/experts... just the facts!
Dallas, Texas—The United States of
America, Earth.
