My letter

To Valvoline Instant Oil Change:

I have 3 vehicles that I have taken to this location for 2 or 3 years. My past 3 visits have been very unsatisfactory. 2 weeks ago I took my 93 van to the location. I spent 100 dollars for an oil change and replacement of the fuel filter. I discovered after the fact that the oil filter had not been changed. I took it back and pointed it out. They replaced the filter but the manager said nothing to me at all and offered no apology or explanation for the oversight.

Then this past Wednesday I took my 99 Tacoma for an oil change. I pull up to the facility at 5:05 (they are open until 5:30) There are no cars in the garage being serviced but the “manager” was out in the lot working on what I believe was his own personal vehicle. One of the other employees came over to me and said “My boss said we are closed” I asked why and the employee just repeated that they were closed and would be open tomorrow. It made no sense to me but I said “whatever” and decided to come back the next day.

So again today I pull up after work at a few minutes after 5. There is one truck in the one bay and none in the other bay. The same employee walks out to me and says they have a big job to do on the truck in the bay and they wouldn’t be able to get to me today. He said they only had 2 people. I was angry now and asked what the hell was going on. Yesterday they told me they were closed and today they tell me they can’t get to me even though they had a bay open and a half hour till closing time. The employee went back to the “manager” and then reluctantly waved me in. There were three employees working there, not two.

Since the oil filter was not replaced last time, I watched very carefully what actually was done this time. They drained the oil, changed the oil filter and added washer fluid and nothing else. They did not check tire pressure, they did not examine the air filter, they did not do 90% of the things that were listed on the service invoice.

The entire process took all of ten minutes and during that ten minutes they turned away three or four more customers that were interested in the service. Needless to say, my three vehicles will never be going to this location again unless the personnel are replaced. It’s ridiculous to be treated that way as a customer and I am sure many others have experienced similar results from the current staff at this location.

P.S. Even though they were so “busy” the employee had time to try to pitch me the Fuel Injector cleaning service… what a joke.