Customer Service? Not Impressed.... CarMax

First I want to say Kevin and I have been a CarMax customer for the last two years. MOST times we've never had an issue or problem with the sales/repair shop. Even this trip up to the repair shop they had GREAT customer service, treated us well and fixed our issues within a day. That being said.....

This video shows the gas station going out of their way to help out their customers.

My story:

We had to drop our Trailblazer off at CarMax last Wednesday evening for a Thursday morning appointment due to the air-conditioning not working. We have the extended warranty MaxCare with CarMax and it is easier to place a claim with them by using CarMax's repair shop. The closest CarMax to us is 35 to 45 minutes away depending on traffic. 

 

Well..... Kevin had bowling last Wednesday so we enlisted my father's help in getting the Trailblazer dropped off. My father drove the Trailblazer and I drove my car with Connor riding in the backseat. We got up there, I filled out the information on the drop off envelope and put a set of the keys and info into the drop off box. From there I drove my father, Connor and myself home.

When we got home, my dad called 5 min after he left asking me to grab his wallet out of my car because he accidentally left it. I walked out to my car and there was no wallet. My dad came back to the house to take a look himself but we were fast realizing that his wallet could be in the Trailblazer or (even worse) out in the middle of the CarMax parking lot.

I called CarMax right away. By this time it was getting close to 8pm and I was hoping they wouldn't be closing. I listened to the prompts on the phone and decided to try out the Business Center because the Repair Shop was already closed. No one answered at the Business Center, the phone rang and rang and rang... no voice-mail. I hung up and called back and dialed 0 to speak with an operator.

A man answered the phone. I explained to him my situation about the possibility of us loosing my father's wallet. I told him the space the Trailblazer was parked in and the row my car was parked in briefly (right across from each other). I asked if he or anyone else could PLEASE go out and peek in the Trailblazer window and look in the parking lot between the two rows OR check to see if anyone turned in a wallet. His response.... "Let me direct you to the Business Center". Before I can say I already tried I was transferred and listening to the phone ringing and ringing and ringing.

Soooooooooo what do I do? I call back and dial 0 again. The same man answers the phone. I explain to him that no one is answering at that extension. He sighs like he is being bothered and says, "We're just so busy here. I don't think we can help you." 

 

No REALLY?!?!?!?!?!?!! 

 

So I say, "This is a wallet we're talking about. How would YOU feel if you lost YOUR wallet and no one was willing to spend 5 or 10min of their time walking out to a parking lot to look for it?" 

 

His response...."We're just so busy. No one can help you. Let me talk to my manager." He came back after 5 min and told me someone would go out there but it could take up to an hour because they are so busy. He took my number and told me they would call me back.

At this point we decided to drive the 35 to 45 minutes back up to CarMax to look ourselves because CarMax was TOO BUSY to help out one of their customers. It was Connor's bedtime so I had to put him in his PJ's and prep him for bed before putting him BACK in the car seat for the drive again.

THANKFULLY the wallet was sitting right on the seat in the Trailblazer when we go there and we were able to get it. Had someone gone out and said yes we see it there, my dad could have just drove up there on his way to work the following morning to get it........ I got a voice-mail from CarMax at 9:36pm stating that they couldn't find it. 9:36pm was a half hour after my father and I were already there and an half hour later than they said they would call. Gee thanks.

To me customer service isn't just about how they treat you during the sale or during the repair. Its about how they go out of their way to help you when the unforeseeable happens or the outside of the box happens. Apparently CarMax's Customer Service will only give you 5 or 10 min of your time if they aren't "busy". Thankfully our Trailblazer was fixed and we have air-conditioning again BUT I have a very nasty taste in my mouth from their so-called "customer service". As a business you have to be willing to go all the way for your customers not just when you have the time.