Sometimes you’re simply compelled to leave a negative Yelp review. It’s not that I had a genuinely horrible experience, but in the saga of trying to get the windshield replaced on my BMW M2, it was not so pleasant dealing with certain vendors. What it boils down to is this: communication. Any store has the right to refuse service to anyone, obviously. However, they should let the customer know this! Instead of stopping all communication without warning.
The first bodyshop I contacted to inquire about the windshield was such an establishment. While they did return my initial call saying they can help me, they never contacted me again with a repair estimate, after promising to do so. I emailed multiple times and never got a response. I realize most of these bodyshops completely ignore their emails, but I think that’s a mistake. Millennials and Gen Z people grew up on emails as a communications tool, and are deafly afraid of making a phone call.
A place of business would be wise to pay attention to incoming emails.
After I successfully got the windshield replaced (hat tip to Weatherford BMW in Berkeley), it was time to post lukewarm Yelp reviews for the shops that ignored my requests. A modicum of revenge for making me wait three weeks to get a simple piece of glass replaced on my car. And honestly, it’s such a relatively simple job! I know it doesn’t bring in the big money like a proper collision repair, but a small-bill customer is still a customer.
So I gave those shops three out of five stars, and wrote a little bit about the utter lack of communication. It would not be fair to give them any less stars because ultimately I did not do business with those places. Three stars is just enough to have my say forcefully, without looking like I’m being a dick about it. Even though I guess I’m trying to be a bit of a dick about it.
All fixed.