Solo, I do have a CAT dealer locally who has been fair with me. They have done work and while not cheap, have done what they say and have helped me out in a pinch.
CAM, unfortunately, when some of these dealerships finish in less time that is shown in the book, they don't discount the price. Some of these mechanics work on percentage or commission. The more revenue they bring in the more they stick in their pocket. I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing, but I do have a problem with a dealership who milks customers for every penny. It is dishonest to charge for hours not worked. If their book says that it will take 10 hours to do a job and it only takes 8, then I think we should be charged 8 hours. To charge for more time than is spend is criminal. It is FRAUD. Unfortunately, it is widespread among many dealerships. Not only trucks, but auto dealerships. I used to do most all of my own work. I do very little any more. It takes time to find a good mechanic or garage who won't take advantage of customers. I think there is a reason why they don't want customers to watch them work. They don't want you to see how little they time they spend compared to what you are charged. I had an injector replaced at the CAT dealer in Denver a few years ago. I was surprised that my bill was a little less than the estimate. :shock: It was still high, but I would go back to them because I believe they were fair with me. I don't necessarily expect a garage to be cheap. After all, they are in business, too. I do expect them to be honest......or at least I used to. Now, I wait and see how they do business.
I will share a good experience I had with an International dealer in upstate New York. I had a pinion that was loose. I went in on a Saturday and they tightened it up for me without charge. They probably spend 30 minutes to an hour checking it out. When it came time to pay, they didn't charge me a penny. NOTHING!! I never expected them to work on my truck for FREE. I later found out that the pinion was bad and wound up putting in a new power divider. They got me going and I was able to have the work done at home for much less than I could on the road. Of all places to get a break, I would not have expected to get one in New York. It seems that my experience in that state has been right the opposite.
There are still some good people and dealers out there. We should share our experiences with them and give them our business and shun those who defraud us. 8)