Criswell's Negligence, Argumentative Customer Service Finally Driving Me Away
I’ve been a loyal customer of Criswell Germantown for roughly 20 years, which is why my most recent experience was especially disappointing. During a routine service visit that included a tire rotation, an inattention to detail (they didn't tighten all lug nuts) led to a dangerous situation on the highway. What should have been a straightforward maintenance item resulted in a safety risk that I should never have had to encounter after leaving a professional service department.
To resolve the issue in an emergency situation and ensure the vehicle was safe to drive, I had to take it to another company, where $1,140 in repairs were required; the veteran mechanic at this shop offered his opinion that these damages were the direct result of Criswell's negligence, documenting his thoughts with a writeup and photos on the invoice. Despite the circumstances, Criswell only agreed to cover half of those costs. While I appreciate any contribution, that decision fell short of taking full responsibility for an error that originated from their service bay.
Compounding the frustration was the interaction with Criswell's service representative, who was more argumentative than helpful. Rather than recognizing and valuing two decades of loyalty, the conversation felt dismissive and defensive. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident—my dissatisfaction with the dealership’s communication around recent service visits has been steadily growing.
Given the safety implications, the out-of-pocket expense, and the tone of Criswell's follow-up, I’ve decided to discontinue my business with this dealership. I hope management takes this feedback seriously, strengthens quality control in the shop, and refocuses the customer care team on empathy and accountability.
Longtime customers shouldn’t have to choose between loyalty and safety.
