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How many times have you asked the customer for the last eight of the VIN? Customer rattles off the last four of the VIN. Now in my vocabulary eight and four do not sound the same no matter what language you are speaking.
Correct the customer in a polite manner, if they get mad, so what. Record their telephone number, go to a pay phone, dial *67 plus the number in the dead of night, when they wake up ask for the last four of the VIN and hang up.

AlanHomes wrote:How many times have you asked the customer for the last eight of the VIN? Customer rattles off the last four of the VIN. Now in my vocabulary eight and four do not sound the same no matter what language you are speaking.
Correct the customer in a polite manner, if they get mad, so what. Record their telephone number, go to a pay phone, dial *67 plus the number in the dead of night, when they wake up ask for the last four of the VIN and hang up.

happens all the time...get the last 4... sometimes the last 6..

worst i ever got a customer gave the last 8 backwards..... my gm trained brain could barely comprehend..

I always try to tell them what the last eight begins with. Luckily, it helps. I'm just glad most callers even know what a VIN is, these days.

Denise Trimble wrote:I always try to tell them what the last eight begins with. Luckily, it helps. I'm just glad most callers even know what a VIN is, these days.

Exactly what I do...sad that I know this...but it helps.

"OK last 8, it's a 2014 Silverado so it probably starts with EZ followed by 6 numbers".

Or my favourite the other day, "What is your VIN". "No". OK...sorry...can't help you then.

Had a customer that insisted this last eight was something like 78cz1374. I explained that it wouldn't come up in the catalog, and that the last six on a GM should be a serial number with no letters and that he likely cut off the last couple digits.

"THIS IS WHAT'S ON THE CAR! I TOOK A PICTURE! I KNOW HOW TO READ!"

"Okay, well nonetheless, this last eight doesn't pull up."

"WELL I'LL JUST READ THE WHOLE THING THEN SINCE YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT."

reads me 15 digits

"Sir, a VIN should be 17 digits, I think maybe some got cut off."

"I'M GONNA GO OUT TO THE TRUCK AND FIND THE SAME THING AND READ IT TO YOU AGAIN."

At this point the disrespect is clear and it takes a lot to not hang up, but I won't give him the satisfaction.

"... reads full 17 digit VIN. oh that's weird it has more numbers at the end."

"Yep, that's weird. So what can I get you on you 12 Silverado?" I hope he heard the smug in my voice. Mind you if he would've said something like "oh I'm sorry" or "my bad" I would've let it go and held the smug tone.

PartsDanager wrote:Had a customer that insisted this last eight was something like 78cz1374. I explained that it wouldn't come up in the catalog, and that the last six on a GM should be a serial number with no letters and that he likely cut off the last couple digits.

"THIS IS WHAT'S ON THE CAR! I TOOK A PICTURE! I KNOW HOW TO READ!"

"Okay, well nonetheless, this last eight doesn't pull up."

"WELL I'LL JUST READ THE WHOLE THING THEN SINCE YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT."

reads me 15 digits

"Sir, a VIN should be 17 digits, I think maybe some got cut off."

"I'M GONNA GO OUT TO THE TRUCK AND FIND THE SAME THING AND READ IT TO YOU AGAIN."

At this point the disrespect is clear and it takes a lot to not hang up, but I won't give him the satisfaction.

"... reads full 17 digit VIN. oh that's weird it has more numbers at the end."

"Yep, that's weird. So what can I get you on you 12 Silverado?" I hope he heard the smug in my voice. Mind you if he would've said something like "oh I'm sorry" or "my bad" I would've let it go and held the smug tone.

AMAZING... I think i talked to this guy 2-3 times a day.... they also question "why do you need the VIN?? the parts been the same since 1972 "

AMAZING... I think i talked to this guy 2-3 times a day.... they also question "why do you need the VIN?? the parts been the same since 1972 "

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were an expert. You should be able to get this all on your own." click

PartsDanager wrote:

AMAZING... I think i talked to this guy 2-3 times a day.... they also question "why do you need the VIN?? the parts been the same since 1972 "

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were an expert. You should be able to get this all on your own." click

back in the 80's... before vin filtering... what fun times.. i worked at a caddy store.. guy comes in looking for power seat cables on a seville. there were tons of them.. i was working thru them, he asked how hard can this be ? my 20 some year old self turned the book around and told him to pick one...he did look for a second, and turned book back around.. somehow i did not get fired that day

jaybird62 wrote:

PartsDanager wrote:

AMAZING... I think i talked to this guy 2-3 times a day.... they also question "why do you need the VIN?? the parts been the same since 1972 "

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were an expert. You should be able to get this all on your own." click

back in the 80's... before vin filtering... what fun times.. i worked at a caddy store.. guy comes in looking for power seat cables on a seville. there were tons of them.. i was working thru them, he asked how hard can this be ? my 20 some year old self turned the book around and told him to pick one...he did look for a second, and turned book back around.. somehow i did not get fired that day

I think they were color coded? Black, yellow, brown etc?

yes color and length...and all e,k,and c bodies in same group...if i remember correct