I'm amazed to read that anyone has had trouble with this dealer since the switch from Bob Lewis several years back now, especially Chris M. who posted before. I'm taken aback by these comments because I deal with Patty directly as often as possible due to the excellent service she always provides me.
My first experience at Capitol was summer of 08, when the owner decided to hold several events for the local VW enthusiasts. The first meet was a Phaeton owner's/enthusiast's get-together. We were granted access to the facility during off-hours and their amazing shop forman Chris made himself available to hobnob and answer any of our questions. He even made the time to help me out with my Passat during this event, the only non-Phaeton that came. The second event was a barbeque held for all enthusiasts, and it was this time that I was able to meet Shaun himself, the owner of the dealer, as well as the rest of his wonderful staff. These guys have always given me A+ service and always make me feel right at home.
I did not buy my Passat from this location, although I wish I had. I bought my car from Steven's Creek VW (if it's a bad Volkswagen experience you're looking for, I suggest visiting Steven's Creek instead. Never will my car return to that lot for any reason whatsoever). Capitol didn't care, however. Through a VIN search I found that Steven's Creek had sold me the car with several open recalls, Capitol VW was happy to get me scheduled and get my car up to code no questions asked. That was my first experience actually with Capitol's service as a customer just a few months after I bought the car in May 08. It wasn't even a billable job, and I still got my car back clean from the wash. Talk about great service!
Several months ago, I brought my baby in for oil leaks and a check engine light. With no VW factory warranty available, I had to rely on my 3rd party coverage for repair. The warranty was. of course, sold by Steven's Creek, and the hoops it seemed we had to jump through to get my car fixed were crazy. Come to find out, most of the trouble stemmed from taking the car to a dealer other than the issuing dealer of the warranty. Ok, my fault, can't blame Capitol for the delays. But even when I was going out of my mind waiting, Patty, Chris, and even Dan the service manager took the time to stop and listen to my concerns. Patty had no problem dealing with my warranty company, and once approved, Chris had my car in and out of the shop in a day. One working day. As in, like, 7 hours.
If you need parts, go in and talk to Tim. He's amazingly patient when I go in to look up parts for my upgrades and weekend projects, and he's plenty quick with their parts catalog, too. He can find what you need in a few minutes, and it never hurts to ask for a break on a high-dollar item.
Chris knows just about all things Volkswagen, you can rest assured your car will be serviced properly with Chris on the shop floor. His knowledge on these cars amazes me, and he's got a pretty sweet Dub of his own. It's very comforting to know a fellow enthusiast is running the show.
And Patty, what a sweetie. Several times I've walked up to her desk quite perturbed, and turned around at ease with a smile. Her communication is great, and she keeps me informed every step of the way.
All-in-all, I feel the VW experience at Capitol to be second to none in the South Bay area. Granted we haven't purchased any vehicles yet from this lot since the Bob Lewis days, I wouldn't hesitate to do so tomorrow if I was in the market. But who knows, that Cairo Grey Phaeton out front right now is looking pretty tasty... read more