2.5 - 3 minute read A malfunctioning alternator can cause a car to stall while driving, which can be dangerous. Source: Google AI Overview I’ve had a situation with RJ Shore Automotive at 80 Shore Drive in Branford that began on July 2nd and appears to be resolved today, July 9th. I have never left Yelp or Google reviews prior to this situation. I left several reviews on the RJ Automotive page but they were not posted. I will start out with positives. I explained what I wanted done to fix the car and they appear to have done exactly that. The car was finished one day early. When the action plan was in motion staff member telephone courtesy was good. After the replacement alternator failed the mechanic offered to put a new battery in the car. I didn’t have to ask. I want to be fair. The shop’s culture is not what I am accustomed to. I bring my own set of experience and expectations to the situation. I need to consider that the corporation I worked for was selling multi-million dollar technology solutions. If we made an error we did whatever was required, including working nights or weekends, to repair it. Customers were always addressed respectfully. If we’d ever launched personal attacks against a customer we’d have a very serious problem. The corporation would not have prioritized saving a few hundred dollars over accommodating a customer. A smaller company might not be in a position to do that. Here is a factual account of what happened: * In January, 2024, RJ Shore Automotive replaced the alternator and battery in my car. The work was under warranty for a year. * On 6/28 and 6/29 my car would not start. * On July 2nd the car was towed to RJ Shore Automotive. * On July 3rd I was told to pick up my repaired car. I drove the car a total of 2.2 miles after I retrieved it. * On July 4th the car would not start. * RJ Automotive towed it back to their shop on July 5th. I was told that the alternator they installed on 7/3 was bad. It was only at 11.7 volts and should have been between 13-15 volts. * On July 5th I was told refurb alternators were being installed in my car. I stated that I wanted a new alternator. The office assistant and the mechanic told me that new alternators were no longer made for my car. The work was scheduled for completion between 7/10 - 7/12. * On July 5th I went online and found new alternators for my car. * On July 6th I spoke to the auto mechanic again. I told him there were new alternators for my car. He said he could only buy parts from his designated supplier and that I could speak to a person in authority on July 8th. * On July 7th I posted my first Google and Yelp reviews. * On July 8th I spoke to someone in authority. I agreed to pay an additional $280 to upgrade the alternator. The manager was unwilling to work on my car until I removed the reviews. Wanting my car repaired, I removed them. There was no agreement about posting updated reviews. The office assistant called to say her supplier had the new alternator. * Today, July 9th, my car was ready, a day early. As I was waiting to pay several men walked in, one at a time, stood in front of me, looked at me and then left. Someone yelled in from the work area, “Tell her not to come back”. No problem if the alternator and battery remain functional. An Additional Interaction The receptionist at RJ Shore Automotive was repeatedly referring to me as "hon" a term I have sadly discovered younger women use when addressing older ones. I have continually asked her to stop, at first very politely and then more directly. When the tow truck driver arrived on July 5th he laughingly addressed me as "hon". Of course I knew where he got this idea. I asked him if he called men "hon". He replied in the negative and then referred to me as "babe". At this point he appeared to be losing his temper. I think the incident was captured on our security tapes. I was trepidatious in his presence. I called the shop stating I wanted no further contact with him.