Being the diligent type, I'd test drive a vehicle with a transmission complaint, and if I was unable to duplicate the problem, I'd go to the service writer and hand them the work order and inquire about the issue in more detail. Shockingly, some service writers would say ugly things about the customer and say they were "nuts". Realizing that no one has the time to bring their car in for some imaginary problem, I took it upon myself to call the customer and go over the issue. By closing the communications gap, I always got the true intent of what the customer was trying to say. The difference is, I knew and know what questions to ask about something as complex as an automatic transmission. Keep in mind that the first order of business in ANY automatic transmission complaint, Driveability issues must be monitored and eliminated first. You've no idea how often I'd get a slippage complaint that turned out to be a clogged fuel filter.
Remember this: Service writers are sales people, not technicians. They are professional bull****ters. By cutting to the chase such as I did, I helped our CSI ratings go way up, not to mention find the true cause of the customer's complaint.
I was never thanked for my diligence but my true goal was to be the very best at what I do as a professional. I read all these slams against dealer technicians and understand all the dynamics which exist in the dealer world. Greed is the number one cancer which leads to these problems..... from everyone being on commission to the separate departments being at war with each other.
Here's a little known fact: The best finance guys in a dealer pull down a half a million a year in commission based pay by taking advantage of you the public's ignorance, naivety, and fears about the whole process.
Dealer principals (owners) live in mansions and are extremely wealthy. The majority of dealerships have been snatched up by big corporations. This eliminated the neighborly relationships of decades gone by. The folks in that environment are put under incredible production quotas and are in constant fear of being terminated.