Being charged to wait whilst your car is serviced?

[bitchstewie]

HTP99 said:

Ive just tapped the details of a Mercedes into a central service and repair booking website, it has come back with 4 options for the same service:

"Drop & Go": "rop off your Mercedes-Benz any time between 8-10am. Collect when it’s ready, from 4.30pm until we close.": £456.94

"Lounge": "Enjoy fixed appointment times, reserved parking and a dedicated service manager whilst experiencing our comfortable lounges.": £476.94

"Drive": "Drop off your Mercedes-Benz between 8-11am, and drive off in a loan car. Return to collect your car by 6pm.": £506.94

"Collect": "We will collect your Mercedes-Benz from your home or work between 8-11am, then deliver it back by 6pm." £506.94

We offer all of the above but for the same price, we aren't Mercedes.

That's pretty laughable IMO. Presumably £450 is for something mid way up the Merc model range but £50 to a) wait b) have a loaner or c) have your car collected is a piss take.

I've had VW, Saab, Land Rover, Porsche, and other than perhaps a tenner for the dealer insurance I've never been expected or offered to pay for any of the above.

"Comfortable lounges"?

[xRIEx]

bhstewie said:

That's pretty laughable IMO. Presumably £450 is for something mid way up the Merc model range but £50 to a) wait

It's £20 to wait.

[bitchstewie]

xRIEx said:

It's £20 to wait.

My mistake, bargain!

[swisstoni]

TBH I don't have anyone to ferry me about when I haven't got a car. Compared to faffing about with a loan car and then going back again to pick up, £20 for whileuwait doesn't seem too bad.

[surveyor]

HTP99 said:

Ive just tapped the details of a Mercedes into a central service and repair booking website, it has come back with 4 options for the same service:

"Drop & Go": "rop off your Mercedes-Benz any time between 8-10am. Collect when it’s ready, from 4.30pm until we close.": £456.94

"Lounge": "Enjoy fixed appointment times, reserved parking and a dedicated service manager whilst experiencing our comfortable lounges.": £476.94

"Drive": "Drop off your Mercedes-Benz between 8-11am, and drive off in a loan car. Return to collect your car by 6pm.": £506.94

"Collect": "We will collect your Mercedes-Benz from your home or work between 8-11am, then deliver it back by 6pm." £506.94

We offer all of the above but for the same price, we aren't Mercedes.

How much for a service?

[cslwannabe]

Nothing would surprise me when it's Mercedes Benz. I will never own one after the way they treated me when I went to view an SLK and from what I've read that seems to be the way they treat all prospective owners. I remember Clarkson slating their customer service on TG when he owned his SL 55 AMG.

[ChasW]

budfox said:

First rule of business. Always give an option to pay more because some people will want to.

Agree. Some people will value that option. Not that I have been charged for this but I often used to wait because it suited me. I could be at the dealer at 08.00 and gone by 10.00. Much better than faffing around picking up a loan car, stopping to replace the fuel and having to be back at the busiest time of the day. So I can see the logic in charging a premium to be first in the queue and having the service completed asap. Today I called my mobile phone operator with a query. If I wanted to jump the queue it would cost 50p. I chose to wait, it took about 10 minutes to speak to someone.

[Dannbodge]

My local BMW have a coffee shop that gives out free mugs of tea and coffee when you are waiting for your car to be serviced.

They also give out free cake and things for lunch like sandwiches

[Monty Python]

Dannbodge said:

My local BMW have a coffee shop that gives out free mugs of tea and coffee when you are waiting for your car to be serviced.

They also give out free cake and things for lunch like sandwiches

Same here - I strongly suspect this is why their hourly labour rate is so high.

[pboyall]

I'm glad I'm poor and only have a Nissan. Loan car waiting for me when mine was serviced, no charge (not even for insurance). Work was completed within a four hour window and I even got a video overview of the work done to prove they'd been round the car.

Oh yeah - and it was £74 for the service.

[Fox-]

Monty Python said:

Same here - I strongly suspect this is why their hourly labour rate is so high.

Almost certainly but what are the chances that Mercedes have lowered the base labour rate since doing away with free loan cars, free coffee shop whilst you wait, tec....

[anonymous-user]

Motorrad said:

I guess though there must be some idiots out there happy to bend over for a reaming.

Oh god yes. They are out there.

A fool and his money are easily parted.

To be honest, it actually amazes me that people automatically pay dealer prices for parts/servicing/repairs anyway without shopping around for independent specialists etc. The only time I use dealerships for anything is the rare occasion they can actually price match the local independent because they are desperate for the work after a few quiet days.

But, from a business point of view, I also agree with this:

budfox said:

First rule of business. Always give an option to pay more because some people will want to.

I know people who will happily get absolutely bummed senseless by main dealers just because they seem to just love the whole pomp and fuss that is made over them... "Would you like a Cappuccino sir? Copy of today's Times newspaper while you wait Sir?"

You know the types... the ones that love going to buy an 'Approved Used' car from a dealership instead of privately because the dealer has it in the middle of the showroom with a sheet over it and they give the lady a bunch of flowers then pull the sheet off the car and give them both champagne, take photos and congratulate them on their purchase.

I find it absolutely hilarious.

[458bhp]

pboyall said:

I'm glad I'm poor and only have a Nissan. Loan car waiting for me when mine was serviced, no charge (not even for insurance). Work was completed within a four hour window and I even got a video overview of the work done to prove they'd been round the car.

Oh yeah - and it was £74 for the service.

Where was that?

[Fox-]

NinjaPower said:

You know the types... the ones that love going to buy an 'Approved Used' car from a dealership instead of privately because the dealer has it in the middle of the showroom with a sheet over it and they give the lady a bunch of flowers then pull the sheet off the car and give them both champagne, take photos and congratulate them on their purchase.

I find it absolutely hilarious.

It's almost impossible to buy the sort of cars you'd normally buy AUC from private sellers, though. I much prefer private sellers but once you start getting into 5 figures the number of privately advertised cars drops off a cliff and the few that do pop up are invariably at bonkers money made even worse once you add on the cost of the warranty thats included with an AUC.

[Wills2]

Not sure I like that, my local BMW dealership offer a free loan car (but you need to book further in advance) or pick up or wait in lounge or come and go under your own steam all for the same price.

But I know others that only want you to drop it off and then f**k off until it's ready, so I guess it varies from dealership to dealership depending on the local situation.

[DSLiverpool]

Williams in Liverpool have been amazing when I had my 760i - always a loaner and for anything chargeable they always discounted. When I had my SL55 MB Chester were superb, old car servicing costs but they did the full hit and more. Infinity so far ok - very expensive but a decent job and collected from 40 miles away with loaner left.

[redtwin]

So are customers being frog marched off the premises if they don't pay extra for the "while you wait" service?.

[Alucidnation]

Butter Face said:

People who wait expect the car to be fixed in 30 mins, lots of people don't realise it's it just unbolt a part and bolt It back on again. Diagnostics, software upgrades, recalls blah blah.

Yep, i booked my Caddy in to have a replacement electric window switch fitted under warranty, and i, stupidly said 'ill wait for it'.

When i went in, was offered coffee etc and then two fking hours later it was ready.

"Oh, we have to run a diagnostic check and send it to VW for their approval.

For a broken fking window switch????

fk off.

[Driver101]

Select the lounge option and make sure you get more than £20 worth of cakes, coffee and coke as you wait.

[apotts]

I got frog marched out of the premises because I came in in my 2 year old W212 E220 and wanted to test/buy a W212 E350. Why did he chuck me out? Because they were too busy with paperwork as it was hand over day.

I broke my no-Merc-ever-again rule when I test drove a new C220. The engine was dog rough, the road noise unbearable, the ride harsh, the gearbox jerky and the stupid stuck-on-the-dash-ipad kept freezing.

How do they ever sell cars now?