Monday 6th February 2006

Fiat dealers get a rocket

Customer service must improve, say bosses

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Fiat Grande Punto

Fiat dealers have been given a rocket after years of accumulating a reputation for poor customer service. According to one story, the Italian company's UK dealers have been warned that they need to pull their socks up with respect to customer service or risk being disenfranchised.

The shot across the bows came from Fiat UK's new aftersales director Rob Calver, at the launch of the new Grande Punto. He was drafted in to shake up the UK franchisees following complaints from customers about poor service and lack of responsiveness, and to help clear up a backlog of over 1,000 customer complaints. According to a story on ITV Motoring, the backlog has been "significantly reduced", and it now takes some five days for a complaint to be to processed, half the time the industry recommends.

Calver also said that training would be provided for dealerships but said that maybe Fiat hadn't managed dealers very well. The catalyst was the launch of the new Grande Punto which, said Calver, needs to bring about a change un perception of the Fiat brand.

He said: "We've got a hell of a lot to do." No kidding...

• ITV Motoring story

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About time! My wife had a Fiat Stilo for a year that had to go back to the dealer over 10 times for various things, usually electrical. Got so fed up with the lack of help that we sold the car in the end (losing quite a lot of money in depreciation but that's another story!)