BMW bad customer service - would you make a complaint?
Discussion
To the PH massive, would you complain to the dealer about this?
You arrange your BMW to visit the while-you-wait service dept of a main dealer in advance. Your wife takes it in (with your kids in tow), and gets told it needs a few hours for a service update, so it's better to come back. They offer to drop her and kids off, but can't take them all the way home - instead they drop her near a bus stop less than 5 mins drive from the house. She asked the driver if he can just take her all the way home as the weather is pretty bad outside and she wasn't prepared enough to have the kids out in the cold for that long. He says no, and drops her off there - I get a call a while later saying it's taken them a while to get home from there, and kids are pretty cold (they were a bit ill already), and it's really bad they couldn't get dropped all the way home.
Being a bloke, you can over-charge me, or do other things that dealers usually get complaints about, but do something that affects my kids makes it a pretty emotive topic. The lack of common sense when it comes to customer service here is appalling - especially for a brand like BMW.
Now my question, if this happened to you, would you complain to the dealer? (about the lack of common sense in their drop off policies). Why didn't they just offer to arrange a cab for her if they knew they couldn't drop her off properly or give her a courtesy car?
Before I get totally flamed for these trivial of questions, the car was booked in as a while you wait service, and the car updates were at the request of the service department.
You arrange your BMW to visit the while-you-wait service dept of a main dealer in advance. Your wife takes it in (with your kids in tow), and gets told it needs a few hours for a service update, so it's better to come back. They offer to drop her and kids off, but can't take them all the way home - instead they drop her near a bus stop less than 5 mins drive from the house. She asked the driver if he can just take her all the way home as the weather is pretty bad outside and she wasn't prepared enough to have the kids out in the cold for that long. He says no, and drops her off there - I get a call a while later saying it's taken them a while to get home from there, and kids are pretty cold (they were a bit ill already), and it's really bad they couldn't get dropped all the way home.
Being a bloke, you can over-charge me, or do other things that dealers usually get complaints about, but do something that affects my kids makes it a pretty emotive topic. The lack of common sense when it comes to customer service here is appalling - especially for a brand like BMW.
Now my question, if this happened to you, would you complain to the dealer? (about the lack of common sense in their drop off policies). Why didn't they just offer to arrange a cab for her if they knew they couldn't drop her off properly or give her a courtesy car?
Before I get totally flamed for these trivial of questions, the car was booked in as a while you wait service, and the car updates were at the request of the service department.
devnull said:
So what was the reasoning that they couldn't drop them further down the street? It does sound a bit odd and insensitive.
I am getting information from my wife, and she isn't in the most rational of moods at the moment, but apparently it's their policy. When I saw it's less than 5 mins drive, I really do mean that (including traffic)I'm going to guess it's either a lack of common sense or something in their insurance, etc stating that states how the cars can be used.
I'm guessing dropping people here there and everywhere may actually be defined as being a taxi by the insurance company or something similar.... Pure speculation but reasonably possible.
Either way complain as they should have offered or arranged a hire car if this was the case in my opinion.
I'm guessing dropping people here there and everywhere may actually be defined as being a taxi by the insurance company or something similar.... Pure speculation but reasonably possible.
Either way complain as they should have offered or arranged a hire car if this was the case in my opinion.
pilchardthecat said:
s1962a said:
especially for a brand like BMW.
Therein lies the problem - the expectation. BMW are no better than Vauxhall, Peugeot, Ford or any of the other big fleet suppliers. I'm amazed the fallacy/myth still persists - it has been thus for 10 years.
Pretty crap in my opinion, yes I'm sure they have a policy which was adherred to; but the ability to use descretion to provide a little flexibility is what makes or breaks cutomer service.
Look at it this way, for the sake of 5 minutes of their drivers time and what, £2 in fuel max, they've upset and potentially lost a customer worth hundreds or possibly thousands to them over the next few years. Smart.
Look at it this way, for the sake of 5 minutes of their drivers time and what, £2 in fuel max, they've upset and potentially lost a customer worth hundreds or possibly thousands to them over the next few years. Smart.
Eddh said:
Did anyone die or was affected for more than a short time having to wait for a bus?
If not just get over it and get on with life. Your wife could have called a taxi if she didn't want to wait for the bus.
Agreed, in hindsight this is what she should have done, or they should have arranged one for her. Especially as the car wasn't meant to be dropped off.If not just get over it and get on with life. Your wife could have called a taxi if she didn't want to wait for the bus.
Do you have kids? It's a pretty emotive topic when someone does something that affects your kids.
Explain to them you'll be leaving payment for their service 5 minutes away from the dealership - it's your policy to do this.
Terrible service to be honest. My local independent place drops me off at home when I take my car in for a service - or picks the car up. From a BMW main dealer I'd expect more - then again, they honestly won't care about you. Unless it's a company car?
Terrible service to be honest. My local independent place drops me off at home when I take my car in for a service - or picks the car up. From a BMW main dealer I'd expect more - then again, they honestly won't care about you. Unless it's a company car?
Ozzie Osmond said:
Don't understand.
How long were you expecting the car to be in? What was the work?
How well do your kids behave when they're stuck in a dealership waiting area?
You sound disappointed with the service manager's phone call. What were you expecting from them?
Expected work: 30 mins, maybe 45How long were you expecting the car to be in? What was the work?
How well do your kids behave when they're stuck in a dealership waiting area?
You sound disappointed with the service manager's phone call. What were you expecting from them?
Required work - might be done later this afternoon. Car appt was 11am
What would you do in this situation?
I am dissapointed at the lack of common sense - they could have just dropped her home as it was less than 5 mins drive for the driver. You need to be quite well prepared to have 2 small kids outside in the cold (pushchair, adequate warm clothing etc).
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff