Grange Main Dealer Brentwood

[David514]

I have booked my car into Grange Brentwood for its annual service for the first time.

I was surprised by some comments from the service department

They will not collect my car. I got the impression that the drivers had been made redundant. I would have thought they would have been furloughed.

I can have a courtesy car but have to pay £25 to cover insurance for the day, thats a nearly £10K annual premium

I cannot pay cash as they have no one to do the banking.

Perhaps I am being unreasonable, but I am a little shocked that customer service is not high on the agenda.

Does anyone have any views of Grange Brentwood? Thank you

Edited by David514 on Thursday 15th April 15:12

[Buster73]

Covid has been used as an excuse for a dropping of standards across various businesses I deal with , if you are unhappy with the level of service offered , make a complaint to the dealer principal or vote with your feet and take it elsewhere.

[oilit]

I would just call works and get them to collect

[Minglar]

David514 said:

I have booked my car into Grange Brentwood for its annual service for the first time.

I was surprised by some comments from the service department

They will not collect my car. I got the impression that they had been made redundant. I would have thought they would have been furloughed.

I can have a courtesy car but have to pay £25 to cover insurance for the day, thats a nearly £10K annual premium

I cannot pay cash as they have no one to do the banking.

Perhaps I am being unreasonable, but I am a little shocked that customer service is not high on the agenda.

Does anyone have any views of Grange Brentwood? Thank you

I have bought two cars through them and have used them for all my servicing since 2007. Never had any problems at all. In my experience the team there has been great to deal with across all areas. So I am very surprised to hear your comments. Mine usually goes in there in May and at that time last year the servicing was administered through their Jaguar showroom next door, but I found it to be as trouble free as usual. If you’re really not happy, perhaps a phone call to Gavin rather than posting it here may have been appropriate?

Best Regards

Minglar

[David514]

Minglar, I posted my observations as I was not sure if my expectations were unreasonable.

I would have hoped I would not have to speak to the Manager over booking my car in for a service.

I expected customer service to be higher with adequate staff employed.

[pschlute]

David514 said:

I have booked my car into Grange Brentwood for its annual service for the first time.

I was surprised by some comments from the service department

They will not collect my car. I got the impression that they had been made redundant. I would have thought they would have been furloughed.

I can have a courtesy car but have to pay £25 to cover insurance for the day, thats a nearly £10K annual premium

I cannot pay cash as they have no one to do the banking.

Perhaps I am being unreasonable, but I am a little shocked that customer service is not high on the agenda.

Does anyone have any views of Grange Brentwood? Thank you

It is unfortunate you are not being offered what you want, but I would make the following observations.....

£25 for one days insurance is not £10 pa. Short term insurance just does not work that way. £25 does not even cover the paperwork expenses. If they won't collect your car they could at least cover the insurance costs however.

Pay cash ? Are you serious? No-one deals in cash anymore

[N111BJG]

I think they are a fine bunch.
They are far more friendly & helpful than the OPC where my Porsche is looked after.

[DAVIDOXE]

David514 said:

I have booked my car into Grange Brentwood for its annual service for the first time.

I was surprised by some comments from the service department

They will not collect my car. I got the impression that they had been made redundant. I would have thought they would have been furloughed.

I can have a courtesy car but have to pay £25 to cover insurance for the day, thats a nearly £10K annual premium

I cannot pay cash as they have no one to do the banking.

Perhaps I am being unreasonable, but I am a little shocked that customer service is not high on the agenda.

Does anyone have any views of Grange Brentwood? Thank you

My apologies but yes i think you are being unreasonable, from someone who is only too happy to knock a main dealer.

Car collection would be the first thing to go.

25 quid is a bargain for day insure or the like.

No one is taking cash, witnessed a builder trying to buy a wheel barrow with cash the other day!

Difficult times at the mo Companies protecting employees maybe going over the top but the way of the world.

[Minglar]

David514 said:

Minglar, I posted my observations as I was not sure if my expectations were unreasonable.

I would have hoped I would not have to speak to the Manager over booking my car in for a service.

I expected customer service to be higher with adequate staff employed.

Fair enough. Regarding lack of car collection, is it possibly Covid related? I don’t know for sure but I would think that’s a reasonable assumption, in order to protect the staff. £25 per day for a courtesy car is fair imho. On the assumption that your car is only in for routine servicing, and nothing untoward is found, you should only need it for one day. It may not only be for insurance as there may be other factors with regards to sanitising and cleaning said vehicles. And finally, whilst I fully accept paying in cash should be an option, surely a card payment is easier in the current climate? You asked the forum for views on your expectations. In the current environment I think perhaps you are being somewhat unreasonable. You’re right though. You shouldn’t have to call the DP over a service booking. But surely if you’re unhappy, a call to Gavin may give him a chance to explain better than anyone on here, including me, their reasons. If you’re still unhappy, try elsewhere. I would reiterate that in my experience the guys at Brentwood have always been great to deal with. My car is going in for a service and MOT at the end of May, and I’m confident the experience will be up to their usual standards.

Best Regards

Minglar

Edited by Minglar on Wednesday 14th April 23:31

[CB07]

Grange (Hatfield) are excellent in my view. Serviced my old Vantage alternating with works, and recently serviced my Rapide and it has never been better.

Car collected and dropped off, I didn’t ask for a courtesy car as I wouldn’t have needed one so no experience of that side of it.

Personally I think your demands are a touch far fetched given a National lockdown related to an enormous life changing pandemic eased just three days ago.

Do you not own a mobile phone? Call them and let them know your plight.

If I were you I would drop the car off, nip to a pub, spend the 25 quid on a few beers and a sarnie and move on. Life is too short.

[Astontony]

Minglar said:

I have bought two cars through them and have used them for all my servicing since 2007. Never had any problems at all. In my experience the team there has been great to deal with across all areas. So I am very surprised to hear your comments. Mine usually goes in there in May and at that time last year the servicing was administered through their Jaguar showroom next door, but I found it to be as trouble free as usual. If you’re really not happy, perhaps a phone call to Gavin rather than posting it here may have been appropriate?

Best Regards

Minglar

Minglar,
I thought this was a forum for advice and discussion, I think the question asked was quite relevant, the comment re the experience worthy of opinions and would be of interest to many.
I think your comment re not bringing to this forum is unsatisfactory. The topic was asking for others experience and advice and the answers he received no doubt of assistance.

[Minglar]

Astontony said:

Minglar said:

I have bought two cars through them and have used them for all my servicing since 2007. Never had any problems at all. In my experience the team there has been great to deal with across all areas. So I am very surprised to hear your comments. Mine usually goes in there in May and at that time last year the servicing was administered through their Jaguar showroom next door, but I found it to be as trouble free as usual. If you’re really not happy, perhaps a phone call to Gavin rather than posting it here may have been appropriate?

Best Regards

Minglar

Minglar,
I thought this was a forum for advice and discussion, I think the question asked was quite relevant, the comment re the experience worthy of opinions and would be of interest to many.
I think your comment re not bringing to this forum is unsatisfactory. The topic was asking for others experience and advice and the answers he received no doubt of assistance.

If you read the thread thoroughly I did reply to the OP again. Personally, if I wasn’t happy with the service from a dealer I’d contact the dealer first to resolve any issue and get clarity before posting it on a public forum. AM and the dealers read this page as we all know. That’s all I was saying. Each to their own though and I’m sorry if you find that unsatisfactory.

Best Regards

Minglar

[Agent57]

I took my car for a service (somewhere else) and they wanted me to insure the courtesy car. (A Freelander worth about £7k).

What a faff. The insurance company when I finally got through wanted to know chapter and verse and then some about the car so I had to keep ringing the garage back asking for more details. And they were very suspicious asking why I was in a courtesy car, had I been in an accident.

Then when my car took longer to fix I had to ring back the insurance company to extend the cover and pay another £25.

Oh and they could not tell me what car I needed to get insurance on until 4pm the day before. So I had to take time out at work to make the phone call(s).

Next time I went there I took my wife in convoy so she could drive me back.

Edited by Agent57 on Thursday 15th April 07:50

[squirdan]

just pay the £79 fee to HWM and get them to come to you, at your convenience "flying technician"

that way...no extra miles on your car, no inconvenience, and frankly when you take him a cup of tea you'll see exactly what hes up to and get a sense is it all being done properly. WHich you wont at a dealership as you wont be allowed into the service bay

[cayman-black]

I know this dealer well as my Mum lives a mile away. I have only used them for part though. What i would do is phone someone like works who collect and deliver the car and see if their service sounds more reasonable, worth a try and price check also.

[joshcowin]

OP what have the discussions been with them prior to booking the car in?!

Did you hammer them on price and then expect all the perks?

[David514]

joshcowin said:

OP what have the discussions been with them prior to booking the car in?!

Did you hammer them on price and then expect all the perks?

I booked the car in a few months ago and called yesterday just to confirm my booking. I was not offered a discount and nor did I expect one.

[Buster73]

David514 said:

I booked the car in a few months ago and called yesterday just to confirm my booking. I was not offered a discount and nor did I expect one.

No harm in asking though , when my car was in for its first service I asked for discount on the basis I’d bought the car there ( different dealer) and I didn’t think it was reasonable to pay the same price as someone who’d bought a car elsewhere.

The service advisor agreed and knocked 10 % off without argument and has done every service since.

Same when it needed an MOT.

Shy bairns get nowt as they say up here.