Discussion
Having worked in the motor trade for many years and specifically within aftersales, I'm quite frankly shocked at the response you've received in this case.
It is well known that the sales dept usually always the next person that is asked to pick the bill for repair in the event of a claim being declined through extended warranty. But you should never make the customer aware of this.
It should be portrayed as goodwill from the business, not the sales managers bottom line....
It is well known that the sales dept usually always the next person that is asked to pick the bill for repair in the event of a claim being declined through extended warranty. But you should never make the customer aware of this.
It should be portrayed as goodwill from the business, not the sales managers bottom line....
I’m very disappointed (but, based on the experience of others, hardly surprised, sadly) to hear of the OP’s experience with the dealer.
I agree with others that the email stating that they would be asking the Sales Team for their contribution should have never been seen; things go wrong in many service industries and there are always internal, “discussions,” as to who should end up wearing these problems. That the customer be made aware of this is unacceptable, still less acceptable that he be told of the blame apportionment before an outcome is determined.
As a new entrant to the market, McLaren’s differentiators should include service as a priority; it seems they have much to learn.
I agree with others that the email stating that they would be asking the Sales Team for their contribution should have never been seen; things go wrong in many service industries and there are always internal, “discussions,” as to who should end up wearing these problems. That the customer be made aware of this is unacceptable, still less acceptable that he be told of the blame apportionment before an outcome is determined.
As a new entrant to the market, McLaren’s differentiators should include service as a priority; it seems they have much to learn.
EJH said:
As a new entrant to the market, McLaren’s differentiators should include service as a priority; it seems they have much to learn.
Totally agree - I can understand them not recovering the car from Germany, but once in their care I'd expect it to be sorted both quickly (what is it now, 4 weeks?) and FoC without any quibbling. That way at least you get the reassurance that even though these happen occasionally, McLaren have got your back when they do.
LATEST RESPONSE FROM MCLAREN HQ, CLIENT SERVICES:
Good morning Mr Townsend
Thank you for your emails. I’m sorry to read your comments and that you’ve experienced further disappointment following their inspection of your car and subsequent diagnosis.
I am, of course, pleased to hear that they’re covering the cost of the repairs and to make sure the matter is resolved swiftly, I’ve been in contact with xxxx, Aftersales Manager at McLaren Ascot. I’ve asked that xxx keep me up to date with any developments and I will offer my support where I can, if needed.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m sorry that you feel we’ve let you down on this occasion. I’m confident that Ascot will be able to return your car to you in full working order, however, if you have any queries in the future, please contact me directly and I will do what I can to assist you.
Kind regards
Good morning Mr Townsend
Thank you for your emails. I’m sorry to read your comments and that you’ve experienced further disappointment following their inspection of your car and subsequent diagnosis.
I am, of course, pleased to hear that they’re covering the cost of the repairs and to make sure the matter is resolved swiftly, I’ve been in contact with xxxx, Aftersales Manager at McLaren Ascot. I’ve asked that xxx keep me up to date with any developments and I will offer my support where I can, if needed.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m sorry that you feel we’ve let you down on this occasion. I’m confident that Ascot will be able to return your car to you in full working order, however, if you have any queries in the future, please contact me directly and I will do what I can to assist you.
Kind regards
baronbennyt said:
LATEST RESPONSE FROM MCLAREN HQ, CLIENT SERVICES:
Good morning Mr Townsend
Thank you for your emails. I’m sorry to read your comments and that you’ve experienced further disappointment following their inspection of your car and subsequent diagnosis.
I am, of course, pleased to hear that they’re covering the cost of the repairs and to make sure the matter is resolved swiftly, I’ve been in contact with xxxx, Aftersales Manager at McLaren Ascot. I’ve asked that xxx keep me up to date with any developments and I will offer my support where I can, if needed.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m sorry that you feel we’ve let you down on this occasion. I’m confident that Ascot will be able to return your car to you in full working order, however, if you have any queries in the future, please contact me directly and I will do what I can to assist you.
Kind regards
They are not sorry then.Good morning Mr Townsend
Thank you for your emails. I’m sorry to read your comments and that you’ve experienced further disappointment following their inspection of your car and subsequent diagnosis.
I am, of course, pleased to hear that they’re covering the cost of the repairs and to make sure the matter is resolved swiftly, I’ve been in contact with xxxx, Aftersales Manager at McLaren Ascot. I’ve asked that xxx keep me up to date with any developments and I will offer my support where I can, if needed.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m sorry that you feel we’ve let you down on this occasion. I’m confident that Ascot will be able to return your car to you in full working order, however, if you have any queries in the future, please contact me directly and I will do what I can to assist you.
Kind regards
I get the sense that every department involved from HQ to dealer is shifting the blame and no one wants to stand up and take responsibility on behalf of the company. All I wanted was a "sorry" and a quick fix under warranty plus reassurance that in all probability it won't happen again, which I think entirely reasonable under the circumstances. That would have moved me from extremely miffed to pretty happy. Instead, I'm now angry!
Do they know what "client services" really means I wonder? Sadly, I don't believe McLaren is unique in this but, as others have said, when you're trying to establish yourself in the marketplace surely it's normal practice to bend over backwards to keep the customer happy...?
Do they know what "client services" really means I wonder? Sadly, I don't believe McLaren is unique in this but, as others have said, when you're trying to establish yourself in the marketplace surely it's normal practice to bend over backwards to keep the customer happy...?
whoami said:
baronbennyt said:
LATEST RESPONSE FROM MCLAREN HQ, CLIENT SERVICES:
Good morning Mr Townsend
Thank you for your emails. I’m sorry to read your comments and that you’ve experienced further disappointment following their inspection of your car and subsequent diagnosis.
I am, of course, pleased to hear that they’re covering the cost of the repairs and to make sure the matter is resolved swiftly, I’ve been in contact with xxxx, Aftersales Manager at McLaren Ascot. I’ve asked that xxx keep me up to date with any developments and I will offer my support where I can, if needed.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m sorry that you feel we’ve let you down on this occasion. I’m confident that Ascot will be able to return your car to you in full working order, however, if you have any queries in the future, please contact me directly and I will do what I can to assist you.
Kind regards
They are not sorry then.Good morning Mr Townsend
Thank you for your emails. I’m sorry to read your comments and that you’ve experienced further disappointment following their inspection of your car and subsequent diagnosis.
I am, of course, pleased to hear that they’re covering the cost of the repairs and to make sure the matter is resolved swiftly, I’ve been in contact with xxxx, Aftersales Manager at McLaren Ascot. I’ve asked that xxx keep me up to date with any developments and I will offer my support where I can, if needed.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m sorry that you feel we’ve let you down on this occasion. I’m confident that Ascot will be able to return your car to you in full working order, however, if you have any queries in the future, please contact me directly and I will do what I can to assist you.
Kind regards
As we all know, it's not that problems happen, but the way they are handled that's important
All they needed to say was "we pride ourselves on our engineering excellence and quality of product. In this instance we are sorry that we've come up short but will ensure that we put this right so that you can continue to enjoy the car as intended".
All they needed to say was "we pride ourselves on our engineering excellence and quality of product. In this instance we are sorry that we've come up short but will ensure that we put this right so that you can continue to enjoy the car as intended".
Stedman said:
It's quite embarrassing reading that final paragraph.
I agree. Were I being cynical, I would suggest that the author of that statement isn't quite as bright as they think they are.The apology without an admission of liability is an skill / art and an important one at at that. Sadly it's not one that the letter's author is proficient in and rather than being read as an apology, it simply enrages the reader.
After reading how they treated you I wouldnt be at all suprised to find the hose had just blown off an they were trying to pull a fast one. It gives you zero trust in them and makes the whole experience rubbish. How the hell can you trust them to replace something of significant cost if they cant even replace a cheap hose. They know you have done everything you can as a customer to protect yourself against any issue, having the car even pre inspected for £450 because otherwise you would void your warranty, driving to Germany, car failing which could of caused serious injury, you then have to get it back at your cost, then they have the nerv to say it will cost "about" £650. So they haven't even give you a price.
It was an approved mclaren car and a part failed under their warranty. Its not wear and tear as its not a common problem. The car had been checked and that's the whole point of the check ups to give you and them piece of mind it will last a little abuse.
Would love a supercar one day but would need the to be able to either trust the reliability or the warranty
Hope its just a one off, but either way the customer service you have received and the confidence in the brand is dented
It was an approved mclaren car and a part failed under their warranty. Its not wear and tear as its not a common problem. The car had been checked and that's the whole point of the check ups to give you and them piece of mind it will last a little abuse.
Would love a supercar one day but would need the to be able to either trust the reliability or the warranty
Hope its just a one off, but either way the customer service you have received and the confidence in the brand is dented
So, I finally have my 12C back after it spent two months at McLaren Ascot getting fixed!
You may recall my adventures at the Nurburgring in April when, after two laps or so, the coolant hose popped off and dumped greasy liquid all over the rear tyres at high speed. Luckily I kept it on the black stuff and got the car transported to a local racing team situated next to the circuit.
I then decided to have the car repatriated to McLaren Ascot (covered under my insurance) since that is where I bought the car and any issues with warranty claims would be better dealing with the marque direct.
Initially McLaren Ascot was going to charge me for all the repairs but after quite a few hard emails to both them and Woking they agreed to cover the costs.
So what was the list of repairs? Replace coolant hose, and n/s top hose clips, oil tank pipe, oil tank pipe seal, x2 rear suspension arms (there was play in the rear wheels!), o/s/r suspension strut.
Now, the 12C was a fully approved pre-owned car sold to me through Ascot so this list is somewhat alarming for someone who has only driven 500 odd miles in it and managed x2 individual track laps.
Still, the work is now done and the car feels like new. Just glad I have it back.
The adventure continues...!
You may recall my adventures at the Nurburgring in April when, after two laps or so, the coolant hose popped off and dumped greasy liquid all over the rear tyres at high speed. Luckily I kept it on the black stuff and got the car transported to a local racing team situated next to the circuit.
I then decided to have the car repatriated to McLaren Ascot (covered under my insurance) since that is where I bought the car and any issues with warranty claims would be better dealing with the marque direct.
Initially McLaren Ascot was going to charge me for all the repairs but after quite a few hard emails to both them and Woking they agreed to cover the costs.
So what was the list of repairs? Replace coolant hose, and n/s top hose clips, oil tank pipe, oil tank pipe seal, x2 rear suspension arms (there was play in the rear wheels!), o/s/r suspension strut.
Now, the 12C was a fully approved pre-owned car sold to me through Ascot so this list is somewhat alarming for someone who has only driven 500 odd miles in it and managed x2 individual track laps.
Still, the work is now done and the car feels like new. Just glad I have it back.
The adventure continues...!
e21Mark said:
Glad you've got it back and weren't stung for costs. Any idea what the total repair bill would have been were you deemed liable?
Certainly looks great in the pics. Are you heading back to the ring any time soon?
Thanks. Certainly looks great in the pics. Are you heading back to the ring any time soon?
I'm guessing with parts and labour the cost, had I been liable, could have been many thousands.
Just as well I took out the pre-track inspection because I think that saved my bacon and gave me quite a bit of leverage. Still, it shouldn't have come to that!
I'm booked onto the Destination Nurburgring two day event at the end of August. Depending on the weather I'll either take the 12C or the Lotus 3-Eleven.
Before that, I'm taking the 12C to the EVO Magazine track day at Bedford on 7 July. If something goes wrong there it will be a damn site easier to get back home! Let's hope my experience at the Ring was just a bad blip...
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