How do people put up with main dealers.

[bad company]

PositronicRay said:

bad company said:

Sheepshanks said:

That's the point though - he wasn't bad, it was just a regular deal.

What the customer didn't realise is that manufacturers expect everything as 'completely satisfied' unless there's some specific reason to mark down.

I got the telephone survey once when I bought new Boxster. One of the questions was “did the salesman fully explain the controls “. I answered no need as I had part exchanged another Boxster. Apparently the salesman was marked down for that.

This is the crap thing, it's about managing surveys rather than managing customer service.
Using this methodology we increased a 75% score to a 95% score, with no other changes to service levels. It all comes from the accountants mantra "you can't manage what you can't measure" maybe true, but you can manage the measurement.

I had answered the question something like ‘no, I asked not to be shown the controls because I already knew what they did having owned a nearly identical car’. I guess she didn’t have a tick box for that reply.

[Sheepshanks]

bad company said:

I had answered the question something like ‘no, I asked not to be shown the controls because I already knew what they did having owned a nearly identical car’. I guess she didn’t have a tick box for that reply.

Exactly. Everything after "no" was just wasted breath.

[cjb44]

Sheepshanks said:

What's even worse is dealers, like the Honda one my daughter used, whose health check declared the car to be fine despite one of the brake pads acoustic indicators squealing when it was driven. Turns out they walk around the car on the ground, which isn't a good way of checking inner brake pads. Quite what they couldn't hear it either has never been explained.

Worst thing is my daughter thought the car was fine as the garage said so! I had to take it back myself. Oddly the service manager wasn't in and the GM at the other branch he looks after. Service Advisor I dealt with was completely hard-faced about it.

I do wonder about the customer satisfaction reports - I've heard people are reluctant to be negative in case the dealer falls out with them and that was certainly in my mind when I took up this case. The car is half-way through a 5yr service and warranty package so needs to go to a franchise dealer and there isn't another sensible alternative to our local one.

Add VW to your list, bought my wife a VW Polo GT Blue Motion from our main dealer (only because I showed it to her as an example of a Polo - and she just had to have it). I will not bore you with the saga which went on for 6 months, but suffice to say I had never had so much b... s..t given to me in all my life and I am 75. They treated me like a novice and it was not until I demanded an "interview" with the dealer principle did I get any satisfactory action and respect, needless to say they will never get any further business from me.

[Aggamemnon]

I'm trying to organise a service for the wife's B250e (fully electric) and keep being told that the service is going to include (amongst other items) an oil change.

[Sheepshanks]

Aggamemnon said:

I'm trying to organise a service for the wife's B250e (fully electric) and keep being told that the service is going to include (amongst other items) an oil change.

If it was a VW they'd be telling you it needed a cambelt change.

Have you tried https://www.mymercedesservice.co.uk ?

This came up on one of the Mercedes forums and I think it says something like "oil & filter change (except for electric vehicles)" but it didn't seem to adjust the price downwards. I don't think the poster ever came back with what happened in the end.

I would guess they'll just do exactly what it says in the schedule, at the same labour cost, but you won't have the material cost for the oil & filter, so it'll come out somewhat cheaper. Probably not much cheaper though, as they'll lie and tell you they more or less give oil away.

I'd be minded to separately ask the dealer how much an oil and filter change would cost. You probably won't be able to get hold of anyone who can answer that though.

[Aggamemnon]

Good website link, thanks. I'll give them a call and let you know.

[Dog Star]

They really are st - Mercedes Benz of a big place in Yorkshire I'm looking at you.

Go in to see them about a potential noise issue - can't see anyone, not even for a minute, just some vacuous dolly bird telling me they'd call me back. They didn't.

Then the 1 year service. Rang around dealers, said dealer gave me a decent price. Booked in.
Car dropped off first thing and a workmate picked me up.

I arrived at 4.45 pm.
Car not ready - not been washed. Forget the wash, I tell them.
Then they try to charge me sixty quid more for the service. I pull them up, pull my diary out of my laptop bag and show my list of quotes. No problem, amount amended and paid.

Then I get a customer care call. So I mention the above.

Couple of days ago I get a call from the dealership - I think it was the service manager. He basically accused me of being a liar about the price and he had "had someone listen to the tape of the quote" and I was a liar. He was going to have the tape sent over and listen himself and call me back. He never did. Utter cocksocket shiny suited turd of a man.

I've had MBs since 2005 and spent a fortune at that dealership (I used to have an SL500 - so we are talking big bills) and yet this muppet is being rude to me over £60. Idiot.

Next up, I get a recall notice about E class airbags. So I call the dealer. I can drop the car off at 8am with weeks and weeks of notice. They cannot specify when the work will be completed; at any point up til 6pm. I gave up - I'm getting a new car in December, so the recall can just wait til the dealership gets it.

The whole coffee, biscuits, shiny dealership business really gets on my nerves. I hate the place; I get on edge just going through the door. And don't get me started on the health check video business - to the mechanically savvy they are just cringeworthy and proof of what a waste of time all these services are with their 120 point checks. Evidently my 4 day old winter tyres had 5mm of tread

Thankfully I get to go in there once every two years for a first service and that's my exposure to them.

Edit - removed actual dealership - name and shame rules

Edited by Dog Star on Tuesday 24th July 16:17

[swisstoni]

I had my 20k miles Range Rover serviced recently at a main dealer.
I got a call to say I needed 3 new tyres. Sounded in a terrible state.
I asked if it had passed its MOT.
“Yes” came the slightly sheepish reply.
“I’ll leave that then thanks”.