Main dealer customer service and pricing. My experience.
Discussion
I know an awful lot of people in person and on forums who are so negative about the main dealer service they receive and how pricing is utterly ridiculous compared to their specialists so I thought I'd post up my experience of my local Mini place.
I'm used to having work carried out at specialists with my previous cars and I've always found something has soured the experience, be it cost, having to work around their schedules and minor damage to my cars.
I bought a Mini for the GF 7 months ago and thought I'd use a main dealer when I needed something doing as to me, the car is still pretty new in all but actual age ('03 plate) so when the time came for its inspection 2, I phoned up the dealership. From the word go, it seemed like every effort was made to make the process easier for me. They beat my local specialists and all the Mini dealers within a reasonable distance on price and the service in person was also great. Free courtesy car, loads of fuel and they followed my specific instructions to a tee. When I picked the car up I was a happy man. The dealership is on my commute to work and I lost probably only 10 minutes of my day dropping off and picking the car up. Job Jobbed.
Somewhere along the line since I've owned the car, someone had managed to scuff the plastic sill cover which is quite unsightly. I've been keeping an eye out on eBay for a used replacement but every single cover on there was north of £50 with the odd example being cheaper, but with an added disclaimer stating to expect scuffs. Pointless then. Factoring in another tenner for the clips that would be broken in removal and I was looking at £60 before postage.
Mini Spares have been out of stock of used parts since the dawn of time and I was thinking about settling for the scuffed one.
Today I bit the bullet and phoned the dealership for a price. £59 with overnight, next day shipping and £6 for the clips. So from a main dealer I'll be buying brand new parts at less than the cost of a ropey used one and I'll only be inconvenienced for a matter of minutes. IMHE, working around my usual specialists with used parts can be tiresome so I'm genuinely chuffed with the service I'm getting from my Mini dealership. Granted, I could do most of the work myself but it's about finding the time to do it and when you live in a flat, it's about finding somewhere to do it too.
I thought it might be nice to buck the trend and actually post something positive for a change. Granted, I wont always use a main dealer, but in reality, it's not always painful.
Cool story bro.
I'm used to having work carried out at specialists with my previous cars and I've always found something has soured the experience, be it cost, having to work around their schedules and minor damage to my cars.
I bought a Mini for the GF 7 months ago and thought I'd use a main dealer when I needed something doing as to me, the car is still pretty new in all but actual age ('03 plate) so when the time came for its inspection 2, I phoned up the dealership. From the word go, it seemed like every effort was made to make the process easier for me. They beat my local specialists and all the Mini dealers within a reasonable distance on price and the service in person was also great. Free courtesy car, loads of fuel and they followed my specific instructions to a tee. When I picked the car up I was a happy man. The dealership is on my commute to work and I lost probably only 10 minutes of my day dropping off and picking the car up. Job Jobbed.
Somewhere along the line since I've owned the car, someone had managed to scuff the plastic sill cover which is quite unsightly. I've been keeping an eye out on eBay for a used replacement but every single cover on there was north of £50 with the odd example being cheaper, but with an added disclaimer stating to expect scuffs. Pointless then. Factoring in another tenner for the clips that would be broken in removal and I was looking at £60 before postage.
Mini Spares have been out of stock of used parts since the dawn of time and I was thinking about settling for the scuffed one.
Today I bit the bullet and phoned the dealership for a price. £59 with overnight, next day shipping and £6 for the clips. So from a main dealer I'll be buying brand new parts at less than the cost of a ropey used one and I'll only be inconvenienced for a matter of minutes. IMHE, working around my usual specialists with used parts can be tiresome so I'm genuinely chuffed with the service I'm getting from my Mini dealership. Granted, I could do most of the work myself but it's about finding the time to do it and when you live in a flat, it's about finding somewhere to do it too.
I thought it might be nice to buck the trend and actually post something positive for a change. Granted, I wont always use a main dealer, but in reality, it's not always painful.
Cool story bro.
The Skoda dealership I used for my car servicing were very good. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. They looked after my octavia VRS very well. Competitively priced, I thought. I don't mind paying a little extra when I had full confidence in them. Because they knew I used them for everything they didn't always charge me for items too, so it's swings and round abouts.
I am after a new car and would quite like another Skoda because I know I have a skoda garage near-by who will look after the car well.
I fee like an advertisement but Gray Gables in Curbrudge were good. They also have a lot of classic cars knocking about which makes me think that cars are a bit of a passion and not just a way to make loads of money.
If only more dealerships understood that if they look after you, you are more inclined to look after them!
I am after a new car and would quite like another Skoda because I know I have a skoda garage near-by who will look after the car well.
I fee like an advertisement but Gray Gables in Curbrudge were good. They also have a lot of classic cars knocking about which makes me think that cars are a bit of a passion and not just a way to make loads of money.
If only more dealerships understood that if they look after you, you are more inclined to look after them!
Nice to hear a good experience - the local dealer for my Mum and her Bini are very good, but pricey (£500 for front discs, pads front and rear and a cam cover seal).
Parts desks for these kinds of cars can be a boon of useful bits and pieces for very reasonable cost. That odd bolt or clip is only a phonecall away.
Parts desks for these kinds of cars can be a boon of useful bits and pieces for very reasonable cost. That odd bolt or clip is only a phonecall away.
My local BMW dealer has beed exceptional over the last 6-7years.
The 2003 320d daily driver was serviced their for reasonable money including a new turbo under BMW good will at 50kmiles and 6yrs old. The car was MOT'd by them and despite it being an old snotter, was returned washed and vacced every time with a folow up courtesy call after any work.
The pats department has been outstanding in supporting my E30 M3 restoration, obtaining parts at short notice and delivering to my door.
Can't fault them.
The 2003 320d daily driver was serviced their for reasonable money including a new turbo under BMW good will at 50kmiles and 6yrs old. The car was MOT'd by them and despite it being an old snotter, was returned washed and vacced every time with a folow up courtesy call after any work.
The pats department has been outstanding in supporting my E30 M3 restoration, obtaining parts at short notice and delivering to my door.
Can't fault them.
For every positive story like the OPs, I expect you'll come across a story like mine.
Earlier this year, I put my BMW in for a firmware security update (basically stops the windows dropping as easily, to slow down someone with an OBD reprogrammer).
While it was there I asked if they could supply new wiperblades as the original ones had done two years - £32.09 plus vat is close enough to web prices for me to not bother going to the web for them. (For those picking their jaws up off the floor at this outrageously high price, they are the flat Bosch aero twin "blade" type of wipers and you'll struggle to find them for under about £30).
So BMW service supplied the blades, fitted them without asking, and on thie invoice, attemped to charge £11+VAT fitting (so, £13.20 to fit them).
It takes under 30s to fit them both - I can do it in about 20s without trying hard. I figure on an hourly rate of about £1500 on that 30s basis.
If my experience was anything like yours at the MINI dealership, this wouldn't be something I'd post on. Some dealers really take the piss.
C
Earlier this year, I put my BMW in for a firmware security update (basically stops the windows dropping as easily, to slow down someone with an OBD reprogrammer).
While it was there I asked if they could supply new wiperblades as the original ones had done two years - £32.09 plus vat is close enough to web prices for me to not bother going to the web for them. (For those picking their jaws up off the floor at this outrageously high price, they are the flat Bosch aero twin "blade" type of wipers and you'll struggle to find them for under about £30).
So BMW service supplied the blades, fitted them without asking, and on thie invoice, attemped to charge £11+VAT fitting (so, £13.20 to fit them).
It takes under 30s to fit them both - I can do it in about 20s without trying hard. I figure on an hourly rate of about £1500 on that 30s basis.
If my experience was anything like yours at the MINI dealership, this wouldn't be something I'd post on. Some dealers really take the piss.
C
Quite the opposite at my local dealer last night.
54 plate cooper s was in with Central lock problem /keyfobs not working. Local dealer changed a latch, then phoned to say its not fixed, how much did I want to spend!
I asked if the old switch was faulty, but they didn't know!after confrontation with the manager, I got them to return the car to how it was, agreed on a small payment for their "faultfinding" and picked the car up non the wiser, although it could be a loose wire, or it could be a control module, at over a grand.
Useless describes them very well.
54 plate cooper s was in with Central lock problem /keyfobs not working. Local dealer changed a latch, then phoned to say its not fixed, how much did I want to spend!
I asked if the old switch was faulty, but they didn't know!after confrontation with the manager, I got them to return the car to how it was, agreed on a small payment for their "faultfinding" and picked the car up non the wiser, although it could be a loose wire, or it could be a control module, at over a grand.
Useless describes them very well.
My X5 has been into BMW 7 times with the same fault. Every time their computer says the car is fine so they are unwilling to investigate any further, this is despite a test drive that clearly shows the problem !! Last visit they decided to dent it as well for good measure.
Complete idiots.
Complete idiots.
My X5 has been into BMW 7 times with the same fault. Every time their computer says the car is fine so they are unwilling to investigate any further, this is despite a test drive that clearly shows the problem !! Last visit they decided to dent it as well for good measure.
Complete idiots.
Complete idiots.
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