Alfa dealing with customer care.........
Discussion
I run a trusty old 33 16 valve. Before the last MOT I thought the handbrake needed some attention and had a nose underneath, sure enough the nearide cable had seized. On the 'phone to my local dealer only to be told that they only make the offside cable. Oh good. So a ring around all the independents around the country, and nobody had a nearside cable, but what did arise from this is that you can 'make' the offside fit the nearside. So back to my dealer and order two offside cables. These were due to arrive in two days, so I shuffled things around a bit and scheduled in the time.
Two days later the dealer had one cable in stock, and the general apathy and lack of communication was amazing. So we start again....and two days later no effing cable. Being self employed this is starting to take a large chunk out of my income and my patience. The apathetic parts man at the dealer suggests I ring Fiat customer care, which I do and the conversation goes something like this;
Me: What is going on with your dealers, why can't you get the parts to them on time, why don't you make parts for this vehicle?
CC: Sorry sir, I am afraid that your vehicle is a bit old now and you have to understand that if you have a vehicle that old we don't really care about you......
Me: (fumes can be seen for miles) And what about some sort of compensation for my wasted time?
CC: No.
Understandably I swear that is the end of my Alfa owning years. Having had three 'suds, a sprint and two 33's.
Eventually the cable turns up, I fit it and she passes the MOT, the fumes subside and I start my search for a replacement car.
All is forgotten until wednesday evening when I get a call from Alfa customer care. They are most apologetic for the way I have been treated, assure me that things are changing and would like to send me a cheque for £150.00 as a compensation for the way I have been treated, along with a discount voucher for £1500 against a new model. Is this the start of something new? All they have to do is sort the product, kick the dealers up the rear and I might be tempted to stay.......
Two days later the dealer had one cable in stock, and the general apathy and lack of communication was amazing. So we start again....and two days later no effing cable. Being self employed this is starting to take a large chunk out of my income and my patience. The apathetic parts man at the dealer suggests I ring Fiat customer care, which I do and the conversation goes something like this;
Me: What is going on with your dealers, why can't you get the parts to them on time, why don't you make parts for this vehicle?
CC: Sorry sir, I am afraid that your vehicle is a bit old now and you have to understand that if you have a vehicle that old we don't really care about you......
Me: (fumes can be seen for miles) And what about some sort of compensation for my wasted time?
CC: No.
Understandably I swear that is the end of my Alfa owning years. Having had three 'suds, a sprint and two 33's.
Eventually the cable turns up, I fit it and she passes the MOT, the fumes subside and I start my search for a replacement car.
All is forgotten until wednesday evening when I get a call from Alfa customer care. They are most apologetic for the way I have been treated, assure me that things are changing and would like to send me a cheque for £150.00 as a compensation for the way I have been treated, along with a discount voucher for £1500 against a new model. Is this the start of something new? All they have to do is sort the product, kick the dealers up the rear and I might be tempted to stay.......
My local Alfa dealer is SH!T, poor customer service and just basically not a nice place to go. These days i use Medway Alfa and they are .........fantastic!
Always a clean car after service or anything. Collect and Deliever. If i am in the dealership nice comfy seats to wait nice coffee. Get a call a few days after to make sure everthing is OK and after the last service i got a letter through the post to fill out an online form to rate the dealer.
It should not matter that you have an older car, it is still and Alfa and a main dealer should look after you, and the customer service should kiss your arse when you have a problem, however these days nobody seems to give a toss. I have been complaining to Honda insurance about the policy i had on my bike nobody can help me though.
Best of luck in the search for the new motor.
D
Always a clean car after service or anything. Collect and Deliever. If i am in the dealership nice comfy seats to wait nice coffee. Get a call a few days after to make sure everthing is OK and after the last service i got a letter through the post to fill out an online form to rate the dealer.
It should not matter that you have an older car, it is still and Alfa and a main dealer should look after you, and the customer service should kiss your arse when you have a problem, however these days nobody seems to give a toss. I have been complaining to Honda insurance about the policy i had on my bike nobody can help me though.
Best of luck in the search for the new motor.
D
DamienCBR said:
My local Alfa dealer is SH!T, poor customer service and just basically not a nice place to go. These days i use Medway Alfa and they are .........fantastic!
Always a clean car after service or anything. Collect and Deliever. If i am in the dealership nice comfy seats to wait nice coffee. Get a call a few days after to make sure everthing is OK and after the last service i got a letter through the post to fill out an online form to rate the dealer.
It should not matter that you have an older car, it is still and Alfa and a main dealer should look after you, and the customer service should kiss your arse when you have a problem, however these days nobody seems to give a toss. I have been complaining to Honda insurance about the policy i had on my bike nobody can help me though.
Best of luck in the search for the new motor.
D
Always a clean car after service or anything. Collect and Deliever. If i am in the dealership nice comfy seats to wait nice coffee. Get a call a few days after to make sure everthing is OK and after the last service i got a letter through the post to fill out an online form to rate the dealer.
It should not matter that you have an older car, it is still and Alfa and a main dealer should look after you, and the customer service should kiss your arse when you have a problem, however these days nobody seems to give a toss. I have been complaining to Honda insurance about the policy i had on my bike nobody can help me though.
Best of luck in the search for the new motor.
D
Quite agree about Medway Alfa
cirvy said:
Its not just older cars......
Loads of issues with my new Brera, one of which i consider potentially dangerous. Dealer nonplussed, Alfa customer care, not even a reply to my correspondence sent over 7 weeks ago
They're just great are'nt they!!!
Loads of issues with my new Brera, one of which i consider potentially dangerous. Dealer nonplussed, Alfa customer care, not even a reply to my correspondence sent over 7 weeks ago
They're just great are'nt they!!!
At long last i had a reply from Alfa UK over my concerns with my Brera, i could summarise it with " tough luck sonny, if you want, we can give you a list of all the dealers in the UK so you can approach them to see if they will buy the car off you...."
Thanks very much Alfa, don't think i will be dealing with you ever again
cirvy said:
At long last i had a reply from Alfa UK over my concerns with my Brera, i could summarise it with " tough luck sonny, if you want, we can give you a list of all the dealers in the UK so you can approach them to see if they will buy the car off you...."
I thought your problems were:
- poor performance
- poor fuel economy
- can't see out properly
- can't get comfortable
The first of these is subjective, I think, unless your car is performing well below the published figures.
I don't know what sort of driving you do, but the figures you get (17-18, from memory) are certainly closer to Alfa's published 'urban' figure of 16.7 than their published 'combined' figure of 24.6
Regarding the third and fourth points, can you clarify what action you were expecting Alfa to take?
Also, let us know if there are other things you're not happy with about the car and what you expected Alfa to do about them.
jamieboy said:
cirvy said:
At long last i had a reply from Alfa UK over my concerns with my Brera, i could summarise it with " tough luck sonny, if you want, we can give you a list of all the dealers in the UK so you can approach them to see if they will buy the car off you...."
Regarding the third and fourth points, can you clarify what action you were expecting Alfa to take?
Also, let us know if there are other things you're not happy with about the car and what you expected Alfa to do about them.
Good question that, i think i hoped Alfa would suggest options to address at least a couple of the main issues, if not, help me into another more suitable car. I had my car back at the dealers to check on the engine & i was hoping it would be found to be running incorrectly, this was not the case. I have confirmed that i will not accept a combined MPG of 17.8 when they quote 24.
I have also demonstrated that a blind spot is introduced by the rear view mirror for cars with the electric seats & visibility ( oh the irony ) pack! ( for information, the electric seats raise the driving position & the visibility pack lowers the rear view mirror!!! )
I await my supplying dealer's response to these two principal issues.
The poor performance & crap seats are just an inevitable part of the car i'm afraid, i could even live with them if the more fundamental issues of the crippling economy & dangerous visibility aspect were sorted out.
cirvy said:
At long last i had a reply from Alfa UK over my concerns with my Brera, i could summarise it with " tough luck sonny, if you want, we can give you a list of all the dealers in the UK so you can approach them to see if they will buy the car off you...."
.. i think i hoped Alfa would suggest options to address at least a couple of the main issues, if not, help me into another more suitable car.
... The poor performance & crap seats are just an inevitable part of the car i'm afraid, i could even live with them if the more fundamental issues of the crippling economy & dangerous visibility aspect were sorted out.
.. i think i hoped Alfa would suggest options to address at least a couple of the main issues, if not, help me into another more suitable car.
... The poor performance & crap seats are just an inevitable part of the car i'm afraid, i could even live with them if the more fundamental issues of the crippling economy & dangerous visibility aspect were sorted out.
Sorry - but, as much discussed in the AO forums, you did not like the Brera, found it was incompatible with your needs and expectations before buying the car and ... err .. you want Alfa to do what? Buy the car back? Give you another of the same value? I cannot help but think any manufacturer would treat such a request in the same way.
Fix the visibility issues? How? More comfy seats .. how? "Poor" performance .. how? By redesigning the car's components on demand for you? Hardlya likely outcome no matter how much you complain.
If I buy a dishwasher and find a few weeks later it does not take all the plates I need it to, I can hardly expect Currys to refund my money. They would rightly point out I should have tested such things before buying.
Interestingly, there have been quite a few reports that a new ECU upgrade will help give better fuel consumption though.
I really am sorry you feel so let down and I know you are unhappy with the car but most of the points you raised here and elsewhere are 100% subjective in whether they are unacceptable or not.
It always seems odd to me that people will acquire what is often the 2nd most expensive item in their lives (or 3rd after the house and spouse!) without really testing if it suits them over a period longer than an hour. TV/Magazine reviews are no substitute for hands-on testing.
bunyarra said:
cirvy said:
the usual rant.
Sorry - but, as much discussed in the AO forums, you did not like the Brera, found it was incompatible with your needs and expectations before buying the car and ... err .. you want Alfa to do what? Buy the car back? Give you another of the same value? I cannot help but think any manufacturer would treat such a request in the same way.
I do hear what you're saying, but just for the record, i didn't find out about the shortcomings of the Brera before buying it.
In terms of what i expect Alfa to do, my position is simple. I'm unhappy with the product they sold me 'cus it fails to do what it's supposed to, in my opinion. It fails on many fronts, the easiest to demonstrate however is the economy. Other issues they may feel are subjective, but they're still issues that prevent my enjoyment of the car, & they remain!
As it became apparent that the issues we were facing with the Brera were unresolvable, I suggested a remedy would be to swap me into an ex-demo 159/GT. They looked into it & came back with " there's nothing we can do for you sir..".
Returning to the thread title, i will give you a lttle example of Alfa customer care. When i agreed the deal on my car, it was to include mats. This was July 3rd. We dont yet have the mats. This weekend, after much chasing, I came away with a pair ( front only )of non matching ( wrong colour ) & wrong fitting second hand mats out of a car in the showroom!!
As a contrast, earlier this year we bought a used Land Rover from a main dealer in Leicester. The after-sales service has been outstanding, all issues have been dealt with & all communications have been fantastic. Very happy customers
cirvy said:
I do hear what you're saying, but just for the record, i didn't find out about the shortcomings of the Brera before buying it.
In terms of what i expect Alfa to do, my position is simple. I'm unhappy with the product they sold me 'cus it fails to do what it's supposed to, in my opinion. It fails on many fronts, the easiest to demonstrate however is the economy.
In terms of what i expect Alfa to do, my position is simple. I'm unhappy with the product they sold me 'cus it fails to do what it's supposed to, in my opinion. It fails on many fronts, the easiest to demonstrate however is the economy.
I do understand - my old Merc CLK felt the same way for me, it broke less than 30 secs out of the dealership.
However, how many cars do actually match the advertised mpg. None I have ever driven - the diesel Brera only gets 35mpg rather than 40+. There are many niggles with my Brera but, unless the car was of un-merchantable quality, I don't think I'd realistically expect Alfa to take it back at the same price I paid. Mind you, if it disappointed me that much, I might fight my corner rather hard!
And we all know what to expect from Alfa customer service and yet we buy the cars despite that
bunyarra said:
I don't think I'd realistically expect Alfa to take it back at the same price I paid.
And niether do i, all i have asked Alfa for, is to write down the same level of depreciation against my Brera as say, an ex-demo GT.
Instead of this, Alfa reckoned my car had depreciated £7k after month one, & by comparison, reduced a 3 month old diesel GT by only £2k. Now that's hardly fair treatment of a customer thats spent £60k with them ( excluding servicing ) over the past 2 years is it?
I sympathise with the original poster. I've been running Suds, Sprints and 33's for nearly 10 years. Brilliant cars that would eat any non GTA 147 for breakfast down a twisty road.
I've been using a dealer in the Northwest for parts over this period. I've used them to source parts over two restorations and spend thousands and thousands of pounds with them. They no longer supply new cars, but are still an authorised parts and servicing place.
Rang them up about a month or so ago. Looking for the water hose that runs between the carbs. Got completely fobbed off as the chap had more important things to do. Rang back the next day and was told that they weren't interested in supplying Sud parts anymore as it was too much hassle.
AS GOD IS MY WITNESS I WILL EAT A KILO OF MY OWN SHIT BEFORE I EVER BUY A SINGLE PART FROM AN ALFA ROMEO DEALER EVER AGAIN.
ing bastards have has so much money out of me over the years and to treat me like this is, in my opinion, disrgraceful.
I do believe that Alfa Romeo have the worst dealer network by a country mile with regards to coverage and customer care.
I've been using a dealer in the Northwest for parts over this period. I've used them to source parts over two restorations and spend thousands and thousands of pounds with them. They no longer supply new cars, but are still an authorised parts and servicing place.
Rang them up about a month or so ago. Looking for the water hose that runs between the carbs. Got completely fobbed off as the chap had more important things to do. Rang back the next day and was told that they weren't interested in supplying Sud parts anymore as it was too much hassle.
AS GOD IS MY WITNESS I WILL EAT A KILO OF MY OWN SHIT BEFORE I EVER BUY A SINGLE PART FROM AN ALFA ROMEO DEALER EVER AGAIN.
ing bastards have has so much money out of me over the years and to treat me like this is, in my opinion, disrgraceful. I do believe that Alfa Romeo have the worst dealer network by a country mile with regards to coverage and customer care.
pwig said:
Right so because of one dealer you are are slagging off the whole Alfa chain?
great
great
I can't name and shame. The dealer I've used for years and years is in Ainsdale and now sells Saab.
Another I've tried who seemingly don't know there arse from their elbow is the countries longest established Alfa dealer, based in Cheshire with a very Italian sounding name.
There was a dealer in Liverpool but Alfa took the franchise from them about 6 or 7 years ago as the Customer Service was so dire. I'm not prepared to drive for more than an hour for such crap service so I buy from Alfa Specialists now who mail order and have thus far been a paragon of virtue.
I will not use the Alfa Romeo dealer network ever again.
I have heard tales very similar to my own from just about everyone in the Alfa Owners Club. Even the organisers and contributors to AROC have little praise for the dealers.
I read an article recently that Alfa have poached a Customer Service chap from Lexus and are aiming for Lexus like Customer Service in the future. I wish them the best of luck. As they are at the moment, I fear Alfa will not be around in the UK in ten years so tarnished is the reputation of those that sell them.
May I go against the grain somewhat and talk about what Alfa UK and/or the dealers are getting right?
Our "local" (25 miles away is local in Alfaland, or so it seems) Alfa dealers (Chelmsford, 3 letters which may or may not be A, M and C) are, so far, nothing short of excellent. With regards to warranty work, they went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to our 156 GTA. The staff are helpful and friendly and the parts department the same, and seemingly well-stocked too. Long may it continue.
I think many of the problems boil down to Alfa UK and Alfa themselves: the dealers are caught between the public (which, lets face it can be "difficult" to work with at times) and a large company (which again can be a PITA to work with). As a result those dealers which actually give a shít try but can struggle, whilst those that don't care look god-awful.
Our "local" (25 miles away is local in Alfaland, or so it seems) Alfa dealers (Chelmsford, 3 letters which may or may not be A, M and C) are, so far, nothing short of excellent. With regards to warranty work, they went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to our 156 GTA. The staff are helpful and friendly and the parts department the same, and seemingly well-stocked too. Long may it continue.
I think many of the problems boil down to Alfa UK and Alfa themselves: the dealers are caught between the public (which, lets face it can be "difficult" to work with at times) and a large company (which again can be a PITA to work with). As a result those dealers which actually give a shít try but can struggle, whilst those that don't care look god-awful.
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff