What's happening at BMW service!!?? Do they know anything??
Discussion
Again, I've had dealings with a service advisor at my local dealership, who does not know his ar5e from his elbow!!!
I reluctantly went to one of my local dealerships to have some warranty work done on my Manual E92 M3 the other day. Nothing major, a diff seal. I also asked if they could listen to the gearbox as I thought it was slightly noisy. Anyway, to explain my reluctancy...........
Last year I went to the same dealership with my Girfriend's Mini One. The nearside wheel bearing was pretty noisy. Prior to my visit to the dealers, I had the car on my mate's ramp to check it over and noticed that the nearside bottom ball joint was excessively worn, technically, it was fecked!! Really bad actually! Anyway, off I go to the dealership as it's under warranty. I went for a test drive with a mechanic, sorry, technician! to confirm we were listening to the same noise. On the test drive, I mentioned having the car "jacked up" and felt some play in the wheel, possibly a track rod end or ball joint, and asked if they could check that out while they had the car in the air, to which he said, "yeah no bother mate, we'll check it all out". I didn't want to say too much as it isn't my place to tell this guy his job, and I don't want him to know I've had a good prod around it. So, I hop on the bus, end of day one!
So, the next afternoon they call and the conversation goes something like this:
"Mr Smith, that's your Mini ready!".
"Great, how did the guys get on with it? Did they find anything wrong with the steering or suspension components???"
"No everything was perfect! Just the wheel bearing. When can you collect it?"
"Just the wheel bearing? I'd expressed a concern about wear on a joint of some description?"
"No, nothing more than a wheel bearing".
"OK, when I come in, can you ask that the car be jacked up please as yesterday morning when I checked the car, the ball joint was hanging off it!"
"OK, I'll ask for a technician to look at it with you"
So I make my way to the dealers to sort this out! When I arrive, the Mini is back in the workshop having a balljoint changed. The idiot behind the desk starts to tell me that there was nothing wrong with the ball joint, but they are changing it out of good will, seeing as I was concerned about it!! What a dick! So I give him both barrells! He then tries to tell me that the ball joint was "within allowable wear limits"!!! What?? I was raging by this point, highlighting how integral a part the ball joint is on the suspension of a car, and told him that it worried me that some clown in the workshop cannot even diagnose a goosed ball joint! If that had collapsed whilst my Girlfriend was on the motorway, feck knows what could happen!! So he's still trying to patronise me with s
t at this point! I asked to speak to the technician who worked on the car, but was told he was too busy. I then asked to see the ball joint they removed, but it had been packaged up to be sent back to BMW as per warranty instructions! I could have strangled him! Are these guys just so used to the type of person coming in that needs their screen wash topped up??
So that's why I "reluctantly" took my nice, nearly new E92 M3 in! What am I doing?? I thought as I walked down the street for a coffee.
So, cue later that day.
"Mr Smith, that's your car ready"
"Great, I'll be there in an hour, how did the guy get on with the gearbox noise??"
"It's perfectly normal, it's because your car has the double clutch gearbox"
"Eh?? My car is manual!??!?"
"Yeah, but it has 2 clutches, they went to that system in late 2007"
"No no no, you only get Manual, or Double Clutch Transmission is the paddle shift job"
"No, you get manual, double clutch, which is your's, and the paddle shift is SMG"
What is going on!!! This guy is dealing with the service of BMW's!!!!
When I went to collect my car, I educated the dimwit, and when he 'eventually' accepted my word and the sales assistant that he used to try and prove me wrong, he answered with "Oh well, every day is a school day!!".
Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on with BMW in the UK!!! It's frightening!!!
I reluctantly went to one of my local dealerships to have some warranty work done on my Manual E92 M3 the other day. Nothing major, a diff seal. I also asked if they could listen to the gearbox as I thought it was slightly noisy. Anyway, to explain my reluctancy...........
Last year I went to the same dealership with my Girfriend's Mini One. The nearside wheel bearing was pretty noisy. Prior to my visit to the dealers, I had the car on my mate's ramp to check it over and noticed that the nearside bottom ball joint was excessively worn, technically, it was fecked!! Really bad actually! Anyway, off I go to the dealership as it's under warranty. I went for a test drive with a mechanic, sorry, technician! to confirm we were listening to the same noise. On the test drive, I mentioned having the car "jacked up" and felt some play in the wheel, possibly a track rod end or ball joint, and asked if they could check that out while they had the car in the air, to which he said, "yeah no bother mate, we'll check it all out". I didn't want to say too much as it isn't my place to tell this guy his job, and I don't want him to know I've had a good prod around it. So, I hop on the bus, end of day one!
So, the next afternoon they call and the conversation goes something like this:
"Mr Smith, that's your Mini ready!".
"Great, how did the guys get on with it? Did they find anything wrong with the steering or suspension components???"
"No everything was perfect! Just the wheel bearing. When can you collect it?"
"Just the wheel bearing? I'd expressed a concern about wear on a joint of some description?"
"No, nothing more than a wheel bearing".
"OK, when I come in, can you ask that the car be jacked up please as yesterday morning when I checked the car, the ball joint was hanging off it!"
"OK, I'll ask for a technician to look at it with you"
So I make my way to the dealers to sort this out! When I arrive, the Mini is back in the workshop having a balljoint changed. The idiot behind the desk starts to tell me that there was nothing wrong with the ball joint, but they are changing it out of good will, seeing as I was concerned about it!! What a dick! So I give him both barrells! He then tries to tell me that the ball joint was "within allowable wear limits"!!! What?? I was raging by this point, highlighting how integral a part the ball joint is on the suspension of a car, and told him that it worried me that some clown in the workshop cannot even diagnose a goosed ball joint! If that had collapsed whilst my Girlfriend was on the motorway, feck knows what could happen!! So he's still trying to patronise me with s
t at this point! I asked to speak to the technician who worked on the car, but was told he was too busy. I then asked to see the ball joint they removed, but it had been packaged up to be sent back to BMW as per warranty instructions! I could have strangled him! Are these guys just so used to the type of person coming in that needs their screen wash topped up??So that's why I "reluctantly" took my nice, nearly new E92 M3 in! What am I doing?? I thought as I walked down the street for a coffee.
So, cue later that day.
"Mr Smith, that's your car ready"
"Great, I'll be there in an hour, how did the guy get on with the gearbox noise??"
"It's perfectly normal, it's because your car has the double clutch gearbox"
"Eh?? My car is manual!??!?"
"Yeah, but it has 2 clutches, they went to that system in late 2007"
"No no no, you only get Manual, or Double Clutch Transmission is the paddle shift job"
"No, you get manual, double clutch, which is your's, and the paddle shift is SMG"
What is going on!!! This guy is dealing with the service of BMW's!!!!
When I went to collect my car, I educated the dimwit, and when he 'eventually' accepted my word and the sales assistant that he used to try and prove me wrong, he answered with "Oh well, every day is a school day!!".
Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on with BMW in the UK!!! It's frightening!!!
Wow! How many times do BMW Main Dealers need to hear this same story before they wake up and smell the gearbox oil, (if they knew where to put it)?
I find it incredibly patronising too that they credit the public with such little (even basic) knowledge.
I can only guess there are still many BMW owners who simply hand their keys over and take whatever 'bull stuff' the service manager/whoever feeds them when it is time to pick their car up.
I have never taken and would never take my car to a 'main dealer'. I have no idea whatsoever why a BMWFSH holds so much kudos.
I find it incredibly patronising too that they credit the public with such little (even basic) knowledge.
I can only guess there are still many BMW owners who simply hand their keys over and take whatever 'bull stuff' the service manager/whoever feeds them when it is time to pick their car up.
I have never taken and would never take my car to a 'main dealer'. I have no idea whatsoever why a BMWFSH holds so much kudos.
Edited by hesnotthemessiah on Friday 6th August 21:45
I've sold my BMW recently - fabulous car, but I simply cant deal with the apalling service the dealers offer. They charge far too much for far too little expertise. I did have some good service, but that was the exception rather than the rule. BMW are trading on past reputation and the damage they're doing will bit them, eventually.
Interestingly, they really dont give a damn.
Interestingly, they really dont give a damn.
I feel I need to chime in here with some balance. I can honestly say I have had fantastic service. I live in Hungerford, so I'll let you guess which dealer that is. Have had a fair few dealings with them as they did an engine strip down and replacement under warranty on my Z4MC. The master tech there, Andy I think, knows his onions and has been at BMW for 25 years. Previously I have used a BMW dealer in Cobham who were also pretty good but nowhere near as good as Hungerford. I've recommended people from as far as London come out this far and they have never been dissappointed. They'll be doing all the work on my M6 but I shall be insisting on Andy doing any work. They have a very cute service advisor called Clare as well 
. I have no affiliation with them whatsoever.
. I have no affiliation with them whatsoever.I have found them generally bad but lets not forget. Their main customers don't notice nor care about anything except getting their stamp in the book. I am the type to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but you won't fool me twice. Reception is the best place to rile me. An empty area and 10 staff just sitting about doing feck all but no one wants to sort an issue out. Start shouting, which is very un BMW. Before you know it you generally ahve your choice of suits to take you aside and personally deal with your problem.
Find a dealer that is good for you and stick with them. If you have to travel a bit to get that service then I say do it. Like any business the establishment will be run, based on the attitude of the principal. Find a good one. They do exist
Find a dealer that is good for you and stick with them. If you have to travel a bit to get that service then I say do it. Like any business the establishment will be run, based on the attitude of the principal. Find a good one. They do exist
Cannot agree more with the OP. Live in Blackheath in SE London and tried to use the local dealer for servicing on my Z4MC. Absolutely bloody useless. I would not give them the steam off my piss... In fact, they are so bad I get my car serviced in Huntigdon (yes, 70 miles away) by the BMW dealer which seems to be the only one that know what they are doing...
This is what happens when you employ people with NO technical knowledge whatsover to deal with customers in this trade. I;ve seen it before and I'll see it for the rest of time. I've lost count of the number of dumb questions I've had Service Advisors ask me over the years. TBH, 90% of the service advisors I've met can't even ADVISE the customer on what SERVICE they need. Is it too much to expect a SA to say to a customer "OK, mr X you're booked for a Y service, but your service book and mileage says you actually require a Z service and your brake fluid is also due now"
I'll also add, that VERY few comments from customers reach the technician. And personally, I'm more than happy to show a customer a fault, have a fault demo'd to me by a customer or if required show the customer what/why the work is being done or why it is OK. (Normally compare to another car)
I will add though that a balljoint in isolation will rarely show any fault. It needs the other components fitted to magnify any play.
I'll also add, that VERY few comments from customers reach the technician. And personally, I'm more than happy to show a customer a fault, have a fault demo'd to me by a customer or if required show the customer what/why the work is being done or why it is OK. (Normally compare to another car)
I will add though that a balljoint in isolation will rarely show any fault. It needs the other components fitted to magnify any play.
Rich_W said:
This is what happens when you employ people with NO technical knowledge whatsover to deal with customers in this trade. I;ve seen it before and I'll see it for the rest of time. I've lost count of the number of dumb questions I've had Service Advisors ask me over the years. TBH, 90% of the service advisors I've met can't even ADVISE the customer on what SERVICE they need. Is it too much to expect a SA to say to a customer "OK, mr X you're booked for a Y service, but your service book and mileage says you actually require a Z service and your brake fluid is also due now"
I'll also add, that VERY few comments from customers reach the technician. And personally, I'm more than happy to show a customer a fault, have a fault demo'd to me by a customer or if required show the customer what/why the work is being done or why it is OK. (Normally compare to another car)
I will add though that a balljoint in isolation will rarely show any fault. It needs the other components fitted to magnify any play.
Yeah but I had clearly expressed a concern with play in the ball joint, so you would have thought that they would have paid particular attention to that component?? And if you had seen the play in this ball joint, you would have wondered why it was still holding up!! It was so, so bad!!I'll also add, that VERY few comments from customers reach the technician. And personally, I'm more than happy to show a customer a fault, have a fault demo'd to me by a customer or if required show the customer what/why the work is being done or why it is OK. (Normally compare to another car)
I will add though that a balljoint in isolation will rarely show any fault. It needs the other components fitted to magnify any play.
So for someone not to have diagnosed the fault which had already been highlighted to them, and then for some clown at the front desk to try and explain it to me, it doesn't do BMW customer relations any favours whatsoever!!
Rich_W said:
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I don't doubt there was play in the BJ. I advised one on a MOT not so long ago. What I meant was that even if they had given you the component to look at. In your hands it won't show any fault. Unless it's falling apart.
Mate, this ball joint was the worst I've ever seen! It would have been rattling around in my hands! That's the reason they never showed me the component once removed! It's frightening that there are clowns working in these workshops that can't even see things like this! I just hope that my M3 never ends up in the hands of someone so incompetent! I would like to think that they give such a car to someone with a bit more experience!!rash_decision said:
Again, I've had dealings with a service advisor at my local dealership, who does not know his ar5e from his elbow!!!
I reluctantly went to one of my local dealerships to have some warranty work done on my Manual E92 M3 the other day. Nothing major, a diff seal. I also asked if they could listen to the gearbox as I thought it was slightly noisy. Anyway, to explain my reluctancy...........
Last year I went to the same dealership with my Girfriend's Mini One. The nearside wheel bearing was pretty noisy. Prior to my visit to the dealers, I had the car on my mate's ramp to check it over and noticed that the nearside bottom ball joint was excessively worn, technically, it was fecked!! Really bad actually! Anyway, off I go to the dealership as it's under warranty. I went for a test drive with a mechanic, sorry, technician! to confirm we were listening to the same noise. On the test drive, I mentioned having the car "jacked up" and felt some play in the wheel, possibly a track rod end or ball joint, and asked if they could check that out while they had the car in the air, to which he said, "yeah no bother mate, we'll check it all out". I didn't want to say too much as it isn't my place to tell this guy his job, and I don't want him to know I've had a good prod around it. So, I hop on the bus, end of day one!
So, the next afternoon they call and the conversation goes something like this:
"Mr Smith, that's your Mini ready!".
"Great, how did the guys get on with it? Did they find anything wrong with the steering or suspension components???"
"No everything was perfect! Just the wheel bearing. When can you collect it?"
"Just the wheel bearing? I'd expressed a concern about wear on a joint of some description?"
"No, nothing more than a wheel bearing".
"OK, when I come in, can you ask that the car be jacked up please as yesterday morning when I checked the car, the ball joint was hanging off it!"
"OK, I'll ask for a technician to look at it with you"
So I make my way to the dealers to sort this out! When I arrive, the Mini is back in the workshop having a balljoint changed. The idiot behind the desk starts to tell me that there was nothing wrong with the ball joint, but they are changing it out of good will, seeing as I was concerned about it!! What a dick! So I give him both barrells! He then tries to tell me that the ball joint was "within allowable wear limits"!!! What?? I was raging by this point, highlighting how integral a part the ball joint is on the suspension of a car, and told him that it worried me that some clown in the workshop cannot even diagnose a goosed ball joint! If that had collapsed whilst my Girlfriend was on the motorway, feck knows what could happen!! So he's still trying to patronise me with st at this point! I asked to speak to the technician who worked on the car, but was told he was too busy. I then asked to see the ball joint they removed, but it had been packaged up to be sent back to BMW as per warranty instructions! I could have strangled him! Are these guys just so used to the type of person coming in that needs their screen wash topped up??
So that's why I "reluctantly" took my nice, nearly new E92 M3 in! What am I doing?? I thought as I walked down the street for a coffee.
So, cue later that day.
"Mr Smith, that's your car ready"
"Great, I'll be there in an hour, how did the guy get on with the gearbox noise??"
"It's perfectly normal, it's because your car has the double clutch gearbox"
"Eh?? My car is manual!??!?"
"Yeah, but it has 2 clutches, they went to that system in late 2007"
"No no no, you only get Manual, or Double Clutch Transmission is the paddle shift job"
"No, you get manual, double clutch, which is your's, and the paddle shift is SMG"
What is going on!!! This guy is dealing with the service of BMW's!!!!
When I went to collect my car, I educated the dimwit, and when he 'eventually' accepted my word and the sales assistant that he used to try and prove me wrong, he answered with "Oh well, every day is a school day!!".
Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on with BMW in the UK!!! It's frightening!!!
It's almost comical how many threads like this are appearing... To say I strongly agree is an understatment!!I reluctantly went to one of my local dealerships to have some warranty work done on my Manual E92 M3 the other day. Nothing major, a diff seal. I also asked if they could listen to the gearbox as I thought it was slightly noisy. Anyway, to explain my reluctancy...........
Last year I went to the same dealership with my Girfriend's Mini One. The nearside wheel bearing was pretty noisy. Prior to my visit to the dealers, I had the car on my mate's ramp to check it over and noticed that the nearside bottom ball joint was excessively worn, technically, it was fecked!! Really bad actually! Anyway, off I go to the dealership as it's under warranty. I went for a test drive with a mechanic, sorry, technician! to confirm we were listening to the same noise. On the test drive, I mentioned having the car "jacked up" and felt some play in the wheel, possibly a track rod end or ball joint, and asked if they could check that out while they had the car in the air, to which he said, "yeah no bother mate, we'll check it all out". I didn't want to say too much as it isn't my place to tell this guy his job, and I don't want him to know I've had a good prod around it. So, I hop on the bus, end of day one!
So, the next afternoon they call and the conversation goes something like this:
"Mr Smith, that's your Mini ready!".
"Great, how did the guys get on with it? Did they find anything wrong with the steering or suspension components???"
"No everything was perfect! Just the wheel bearing. When can you collect it?"
"Just the wheel bearing? I'd expressed a concern about wear on a joint of some description?"
"No, nothing more than a wheel bearing".
"OK, when I come in, can you ask that the car be jacked up please as yesterday morning when I checked the car, the ball joint was hanging off it!"
"OK, I'll ask for a technician to look at it with you"
So I make my way to the dealers to sort this out! When I arrive, the Mini is back in the workshop having a balljoint changed. The idiot behind the desk starts to tell me that there was nothing wrong with the ball joint, but they are changing it out of good will, seeing as I was concerned about it!! What a dick! So I give him both barrells! He then tries to tell me that the ball joint was "within allowable wear limits"!!! What?? I was raging by this point, highlighting how integral a part the ball joint is on the suspension of a car, and told him that it worried me that some clown in the workshop cannot even diagnose a goosed ball joint! If that had collapsed whilst my Girlfriend was on the motorway, feck knows what could happen!! So he's still trying to patronise me with s
t at this point! I asked to speak to the technician who worked on the car, but was told he was too busy. I then asked to see the ball joint they removed, but it had been packaged up to be sent back to BMW as per warranty instructions! I could have strangled him! Are these guys just so used to the type of person coming in that needs their screen wash topped up??So that's why I "reluctantly" took my nice, nearly new E92 M3 in! What am I doing?? I thought as I walked down the street for a coffee.
So, cue later that day.
"Mr Smith, that's your car ready"
"Great, I'll be there in an hour, how did the guy get on with the gearbox noise??"
"It's perfectly normal, it's because your car has the double clutch gearbox"
"Eh?? My car is manual!??!?"
"Yeah, but it has 2 clutches, they went to that system in late 2007"
"No no no, you only get Manual, or Double Clutch Transmission is the paddle shift job"
"No, you get manual, double clutch, which is your's, and the paddle shift is SMG"
What is going on!!! This guy is dealing with the service of BMW's!!!!
When I went to collect my car, I educated the dimwit, and when he 'eventually' accepted my word and the sales assistant that he used to try and prove me wrong, he answered with "Oh well, every day is a school day!!".
Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on with BMW in the UK!!! It's frightening!!!
If it helps, my Honda dealer tried telling me the CV joints on the front axle need replacing - on my S2000 (RWD, idiot)
And the Citroen dealer told me the ABS warning light should not have been lit on my Saxo VTS since it didn't have ABS (yes it did)
Oh, and the local BMW dealers let a low-end greasemonkey take an M3 for a test drive and he rolled it through a barbed wire fence, wrecking every panel on it.
Ben
And the Citroen dealer told me the ABS warning light should not have been lit on my Saxo VTS since it didn't have ABS (yes it did)
Oh, and the local BMW dealers let a low-end greasemonkey take an M3 for a test drive and he rolled it through a barbed wire fence, wrecking every panel on it.
Ben
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