Author Topic: What Happened To Good Customer Service?  (Read 5677 times)

Offline monkeyhanger

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #10 on: 28 August 2019, 21:20 »
If you get nowhere with them could you take the afternoon appointment, bring the missus and go and explore the local area or grab a coffee somewhere and have a good chinwag all afternoon?

I know you're used to the old way but surely you can make some sort of positive out of it.

You could incentivise the dealership to get your car done quickly by hammering their stock of complimentary cans of pop, Lotus biscuits and having 2 of every selection from the coffee machine while you wait.  :grin:
Whey ya bugger! It's finally arrived after an 8 month wait....
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Offline Brenbo

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #11 on: 29 August 2019, 07:06 »
That was one of my ideas.  Just go in with an empty stomach and bladder and then fill up on as much free food and drink as possible. 

Offline ar899

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #12 on: 29 August 2019, 07:56 »
You can't 'sit and wait' for a Sat morning appointment?! What are they going to do, 'eject' you from the premises? Can't you just 'browse' some new models and drink lots of (free) tea and read the (free) papers?

I concur with some comments re customer service. There is little of it about these days in general, save for a few excellent isolated salesmen/women I have come across. I don't know how some ever make any sales. Had a test drive in a GTI at a relatively local garage last year and all I got in my ear was 'How much you gotta spend a month, mate?', 'DCC is an extra twenny quid a month, ya know - I wooden bova'. I got close to stopping the car and walking back.   

Offline mcmaddy

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #13 on: 29 August 2019, 08:04 »
Really annoys me when sales people know bugger all about the product they supposedly sell. I recently asked for an extended test drive in a Cupra Ateca and got 10 minutes on a local dual carriageway. Guy couldn't understand when he asked me what I thought when I replied it's like any car I've ever driven for 10 minutes.
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Offline Brenbo

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #14 on: 29 August 2019, 09:06 »
Being ejected from the premises on Saturday Morning was the first impression i got when they said I couldn't wait for the car.  But I suspect it's their awkward way of saying "we will not do it any quicker if you are waiting for it, so stop making us feel awkward by sitting around the place and watching us work".  Which is exactly what I will be doing.   :wink:

I perfectly agree with your comments on sales people knowing nothing about their products.  Numerous times I have bought a car, and I knew far more about the car than they did, and I was even telling them about features of the car which they were clueless about. 

It's really poor for a sales person to not know anything about the products they sell, but it happens a lot.  It even happens at my place of work.  I have even heard the sales manager at my place of work quote the classic line of " I don't expect my staff to know anything about the product they sell, I just want them to get through doors" this was during the time when he was employing a rather attractive woman to be a sales rep.  As well as being so inappropriate and sexist, it also highlights the thought process of what a majority of people in the industry think a good sale person should be like. 

On the flip side to this though, I have known the odd one or two good sales person in my time, and it is then that I feel I would go back to the same person should I want to purchase another car or other item.   
« Last Edit: 29 August 2019, 09:43 by Brenbo »

Offline ar899

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #15 on: 29 August 2019, 10:15 »
In my experience, Mercedes are the worst (unless, it seems, you are buying an E Class or above - or are a well known local celeb).

On the couple of occasions that I looked at an A Class, salesperson couldn't be bothered to come and see me so the receptionist had to relay questions and answers for me.

On the plus side I was able to practically take an A Class apart in the showroom (ok not quite) to find out what I wanted and they didn't bat an eyelid :0

Offline Juicetin

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #16 on: 29 August 2019, 13:34 »
I also had this with my local VW dealer, if I wanted to sit and wait for the service I had to be there for 9am and no wait facility on Saturdays. They also forgot to advise about changing brake fluid and Haldex fluid. The customer service team just seem uninterested and clueless.

Offline Brenbo

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #17 on: 29 August 2019, 19:25 »
The story continues.  Just contacted VW dealer to say the tailgate drainage grommet needs replacing as well so when I bring car in for service could they fit another new one.  They said cannot do that on Saturday, has to be a week day as a warranty claim and for sit and wait I have to go in on a weekday morning around 8 - 9am. I said I cannot do that as have to cover at work and unable to take time off to do it. The reply summed up was tough.  I said service manager has overridden policy and made the service on Saturday for my car a sit and wait.  The service dept said on their computer it said it was not a sit and wait appointment.  What the hell is going on.  So I currently have option of skiving work twice to get my car in to be investigated for the claim then again to get a £5 piece of drainage tube fitted in my car or have a leaking boot or try and sort it myself?  I am thinking I might see what other dealerships in other nearby cities do as a policy for service dept and do some research

Offline watchdog

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #18 on: 29 August 2019, 19:55 »

Whilst not wishing to go over old ground, having previously commented on this subject, my current car is my very first VW (GTIP) having previously drove Audi for the last 20 years.  I absolutely love the GTI (apart from it recently having a new gear box after just 3000 miles) but, there's simply no comparison between Audi and VW when it comes to customer care. My findings thus far of VAG is, Audi customer care is nothing short of impeccable, and VW are on my list as the worst after 46 years of driving.

Offline Watts

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Re: What Happened To Good Customer Service?
« Reply #19 on: 29 August 2019, 20:35 »

Whilst not wishing to go over old ground, having previously commented on this subject, my current car is my very first VW (GTIP) having previously drove Audi for the last 20 years.  I absolutely love the GTI (apart from it recently having a new gear box after just 3000 miles) but, there's simply no comparison between Audi and VW when it comes to customer care. My findings thus far of VAG is, Audi customer care is nothing short of impeccable, and VW are on my list as the worst after 46 years of driving.

I had an Audi before my GTI and the service was mostly okay, no better than my VW dealer, but they took the pi$$ in an unforgiveable way and I never went back. So I can't agree with your broad brush assessment, nothing personal.
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