I have had exceptional customer care by Mercedes but when the same garage was taken over last year by MB UK the service went downhill rapidly. Luckily the service is begining to get better again now probably because so many people wrote to MB and complained.
At work we run a fleet of Vitos and Escort vans and in 15yrs I have always found the local Ford garage to be very good and very consistent.
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In my town there used to be main dealers for Rover,Vauxhall and Ford. Over the last few years the Vauxhall, Ford ones closed down and the Rover one lost its dealership as many others in the country have.
All was not lost however as at least two of their mechanics have set up as independants.
I've only been to the Vauxhall one who has an excellent reputation and what a change from talking to the usual reception lady at the front desk to walk in and talk to the man who actually does the work. Personal attention and experience makes all the difference.
No waiting room with coffee machine. No people in suits to be paid for but just as it should be..
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For VW in the North West, I have found Smith, Knight, Faye to be very good (although I know other board members have had bad experiences with them), and one Manchester based franchise to be very bad, which I why I guess they are no longer trading. In Stoke, Rycliffe was exceptional, but they are now Audi only tho I understand that their VW staff moved over to Lakeland, in Stoke.
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I agree that it is meaningless to suggest that all Peugeot or all VW dealers give poor customer service. But a rough rule of thumb may be that service is inversely proportional to the size of the dealer's premises - though the comment about the M/cr VW dealer may not confirm this? Today's problem is that the 'good and small' dealers tend to lose their franchises in the rush towards economy of scale.
I suppose the good news is that many of them may become reliable independents.
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I found the SEAT dealers in my local area to be good, and the one in Norwich to be very, very good. SEAT UK are a bit more difficult to get on with though!.
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The best customer service has to be from Maclaren for their F1 road car, you were suppied with a massive tool set and if ever there was a problem they flew and engineer out to fix it on your property. That sort of service doesn't come cheap though.....:)
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IIRC the Bugatti EB110 came with a similar service package - where they would fly out an engineer to fix the car.
Chad.
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My beloved Alfa GTV6
Sorry to go off-topic, but you may now consider yourself officially envied ;)
I have used my local Alfa garage for some parts, but have never had work done there for several reasons
1) I have a local non-make-specific garage who's work I trust
2) They're a bit too far away
3) Alfa dealers have a pretty much universally bad reputation. I don't know that it's true, but why risk it when I'm happy with the garage I use?
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Really does depend on individual dealers and the staff within them...
Martins in Basingstoke is where I bought Polo from and although their sales service was a bit off (lost the MOT certificate but more than made up for it), their service dept was excellent.
VW in Wolverhampton used to be Rycliff and were excellent. It's now Trust VW (part of the Reg Vardy group) and something's gone badly wrong (as described in another thread, I don't 'trust' them anymore!).
Also noticed the other morning when I was in there that there's a massive division between the service and sales departments. The sales secretaries (can't think of a better way to describe them) were just tottering through the service dept with their noses in the air, not even acknowledging the huge queue that was there with a "are you ok? Take a seat, I'm sorry noone's managed to see you yet", even though the sales dept was dead.
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...And the feedback I indicated that I'd give after my V70 received its first annual service today.
1) Car was only booked in yesterday.
Telephone manner polite and accommodating.
2) On arriving today, I was greeted by name as I walked through the door, the service receptionist having spotted my car's reg number no doubt. A nice touch.
3) Car serviced promptly and ready within 90 minutes. My request NOT to wash the car was obeyed, and all paperwork was stamped and correct.
4) On arriving to collect car, it was driven to the front door whilst I paid.
5) Service receptionist came to the door with me and held it open as I left, and then did likewise with the car door.
6) All in all pretty perfect service, apart from one very minor oily mark on the inside door handle.
7) The sting... £253 for six litres of oil, oil filter, pollen filter, and completion of a standard check list.
Bloomin' 'eck!
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In the last 3 years the best service I have received - by far - was from Ayrshire based VW dealer. Not only personalised service along the lines quoted above, but a discretionary 10% parts discount on the 20K service because I was kept waiting longer than promised. Since I've now changed to a Jag I'll be interested to see how they compare, and if this thread is still going about Jul/Aug I'll let you know how it goes.
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"The sting... £253 for six litres of oil, oil filter, pollen filter, and completion of a standard check list."
For that kind of money I would rather be called "Hey you" and have to open my own doors 8-).
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SjB - I am more than happy to forgo any Ritz-flunkey-style grovelling and forelock-tugging if it is only designed to make you less ready to complain about overcharging. I don't see any reason to pay a supplement for servile behaviour.
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SjB - I am more than happy to forgo any Ritz-flunkey-style grovelling and forelock-tugging if it is only designed to make you less ready to complain about overcharging. I don't see any reason to pay a supplement for servile behaviour.
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Totally agree Andrew-T. I hate this sort of 'service with a smile' nonsense; tarted-up receptionist and potted palms. I would prefer to deal directly with the fitter (grubby rag in hand) who's going to work on my car and have my money going into parts and useful labour. I can wash my car myself or take it to a carwash for £3 - don't need it doing for me at £70/hour. Holding door open - OMG !!!!!
I have a proper workshop with pit, air, lots of room & tools, so I always do my own work (having worked in the trade when I was younger I know that if I want something doing right its better to do it myself). I have a mate who runs his own 'independent' 'shop so have gone to him for MoT's for the last 15 years.
I have used dealers only when vehicle was new (for warranty).
1. Local small Nissan dealer - excellent, but closed down about a month after I used them.
2. Nissan dealer in Chester - very good.
3. MB dealer in Lincoln - good until they changed hands - then not as good......
4. BMW dealer - (won't name and shame) - part of very large group that a now-deceased friend used to work for. Servile service designed to appeal to oiks with more money than sense - 'flowers on seat' nonsense. I believe they didn't follow correct servicing procedures and caused engine damage to my car - I never got compensation.
5. Local VW dealer - needed parts to fix friend's Sharan. Kept us waiting a month (car off road) for a layshaft because they typed the wrong number into computer. VW MK no help - eventually 'phone Germany myself (I speak German) and got the part three days later!
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Yeah but the last thing that I would ever want to do is service my own car, too much like hard work! :-) Plus I've got no facilities to do it.
I don't mind the oily rag places, after all, I don't expect them to have the palm laden waiting areas for the price that I pay.
When I go to the main delaers however, I expect the full works, free coffee, smiley receptionists, courtesy cars, everything. That's one of the things that you pay for.
Anyway, to get myself back on topic:
Jennings Ford - ok service, tends to be better in Washington than Sunderland. The guys in Washington actually fixed a rattle on my car, Sunderland didn't have a clue. Washington have done a lot of work, especially on my old MK3 Fiesta which they looked after and treated like a new one. The only mistake they ever made was not properly tightening the wheel nuts properly and then giving me an excuse when I went back, but all was sorted out quickly and they've done so much other good work that I think you just have to accept that sometimes mistakes are made.
In fact I would say Jennings in Washington come in the good category.
Oh, there's a RapidFit in Durham - Excellent, fantastic service, they fixed a problem with my last car FOC. I will buy from them in future, highly recommended.
Blue
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SjB. No wonder they made such a fuss of you....they greeted you by name because they saw you coming to be fleeced.
I imagine they were smiling as they waved you goodbye...
How on earth do they arrive at £253 for 90 minutes work. was it itemised?.
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How on earth do they arrive at £253 for 90 minutes work. was it itemised?.
My guess:
oil and other parts: £18
Labour: 1.5 hours @ £70/hour = £105
Application of oil stain to door handle: £10
(reduced from normal fee of £15 because it was only a small stain)
Non-washing of car: £20
Grovel-bonuses for staff: £100
TOTAL: £253
;-)
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3 MG Rover dealers in the past 10 years.
One switched to Chrysler several years ago. A pity as they were (and probably still are) excellent, and more importantly, it's just round the corner!
The second is a very large dealer but the service is not too good so I dropped them.
Switched to the third, despite it adding an hour to my drop-off and collection times, and found their service to be first class. This is G. Kingsbury of Hampton if anyone is looking for an MGR dealer. Nothing I've asked has ever been too much trouble. They have done several things for me without charge, EG helped me to win a dispute with a windscreen fitting company by writing a report on how poorly the screen had been fitted. Free. My favourite price!
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Sorry - missed the main point. I agree it's the individual dealer, not the manufacturer.
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Yes, the 'work' was itemized, and was actually within a few quid of what I was advised by others I would be charged! My father's Volvo dealer (different chain, different part of the country)charges much the same rate for an annual service of his S80.
Labour £112.00
Oil filter £5.10
Plug washer £0.85
Pollen filter £29.90 (Yes, part of the schedule)
Washer fluid £1.30 (It was genuinely empty, on purpose)
Grease and lubes £2.95 (Easy con for a few quid)
Shell Ultra oil £62.70
Total £214.80, plus VAT gives £252.39 (Sorry not 'quite' the £253 I recalled previously from memory!)
I agree entirely that it is a total rip off, and I knowingly had my trousers taken down simply to get the stamp in the book. It's as simple as that. There is no way that giving basic service can be justified by that cost. It costs nothing to be polite, and I'd even hold the door open for Mr Blair (word sticks in my throat) if I met him.
Knowing the captive market and complexity of many systems (not to mention being locked-in to Volvo's VADIS system which interrogates a master computer and checks the components now fitted are as supplied by Volvo), I doubt that the cost would be any lower if I was greeted by a chimpanzee, and the service outlet was a lock-up.
BTW quote from a Volvo independent servicing outlet, with factory trained technicians and full VADIS electronic kit was £150 for the same work, albeit with an hour in the car, twice, to get there and back. Although I understand this would still keep the guarantee intact, I didn't have the time or inclination to travel.
The oil I was charged £62.70 for would cost me £50 at my local Shell garage (I went and checked, £30 for four litres plus two single litres at £10 each), and the Volvo dealer MUCH less than this.
This is the first car of my own that I have not entirely maintained myself (I have done just about every job possible previously, from complete rebuilds of engine and gearbox to rusty sill and wing replacement, love things mechanical and electrical, and my eight years owned MG Metro never saw a garage after the first service). I guess where I go from here with maintenance of the V70 depends on how long we keep the car. Some things I cannot do without VADIS, and I have no chance with CAN bus electrics, but on the other hand, the internet is a gold mine (like this site) and I have built up a folder of potentially useful V70-specific maintenance tricks.
Time will tell.
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I must mention Safamar Skoda in Marbella for realy good customer service.
I bought my car(new)from then just under three years ago, but apart from the first check-up service have used a (nearer) Skoda dealer in Algeciras.At the time of purchase I bought an extended warranty for years two & three (at the time only a 1 year makers warranty applied). I did not realise, as my Spanish was very rudimentary at the time that this was an insurance type warranty and one of the conditions was that I had to leave the car with the dealer for 72 hours for inspection by a technico employed by the warranty company,in the case of a claim.
I had a problem with the power steering sensor: the claim was refused because I was not able to leave my car 35 Km away, for three days, for this inspection.
Surprise, surprise, a phone call from Safamar saying that the Sales Department would pay for the repair. An appointment arranged and work carried out as promised!
Guess who is going to get my future service business? No brainer isn't it!
A letter to Skoda España is on its way soon.(+ a bottle of good rioja already given to the mechanic who did the work on the eve of the most important holiday at Christmas in Spain - Los tres Reyes or as we know it Twelfth Night.)
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