Perhaps some of you would be interested in how Ford is treating the owners of some of it's newly aquired assets over here in the U.S.A.
When I got back to the US from my 6 weeks in the UK this fall I found that my 1989 Range Rover (US Spec 3.6L V8 about the same as a UK Vogue spec will all options) Had leaked its fuel into the dirt of my driveway... Now back in 1994 the tank was replaced after it started to leak and even though it was out of warranty a 80% good will payment was made on the repair and I thought that fair at the time as I drive a lot on Salt Water Beaches... this time I expected no such largress... But how wrong I was.
Not only did they replace the tank with a plastic one at NO charge but they Washed and cleaned the machine and blew out the Sunroof drains as well... and since they had made a minor error in the stock# of the new tank (their computer showed one in stock but it turned out to be for a later model year due to a miss marking) they provided me with a brand new $70,000 2001 Range Rover for 48 hours while they flew in a new tank... all this on a 13 year old Range rover. The told me that my failure in 1994 was one of several from coastal areas and in 1995 due to these they had redesigned the tank in plastic and were replacing all steel tanks no matter the age of the Range Rover they said I should have been notified of the recall but the computer for some reason had classed my 94 replacment with a new steel tank as a plastic repair...
So I had one more suprise when I picked up my keys...they were realy sorry that I had slipped through the cracks this way and in addition to all the work on the tank they replaced ALL fluids and filters and changed all 3 wiper blades and did me a new inspection sticker (Like a MOT)... also all at no cost!
I first noticed this change in attitude at this dealer when Ford took over the brand... under BMW I spent over $2,000 one year on lots of minor stuff and never got as much as a lift to T station from them.
They are also the local Jaguar dealer and let me take a new X type for the afternoon when the RR was not done by 13:00 as promised... this new Jag had all the bells and whistles including a fancy Navigation system that was actualy better than the one in the new Range Rover they let me use (7" screen rather than 5") (BTW I was very impresed with the new X type and I found it's driving position nicer than the S type).
There was a posting last week about the J. D. Powers USA rankings where Jag did well and this drew some caustic comments from one reader... but It seems to me that in the US at any rate Ford is making a major effort with their 'import' lines. I had a chance to chat with several new Jag owners at the dealer and they were all full of good things to say.
~R
Nantucket Island, U.S.A.
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Randolph, I take it you still speak English English?
Maybe they thought you were a 'mystery customer' from Solihull?
:)
But It's good to hear that customer service in your part of the world means exactly that!
(Maybe they could export a few this way!)
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Just one comment here Randolph, the motor trade and the motor manufacturers etc do get many (valid) criticisms but, we seem to hear too little of their successes and efforts to treat their customers correctly. Congratulations on taking the trouble to make this splendid episode known through this forum
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John, That was one of the reasons for my posting... the nature of a place like this is to deal with problems and complaints... not praise. the good ones need to be brought to light from time to mine to provide a bit of balance...
Ian, It think it more a case of my being a prospect for a new car... but if that is the case they should have looked up my part exchange on the Range Rover when I bought it in 1989... it was a 1967 M-Benz 250SE with 290,000 miles on it...
I am one of those folks that buys the best car I can for my needs and then I keep it until it is long past it's sell by date changing oil every 3000 miles along the way. BTW The Mechanic who worked on my RR offered me $6,500 cash for it and said it was the best kept old RR he had ever worked on... top book value on it is about $5,000 retail by the guides (it cost $35,000 new in 1989)
in fact they may have spotted me as a potential punter with justification... modern environmental restrictions have curtailed beach driving to such an extent that I find it hade to justify a SUV anymore... And I really liked that new Jag X class ;-})> (Smile with beard and moustache)
~R
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yea not many happy customer stories on here
i must say how great scotrail are, and how fab the sleeper trains between euston and scotland are, taken lots recently to edinburgh, glasgow, fort william etc...
great service, great staff...
you get a relaxing sleep, so in "virtual time" its not such a long journey cos you would have been asleep anyway...
far far better than the day trains...
and much better than the queues at heathrow or gatwick
scotrail sleepers really are the way to travel...
(if youre not driving of course)
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Strange you should mention that... the 1967 M-Benz 250-SE was bought in May of 67 at the factory in Germany and I was my folks driver for 3 months of touring that summer (we brought it back to the US as hold luggage on the old Queen Elizabeth and I had my 20th birthday party (Aug 22) on board. the car cost $6,623 new and the exchange rate that summer was $2.40 to the pound (it had just changed from $2.80 I think)
one of the highlights of that trip was an overnight train trip with the car from Exeter (where we visited the family my father had been billeted with before D-Day) to Edinburgh (to visit members of my mothers family on the island of Mull and also near Galashiels) I still recall the comfort of the linen sheets and fine full breakfast served while we were in the sidings in Edinburgh before we drove off the next morning... it was a very civilized and comfortable way to travel.
Thanks for bringing back a flood of happy memories
~R
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