I have narrowed down my lease car selection to an A3 2.0tdi sportback or a 130ps Passat Estate. The local Audi garage could not be more helpful & have given me two 24 hour test drives and plenty of information. The VW garage most local to me - didn't return my first two calls, I eventually got to talk to their fleet manager (explaining this was a company purchase, but that as we don't lease many cars, it would be bought from whichever dealer I chose in an attempt to keep him interested). "No problem sir, 24 hour test drive, we can arrange that, give me a hour to organise & I'll phone you back to arrange details" - that was 2 days ago, nothing since. Tried another dealer earlier in the week, could only take it out for 24 hours if I arranged my own insurance, but she would still have to clear it with the sales manager - again never received another call from them!
I cannot believe their disinterest or is it incompentence, god only knows what they would be like after they sold it to me!
Am I unlucky with my two local dealerships or is this sort of attitude more widespread?
Mark
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Seems to be widespread.
Visited VW dealer near where I work - walked around the pitch and showroom for 15 minutes and was not approached. Only member of staff around was on the service desk and was arguing with a customer. When I asked if anyone was around he replied "sales is nothin to do with me mate ask over there" - there was nobody. The brochure rack for the Golf was also empty.
Following Saturday visited VW dealer nearer home. Small place, went in the showroom and had a poke around one and was approached by female salesperson. Told her I wanted a diesel Golf and she explained the options - said only a 2.0 would do as I have a 2.0 TDCi at the moment and don't want anything slower. Handed me a brochure and walked away towards another customer, I called her back to ask about a test drive and was told "you'll have to book". Made appointment and left details for the following Saturday. Turns up at agreed time having driven 15 miles to get there - woman is nowhere in sight but 2 blokes perched on a desk talking so I introduced myself and got blank looks. "She's off sick and we know nothing about it and I'm sorry but we haven't got a 2.0TDi demo available at the moment." Best they could offer was to call them on the Monday and they'd arrange one - gave me his card and off I went. Rang on Monday "Oh he's not in today" - details taken but no call back.
Balls to VW as far as I'm concerned now - if you want to sell a product at a premium price you have to provide a premium service and its quite clear both from my experience and from other people complaints both on this forum and others that they don't. I've never experienced such poor service from any other manufacturers dealers - including Citroen who's dealers have a poor reputation.
As a salesman myself ignoring customers is inexcusable and to break promises of demonstrations without prior warning would be route one to losing a customer for a long time.
Although it sounds wicked, I firmly believe that car dealers in this country need a big recession to kick themselves into line. There's too many poor salesman, salesmen with poor attitudes to service, clueless salesmen that nothing about the products they're selling and staff that don't worry about a customer walking away because they know that another one will be along shortly. A climate where jobs are being cut and chasing every sale is essential to keeping you off the dole would sort the wheat from the chaf and bring customer service to the fore.
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There's been a thread on this same subject before, with many tales of woe. I know it takes time, but you really need to report this sort of thing to VW UK headquarters, for the sake of others in the future.
If they are equally offhand, maybe a letter to Bernd Pischetsrieder at Wolfsburg might get a result?
That said, I know from experience that Silver Street Motors in Taunton and Rye Mill in High Wycombe won't fob you off like thia. I think both are family-owned businesses, which would explain it.
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From my experience, VW HQ is as useless and disinterested as the majority of their dealers. I had ten years of their incompetence and indifference. I contacted VW HQ. Fat lot of good it did.
I will never buy another VW. Good cars but awful service.
Got a Toyota now, very happy.
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After three lousy experiences at VW dealers when trying to buy my company car last year, VW were the one company my wife would not contemplate. We bought a Honda instead. The Honda also has a premium price, but at least they seem to offer something other than customer mis-service.
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Quite the opposite.
In March Swmbo was badly let down by the local Vauxhall dealer who delivered the wrong colour car and said take it or leave it. The colour was awful.
Went to VW on a Saturday AM looking for a Touran. Explained we wanted it urgently as we had sold Swmbos car.
Dealer gave us a two hour test drive on the demo car and another hour showing us all the detail.
The dealer then searched all around for an available one in the right colour, specification and delivery time. The car had to be built already but the budget did not stretch to the top spec models in stock. They called back Saturday PM with the car found.
The price we negotiated was cheaper then the internet prices on this site and others and as promised the car was delivered within 8 days. No pressure on loans or extras. All deposit etc handled over the phone. The dealer even took a significant amount of the payment on a credit card.
The car was delivered and the dealer then spent an age explaining all the switches etc.
When my Vectra was delivered I was just handed the key!
They called a week after delivery to check everything is OK.
They even left the 6 disk CD changer that was fitted in error.
So thumbs up for VW in my book.
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Lucky you with Honda, my local Honda dealer, is very obstructive, and disinterested once they have sold you the car.Buying a car is easy, getting them to sort out issues competantly is like pulling teeth. They are unhelpful, disinterested and rather irritating.
RANT ON
We have to use them because of our location they are the only ones in alomst a 100 mile radius. The latest problem is that I am battling with them to do a warranty repair; drivers seat is wobbling. They looked at it once about 6 weeks ago and said its not a problem, so i have booked it in and asked them to look at it again.
The interesting thing is that Honda Uk are aware of this prob on 2002 CR-Vs (and have instucted dealers to repair if the customer complains), a Honda dealer i used 15 years ago in Aylesbury is well aware of the prob, and told me its an hours work with the seat bolts and washers needing replacement, its even present on the VOSA website for the public to look up. My local dealer, surprise, surprise, has never heard about it.
In case they refuse to repair again, I contacted Honda customer services who have promised to intervene if the dealer once again refuses to repair. ARGH why is it that every time i go in to have anything done real up hill struggle.
RANT OVER
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Glad to hear that it wasn't just my own experience of VW when we were looking to buy our Passat. They just didn't think we could afford to buy their car and simply were not interested in talkign a deal. I went and bought from a UK Broker who supplied the car (UK spec.) at a discount that when my local dealer asked me where and how much I paid for it, they couldn't beleive the figures.
They are arrogant, but conseuqently every time I step into the shorwoom (for service or parts or jsut to browse) they are now attentive and very 'willing' - not sure though I'd buy from them though. Stick it to 'em I say.
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Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
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Dealers? Don't talk to me about dealers -- Ford, VW, Audi, MB, all the same.
Recently I e-mailed 50 -- yes, fifty -- MB dealers in search of a possibly discontinued part. No response, not one, not even to say "Sorry mate, can't help you". I've taken it up with MB UK, but am not optimistic about the result.
Just bought a large bunch of spares to spruce up my new old MB, a W126. Got a full quotation from both MB dealer and Euro Car Parts. ECP price for exactly the same components -- i.e. OEM MB components -- bar the fan belt (Bosch) was precisely 49.6% of the MB dealer price. Guess who got the business. I feel sorry for the friendly guys in the MB dealer parts dept.
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For older MB parts I find Jacksons of Bournemouth are helpful. They have even shipped parts to the US for me.
Most MB dealers are really only interested in customers who drop a 'platinum' credit card on the desk and don't check the bill - suppying parts for older cars is an inconvenience.
I used to have a small and quite helpful VW nearby, but VW UK chopped them and opened a massive 'palace' a good few miles away. I only use them for spares, but they are rubbish. The parts guys don't know a bush from a ball-joint and several times I've actually had to show them how to find a part number! How they can employ people with no automotive knowledge I really don't know (well, yes I do, they are cheap I guess).
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Our two VWs are 10 years old, so I wouldn't take them near a VW dealer unless I absolutely had to. Luckily we have a reasonable general garage just down the road.
Cheers, SS
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VW dealers useless or uninterested?
Why should VW dealers be any better than the rest?
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I know a very good VW dealership.
They remember my name. Handshakes all round. Call back when they say they will. Keep their promises. Carry out work in a very efficient manner. Everyone seems to be smiling and getting on well with each other. Run by four women as it happens. Excellent place.
It's on the Costa Blanca though.
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My experience with VW salespeople has been fine. I was treated very courteously when I took three children to clamber all over their Touran at my local VW dealership and the test drive was very easy to arrange. However, they seemed to have this strange notion that the list price was non-negotiable.
So, I contacted an internet broker who put me in touch with the Fleet Sales department of another VW dealership. No price negotiations, just an across the board 10% discount. The dealer was marvellous with weekly e-mails and phone calls letting me know how my new car build was progressing in Germany as was handover and post-sales.
However, the local Audi dealerships definitely have a different sales style. I asked about test driving an Audi A4 quattro, arranged a time and when I arrived, the salesman gave me the keys and told me to go and have some fun for a couple of hours! I do like the principle that the car sells itself but unfortunately I needed more room in the back for the children.
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I asked about test driving an Audi A4 quattro, arranged a time and when I arrived, the salesman gave me the keys and told me to go and have some fun for a couple of hours! I do like the principle that the car sells itself but unfortunately I needed more room in the back for the children.
This kind of thing probably hacks off dealers - it took me 10 seconds to realise that there wasn't enough room in the back of the new A4. I didn't need to drive it for 2 hrs - why waste everyone's time?
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Might be a tad unfair here, you know.
The manufacturing corporation, Volkswagen gmbh, has no control over the retailer which might be Sytner Group or somesuch organisation.
The VW badge on the sign on the forecourt is the dealer's not the manufacturer's.
I suggest you find out who owns the franchise for the dealer and contact their head office.
VW (GB) is interested, but their prime goal is to supply units to the dealers, who then act as they see fit.
Hope this helps you.
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VW GB is not interested. As long as they sell the cars at profit, why bother trying to keep customers long term? Their cars are in demand.
This was pretty much their answer to me when I got in touch to complain about useless and disinterested VW dealers about ten years ago. It hasn't changed. My local (useless and disinterested ) VW had such an awful reputation it changed its' name. Same story though.
A colleague who is the sort of customer a salesman dreams of, (buys new, pays list, keeps car like new, trades in after three years) rang them to trade in her Polo. And rang again. And rang again. She simply wanted the salesperson to ring back so she could go in to do a deal for a new one. After four weeks and six unreturned calls she went and bought a Clio.
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buys new, pays list, keeps car like new, trades in after three years
Could you please keep me notified that when she changes her Clio I get first call? I promise to respond faster than her Dealer ;)
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Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
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And can i volunteer to assist her with buying the new car? i'm sure she'd love a nice cheap Yaris
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Skoda family dealership + VAG engineering + Czech low labour costs = happy punter. Why does *anybody* bother buying VW anymore....?
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Skoda family dealership ...
Sadly these are becoming a thing of the past. The village or small town garages that used to sell Skoda are turning into Daihatsu dealers.
The remaining Skoda dealers are changing into pseudo-VW dealers, with fancy showrooms and high servicing prices to pay for them.
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The little local Skoda garages in Telford and Stoke have recently closed down.
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In my experience of VW dealerships there attitude may be due to their geographical location.The ones i have used in Surrey were very un-interested(up there own pink fluffy dice)and poor at fixing problems(twice failed to diagnose and fix suspension failure on my fathers passat-i spotted this whilst lying underneath it in a car park) BUT the dealerships which my wife uses in Oxford and Banbury are very good(not cheap)
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The VW dealer which my mum uses in the West of Ireland is brilliant: nothing is too much trouble, and their customers are very loyal. But they are a smallish, family-run business.
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From 99-2003 I had 2 Passats from new , bought from Keiths VW in Aylesbury .
Great cars and one of the reasons I bought the second time was the quality of the dealership . Good sales, got the balance right between being pushy and being hard to find .Service people helpful and friendly, and they had very long hous of opening , which was a big help.
Finally went to a Mondeo because I wanted a hatchback .Good car but the Ford dealer in Ayelsbury was terrible - a big shock after the VW one
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Keiths are very good. They do take the time to listen (well in Service anyways!) and have better rates than Wayside MK. Very pleased whenever our cars have gone there.
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Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
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The dealership is, presumably, profitable. Profitable even though their customer service stinks.
They'd change pretty fast if everybody walked away from them.
The trouble is, nobody does. We're certainly used to poor customer service in this country, and I often think we're more comfortable with it. The difference between a dealership in this country and one outside Europe is frightening.
And its pretty embarassing being married to a foreigner who comes from a country where customer service is regarded as important by the consumer AND the supplier and then visiting garages and the like in this country.
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i had a test-drive this week
showed up 2pm
nice drive---wrong car
wanted 3-door hatchback--gti--manual
given 5-door dsg auto-matic.
asked for a test-drive next week
in the car i want
if i show-up
and its the wrong car---what do i say?
answers on a post card
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Someone is telling you that you don't want or need three doors and manual, but five doors and DSG - go for it, you know it makes sense!
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Mark,
if my recent experience is anything to go buy, useless. And clueless.
John
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VW Dealers..useless or uninterested?
Both in my experience.
Toyota BMW and Ford are usually good .
madf
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Well I have 2 Honda civics sports and have to say the Honda dealer has always being very good with the all the problems I have had,they say Hondas do not have problems!
However in general the dealer is excellent and it is not his fault re the problems.
In August I dedcided to trade in my wifes civic for a new Golf,went to the local dealer and as there was absolute no pressure at all and in the end the salesman spend -wait fo it--almost 3 hours answered all questions,checked cars,trim accessories etc etc and a nice good long test drive on all roads--after returning to the showroom he even let me drive the test car back home to see if it would fit in the Garage,which it did.
No pressure to buy Gap insurance or Superguard,whereas with the 2 hondas we were forced by the dealer!
The salesman then said ok I will give you few days to consider all and give you a call,I told him the price i wanted and the deal and no problems-so far so good.
the delivery is about 3 months and he keeps me updated every week.
Like I said this has being the best sales experience of purchasing a new car.
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I've recently been in to two VW Dealers, looking to replace my car with a Golf GT 2.0 TDI 4 motion.
I was a bit nervous of buying from VW having heard all the negative talk, however I found them varied.
First garage I went to was in London. Salesmen was helpful, I got a test drive in a similar model, but didn't know the product very well. For instance Dual Control Climate is no longer standard on the car. Salesmen didn't tell me, and the brochure/pricelist they issued was out of date. If I'd order the car and collected I would have been very dissappointed. Also VW finance was awful at phoning back and was uncompetitive.
Next was in the Thames Valley. Again salemen was helpful, offered a test drive and did call back, but again price was just too high.
In the end both garages couldn't match an dsgauto quote and so I went with them. I hopefully take delivery end of Novemeber.
WipeOut
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After four years and 96k in a Passat 1.8t in which time the only failures were drivers footrest (faulty when delivered), boot spoiler brakelamp wire incorrectly run (dealer fitted), an oil sensor, key fob, a wing mirror heater and a battery (the only one that stopped the car) you would think I would go back.....
Because of the dealer's attitude (over faults and servicing) I now drive a Honda!
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Well, Honda were pretty useless when I approached them on a new Civic - they just couldn't be bothered. VW were much better, but were asking silly money for a Golf Sport 1.6. Ford were pretty good, but in the end, no-one came close to a deal on a Mazda 6 (thousands cheaper than the Golf, and a better car).
I just can't believe how many times I've failed to buy a Honda now.
My son recently bought a Civic Type R - from a more distant Honda dealer, who could be bothered; perhaps I'll try there next time ?
On second thoughts, i'll stick with Mazda.
Though that's at the second attempt to deal with Mazda - I tried to buy an MX-5, but the (different) dealer couldn't manage a test drive, so I bought an MGF VVC (D'oh!)
Just don't get me started on motorcycle dealers ....
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