Having just taken my Accord in for its 18K service, I was very impressd by the standard of customer care (especially compared to the Vauxhall dealer that I took my last car to). I was given a free courtesy car (including petrol). My car was returned clean inside and out, and the entire service was followed up a couple of days later by a phone call. How many other dealers offer this level of service?
Andy
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Hi Andy,
My Audi dealer does all this, but I have to pay for the loan car fuel...
A colleague really rates Honda dealer service, and now won't buy anything else...
Martin.
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When my father used to take his Toyota Carina E in for services at the local franchised Toyota dealer, he received a similar level of high customer service: the car was always fully valeted, courtesy car provided free and petrol, detailed explanation of the bill and an admirably high level of organisation overall. I think it is something with Japanese makes: not only are they more reliable and durable than many European equivalents, the level of dealer service seems consitently higher than others' too.
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You generally find that a lot of the Jap dealers are smaller, family owned outfits, rather than large company owned. They therefore tend to be a bit more clued up. Plus, I think that many Jap cars tend to be privately owned, rather than company cars, so the dealers aren't getting screwed quite so much by lease company budgets, and can therefore afford to be a bit more customer friendly.
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The service I've had from my Honda dealer has been top notch.
They stuffed things up a bit when I specced the car with them by including an upgrade to a Sony CD player in the price, but it turns out that the Accord SE Exec has a factory fitted BOSE system that won't accept the normal Honda upgrades. (I was only after a CD player upgrade but you have to use a Honda/BOSE unit 'cause it needs the connector for the subwoofer, and then it turns out you have to have a multichanger 'cause the slot you'd need in the dash is taken by the climate control and so on).
Anyway, long and short of it is that I had to take it back three times in the first month (not too good you might think). However, every time I was given a courtesy car (including a brand new Stream and a brand new Civic 1.6 SE so they don't just use the old rattletraps that no one wants) with free petrol and unlimited miles (I did 75 miles in the Civic).
My car was valeted and washed (even during the final visit when they just put the boot multichanger in) every time, after the final visit they agreed that my 18k service would be charged for parts only due to my inconvenience and I got a personal call at home from the Accounts Manager to explain the mistakes that had been made and to apologise to me.
I was also only charged cost price for the boot multichanger and there was no installation charge.
So yes, mistakes were made by them, but they then did everything in their power to rectify them and took the time out to treat me as an individual - doubtless I'll be part-exing against an Accord Type-R in three years time, and I'll be going back there to do the deal.
I'm also spreading the good word about them to family and friends.
Dealers, be nice to people, it's worth it.
Alex.
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Very impressive, Andy. If only more garages were customer oriented.
It reminds me of an incident two years ago when I took the 306 to our local country garage for its MOT. "I'm sorry it's failed, said the helpful receptionist. It needs new rear subframe bushes which we can get, but can't fit until tomorrow".
When I asked if I could just pop home in the car to collect my bicycle (so that I could leave the car with them for work and a re-test) she offerred "you don't need to go to all that bother. Why not borrow our courtesy car". This turned out to be an old Ford Sierra. I returned it, having put 2 gallons of petrol in it, whereupon the lady said "Thank you, dear. We never seem to put petrol in it".
What a nice arrangement, and a reminder of how things can be.
Ian
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Each time my VW Passat goes for a service at either of the 2 local main dealers it comes back nice and clean inside and out. If I have delivered it to them they loan me a car (usually the service manager's car). Normally they collect and deliver it to my place of work.
Mind you, they charge an absolute fortune for this. I would personally prefer it not to be cleaned and for the price to be a bit more resonable.
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Aren't Honda a bit expensive with the servicing costs?
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When I take my Seat for service or warranty work, if I ask for a loan car they can do it but not only do I have to put fuel in it, they also excpect me to insure it - which my insurance company is not prepared to do without special payment.
So all the garage can do for me is a lift ffrom the garage - they can't collect me later to collect the car... !
I'm not very impressed with this standard of service.
Do other dealers require you to insure a loan car yourself ?
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There is no such thing as a free loan car, you pay for it in the overall dealer charges. If it is available and you don't use it then you are losing out really.
I wouldn't like to think of a loan car or lift to/from wherever as a right, more a benefit if offered.
I started out with a "loan" car as my location is rural and I thought it may get over the problem of folks struggling to get lifts when they left their cars here.
However I charged for it! £12 to include up to the first 40 miles of fuel, after that I expected the fuel to be replaced. Why charge? Well I do not uplift my rates to include such extras so thought it best those who really needed the benefit should pay.
In the end, as the business established, I found less need to have it to offer and keeping a third car tidy and well maintained for this purpose became an unwaranted expense.
I do collect and deliver locally sometimes as well as giving lifts. Problem is if customers are more than a couple of miles away, by the time I've stopped work to do the lift or collect/deliver at each end of the job, I lose as much time as the service took!
Easier for a larger outlet that can spread it over more jobs though.
PS. Our loan car was a Fiat Uno, one customer covered 400 miles in a day while his car was in for service, don't know who was the most shocked!
David
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Honda services are quite expensive, although the point I was making was that the courtesy cars, washes and valets were included as part of the service when my own car was in for the hi-fi work (i.e. no charge).
That said, I'd rather pay a few extra quid for a service and get A1 customer care than make supposed savings on the initial outlay, which by the time you'd added in the hassle of lifts, dropping the car off and so on would have all but evaporated anyway.
It depends what you're after I suppose. I knew Honda servicing was expensive before I bought the car, but I felt the extra cost was justified.
Alex.
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The issue with courtesy cars is that dealer insurance has gone through the roof recently. My local Vauxhall outlet used to freely give courtesy cars away. Now it has a 1000 pound excess on it's policy (across the board, this includes their own cars and demonstrators etc) they advise that you transfer your own policy over to cover you for this. Many insurers make no charge for this - Mine (Tesco) certainly doesn't providing the engine is smaller than my current policy and helpfully made the policy modification in 2 minutes on the phone.
On the other hand, I have told my dealer that if they provide yet another sh*gged old Corsa whilst my Vectra is in I will take the car elsewhere...
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My local (independent) garage has just sold its hire fleet because of an insurance price hike. I daresay that insurers are having a hard time at the moment, but it seems unfair to target garages, who I imagine are better able to sort out minor damage without recourse to a claim than most.
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If anyone is really impressed by their garage, whether it's an independent or a franchise, e-mail the name, address and phone number to webmaster@honestjohn.co.uk and head your e-mail 'Good Garage Guide'. Then Martyn will include it and everyone can share your good fortune.
HJ
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Honda care starts way before the car reaches the dealer. A pal of mine works at Southampton docks loading and unloading all sorts of vehicles. Within a week a new employee will be driving a new Ford, Jag, or Mini unsupervised. Not a Honda though! An extra test has to be passed before a new chap can drive one, Honda employee's watch and video the loading operation, bad driving is reported to a supervisor.
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The Honda ethos seems to extend to bikes. Along with an impressive standard of service at the one I use, a courtesy bike (+free petrol) comes as part of the deal.
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