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My renault clio (3days old) has an annoying clicking sound (it isn't very noisy but still)I want someone to look at it incase it is something important when I phoned Renault to get someone to look at it they said the technicians only work till 4.30. E explaining that I need the car for work which is how a 20 year old buy a £10k car and that I would want a coutisy car for the day as I was unwilling to take a holiday (one of the few that I get) to deal with the problem I was abruptly told that I needn?t take that tone of voice. Now I had had a bad day at work and explained that I was sorry they explained that if I wanted a courtesy car I would be waiting till the 2nd of October before they would get me one. Am I wrong in assuming that if They cannot get someone to fix your car and a courtesy car is unavailable that they should try ad find the keys to one of the demonstration vehicles in order to satisfy a customer. Having dealt with Lookers with my last car costing 1/3 of the price they were willing to give me a courtesy car for as long as I needed until they could fix an annoying engine problem (poor idling and stalling on the 1.4 single point injection which is mentioned in another post). The same applies to my parents at both Toyota and Mercedes where they instantly have another car and an apology that no new courtesy car was available and that would we be willing to have a second hand version which was for sale in the garage (not exactly a bad car being that it was only 3yrs0. Many hanks to all replies
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Edd,
I have suffered similar problems in the past at both Reneault and VW dealers. Unfortunately, my local Reneault main dealer is run by a bunch of cowboys, and I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole now, but I would expect more from VW (especially in the light of their servicing charges!)...
I would suggest it comes down to a couple of things:
1. Your age - I'm pretty sure a 45 year old business man would have more success in securing a courtesy car
2. Your car - again, if it were a £28k car, they might be more inclined to keep your business in future.
Unfortunately, to me it seems car dealerships are getting worse by the day. I have lost count of the number of times I have had poor servicing experiences and bad showroom service, and I'm convinced that they are all making too much money - this can be the only reason I can think of that they are so complacent and nonchalant about the whole affair.
As for their *obligation* to provide you with a car, I'm guessing (and this will be confirmed/denied by others) that there is no such thing.
Good luck!
Stuart
Stuart
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Whilst I agree with you about my age being a problem I maybe should send my dad who is also insured on the car in to fix the problem but why can companies not realise that the person who buys the car is the person who will if they like the service they recieve will be back in after a few more years to buy another higher spec car Don't forget the saying that keeping old customers is better and cheaper than having to advertise for new ones (look at mercedes excellent service and few adverts) and the reputation that customers tell other potentian buyers about Even better for customer relations was a vauxahall dealer I went to with my dad, the salesman just talked to him all the time even though he had made it clear that I was the person who was going to pay for the car also any questions I asked him were answered to my father, the Renault dealer however spoke to me told me I had the choice of any color (the Vauxhall dealer told me I would be waiting months for another color than black and that a diesel would be even longer they were unwilling to let me do more than sit in the car let along drive a petrol version of the car (for which they had in stock) Renault on the other hand gave me the keys to a more powerful model explaining that he didn?t have my engine type available and let me go off on my own
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On your point about young people being the buyers of the future, this is a particular bug-bear with me at the moment...I will try not to go on, but I just need to get it off my chest!
Was recently in a Merc and an Audi garage on the same day. In the Merc garage, not one of the many (10+) members of staff even said 'hello' let alone asked us if we wanted help...In the Audi garage, even though we were asked, it was very much in a "im asking because I know you wont want it" way. Now as it happens, we weren't buying that day, BUT...they seem to forget they have cars on the forecourt for £12k - which most people (with HP) could afford if they wanted...
Compare this to my trip to the Ferrari garage...In my jeans and t-shirt it was highly unlikely (although not impossible) that I was looking to buy. Despite this, it is THE best customer service I have ever had in a garage. We were told that all the cars were open, and to sit in them if we liked, and if we needed any help, to just ask.
It is this simple 'trick' in customer service that makes me think 'when (if!) I can afford a Ferrari, I'll go back to them' Similarly, when I am getting my next car, one place I certainly won't be going is the Merc garage.
I should add that this phenomenon is very much specific to the dealer in question, and I should also apologise to Edd for ranting in his thread, but as I say, it's been bugging me for some time!!
I've resolved that the best thing to do is wait till you win the lottery, go in in the scruffiest jeans you own, with a briefcase of cash, and wait until you get no service before showing them the case, with a few choice words thrown in...
Right, I'm finished now....what was this thread about?!
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You r comparing the best dealer networks with probably the worst dealer networks(sorry i forgot GM and Rover)anyway its a Clio cant expect too much from that.
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I took my wife's Clio for its annual service a while ago.
Last time I took it they forgot to stamp the service history, so had to go back and get that done, this time I left the service history book on the passenger seat. The conversation when I picked the car up went like:
Me:Have you stamped the history this time because you forgot last year?
Them:The mechanic has noted on the checksheet that he couldn't find the history book.
Me:Well, I left it on the passenger seat.
Them:Well he said he couldn't find it, and even went through the glove box. The guy had "you are a fool written all over his face".
(We then went over to the car, and I opened the door)
Me:(Pointing at the service history on the seat)There it is.
Them:Oh.
Renault - so good!
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Them:The mechanic has noted on the checksheet that he couldn't find the history book. Me:Well, I left it on the passenger seat. Them:Well he said he couldn't find it, and even went through the glove box. The guy had "you are a fool written all over his face". (We then went over to the car, and I opened the door) Me:(Pointing at the service history on the seat)There it is.
Mechanic probably coudn't find it as he was most probably sat on it while rummaging through your glovebox.
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I'd put the book on the passenger seat, just so they wouldn't sit on it get themselves confused and scared...
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used to have an AX GT - took it to the citroen dealers (is there a reason we are all being coy about naming names ?), left service book on passenger seat.
collected car after service. service book was in glove compartment, unstamped. Got the usual (pointless) follow up phone call a few days later checking customer satisfaction, so I said 'you didn't stamp the book' - their response was if you want the book stamped, you have to take it out of the car and hand it in at reception
did I get my car serviced there again ?
did I consider them when I changed my car a few months later
what's your guess !!!
when you've got tired of driving ...
www.mikes-walks.co.uk
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follow up phone call a few days later checking customer satisfaction, so I said 'you didn't stamp the book' - their response was if you want the book stamped, you have to take it out of the car and hand it in at reception
Exact opposite for me. I handed book over to Vauxhall service reception when I took the car in for a service. They mislaid it during the day. Several weeks later they found it and posted it back to me - unstamped. Phoned them up only to be told that customers are supposed to leave the service book on the passenger seat or in the glove box!!
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Not surprised at all.
I've just booked my Polo in to have some corrosion inspected (I can almost guess the response now!) and they cannot let me have a courtesy car until 03 October.
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Its a shame that we have to put it with this poor servive. In any other product where there are more choice ie TVs that companies are more willing to help us out for fear of loss of custom. I cannot understand T Luscas saying I cannot expect much from a Clio, however this is not one of the cheaper versions (not that cheaper versions of the cars drivers should be treated any diferently)but this version I have cost me over £10k so I had hoped for a good service from them due to there sales being so good. It seems odd that ferrrari don't sell a cheap car for everyone as it sounds like they have customer satisfaction perfect. A person here at work has been telling us how he went to an Audi garage on the weekend to look at a new A3/A4 and being that he was only 20 the sales man basically told them to go away. The lad took out of his pocket £5k and said he would take his business next door to Mercedes which for some odd reason made the salesman take notice of him adn offered him a test drive in any of the cars there he rightly refused and left leaving Audi one less customer and everyone he has told has said they would be much less likely to buy a car from them if that is there atitude.
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My point about the Clio is that they are not a very well built car,or any of the other Renault product,so you cannot expect it to be built to the same standard of say, a MB or Toyota.A £30,000 Renault would still just be a Renault,not a quality built and designed car.
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It's all down to individuals. Doesn't matter whether it's Renault, VW or whoever. I used to take my VW to my most local dealer but the service was rubbish. I now take it to Bath where the service is brilliant - they do it while I wait as well which the other lot wouldn't even consider!
VW always send a follow up questionnaire. I must say I took some pleasure in ticking the unsatisfactory boxes. This was followed up by a phone call from the service manager who offered various enticements to try and get me to give them another try. I simply explained that I was getting a first class service from Bath and could see no reason why I should change now.
Vote with your feet.
PS my experience of Renault and Renault cars has not been good.
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Jeds
Good advice! If people complained (assertively, not aggressivively) and did not return to dealers who provide poor or non-existent service, it might 'raise the game' a bit in the trade.
My local Audi dealer is very good, but I wouldn't stand for sub-standard service. Mind, you it's not cheap! One year left on the warranty and then I'll do it myself and use the village garage for the bits I can't do.
Incidentally, talking about DIY servicing, I had an emabarrassing experience at the weekend. I went to service my newly purchased 1998 BMW 318i Touring. Went out, bought all the bits, got the tool box out, strutted out onto the drive and went to slide under the front of the car to locate the sump nut. The car has a deep front spoiler so I couldn't get underneath. As the engine is quite far to the rear of the engine bay I thought I'd try form the side, but the side skirts were even lower! I can't even look under the car never mind undo nuts, etc! Had to retreat and phone the village garage.
Pat
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T Lucas. I guess a Renault can be well built but why isn't it? Like most cars today they are sheets of metal welded together by robots; are the robots different or what - I think we should be told! Engines are mass produced and mostly they seem to do well except some PSA diesels that are throwing con rods!
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Edd
when I was younger and on obscene money for my age i had a similar problem
i had real problems convincing sales guy that yes i could afford
the car in question, and actually it wouldnt be too much for a young lad like me
very strange experience
i suppose its hard to tell when you see a young person in scruffy
jeans and a t shirt...
any car salespeople want to comment ?
looking back on it i should have saved the money up, ha ha
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I just found two biggish patches of rust on my Gran's 99 Corrolla boot floor. We took it to hte dealers and they've boooked it in for early October no problem. Quite good service, to be honest though, she bought the car nearly new and I think it's showing the early warning signs of been a dog, how many 99 Corrollas should have two seperate patches of rust in the floor?
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is it
a 5 door = uk made
or
3 door = japan made
?
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Does sound like you were somewhat agressive - assertive would have been much better - but if the problems not too bad, why not wait until the first service?
Unfortunately shoddy service is endemic throughout the retail motor trade with only a few exceptions. Wouldn't happen in America. Like others I suspect they're making too much money to care. When car prices truly start coming down I reckon service levels will shoot up.
Contact Renault UK and ask where the next nearest dealer is. Tell them why you want to know.
This is a true story: I used to know a wealthy businessman. Bought all his cars (actually, everything) with cash. Went into Merc dealer in jeans & T (well presented all the same) with rucksac over shoulder. Wanted to look at S500 in showroom - staff treated him like dirt (when they eventually talked to him). Got a taxi to Merc dealer in next town. Beautiful S500 in showroom. Staff very helpful - offered a drive - he declined, this was the car he wanted. Salesman went to get order forms - "no, THIS car" says my friend. A little haggling later salesman asks how my friend would like to finance the purchase - "oh, cash" says he emptying around £50k out of his rucksac. About an hour later after some formalities he drove off in his new machine. A few days later he's passing the first Merc dealer in his new car - calls in and finds Salesman who had been rude to him, who very conveniently is talking to the garage MD at the time. My friend asks the salesman if he recognises him - "no" comes the reply. My friend reminds him of the encounter a few days earlier and then asks "you don't happen to earn commission on each sale perchance?" An embarrased yes is the reply. My friend shows the salesman his new purchase and says "big mistake, HUGE mistake" then leaves.
So you see, it can happen to anyone anywhere. Vote with your feet and let the other garage know it. If more people did this they'd soon get the message.
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I'm afraid it was a UK made 5 door. Good old British engineering! :)
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Yes I agree I was probably a little unkind to the woman on the phone and I did feal guilty afterwards. Waiting to the next service is 18000 miles though and having an annoying clicking sound for that long would drive me mad. (I have yet to find out exactly what other things apart from having the wipers on causes it). I may have to find out where the next nearest delaer is is as you recomend. I wish I could have known they would have been so awkward maybe HJ could open an list of good new car garages or at least one where service is less than adequate that should help resolve problems well we can all dream.
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Think you've got problems? Try being young and female and getting treated seriously in a dealership. Biggest raspberry goes to VW - totally ignored in there.
Got my BMW from Snows in Portsmouth who apart from some minor niggles have very good customer service, and if they don't have a courtesy car, have previously paid for taxis and collected and returned the car to my office.
And Cyd - your mate has watched 'Pretty Woman' a fair few times obviously...anyway, it IS a good line.
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Behave, guys. (:o)
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Cyd
I had a similar experience with Trade Sales. Salesman friendly until I mentioned that I had to sell my Micra. Lost interest, and refused to look at me. So I bought a Ford Ka from a local dealer at about the same on the road price as Trade Sales. c*** salesman I guess.
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BRITISH OXYMORON #43
CUSTOMER SERVICE
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Just one thing to says before this thread goes completly the wrong way I emailed the local renault garge about the overreading speedo and very quickly got a return email from the person who I believe sold me the car in the first place saying would I please send him my phone number or ring him up so he could better help me. Having emailed him at about 9am this morning I am yet to here anything. The same applies to Renault Uk as I emailed them and explained that they should have a look at this forum, almost instently got an automated reply that someone was looking into it and would contact me shortly (just wondering if this is the same shorly that, when I asked them for details about the car I had a reply in about two hours)
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Yep, looks like Mark has been busy with the edit button again :o)
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Yep, looks like Mark has been busy with the edit button again :o)
Yeah outbreaks of cheerfulness & joviality must be stamped on.
Bit tight if Rebecca complained, she seemed to be laughing along.
It's HJ's site.
--
Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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I wouldn't have wanted someone tto take offence it was just a light hearted joke
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I wouldn't have wanted someone tto take offence it was just a light hearted joke
Judging by Rebecca's reply (huge smiley at end of her message), she took it in good faith. Old Mark's (Really Likes Barring Speech) delete key gets carried away at times. You'll get used to it eventually :o)
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No, I wasn't offended (hence smiley) and I didn't complain - the two posts that I read were harmless anyway.
I just made my comment because sometimes in these kind of forums harmless personal posts degenerate quite quickly into something more unpleasant.
I suspect that's what Mark thought too.
Hope Edd's car is better soon (motoring link) and Toad is still smiling.
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I thourght that the posts were ok personly as well. what I find dificult to understand is why mark doesn't just remove the posts and therefore shorten the lenght of this page
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why mark doesn't just remove the posts and therefore shorten the lenght of this page
Thinking about it, I've blamed Mark, but it's usually his style to delete the posts completely, not leave the posters thread with just a dot in it. Maybe it was one of the other Moderators, Martyn maybe? I haven't seen any posts by Mark over the last couple of days which might suggest he's not around. Come on, own up - who is the phantom snipper? :o)
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>> Maybe it was one of the other Moderators, Martyn maybe?
Bet it's not.
--
Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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>>harmless personal posts degenerate quite quickly into something more unpleasant.
...I understand, you feel you can't control yourself?
Toad is still smiling.
Always! I don't really care what gets deleted. Either I've already ready it or I don't know what I'm missing.
It's up to HJ who chooses what's worth keeping and what isn't.
--
Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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It's up to HJ who chooses what's worth keeping and what isn't.
Boo, hiss. Anyone would think he owned the site!! :o)
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You don't have to believe it, but it is true. In fact it's typical behaviour. Shoddy service is one of his pet hates from the days when he couldn't afford to eat. Now he can afford to make sure that those who give out shoddy service based on some preconcieved notions about appearance live to regret it.
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From Rebecca....
>>I just made my comment because sometimes in these kind of
>>forums harmless personal posts degenerate quite quickly into
>>something more unpleasant.
>>
>>I suspect that's what Mark thought too.
1) it was an interesting thread which didn't deserve ratholing
2) as Rebecca said above, it degenerates very quickly at times
3) laughter and enjoyment, or whatever the phrase was, is not frowned upon (but stuff I think is going the wrong way is)
4) Wasted, because this thread has lost it now anyway.
And yes, I have been away. Well, not away as such, merely trying to earn enough to keep the baliffs from the door and a crust of bread in the cupboard.
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