Just been to France for a few days. Very successful in stocking up with cheap booze and tobacco products. However, weather was pretty cr*p and my Xantia started filling up with water in back footwell and beneath back seats. While in Rennes thought I would call next day at Cit dealer to see if he could solve problem. Just after that decision, went to supermarket to buy numerous 5 litre boxes of Cotes de Rhone (£6 each) and a kindly van driver reversed into me. Pushed in bumper and fog light - bumper regained shape, fog light didn't. So next morning to Cit dealer. Half an hour later fog light back in place, sign said labour charges £39 per hour what did mechanic say the bill was? Nothing - all part of service. Thought I would take advantage and asked him about unheated swimming pool in back of car - he didn't know but Citroen Sud were the "carosserie" experts. Drove round by-pass to the biggest garage on earth, nice "atelier" said what was the problem - I showed him the swimming pool. He poured water into the sunroof (I suspected as much) and cured the problem in about an hour after removing headlining etc. Labour charge on the sign said £39 per hour. I asked him how much was the bill and he said ----nothing! all part of the service, we had to force 10 euros on him as a "tip".
Wish I'd asked him to change the cambelt while I was there.....
So next time you want some work doing on your Cit don't be afraid to visit the Cit main dealer (or go to Rennes - no need to book it in , and it's free)
PhilW
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Lucky you didn't get stopped by the customs boys with all that booze onboard!
Nice to see once again evidence that 'foreign' dealers give a far better service at repairing faults as well as selling cars than UK dealers do!
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They must have been feeling guilty for selling us that car in the first place. ;)
If only UK dealers has as much faith and good will in them for they products they sell.
Our local Rover dealer is the most annoying, unhelpful place in the country, they wouldn't even lift a finger to help their own grandmother etc.
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If a Frenchman bought a Rover in France (non-sequitor probably)
and came touring in U.K. . Found problem with motor.
Question : What would service rep. say to him/her??
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Hi Phil I,
actually, IIRC, France is (was) Rover's second biggest market (after UK, followed by Italy and Germany). Rover (used to) sell tens of thousands of cars in France per annum.
Good question though. The Frenchman, had he not been guzzling red wine all his life, would probably have died of a heart attack when he heard what the hourly rate was.
CMark
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If the car was under warranty, the UK Rover dealer wouldn't touch it DESPITE warranty laws saying they should.
If out of warranty they'd say come back in 10 days to a fortnight and we may be able to fit you in!
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I'm glad to hear that Citroen service has improved - I bought a new Dyane in 1982 (I think). We took off to France (our first trip) and the gear change support under the dash gave way on the way down Ireland. My wife and I had to work together to change gear until I got the hang of it. We ended up in Dax and after waiting around for hours in a local dealership it still wasn't fixed. In fact I had to get back to Belfast before the local dealer did get it sorted.
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Excellent service - could it be that we get the 'service' we do from main dealers because we continue to put up with it.
Incidentally, although I've only actually used him twice, my local guy has given me free inspections/advice several times. I suspect many smaller garages do the same because they rely on customer goodwill far more.
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I took my car to the main dealer in Harrogate, Yorkshire, at the end of last year asking for the tracking etc to be checked as a huge pot hole changed the cars feel.
They spent over an hour working on 27th December and then said no charge as they didn't do anything. Needless to say I only go there, as they are fair and work I have paid for has been to 110% satisfaction.
Motto: find a small family owned dealership rather than a big multi-franchise dealer with huge advertising revenues....
Ben
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