Why do dealers not believe you?

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Thu 14 Jun 2012 23:13
Why do dealers not believe you? - Happy Blue!

Our first mistake was to take my wife's Mercedes A150 into the local Mercdes main dealer for service. I advised that the air con was not working and they reported that a test has identified a hole in the condenser.

I collected the car and drove the two miles home. There was an odd noise which I realied was the radiator fan running constantly. The next day my wife rang them and told them about it but said we would bring it in when convenient. In the meantime a local a/c specialst replaced the consdenser.

So we took the car back today and Lo and Behold they said the fault was caused by the a/c company. All it was, was a loose connection. It took five minutes to fix (when they eventually found it), but all day of arguing who was too blame. Did me the favour of not charging me! The service agent said he was away when my wife 'allegedly' called to report the fault, but clearly did not believe me and was put out we had fixed the a/c elsewhere.

So, goodbye a Mercedes main dealer service department in Manchester and hello independent Mercedes engineers only one mile further from home. Should have gone there in the first place.

Muppets!

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Fri 15 Jun 2012 00:33
Why do dealers not believe you? - bathtub tom

Was the name Sytner involved?

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Fri 15 Jun 2012 07:11
Why do dealers not believe you? - Happy Blue!
No, not Sytner. Just one of the Mercedes owned dealerships in Manchester.

The service agent who rang was quite aggressive about who was right and clearly had not read the notes on file.
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Fri 15 Jun 2012 00:42
Why do dealers not believe you? - Avant

They have forgotten the essential principle that even if the customer isn't always right, (s)he should be given the benefit of the doubt, and certainly not implicitly accused of lying. If not - despite not charging on this occasion - customers will be Blue rather than Happy and rightly go elsewhere, to an independent who values the customer's business.

As we've said before on here, this attitude seems to be most often found in main dealers who are part of a chain.

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Fri 15 Jun 2012 20:37
Why do dealers not believe you? - hillman

There is a saying, and if dealers took note of it they would keep more of their customers.

"Customers are like wives. What they say may not always be correct, but they are always right".

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Fri 15 Jun 2012 21:21
Why do dealers not believe you? - Bobbin Threadbare

There is a saying, and if dealers took note of it they would keep more of their customers.

"Customers are like wives. What they say may not always be correct, but they are always right".

I love that. I will have to show Mr Bobbin!!!

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Fri 15 Jun 2012 22:05
Why do dealers not believe you? - barney100

It's a mystery to me why they take this poor attitude to customers. My local Merc main dealers to be fair have done some good things but I think the labour cost is extortionate so I use a local indie and so far so good.

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Sat 16 Jun 2012 15:52
Why do dealers not believe you? - Mrbluesky

When hunting for a suitable estate I happended upon a Mercedes dealer who had a shiny silver E estate on the forecourt. Genuinely interested and ready to do a deal, I entered the showroom to find a sales person. After 5 minutes viewing the showroom stock a polite young girl asked "can I help you?"

"Yes please...I would like to see the Silver E class Estate over there please.."

"Have you an appointment?"

Politely and with some surprise I replied "Appointment? I was passing and just spotted it and would like to see inside it please"

"I am sorry sir... there is no one available right now. let me get the sales mans diary to see when he is free"

It was Wednesday afternoon and there was absolutely no one else in the place!

By this stage she must have seen the look on my face.

"Appointment? Diary? You are taking the mick arent you"

At this stage the 'General Manager' made an appearance. "is there a problem?"

"You bet there is a problem. Since when was an 'appointment' required to look inside a car which is clearly on sale and physically there on your forecourt?

Do you not want to sell the car then?"

The GM confirmed that he was 'appointment only' - so I voted with my feet and left.

With no apology or anything remotely resembling one I left the dealership vowing never to return to Mercedes again. I stepped into my four year old BMW 525d and took my business elsewhere.

Furthermore I know for a fact that I have cost Mercedes at least one new sale and associated servicing for three other cars - all from Directors of the same company, two of which have switched to Jaguar and a third on his way.

Keep up the great work Mercedes.

Edited by Mrbluesky on 16/06/2012 at 16:00

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Sat 16 Jun 2012 17:39
Why do dealers not believe you? - RT
Furthermore I know for a fact that I have cost Mercedes at least one new sale and associated servicing for three other cars - all from Directors of the same company, two of which have switched to Jaguar and a third on his way.

Keep up the great work Mercedes.

I've known a BMW dealer just as bad !!

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Sat 16 Jun 2012 20:39
Why do dealers not believe you? - Mrbluesky

all garages are hit and miss so I am hardly surprised you experienced similar at a BMW dealership - but I bet you were not asked to 'make an appointment' for the privilege.

Rant over

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