You make some excellent points. Thanks for the comments.
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Originally Posted by Cmike2780
... customers are just as bad sometimes.
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LOL I know what you mean. I worked retail sales when I was a lot younger and know that a few customers can be unreasonable PITAs.
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Originally Posted by Cmike2780
A new dealership is not a guarantee of better service and usually my last resort. I would personally rather build a better rapport with the guys there, so they see you as a person instead of a customer.
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I agree.
I try to work things out in a reasonable way. I understand that the ppl I'm dealing with have a boss to answer to and are just trying to feed their families. I don't expect every situation to go my way - as long as they are being reasonable about things, I'm an easy-going guy. But I don't mind being a real jackass if I think the situation calls for it.
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Originally Posted by Cmike2780
... every person is different. ... really good experiences and really bad experiences ... speak to one specific rep ... Knowing their first name and some donuts goes a long way. ... under warranty without getting in trouble from thier manager ...
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Yep.
I've only dealt with two service reps at my current dealer, but both have been extremely helpful when they could. I always ask for one of them when I call.
I haven't done the donut thing with them (yet, thanks for reminding me), but I did have BBQ lunches delivered to the body shop when they were working on my car. Food bribes work almost as well as monetary ones and are a lot cheaper.
Unless it's something really bad, I do not "fire" a business over one problem.
When my TPMS light came on the second day I had my car, I didn't get upset that they didn't do the pre-delivery check properly and then told me that if I had bothered to check the pressure I wouldn't be bothering them. I just mentally gave them a strike and went on. Edit: I had checked the pressure and knew it was low; that's how I knew they didn't do the pre-delivery checks or I had a leak.
I didn't fire them when they spent an hour-and-a-half monkeying with the rear hatch latch when I told them about the hatch spring TSB - it worked (for a while), but they obviously didn't know what they were doing and weren't even listening to me. Strike two.
Hatch messed up again two months later. Strike two-and-a-half (thinking maybe that they would fix it right the next time and we could go back to strike two).
Won't replace discolored wheel under warranty and another dealer will. Strike 3.5; you're outta here!
There were other minor incidents that I'll not go into.
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Originally Posted by Cmike2780
The problem comes down to some reps that flat out don't care and just want your money. They're easy enough to spot and its easier to talk to someone else than go to another dealership. I agree with most of what you say though....a good dealership that treats you like a human being is very hard to come by these days.
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In my case, the service supervisor (or was the title manager?) was the problem. It was a small shop and the supervisor/manager had to OK just about everything.
I'm not trying to argue with you - I agree with everything you said - we are just presenting two different perspectives of the same landscape. Most dealers are pretty good or better, but there are a few bad apples.