I'd like to try again here...

[GottleibDaimler]

I think I am fairly typical of the type on here that keeps a car a long time, expects the car to earn its keep, and hopes to extract the most value from it.

Perhaps the demographic that your input would most benefit are owners of 3-6 year old cars who are looking to maintain their cars within the MB network.

Perhaps a new thread heading or sponsorship would be more appropriate for you to advertise promotions and answer dealer servicing queries would be a good idea and benefit the forum community.

I've enjoyed the debate and I'm sure we have both learned something from it.

Thanks, Malcolm. It's been good speaking with you. I think I'll contact admin and arrange some kind of formal agreement and perhaps have a Q&A thread.

 

[ianrandom]

Thanks for all the info, I have very old cars and have often wondered what the costs of going to the dealer would be like.
My local dealer in Reading I have been to a lot for parts, and their parts dept is awesome, they have always been really helpful and are like an old fashioned parts dept. (In a good way!) I've never been to the other parts of the dealership though, and my car has been seen to by Star Motors generally who are an independent with a really high standard of knowledge and work.

I drive chauffeur cars too part time and our S class was looked after by a different dealer, which according to my bosses was so bad they wouldn't consider another new S class despite it having earnt its keep very well. They said they were arrogant and unhelpful in the extreme.
Good to hear they aren't all like that.

 

[television]

OK here is my main gripe from the dealers, this is they are only allowed to do things as in WIS and I will quote 2 things on this.

I know the guys in the service at MB SW and one day I picked up a new SAM to replace the moisture damaged one for my 230, one of the guys said that I will have to replace the fuse box, I said there is no water getting in and no water damage, yes it was alive with the green algae. In my case this happened when I washed the car when hot with a high pressure washer, water went into the near side wing vent, the ABC connections are in this box and steam went up the pipe, and this was the cause. If the car had gone in the bill would have been horrendous in replacing a fuse box that was not wanted.

The second thing is 230 boot leaks. Now I can fix one in about 2 hours max for a cost of £7, no parts needed, my little mod works well and loads done the mod on their cars.
If the car went into MB, they are not allowed to do it this way, they replace all the seals at a very high cost and the boots still leak.

 

[Gkinghorn]

Mmmmmmm .... A-Service at an indie for my 2002 67k mile SL500 - about £110 ... Couldn't do brake fluid due to not having the kit to bleed SBC. brake fluid change at dealer £231! But Indie originally quoted approx £80 to do brake fluid. Dealer cost for A Service was £279 didn't include brake fluid ...

Replace rear pads/discs on the car : Dealer £531
Replace front AND rear pads/discs : Indie £526 (MB approved parts)


Now just what is the extra £200+ each time getting me ?

I also have a non MB extended warranty for 2 years which cost me £950 limited to 100k miles...




==========================

 

[Gkinghorn]

By the way don't get me wrong ..it's good you are here but I would avoid praising dealers quite so blatantly - we dont know who your dealer is so we cant comment there - and listen to what is being said overall...right now you are waving all sorts of red flags and you are in the middle of the arena where the bulls are!

I vote we give you a break


==========================

 

[WDB124066]

I don't mind paying Dealership prices so long as the correct attitude and professionalism is there, and in my case in NZL it just isn't, despite 6 years worth of doing business with them.
I still get the 124’s serviced at the Dealership then take them straight round to an indie who used to be the Forman at NZL’s largest Dealership to make sure they have done things properly. You simply would not believe what gets missed and messed up, bordering on criminal. I am now not too sure what to write when the Dealership asks me how was my service, I tell them the facts, and NEVER get a response – ever. Last time they asked I said how about you reply to my previous concerns; nothing but fill this form out. I wrote to MBNZ, I got a email from the Dealership &^%#$^*& asking me to fill another form out. I replied saying filling out more forms because you haven’t replied to my previous ones was not what I had in mind. I thought what the heck is MBNZ upto - telling a Dealership I have written to them to complain and asking the Dealership to respond to me – idiots!!
The attitude is just plain wrong, such a mess, such a shame. Shame on you – and you know who you are!

 

[jmoser]

Hello GottD:

one little commercial notion for you - splitting off the sales and service depts, even going so far as housing them on separate sites, would do wonders for the integrity of main dealer operations.

On my last appalling main dealer non-parts experience - MB Dartford five years ago, faulty gearbox - it was evident in hindsight that the sales bloke was under instruction to make the most cash out of the situation that he could, though as an ex-technician I could tell he was as appalled as I was.

Hence he quoted five grand to replace the entire box, when a local specialist had only to replace a few bolts etc for 1200 quid all in.

It is such appalling exploitation of dire situations that has given rise to the vast indie network we now have.

So it's a genuine proposal to you: house sales and repairs separately, and you might start to regain the trust and confidence of ordinary customers, as latter's credibility will no longer be continually compromised by former's need for profit at all (moral) cost.

Very briefly: I've just thus morning had a wonderful chat with my Indie of choice - Lodge Garage, London NW9, housed ironically right next door to the vast MB Colindale - sorting out serious oil leak repairs on a 1998 R129.

Always have a good laugh with Alain the boss when I go in there as to how enjoyable it is to turn right into his premises, rather than left into theirs (where in a normal commercial world by rights it should of course go).

There was given and take on both sides due to the considerable cost - me ' have it as long as you need to, fit it in in downtime etc' them 'will do, charge parts at cost to you where possible'.

Latter kind of rapport-building is what really matters to the ordinary motorist, who isn't flush with cash, and there are a vast # of us out there, and indeed goes deeper than that, to a purely human, trust-based, level.

The only impression I ever got from main dealer dealings was 'how big is your wallet', which is grotesque; though I'd have to say, maintain the attitude MB, as every Indie the length of the UK can't get enough of it ho ho.

Trust that's of use to you in your fact-finding mission here; and good on you for piping up - it's been the most intriguing post on here in ages, and much better quality MB feedback than those daft forms.

 

[jmoser]

Sorry, very briefly in summary - render service & repairs as a wholly distinct commercial operation, answerable only to the customer's/vehicle's specific needs, not those of a vast faceless profit-hungry multinational.

Wasn't this though how it used to be back on Daimler-Benz AG private company quality street, a thousand years ago it seems now????

 

[st4]

I was not serious but thank you anyway... eventually the thanks button is a handy tool to show who you like and don not like, many use it as the Euro song competition, where the same group always thanks the same member even when they are totally wrong

Can you please elaborate on this with proof that certain members like each other and that they were totally wrong?

I'm looking forward to the OPs contribution to the forum .

 

[ianstaley]

what a great reason to join a car club forum talk about cars, welcome, I love all my cars two mercs and two Toyota's. Although as we speak I am trying to get Dronsfields to take my trusted old C Class estate W202 to their recycling yard.

So welcome to the Internet Repair Advice Centre. :lol:

 

[Some guy on the internet]

Having previously briefly worked at a VW dealership, I'm a Service Advisor at a Franchised Mercedes-Benz dealership. Previous to this, I had no particular affinity for the brand, and had not driven a Merc before.

I'm relatively new to Mercedes-Benz...

TBH I'm a bit surprised a franchised MB dealer would hire someone who didn't know anything at all about Mercs as a Service Advisor.

Is there a nationwide shortage of experienced MB SAs? Did you have to go through extensive training or did they chuck you in at the deep end?

 

[television]

TBH I'm a bit surprised a franchised MB dealer would hire someone who didn't know anything at all about Mercs as a Service Advisor.

Is there a nationwide shortage of experienced MB SAs? Did you have to go through extensive training or did they chuck you in at the deep end?

The word service adviser needs to be tidied up,,, At MBSW the is the manager and the others 5 to 6 who just book the cars in, many years ago before I had my own STAR and did not know any indies I had to book my car in to get the comfort seats activated, the guy booking it in did not understand one word of what I was asking, in the end they let me into the workshop where we did it together.

 

[Triv]

TBH I'm a bit surprised a franchised MB dealer would hire someone who didn't know anything at all about Mercs as a Service Advisor.

Obviously you haven't been to Bristol!

 

[Some guy on the internet]

Obviously you haven't been to Bristol!

Welllll, I was kinda wondering if this policy wouldn't inevitably lead to customer dissatisfaction.

 

[GottleibDaimler]

Welllll, I was kinda wondering if this policy wouldn't inevitably lead to customer dissatisfaction.

Well no, not really, because I'm not some clueless imbecile with no people skills. I'm good at talking to people and explaining things which I myself understand. Anything I don't understand, I will find out about immediately, because I actually care about my job and want to learn.

Being a good SA is as much about attitude and being a good communicator. A lot of MB customers expect excellent customer service as well as knowledge. The guys in the workshop are very knowledgeable and technical. We all have different strengths and it's about deploying them correctly.

 

[mark.s]

Hi GottleibDaimler,

Welcome to the forum.

From my experience, technical knowledge is an advantage, but good customer service will get you a long way, and this is something that customers want. To feel appreciated, which is something lacking in some dealership from forum members comments on other threads.

All the best.

 

[V6Matty]

Well Said GottleibDaimler, Can i ask you to PM me with details on where you are based as i would like to have my car looked after buy your guys and would be interested by the maintenance plan.

 

[GottleibDaimler]

Well Said GottleibDaimler, Can i ask you to PM me with details on where you are based as i would like to have my car looked after buy your guys and would be interested by the maintenance plan.

Hi Matty,

Can't PM on here yet, but if you'd like to send me an email to gottleibdaimler@outlook.com we can go from there. We'd love to look after your car.

Hope mods don't mind me entering an email address and responding to an enquiry.

 

[Smacsor]

Obviously you haven't been to Bristol!

Clearly you aren't happy with Bristol but at least all the service advisors are time served technicians!

Simon

 

[Some guy on the internet]

Clearly you aren't happy with Bristol but at least all the service advisors are time served technicians!

Simon

I've discovered today that's completely unnecessary.