I'd like to try again here...

[Naraic]

Glad to see you decided to return and not be deflected by our thread closing moderator..He has closed down more threads on here than a power cut in a yarn factory

Sadly that can't happen much more in your neck of the woods.

 

[GottleibDaimler]

Mine would be more than double that

Well yes, but look at your respective cars!

 

[television]

Well yes, but look at your respective cars!

OK you do have a good point

 

[Smacsor]

Sadly, disliking the dealer seems to be the default position, and I'm sure there are reasons behind this, be they historical, anecdotal or current.

I think you'll find that with all forums? They tend to be populated with enthusiasts who know more about their cars than the general public. So they like dealing with independents who to be fair have to be both cheaper and usually with more expertise than the dealers just to survive.

And it's natural that the best and most talented service technicians are the ones hat will make it on their own. Which can risk leaving the less talented with the dealers?

Not always true, of course but often happens.

Simon

 

[toby1]

Hello & welcome. Did you intentionally misspell Gottlieb?

 

[GottleibDaimler]

I think you'll find that with all forums? They tend to be populated with enthusiasts who know more about their cars than the general public. So they like dealing with independents who to be fair have to be both cheaper and usually with more expertise than the dealers just to survive.

And it's natural that the best and most talented service technicians are the ones hat will make it on their own. Which can risk leaving the less talented with the dealers?

Not always true, of course but often happens.

Simon

Definitely some good points, although I don't necessarily agree that the independents know 'more'. Someone earlier picked up on the closer contact between greasy mechanic and customer at an independent, which perhaps gives the impression of greater technical knowledge in general?

I don't know the set up of the average independent, but is it normally run by a technician? And not a service advisor, manager or owner of some sort?

 

[GottleibDaimler]

Hello & welcome. Did you intentionally misspell Gottlieb?

I think the correct spelling was taken!

 

[television]

I think you'll find that with all forums? They tend to be populated with enthusiasts who know more about their cars than the general public. So they like dealing with independents who to be fair have to be both cheaper and usually with more expertise than the dealers just to survive.

And it's natural that the best and most talented service technicians are the ones hat will make it on their own. Which can risk leaving the less talented with the dealers?

Not always true, of course but often happens.

Simon

The thing is here where I live the whole place is alive with near on new MB,s but I am the only owner on a forum, and no indies at all, so a lot of cars out there to service

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

1 - I genuinely think that they, or at least my dealership(!), is more competitive than you are giving credit. Yes, depending on the job, things can get pricey, but included in that you get expertise, a two year warranty, a loan car if you want one, etc. With a brand like Mercedes-Benz, it's not about appealing to the lowest common denominator, like, for example, Ford. It's about adding value to what you do, and that's about more than just labour rates per hour (which as I say aren't especially relevant at a main dealer anyway as there are fixed and different prices all over the place.

2 - Impossible within the framework of the Mercedes-Benz service regime. 15,500 miles, for goodness sake?! A problem, I agree, but at the top, not at dealer level. And so a B service for the ordinary person will mean brake fluid too, as it should arrive at 2 years. But if you do more than 31,000 in 24 months, you'll have a B without brake fluid. Likewise if you hit 50k before four years, you'll do your sparks/fuel filter and air filter before the fourth year service. The only way you can include everything in a price is via the Service Care Plan route. I agree maintenance plans should be brought back. For me, there should be Service Plans, Service and Maintenance (i.e. pads and discs, tyres, wipers) and then Comprehensive, which encompasses an extended warranty.

3 - My dealer group does extended warranties at something like £999. An SBC pump costs more than that.

4 - By this do you mean you want to talk to the technician, rather than a Service Advisor? Because no main dealer of any brand that I know of has this set up. And no technician that I know of has any interest in speaking to customers! A genuine observation, and it makes sense to me. They like cars from the inside out. I like them perhaps slightly more superficially (in the sense that I'm not passionate about mechanics), but I also like dealing with people. I know some very mechanically knowledgeable SAs though, and my Service Manager was a technician many moons ago. If you spoke to me about cars I'd hold my own, and I can always get you an answer within five minutes if I don't know it myself.

It seems like my dealership is a million times better than the average one described on here. I don't think that can be the case, though, and there is probably some bias from each side. Sadly, disliking the dealer seems to be the default position, and I'm sure there are reasons behind this, be they historical, anecdotal or current.

I like many decided to keep my car, at 4 years old, within the dealer network and found the experience wanting, poor service, pick-up and every attempt to get out of delivering the car back, transmission oil not topped up (missing 1.5 litres) after rad replacement, head gasket replacement leading to oil leak not being resolved etc etc. This was on the 124 so I guess i am now too cynical to be won round and too wise to spend the large amounts of cash required to maintain FSH on what is essentially a mass produced car nowadays.

No doubt the younger generation of aspiring owners on the forum can be won over and this might be a good thing if as you say dealers have improved.

Good luck!

 

[GottleibDaimler]

I like many decided to keep my car, at 4 years old, within the dealer network and found the experience wanting, poor service, pick-up and every attempt to get out of delivering the car back, transmission oil not topped up (missing 1.5 litres) after rad replacement, head gasket replacement leading to oil leak not being resolved etc etc. This was on the 124 so I guess i am now too cynical to be won round and too wise to spend the large amounts of cash required to maintain FSH on what is essentially a mass produced car nowadays.

No doubt the younger generation of aspiring owners on the forum can be won over and this might be a good thing if as you say dealers have improved.

Good luck!

That does sound poor. I'd be unhappy if I'd paid £200 for that level of service -- not the £££ you will have paid. I understand that you wouldn't be won around by that individual dealer, and you're probably very happy with your independent now.

...BUT to be put off all main dealers like that is, to me, a bit like having a dodgy chow mein once and so swearing off Chinese food.

 

[DSB SL AMG]

Welcome, i think its healthy to get the views from the 'other' side...

The indies i have visited are run at shopfloor level by the directors, as they are usually the ex senior dealer techs. In most cases they deal directly with there customers...

Like you said all dealers seem different with no standardisation between them.

Definitely some good points, although I don't necessarily agree that the independents know 'more'. Someone earlier picked up on the closer contact between greasy mechanic and customer at an independent, which perhaps gives the impression of greater technical knowledge in general?

I don't know the set up of the average independent, but is it normally run by a technician? And not a service advisor, manager or owner of some sort?

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

That does sound poor. I'd be unhappy if I'd paid £200 for that level of service -- not the £££ you will have paid. I understand that you wouldn't be won around by that individual dealer, and you're probably very happy with your independent now.

...BUT to be put off all main dealers like that is, to me, a bit like having a dodgy chow mein once and so swearing off Chinese food.

What you have to consider here is that, unlike chinese restaurants of which there are hundreds in one city, the dealer MB network is spread so thin that you generally don't have a choice of where to go and an alternative.

Excellence is one thing when designing a vehicle but acheiving this in the field is much more difficult. RR aero engines have achieved this if you want a business model to look at.

 

[GottleibDaimler]

What you have to consider here is that, unlike chinese restaurants of which there are hundreds in one city, the dealer MB network is spread so thin that you generally don't have a choice of where to go and an alternative.

Excellence is one thing when designing a vehicle but acheiving this in the field is much more difficult. RR aero engines have achieved this if you want a business model to look at.

That's true, but on the other hand I have an email from a gentleman who is interested in using one of four in his local area in Yorkshire. I know that in Birmingham you have a similar choice. Where I am, there are four within an hour of each other, and probably certain postcodes would be serviced by at least three of those dealers for collection and delivery. Some on here were advocating visiting a Steve in Yeovil (?), who I'm sure is excellent based on recommendations. On the other hand, I can't imagine many on here advocating travelling an hour for a dealer!

 

[Smacsor]

You've inadvertently proved my point by mentioning one of a number of the best MB Bristol staff who left to set up their own successful independent business and now offer a cheaper and more thorough service than the main dealer. (Although they are not blond with tight black skirts and bring you coffee and toast).

 

[GottleibDaimler]

You've inadvertently proved my point by mentioning one of a number of the best MB Bristol staff who left to set up their own successful independent business and now offer a cheaper and more thorough service than the main dealer. (Although they are not blond with tight black skirts and bring you coffee and toast).

I'm not really trying to prove or disprove anything, and I'm sure Steve is excellent.

 

[Smacsor]

I'm not really trying to prove or disprove anything, and I'm sure Steve is excellent.

I wasn't trying to disagree with you, just pointing out that the very best techs are the ones with the vision and ability to exploit an obvious gap in the market and hence there is a tendency for them to gravitate away from dealers.

 

[Smacsor]

....and dealers do make very nice toast. I admit it....I'm a toast tart.

 

[GottleibDaimler]

No reason why Steve couldn't serve toast, is there?

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

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.

 

[Warrior]

No reason why Steve couldn't serve toast, is there?

In a blonde wig and a tight black skirt