Dealerships-----whats wrong and how can they improve?

[jonathanjhann]

Ok, this may potentially be the shortest or longest thread ever, depending on what your views are, so here goes.......

As everyone that contributes on here is a M.B owner or driver what better place to find out what people really think, expect or have experienced when conducting business with franchised dealerships.

Any bad experiences, problems, or expectations not being met when visiting a dealership.

The reason I ask is we have some meetings coming up and we as the employees have been asked to contribute as to what can be done to improve the satisfaction of customers.

Comments or Suggestions good or bad welcomed.

 

[kth286]

what is your position at the main dealership, ie. are you admin, sales, service reception or technician ?

I would say the biggest problem is lack of "relevant and knowledgeable" communications with the customer.

Until such time as the customer can communicate with the person working on his car, I do not see how it can improve.

 

[jonathanjhann]

Ok, this may potentially be the shortest or longest thread ever, depending on what your views are, so here goes.......

As everyone that contributes on here is a M.B owner or driver what better place to find out what people really think, expect or have experienced when conducting business with franchised dealerships.

Any bad experiences, problems, or expectations not being met when visiting a dealership.

The reason I ask is we have some meetings coming up and we as the employees have been asked to contribute as to what can be done to improve the satisfaction of customers.

Comments or Suggestions good or bad welcomed.

My position is as a technician. I also feel and have voiced the opinion that customers would prefer to speak to the techs rather than through frontline staff, which quite often is someone recently hired and with no technical knowledge.

 

[television]

My position is as a technician. I also feel and have voiced the opinion that customers would prefer to speak to the techs rather than through frontline staff, which quite often is someone recently hired and with no technical knowledge.

This point is the most important in my view, my own experience bears that out. the guy in reception does not ask or query anything,he just writes it all down

The joy of being able to speak to the person doing the job would be perfect, and the tech guy can ask the right questions.

I could not do my job if a girl handed me a piece of paper with the faults, I need to ask questions.

Your outlet will win hands down if they can get that through, I would even have a chat to them if it would help and explain it all, I do have 56 years of the service trade

 

[Marco Polo]

My position is as a technician. I also feel and have voiced the opinion that customers would prefer to speak to the techs rather than through frontline staff, which quite often is someone recently hired and with no technical knowledge.

Exactly right - this would give me a lot more confidence in the work that has been done by talking to the guy that has done it. I would then be happier about paying the enormous bill that inevitably follows.

The problem for the dealer will be that some of the simpler and more routine jobs will inevitably be done by the less experienced technicians, but the cost will still be calcualted on the top rate.

Not all technicians are good communicators - obviously Jonathan is by the good, written-English in his posts.

What I want from a dealer is what I want from any supplier to whom I am paying my hard earned money - good customer care and value for money, anything less and I feel cheated.

 

[Dinnie]

My experience is very very poor:

Lots of staff walking around the showroom, in and out. Can't find a person availalbe to talk to when you need to e.g. the accessories dept.

The sales people are just sales people, to earn their bonuses. They don't talk passionately about the cars they sell - I like to think of cars as living organisms. The sales reps swap jobs every 6 months between manufacturers, they have no knowledgeable history about Mercedes cars.

Can't solve problems. My Dad's Merc is being repaired as an insurance theft claim. A year on and there are more faults from Mercedes fiddling around then to start with. High staff turnover means messages aren't passed on or "lost". Also repairs are undertaken by an "approved repairer", more like Bob down the side street alley and gives a Fiesta as a curtesy car.

Poor value for servicing. I had a BMW that cost less to run on routine maintenance and other repair items.

 

[jamesmc]

I'm in full agreement with some of the above posts... I would have a much better feeling of customer satisfaction if I could actually discuss the servicing/repair of my car with the techs that are carrying out the work and not some front desk/reception person.

 

[oigle]

Your comments re talking to the tech that works on your car sound good in theory. However, in practice, this is completely impractical. Can you imagine 20 techs all lined up in a service dept to talk to service customers as they book their cars in? Who knows what the problems are and who will be the specialist that attends to the particular problem? They need to be in the workshop, doing what they are paid to do - work on the things.
Where this can be sorted out is in the employment of SUITABLE staff on the front counter. No clerks and pretty girls - use older experienced ex service techs who wish to gravitate off the tools and have the gift of the gab to be able to handle people and their complaints. They might cost more to employ but they are worth every penny. They will be able to understand problems and discuss them rationally and intelligently with the customer. They can then mark the job cards with the appropriate info and the tech has a head start on fixing it. The tech can also refer back to the service advisor for more detail if necessary.
I speak from the experience of owning and running a moderate sized Nissan/GM dealership over 20 years. Unlike a lot of other dealers, I always believed the heart and soul of a dealership rested in the service and parts area and not in the glitzy showroom. I often spent hours meeting and greeting service customers in the Service Dept to ensure that "things" were going well in that area - didn't rely on the girl phoning a customer 2 days later to ensure the customer was happy!! What a load!!
If there was a phone-in service complaint, the switch girl was instructed to put the call to me first so I was aware of any problems and could ensure an appropriate response. Repeat business is the best business and that emanates from good service.
This attitude resulted in my having one of the best sales per 1000 head of population and the best customer relation index in my state of Queensland and enabled me to win the Dealer of the Year on more than one occasion. The attitude WORKS.

 

[Marco Polo]

Oigle, well done - that's what customer care is all about.

I'm convinced it's instinctive and can't be taught unless there's bags of common sense there to begin with.

I agree with you about the impracticalities - the theory of talking to a tech is fine, but in practice very difficult.

I also agree about using experienced hands on the front counter - the extra cost would quickly be offset by the increased business.

 

[whitenemesis]

oigle, Hear! Hear!
Exactly correct, the best service experience I have had is from a Seat dealership where the service manager (and co-owner) greeted every service customer, chatted about the car, problems, concerns...
Appointmets etc., were handled by an efficient receptionist, who always rang back when she said she would (I have never experienced this from MB). I was always made to feel I was the only person who mattered at that time.
The dealership was very busy but never rushed or hurried, my local MB dealer is always too busy to take time to listen.."name, car, service?...keys"
Knowledgeable staff are a MUST. How many times have I had to explain to the MB staff how the Service Plus contract works!!?? Sometimes I wonder if any of them Have actually read an owners handbook!

 

[television]

Thank you Oigle for the post of the year award

 

[Juddian]

Oigle thats superb, if your looking for a job this country needs someone at the helm with common sense, something we're not likely to get.

Trouble is would it work in somethimg like a Merc dealership in Britain.
there would be the age old problem of having someone in a management/service advisory role who had come off the shop floor and had dirty hands previously.
Said person would also know a hell of a lot more about the job than the management, and that would never do here.

Much better to get them young with no previous motor experience and then teach them in the way we want to do business, hence the situation we now have.

Just my tuppence.

 

[newlaithe]

Here's my recent experiance and replys from Mercedes..
Dear sir,
I recently had a touring holiday in the south of France in my Mercedes Benz E300 (W210),and while sightseeing my bas/asr light came on much to my concern.
The following day I made a round trip to your main dealer in Villeneuve - Loubbet, a round trip of about 120 miles from where I was based.
Here is my personal account of my experience dealing with them. One entering I spoke at reception to the girl behind the desk,who although didn't speak English very well understood my problem,and contacted an English speaking member of staff. About 30 minutes later a rather sullen gentleman appeared who ignored me and spoke in French the girl and then disappeared again, the girl apologised and told me that the gentleman was taking a "break" and couldn't talk to me !. She then contacted another member of staff who appeared after another 20 minute wait. He spoke a little English and I showed him the dash board lights and told him our problem, " Park it over there sir and some one will come and look at it". Parked the car in the designated bay and a third gentleman approached, he spoke no English,and my French wasn't good enough to communicate with him, and he sent for a workman in overhauls who spoke good English, we discussed the problem,and he told me in a very embarrassed way, after talking with the other gentleman with him, that they couldn't even look at it till "the end of the month ( 11 days time) as the workshop was fully booked,but the car was safe to drive (as indeed it was)". I drove back to my hotel very disappointed in the service I had received..
In conclusion I don't expect every one in a French car dealership to speak English,and I do know there is a protocol for reception to follow, but I never envisaged wasting one and a half hours at the dealership plus travelling time to be turned away in such a manner when I was obviously a long way from home and seeking assistance from a main dealer.
I am interested in your comments about my experience at this dealership,and if you consider it to be acceptable from a major car manufacturers dealership.

Regards
----------------------------------------------------

first reply Translated from french with babel fish...
Dear Sir, We take action on our last correspondence. You make us share of your disappointment vis-a-vis to the provision of services which were offered to you by establishments MERCEDES-BENZ DIMENSIONS D AZURE with VILLENEUVE-LOUBET. The quality of service offered within our network naturally holds us with heart and let us evaluate we it continuously. We consider it regrettable that it did not answer your waitings and present our excuses for the nuisances to you that that could cause you. We transmitted your remarks to your approved eparator and will not fail to ensure the follow-up which is essential. We make a point of thanking you for having taken the sorrow to report us your personal experiment. It is indeed thanks to your comments that we are able to make the provisions necessary to improve the unit of our provisions of services. We hope that you will quickly find the confidence with which you agreed to honour Mercedes-Benz and you prions to accept, Sir, our best greetings. Catherine YANS Relations Customers DaimlerChrysler Customer Assistance Center N.V. Gaetano Martinolaan 10 NL-6229 GS Maastricht, The Netherlands
second reply..
Dear Sir, We take action on our last correspondence. You make us share of your disappointment vis-a-vis to the received response of our services concerning the service which was offered to you by establishments MERCEDES-BENZ DIMENSIONS D AZURE VILLENEUVE-LOUBET. We will réiterons all our excuses as for the situation met. We transmitted your email to your approved repairer who explains us that it happens sometimes that they are blocked on the level of return. He regrets this situation and asks you to accept all their excuses. We hope that you will quickly find the confidence with which you agreed to honour Mercedes-Benz and you prions to accept, Sir, our best greetings. Catherine YANS Relations Customers DaimlerChrysler Customer Assistance Center N.V. Gaetano Martinolaan 10 NL-6229 GS Maastricht, The Netherlands

------------------------------------------
'seems to read like "when we are busy we don't have time for 10 year old cars"...

 

[jberks]

The 'speak to the tech' idea is a good one though not entirely practical for reasons already stated. However, one of my main gripes along these lines is the 'reception girlies' who are the exact opposite to this idea. Ok they are friendly and personable but, at least for those of us who know what we're on about, pretty useless. They do their job, which is to book you in and take the money. Beyond they they're out of their depth as they don't understand anything about the cars or the implications. You can't explain a strange technical problem to them as they don't understand what you're on about, so it becomes a game of chinese whispers. I've said something to them and watched them write down their, totally incorrect, interpretation.
At my dealer, there is a chap called John. John has been there forever and knows me. He also knows the cars, what is appropriate and what isn't. I go in, sit down and chat to him with complete confidence that he'll sort it. Never mind the rules, he'll bend them if he thinks its appropriate. So, for example,
when I bought my current car it had a small piece of trim missing. I rang the dealership but the service girlie refused to order this £5? bit of trim without me booking the car in for inspection first. She couldn't comprehend the issue, didn't know me and stuck to the rules. This made me very angry. I would have to go out of my way twice to remedy their mistake. All I wanted them to do was to get the part in before I arrived. Eventually, I spoke to John. He calls me back the following day to say he'd got one from another dealer and to bob it in and we'll fit it. I got there a bit late and the service girlie said that nobody was available to do it that evening and I would have to come back (and I thought I was the customer!) . I hung around and spoke to John who confirmed that they had a rush on and didn't have a tech. He thought for a moment and asked for my keys. I watched as he drove my car into the workshop and went round every tech. After drawing a blank, he went to a tool drawer, pulled out a screwdriver and I watched him do it himself. Sorry but no girlie would do this.
And thats the point.
Anyone can deal with booking in etc. I want someone who cares about me and who will follow the rules 90% of the time, but when not appropriate, will at least try bypass them on my behalf. Someone who knows what a lower ball joint does!

Another thing I'd like to see, as a suggestion, is a while you wait minor fix dept. A tech who can check out and sort those little minor niggles as you call in. A knd of triage for cars. Anything that will take 30 mins or so, no more. Dash bulbs, SRS light resets, basic visual diagnostic, your radio doesn't work, lets try pulling the fuse etc. They can come out and have a look at your car and go, yes I know what that is, or no I don't and we'd need to spend a bit of time, please book it in. So, for example, I have a noise under the bonnet that I have traced to a dicky airbox mount and another rattle I'm not sure about. Reception girlie says to book it in, I explain that I want someone to have a quick look and we can get the parts ordered. I'm not expecting a fix, but just someone to have a quick look. Finally, after much arguing, the tech turns up. 5 mins later, the car is booked in for 2 weeks time and the parts are on order. I haven't had to book it in, wait 2 weeks, take a loan car, go back that night to collect a still faulty car and go through the whole loop again when the parts arrive. The point is that the girlies answer to everything is to book it in, thats all they know, whereas the tech's answer is to pop down to stores, grab the part and pop it on - all done in 5 mins.

The whole thing comes down to one phrase, "personal service".

 

[robbo]

Excellent post Jberks. That's the kind of dealership we'd all like to be able to use.

 

[television]

Excellent post Jberks. That's the kind of dealership we'd all like to be able to use.

Jberks always writes up a good answer in these matters.

 

[Old Hat Shop]

My only experience of MB dealers was a positive one, probably because i spoke to the techies first. I needed an exhaust bracket and phoned to see if they had one in stock that I was to fit myself. In order to correctly identify the bracket in question from the many possibles, he emailed a diagram and asked me to confirm the part. emails went back and forth and indeed he had the part in stock. I went round to the dealership, asked a customer service chap for the part, and all was complete in a matter of minutes. The only way to make that better would have been a coffee and a head massage.

Not much of an experience I know, but certainly a cut above other brands like Frod.

My best recollection of how to give customer service comes from my old friend who was the night manager in a large Edinburgh hotel. A guest had arrived late at night and there was a problem with the booking (double booked or over booked) and the price to pay etc. When Harry was called to solve the issue between reception and the increasingly irritated customer, his solution was simple.
Find a room for the customer right now. Get him into the room, get him a drink, make sure he's happy and we'll sort the bookings afterwards.

It's easy really, isn't it.

 

[oigle]

Oigle thats superb, if your looking for a job this country needs someone at the helm with common sense, something we're not likely to get.

Trouble is would it work in somethimg like a Merc dealership in Britain.
there would be the age old problem of having someone in a management/service advisory role who had come off the shop floor and had dirty hands previously.
Said person would also know a hell of a lot more about the job than the management, and that would never do here.

Much better to get them young with no previous motor experience and then teach them in the way we want to do business, hence the situation we now have.

Just my tuppence.

Thanks Juddian and others for your comments - it really isn't rocket science - just treating people like you would like to be treated yourself.
Regarding your comment about "someone knowing more than management", I NEVER employed anyone in an important position who was not BETTER than myself in that position. Pay them whatever you have to. Any other way would just be self defeating. Get the best/most suitable people possible in to important positions and be pleased you were smart enough to do so!! You just might get a better dealership as a result.

 

[Chas]

My limited experience has been encouraging to say the least.

My S320 gear selector got stuck in park, in my driveway. The Mobilo chap came out and couldn't unlock the selector as there was no release button ( push a pen in the small hole to release if stuck).
I phoned the local MB dealer and the service manager, a former technician, actually came out to my house, took his jacket off, and freed the selector.
Six months later I had electrical problems, he came out again to my home and diagnosed a faulty alternator regulator.
My next service is for free, as another non-franchise dealer didn't do an emergency recall on another related issue.

That's what I call service

 

[Amos]

Johnathan, I hope this is the longest thread ever, if it is, perhaps things may improve.
With regard to MB sales staff, they are like most other vehicle sales staff but possibly with a larger chip on their shoulders. If you go onto the MB website and spend some time reading through the brochure, chances are you will know far more about the product than they do. Bear in mind, unlike you they can only dream of owning a shiny new Merc, the nearest they will get is maybe being able to take one home at night.
If you want to turn them into PROPER salesmen/women send them to a Lexus dealership for a month.
On the subject of women working in service reception, if they are employed by intelligent forward thinking dealers who realise that as first point of contact they should be expertly trained and adequately paid I'm sure the benefit gained would be incalculable.