Merc' Vs Audi

[outsmartsmart]

Just a tale about customer service.

My partner has a 4 year old Audi A3 and usually swops at 3 years old. Wanted to swop and knew exactly what she wanted; a replacement A3 1.8 TFSi, Sport pack, reverse sensors and iPod dock, not fussed on colour. She knows exactly how to handle herself and did loads of research and trawling around dealers. To say they were indifferent is an understatement. They all pretty much quoted list price and an absolute pittance for part-ex of her immaculate, fully serviced and well specced car. She wanted the convenience of driving in with her old car and driving out with the new despite knowing it would cost her she valued convenience and customer service above all else.

She got a few reasonable deals but wanted it from her local dealer in Stratford-upon-Avon as 'loyalty' as she had her current car serviced there, etc. Had some ping-pong on the phone, saw a new model, not exactly what she wanted but a nice car, on the forecourt. They never called her back, were indifferent when she called them, etc. We both went in and laid out all the deals we'd found (all in writing, not 'trying it on') and she asked if they could get anywhere near to them and she'd sign there and then. STILL not that bothered and the offer was the worst of anywhere (highest price on new car and lowest on part-ex). I reiterated all she had said and reiterated she was "here to buy a car". He said needed to talk to his boss who wasn't there but would "get back to you".

Well they did get back but only to tell her "we don't want your custom"!!!!! Absolutely gobsmacked.

I told her all along to consider BMW (sorry :Oops and Merc CLC. She took one look at BMW and just didn't like the design. Went for the CLC and loved it. Dealer was absolutely fantastic and spent MANY hours over a few visits finding her the exact car she wanted. She has now put her deposit on a CLC 180 Kompressor Sport Auto with a few options and is very pleased.

So, here's a 'big up' to the Merc' dealer in Stratford-upon-Avon for customer service so far. Hope it continues when the car turns up in next two weeks

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

Audi, Just one of many in the VW group with different body shells and badges.

Had two Audis and both turned out to be sh#t.

 

[mercmadjim]

Nice to read something positive about Mercs and Merc dealers on here, maybe, just maybe we did get it right...
Thanks for posting that up.

 

[ALFIEBEARD]

I also looked at a 525 BMW Diesel before I bought my E class and I was totally unispired by the interior, the plastics were from Taiwan I reckon and it was very plain, The Mercedes is streets ahead in my opinion both in looks and comfort. I am in an unfortunate location to find a good Mercedes Dealer but I do love the car.
well done on your choice.

Alfie B

 

[outsmartsmart]

It wasn't about the car itself (I personally think all 3 are 'good cars') it was the way she was treated. Audi just walked away from a £21k sale that was 'in the bag'. They obviously are not suffering in the recession (yeah right...)

 

[Juddian]

A very wealthy chap i know who doesn't spend it all on cars (maybe thats why he's still got it) fancied buying a new 3 series...so off he trots to the nearest dealer.

Now if they'd had half a brain between 'em they'd have noticed that his newish car's number plate was worth the price of a new BM anyway...but instead they virtually ignored him but not before advising him to return when 'he could afford one'...i kid you not!

Unsurprisingly the dealership almost went under recently and is now in new hands.
Putting a suit on an imbecile doesn't change the man.

The chap i know never did buy a BM.

 

[D1gger5]

Spot on Juddian

I get condescention when I go shopping from some people in the stores. I have been working and cannot be assed to change from my grubby jeans into "Label" clothes just to stock up on goods.

Thinking about it, when I went looking at cars in South Wales the other week, I honestly get the feeling that one dealer thought I was not a real customer (Workhorse says nothing about what I can buy).

When I get my SL it will be the "rock star" approach - scruffy clothes and the lolly/plastic to pay cash for the car. If the first dealer turns me down then I'll go elsewhere. Then return with my purchase and, in front of several customers, rub their nose in it identifying their loss of a sale.

Eccentric? Total fruitcake (my mother was a good cook - hahaha)

Diggers

 

[jberks]

Car salesmen are like any salesmen - good and bad but mostly bad. I had a lad in comet try to bull...t my dad and I to the point that even my dad (who knows nothing about such things) turned to him and said "Cobblers. if you don't know, don't just make it up, go and find out".
Car wise, I too was treated with total disinterest and a BMW dealership. Twice actually. On the second occasion I had the pleasure extracting the price and then saying, oh, is that all they are?, turning to the Mrs and saying 'Do you want one then?" and she smiled and said "No, I don't like it". We bought an Audi instead. The Audi dealership were fine and couldn't do enough on that one or the next one. Its down to people and the management, not the make.

That said, I was initially ignored at the merc dealer too. I had to collar a passing salesman and say, "So you don't want to sell me a car then?". It had the desired effect.

I don't like BMs either. They are fabulous to drive but the interior is just a mass of black plastic. As a friend said when he'd ordered his E class - the merc is a very nice place to be. Sadly they seem to be going down the BM route with newer models. We'll have to see what the new E is like.

 

[The Crooner]

I had an Audi 100 Avant, was a fantastic car, quiet, comfortable and well built. I used to drive it on business to Paris quite a lot, it was pure pleasure.

But it was built in 1992, the same era as my current W124.

I know I keep banging on, but why do folk waste their money on shoddy new cars?

Whatever the marque.

Tony

 

[sailorjim]

Funny thing about Audis (or their drivers)..... SWMBO bought a new beamer about a year ago, and ever since has been plagued by Audis taking her on, almost as if they had something to prove. MB drivers, on the ther hand, contunue to treat her with usual courtesy as before.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Car salesmen are like any salesmen - good and bad but mostly bad. I had a lad in comet try to bull...t my dad and I to the point that even my dad (who knows nothing about such things) turned to him and said "Cobblers. if you don't know, don't just make it up, go and find out".

I went to test drive the Audi 100 when it was introduced around the early 80s (1983?).

I suspected that the salesman was full of sh*t, so I asked casually as we bowled along whether the car was front or rear wheel drive. When he confidently got that wrong, I lost interest and went elsewhere.

You don't need to sink these guys, give them enough latitude and they sink themselves.

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

I had an Audi 100 Avant, was a fantastic car, quiet, comfortable and well built. I used to drive it on business to Paris quite a lot, it was pure pleasure.

But it was built in 1992, the same era as my current W124.

I know I keep banging on, but why do folk waste their money on shoddy new cars?

Whatever the marque.

Tony

Somebody has to buy "shoddy" new cars in order for you to get them a generation later.

Im sure if there was a forum around in 1992 there would be someone like you decrying modern cars and telling everyone to get something from 1975.

 

[st4]

Always better with an MB or BM over an Audi. RWD just has something that a FWD or even AWD car just hasn't got as much of. Fun I beleive its called.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Somebody has to buy "shoddy" new cars in order for you to get them a generation later.

I'm sure if there was a forum around in 1992 there would be someone like you decrying modern cars and telling everyone to get something from 1975.

Yes Don, people are for ever saying "It's not like it was in the old days"! Sadly, for those of us who can remember, it was not like that then either!

 

[The Crooner]

Im sure if there was a forum around in 1992 there would be someone like you decrying modern cars and telling everyone to get something from 1975.

I'm not sure about that, I suspect there was a golden age somewhere mid 80s to mid 90s when good cars were still properly built. but the advent of modern electronics and manufacturing technology was assisting safety, comfort, economy and performance, and enhancing engineering quality, rather than being the route to "value" engineering which it later became.

Discuss.

Tony

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Always better with an MB or BM over an Audi. RWD just has something that a FWD or even AWD car just hasn't got as much of. Fun I believe its called.

A number of my German auto engineering chums have Audis. They aspire to B*Ws, but they really fantasize about having an MB.

 

[st4]

I'm not sure about that, I suspect there was a golden age somewhere mid 80s to mid 90s when good cars were still properly built. but the advent of modern electronics and manufacturing technology was assisting safety, comfort, economy and performance, and enhancing engineering quality, rather than being the route to "value" engineering which it later became.

Discuss.

Tony

Probably the "optimum " car then was the W124 and R129 cars. There after the body work, interior fittings took a down turn. Before that the cars were quite basic and not as modern feeling. A 124 can still cut the mustard with a modern car for refinement, comfort etc but is more nicely made.

For BMW the best era was the E39, E53 X5's where both the mechanicals, electics, body work and interior build were all 1st rate. The older ones do feel their age, and the newer ones (e60 5 series in particular) feels not as nicely made and its built to such a cost that they've bodged LHD wipers on.

 

[mikestrivens]

Give me a car designed by engineers rather than accountants anyday. That is why I drive what I drive.

 

[roofless]

the audi 100 avant of the 80s with the 5 pot 2226cc was one of the best car they made but then the 4 pot was crap

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

This is an intersting thread. As you will see from my car history at the bottom I have owned Audis, Mercs and now a BMW (actually had one years ago too).

Personally I found my W203 C240 (2003) to be the most nasty, cheap car I have ever owned. Not even close to the Build quality of the A6. However, it was nicer to drive than the A6. Conversly I would say the E90 BMW I have now is much much better put together with higher quality interior than almost any Merc I drove (and I drove a lot over the 3 years I owned mine becuse it never stayed running for more than about a week. I probably had about 20 to 30 different Merc loaners). The only exception was a very high spec e-class they leant me once, which was rather nice. I felt the new C lass felt especially nasty. Very much like the new Vectra

As for dealers, you get good and bad everywhere. I actually contributed to the service manager at Epsom Audi getting sacked because she was so rude (I was one of several that got a personal apology from the sales director).

The Merc dealer (Tony Perslow in Guildford) were always very attentive but charged insanse sums of money and always gave the car back with new and interesting problems that it didn't have when I gave it to them.

So far I haven't had a lot of luck with Heathrow BMW either.

I used to have a Mazda, and some guy that ran a garage on his own used to do the service work on it. He'd pick it from my house and drive it to work. Do whatever needed doing and then drop it off an his way home. For this he charged me the princly sum of £15 per hour. And I never had any problems with him or the work he did. I never saw his garage, and probably wouldn;t wanted to have. I doubt it would live up the workshop at any of the main dealers but then he didn't charge me dealer prices and did do a good job.

You'd think, considering that new car sales are supposed to be down the cr*pper the dealers would pay a little more attnetion to those who are ultimately responsible for keeping them employed