Mercedes Benz UK Dealership Policy

[peter wilson]

Good day!

I viewed this site for the first time today. I found it very interesting - particularly Andy's amazing input.

I have been a Mercedes owners for 14 years - I still have my original car a 1989 230E saloon with 135,000 miles and still going extremely well. In addition I have a 1996 E280 Avantgarde which I have owned since 1996. Both cars give great performance and are a pleasure to own and drive.

From the outset I have always used the local main dealer - Waterhouse Ltd., Chelmsford. Without exception I received first class service - they never failed to sort out any problems with speed, courtesy and efficiency -OK at a price, if you like - but I feel I always had good service and value for money - neither car has ever let me down....

The problem lies with Mercedes Benz UK - who in their 'wisdom' and frankly, in my opinion, blind arrogance, have dumped their longstanding well respected and established dealers - such as Waterhouse - in total disregard of the many customers who wrote and protested - and have appointed mega groups - in my area Lancaster Group - to take over the whole local area. Their 'vision/mission' alledgedly is to deliver 'total customer care' - which in reality, unsurprisingly, is total bullshit!

Lancaster have taken over the 'Mercedes-Benz Direct' site at Springfield, Chelmsford - which is currently totally inadequate to handle the local requirements for servicing/repairs, as I discovered, when I went there last Saturday to book in my E280 for a service+mot. They do not yet appear to have started building the promised new 'state of the art' facility and are relying on the existing small building with very few service bays. Already unimpressed by what I had seen, I nevertheless went ahead and booked the service - only to be told that my previous (very convenient) account status with the old dealership could not be maintained, as Lancaster policy is only to grant accounts to business clients and not private individuals. Furthermore, I was informed that the labour charges are increased to £80 + vat per hour - and this to have my car services in a tent in the car park! (due to the lack of proper facilities - which still to be constructed).

So much for total customer care!

On Monday morning I called the old Waterhouse number (for those in the central Essex area it is 01245 610000) to be greeted with a friendly helpful response - Waterhouse are back in operation - as an independent service/repairer - for those who may be interested, they are now located at Chappell Hill, Braintree, Essex CM7 3QU (for the avid indulgers in retail therapy - this is very close to Braintree Freeport). They will arrange collection and redelivery of your car or offer you a loan vehicle.

I have booked in with them - I did extend the courtesy of phoning Lancaster to cancel the appointment - they did not even ask why - or if I wanted an alternative appointment. They appear not to give a ****!

In the industry I work in, it is a constant fight to keep our existing client
base and try to expand it - it is beyond my comprehension how Mercedes-Benz and their 'super' dealerships can treat the needs of their customers with such a total lack of respect/contempt.

Onward the independents!

p.s. Thank you for those of you who read this - sorry to bore you - but I am still really ****ed off!

 

[cra]

Peter

Good for you! At one point I was thinking of ditching the Marque completely. Three bad experiences with three different dealers. None of them could really give a toss!

I've now found an excellent specialist about 3 miles from home and he does an excellent job. I did have to use the local dealer last week, though, to order a new key. Doesn't look like much has changed.

So have decided to stick with MB and will just avoid the dealers unless absolutely necessary.

One thing I have noticed is how when it was getting serviced by the dealer, there was always something else that needed doing which the warranty took care of. Since going to the independant, I've had very little additional work needed.

I couldn't possibly suggest that they were making work up in order for the warranty company to pick up the bill. It certainly seemed that way to me!

Cra

Oh, BTW, I have a 1995 W124 E220 auto with 167K on the clock.

 

[Aletank]

It seems that the dealers Mercedes have "dumped" have set up as Independents.
The dealer my car was first bought from and serviced at has also been dumped - Ciceley Continental of Preston http://www.ciceleycontinental.co.uk
Lets hope these Independents show Mercedes up, after all they still have all the latest equipment and knowledge of the marque.

 

[heckflosse]

I too have noticed the lack of customer care lately. After owning Mercs since 1989 the level of customer service was one thing which made me stick to the Marque. I found that although the labour charges were higher the fact that they were familar to the vehicles ment that the job took less time resulting in a very reasonable bill.
However when my headgasket went in my E220 a few weeks ago when I phoned up I was told that my local dealer (Mertrux, Derby) is no longer booking in cars for repair or diagnostics, but I would have to wait a few weeks until the new Mercedes Benz of Derby opens. Well three weeks have past and they've just finished fitting the glass in the newly constructed building and it does'nt look nowhere near finished yet.

 

[EXMERCTECH]

Mercedes customer care

Why do you use D.C.UK Main Dealer's
Go to the independent Mercedes Benz Dealers,
Not Those located/owned by D.C.UK in London,Birmingham,Manchester and the others they have taken over,
You can get a Better service.

 

[Dunk 16v]

When I bought my 86 Cosworth, I had an expectation of how a Mercedes Dealership would treat their clientelle....

I mean, Mercedes-Benz build the greatest cars ever don't they? The 190e 2.3-16v cost a lot more than the opposition did in 1986, and it heralded the start of the hot-rod saloons... In many ways a landmark car in the M-B history.

You'd have thought the dealerships would be delighted to maintain and service one of the pinnacle of M-B engineering wouldn't you? Especially since most of the work on these things would be 'off menu'

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Of all the cars I've owned, and company cars I've had, I can only think of one other marque less interested in customer care - BMW.

The four M-B dealerships I tried dealing with for the Cosworth were attrocious. I actually ended up having an argument with a service manager in one of them because they refused to check the valve clearances. They refused to take on work for christsake!! They told me it wouldn't need doing until at least 90,000 miles and they would not undertake the work. It transpired that three needed adjustment... unbelievable!

I eventually found someone to service the car - an ex-M-B technician, who I know by first name, know I can trust, covers everything in copper grease, fixes rather than replaces, and gives me an honest opinion on things. Oh, and charges £25 per hour inc. VAT.

In the last six months, he's carried out some 65 hours worth of work on the Cosworth - so what would have cost £6000 odd at the local dealership, cost me £1600. Who's loss?

Total idiots.

Totally put me off the idea of replacing the Cosworth with a C36.

This sorry state is highlighted by two dealerships responsible for two of my previous company cars - Vauxhall and Nissan - for Calibra Turbo and 200sx Touring respectively.

In both cases they just couldn't do enough for me - always polite, always helpful, always prepared to go the extra mile to ensure I came back again.

Shame that Mercedes can't muster the intelligence to realise that customer care isn't optional.