Mercedes B A S T A R D S

[yawner]

The cigar lighter/power point on my old CLK has never worked since I bought the car from a S/H dealer last year.

A good opportunity, I thought, to try out the services of my local dealer, MB of Carlisle. I'd heard that Mercedes servicing was a bit pricey, but was prepared to give them a chance as I thought I'd like a taste of their 'Prestige Treatment'.

Car went in a couple of weeks ago, and I waited while they diagnosed the problem...

Very posh setup. Lots of pretty girls with "Customer Service" badges and signs everywhere telling me that if they didn't DELIGHT me, to let them know. Wow! Free fresh coffee, WiFi, comfy seats, sporty mags and newspapers. all the staff were "yes sir, no sir". I could get to like this...

..they needed to send off for a part. I had to ring back in a week or so get the part fitted. No problem. Went outside and my car had been WASHED. Fekking Hell!

Two weeks pass, and yesterday, full of confidence, I ring them to arrange the work required...

11:00 am

"Oooh, err, whats your name?"
I told her.
"And whats the registration?"
She has it on her system, but I told her.
"And what's it about again?"
So I told her again.
"Hmm, errr, hang on"
Hanging
"Err Katey will know about this, she's busy at the minute, but I'll get her to ring you back"
So they have a database of all customers, but don't use it to share information. I'm relying on one person.
"Whats your phone number?"
Its on their system, but I tell her. She sounds nice anyway. 


14:00

Still no call. Confidence draining away rapidly.

So I ring them again, Explain the whole situation, again. Go through the car registration (ITS ON YOUR SYSTEM!!) and then the inevitable..
"Oh, its probably Katey who knows about this...."
".....She's on her lunch until two-thirty, I'll get her to ring you back"
I explain my reluctance to accept this arrangement. We were, after all at this position  hours ago.
"Well you didn't speak to ME last time, and I'm TELLING you that I will MAKE SURE she rings you".
Gulp. Any idea what time I'll be called?
"As I've ALREADY SAID, she'll be back at two-thirty so....."
yes?
"Look I've emailed her, and I've put that you've been waiting since this morning"
EMAILed her FFS!!! No sorry, no kiss my bum, just the promise of an email to someone they probably sit next to.

"Whats your phone number?"

Getting a bit irritated now.. 

I gave it until 16:00, but I knew I was never going to be called back, if I waited another week.

Can you imagine if the above had happened after I'd bought a new MB from them for thoosands and thoosands? I would have been bloody incandescent! As it was, I guess they'd done me a favour, and shown me how crap they are right from the start.

Its such a shame, I forsaw a future of free coffee, glossy showrooms, pampering and bum-licking, but I came to the conclusion that I'd happily swap that for a back-street independent garage who will fix my car and ring me occassionally. Good service doesn't have to have bells and whistles, while bells and whistles on their own are worthless. (IYSWIM).

Yes, I rung MB of Carlisle one last time and managed to speak to somebody with some sort of seniority. She was horrified and very solicitous, but seemed surprised when I told her I wouldn't be returning. 


..or do I expect too much? 

[samhs]

No - you don't expect too much. Every Land Rover garage we ever went to (before selling the car) was like the idealistic vision you present above. Including washing and hoovering - even when we just got a bulb replaced - coffee, a follow up phone call 2 days after the car was in to make sure we were happy and follow up with any questions we may have had (note: not a sales call, just service). Always was massively impressed. Car was expensive though, and so was running it. Ho hum.

[Charisma Bypass]

Just to cheer you up Nige;

Why did the German cross the road?

[yawner]

Why did the German cross the road?

 

[sarahA]

I used to have to go to a Mercedes garage with the Smart (well I did if anything major needed doing as no one else would touch it!). Was impressed with the washing and cleaning but unfortunately not impressed with the bill! Last time I had to get it fixed before I sold it, we were told it was ready so took the 45 min bus ride over to Liverpool and then were kept waiting for about an hour in their waiting area (wasn't told about free drinks or anything) until someone decided to attend to us, charge me some silly amount of money and give me my key back!

When I bought my first VW a sales guy there tried to sell me extended warranty to cover the cost of future servicing and how we'd expect to pay around £80-90 an hour for fixing anything otherwise. I felt like informing him that VW was a step down from the cost at Mercedes! They washed the cars too, however I'll happily wash the car myself for a reduced price bill

[Shirker]

My car goes to a garage run by three blokes in grubby overalls. They don't clean it, always leave the radio tuned to Radio 1, last said 'Sir' to their headmaster and don't know what a hoover is. But, they are happy to come to the house to collect it, are content tinkering away until its fixed and for small jobs their usual comment is they "can't be arsed to write up an invoice so there's no charge". Marvellous.

[samhs]

I have a joke, if we're playing cheer Yawner up. It doesn't involve Germans though.


Why did the Mexican shoot his wife?










Tequila!

[Matt]

Seat garage around here are poo like that too.

Bastards!

[yawner]

Thats awful Sam. Just awful.

(runs off to crack awful joke to Mrs Y)

[net-curtains]

We changed to a big local garage for servicing. When the mechanic came to pick up the Focus I mentioned water was leaking in through the front. "Ah yeah that'll be the seal, they always do that. I'll re-seal it for you, only take a couple of minutes".

He made it sound like it would be part of the service, and even if it wasn't it didn't sound expensive. They called me back later saying a brake pad had gone and the clip on the exhaust was a bit rusty so they'd fix those too.

When I got the bill the cost of putting a 'temporary' clip on the exhaust was £175, and adding some sealant was £210. Bearing in mind I can buy a new exhaust cheaper than that and the 'couple of minutes' job had somehow now cost £210 I immediately called them back and told them I wasn't paying it. After speaking to the manager, who kept insisting that I was calling him 'a liar' - I said I wasn't, but I was accusing him of ripping me off, he then asked me what I thought was a fair price and I paid that instead.

As a result we've gone back to our previous garage, run by an old farmer with a flat cap who does the same job for a quarter of the price.

Oh and the window still leaks.

[Ben]

Oh and the window still leaks.

If it's the same of our Focus, it'll be pollen filter seal hasn't been resealed since it was removed and replaced. Park your car uphill and it'll leak. Park it downhill and ours hasn't leaked in almost two years, so no-more footwell filled with water!

One good thing of parking uphill while taking my driving lessons - my hill starts are fantastic 

[MattC]

My Audi dealer is about as good as it gets, great service, they collect my car and bring it back gleaming, always communicate well, no problems.

Nige, you should write to the top man at your dealership because I seriously doubt that's the level of service they'd want you to receive.

[net-curtains]

Oh and the window still leaks.

If it's the same of our Focus, it'll be pollen filter seal hasn't been resealed since it was removed and replaced. Park your car uphill and it'll leak. Park it downhill and ours hasn't leaked in almost two years, so no-more footwell filled with water!

Funnily enough it is parked facing uphill...I'll have to remember to point it the other way! 

[yawner]

As an interesting little postscript to this, I just rang our Subaru dealer in Hexham to see if they could fix my Merc. (We've had lots of Soobys from them in the past, and Mrs Y currently has a Forester)

Had a quick chat to the owner who was sure they could help, and passed me onto his "service department" (1 person, the lovely Michelle). She said she needed to confirm things with their electrical sub-contractor, and would RING ME BACK.........  

Was I tempting fate here?

10 minutes later, thats 10 minutes (and she never asked what my number was), she rang me to confirm they'd sort out the Merc for me no problemo - cheaper than the MB quoted price too.

The thing is, they've always been this good! Why oh why do I bother going anywhere else?

Thats Gilesgate Subaru, Hexham. Main dealers, but stars.

[Mantis]

I found the Jag dealership I used, when I had one, to be a pile of Poo

[yawner]

I found the Jag dealership I used, when I had one, to be a pile of Poo

on a side issue, I've just been casing your joint on Google Street View. They've added stacks over the last few days. 

[Mantis]

I found the Jag dealership I used, when I had one, to be a pile of Poo

on a side issue, I've just been casing your joint on Google Street View. They've added stacks over the last few days. 

We are there

[Haze]

Nige, I'd write a letter of complaint to the Manager, and also to the Head Office for Mercedes. No point in letting these people get off scot-free. They'll be franchised to Merc and get perks dependent upon customer feedback, etc. We had issues with VW over a year ago, and I got in touch with VW-UK, until I did that the VW Dealership just dragged their heels.... one man against a company, why should they be bothered would have been their attitude.... We got satisfaction...

[civ]

My car goes to a garage run by three blokes in grubby overalls. They don't clean it, always leave the radio tuned to Radio 1, last said 'Sir' to their headmaster and don't know what a hoover is. But, they are happy to come to the house to collect it, are content tinkering away until its fixed and for small jobs their usual comment is they "can't be arsed to write up an invoice so there's no charge". Marvellous.

I used to take the bike to a place that fits this description. Great at first but stopped after a ~£500 bill for a series of failed attempts to fix my brakes - built up slowly so I didn't realise until it was too late. Later fixed, and in fact made better than ever, by another garage for £40.

The threats to backdate £100/day storage charges when I picked it up and declined further work didn't help - I know, completely unenforceable, but I still don't like being threatened like that.

Still, it's taught me a lot about servicing my own bike 

[wilberforce]

Sell it

Buy a Ford

I found the Jag dealership I used, when I had one, to be a pile of Poo

on a side issue, I've just been casing your joint on Google Street View. They've added stacks over the last few days. 

Me too, no MB outside, just Scoobies and some other nondescript makes.

[net-curtains]

Buy a Ford

I'm going off my Ford. First we had the leak, then the front spring snapped, now the CD/radio's stopped working. Not impressed.

[yawner]

Buy a Ford

Don't get me wrong Wilber, the car is fantastic. Its the dealers who suck. Any absolutely brilliant Ford dealers you care to recommend? No? thought not. 

Me too, no MB outside, just Scoobies and some other nondescript makes

1 Skoda, 1 Kia, 2 Scoobs. Reckon that was taken around June 2009 - early in t'morning! 

[sickpuppy]

As bad as estate agents, plumbers, politicians and military dictatorships

[MattC]

Buy a Ford

Don't get me wrong Wilber, the car is fantastic. Its the dealers who suck. Any absolutely brilliant Ford dealers you care to recommend? No? thought not.  

Even if the dealers were brilliant (Which they are not IMO) this is pointless if the cars are crap (Which they are IMO).

hth

Matt

[yawner]

MB sent me a voucher for £20 today. Do they really think I'm that cheap?

Finally had my problem fixed by the auto electrician used by my Subaru Dealers. Top Bananas both.

Auto Electrician charged £30. Tyne Valley Auto Electrics. Prudhoe.

Subaru dealers charged nowt - arranged everything and gave me a courtesy car for the day. Subaru Gilesgate Hexham.

(BTW MB of Carlisle had quoted me £87 - treating me like a twat thrown in for free)

[sarahA]

Send it back to them with a nice note saying 'no thanks' (add whatever you want around that text )

[sickpuppy]

MB sent me a voucher for £20 today.

Wipe your bum on it and send it back

[yawner]

MB sent me a voucher for £20 today.

Wipe your bum on it and send it back

..with a bit of spit in the envelope for good measure