Bogus MB Dealer "Survey"
 

I have still been using the dealer to service the 99 ML, although I was probably going to stop with the next service. One advantage was free pickup and delivery, which was valuable to me as I live about 45 minutes away.

Just got the following "survey" from the dealer:
For the past four years Friendly Motorcars has had the pleasure of offering “Free” Pick up and Delivery as a courtesy to our service customers.

Due to the sharp rise in fuel costs and the labor to operate this service, we need to make a decision and would like your input. After careful consideration there are two options open to us. The options are listed below and we would ask you to look them over and click on one to vote:

A.Eliminate Pick up and Delivery entirely
B. Offer Pick up and Delivery for a nominal fee based on proximity to Friendly Motorcars
For example:

Within a 10 mile radius $20.00
Within a 25 mile radius $30.00
Over a 25 mile radius $50.00

This is a difficult decision and we look forward to your input to help us reach it. As always we thank you for your business.
Sincerely yours,
The Management Team at Friendly Motorcars

Unfortunately, it doesn't have a prompt for write-in answers....

BTW, do other dealers offer free P/U and delivery?

I used to get an MB loaner if I brought the car in - when they switched to Enterprise I let them start picking up for me.

Just checked: per Google maps, I'm 26 miles away....

Due to fuel prices? :confused: I guess they are using that as their out, on a 50 mile round trip they are likely paying $4-8 more than when prices were $1.50. Find another dealer if you can.

Edit: $50 is not all bad considering it will cost you two hours to do it yourself.

Which means, of course, that they long ago decided to do it, this "survey" is just to see whether you mind options "bad" or "worse". BOHICA

Many - or most - MB dealers offer this as a matter of course, for free, as for many customers it is imperative.

The "survey" probably should have been sent for comments to OTHER Mercedes Benz dealers. I bet they would have been surprised at the response they got.

RAB Mercedes Benz offers the service for free within Marin County. They are just North
of the Golden Gate Bridge. Their labor rates, around $150 per hour, I think, cover the cost of that.

We don't have that service, we do have free MB loaners though.

They have done pick ups in the past, but that was usually when someone screwed up and it was a repeat repair, a VIP or a PITA.

The dealer in New London does it, but I don't know the details.

They should keep offering it for free its part of the service, hide the fuel costs somewhere else.

I'm about 35 miles from the dealership. Fortunately for me, the service rep. I deal with lives not too far from me and he ferries a lot of cars to the dealership. Since his is a dealer car anyway, he'll let you use it if you want (loaner). He'll leave his and take yours to work and drop it off on his way home or to the next day's customer's house.

I can't recall if I have ever taken it in for service and waited. Don't think so. Have to schedule the appointment to coincide with his schedule, but never a problem.

No charge of course.

The dealer is reasonable
 

You have to consider the expense on the dealer's part, and no, their labor rate does not cover the driver. Imagine, the cost of a car , and how many cars are needed to pick up how many people, when a round trip tp pick you up is probably 80 minutes. How many cars can they have, all of them being depreciated by time and miles, plus insurance, plus gas, plus pay the driver. In your case, he picks up 4 to 8 customers that day.
They give you a loaner; it does not have to be a Benz. -Paul T