In 1990 I was told by a Lincoln marketing guy that Cadillac had poor quality and the customers liked it that way.

I found this statement incongruous, but Lincoln's marketing research among Cadillac owners showed they enjoyed taking their cars in for warranty repairs. This was because at the Caddy dealer they were 'Treated like Cadillac owners'.

Cadillac then focused on 'style' and not function to sell cars, and the average owner was not the type of person to play well with others. But they were willing to put up with poor quality as long as they received the respect they considered due.

Lincoln owners by and large hated to take their cars in for service as they had important things to do, but when they did they were all business and felt no need for an ego stroking. Lincoln owners were also identified as self-made people (Which I call self-making people. Who wants to stop working because you have 'made it'?) while Cadillac owner were normally people who had come into money through their family or other business connections; people who left on their own would likely drop out of the ranks of Cadillac owners.

I doubt that these comments would hold true today since neither brand is what it was twenty-two years ago, but can anyone confirm these comments based on their experiences from that time?

Now that's classic

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Not so fast.
Took my CTS to the dealer I leased it from this morning for an oil change & tire rotation. Car is 13 months old and 9500 miles. 2nd service. The first time in at 9:00 .Out at 9:35.
Today: In at 11:00. (appointment time) Out at 2:30.
Mr. M, your car is ready, handing me keys. It's at the end of the row outside.
Thank you, taking keys, looking at watch peevishly & heading for door.
Wait till I get the customer satisafaction survey.
The experience was made all the worse because I suffered through 3.5 hours of MSNBC. From listening to the NRA head DB to Ezra Klein and Andrea Mitchell, my head was ready to explode.

The funny thing is I was going to stop in at the MB dealer I pass by a few miles down the road from Caddy dealer and say hi to the service mgr. whose been taking care of my 300CE for 11 years. Wasting 3 hours killed that idea.

Taking cars to the dealer is a waste of time.

Mercedes Benz of New London does it right.

Your car is due for service and it disappears from the driveway, a loaner replaces it. Its serviced as you go about your day, the next day your car is back all clean and the loaner is gone.

That's service.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Service procedures have changed over the years, but I have never had any trouble at a Mercedes dealer. That being said, I sure many here know firsthand that not all Mercedes dealers are alike.

The last Caddy dealer I dealt with, for a friend's car, was very professional. She had been concerned about a power steering noise and asked if I could take the time to drop it by. The Advisor called a Tech right away who could not hear the noise, but then, neither could I. There was no charge, but I did get a nice key-ring with the dealers number imprinted.

But the original posting of this thread was about unreasonable customers. I don't have to put up with them now, but I ran into them in the past. I would just let them know that they were costing me more than they were worth and that if they did not trust my advice it was up to them to not take it.

But I am my own Boss, and I understand that policy must be made by management.

Could suggesting that a customer get a second opinion would be wise? I have done this and it normally results in customers coming back to me after being burned by someone else.

Wait till I get the customer satisafaction survey.


About fifteen years ago I purchased a Chevrolet Malibu. The experience was terrible. I made a cash offer and...... Well, there is no sense in repeating the facts here. Let's just say it was bad, and when I picked up the car two days later someone had lifted a few fuses out of it. I just stopped and bought a pack of fuses and replaced them.

The Dealer said a Customer Satisfaction Survey would come in the mail and that if I returned it to them they would give me a free tank of gas. I declined this offer, filled it out, and sent it in.

When the great GM dealer network purge came a few years ago the CSS was one of the factors GM used in deciding who to keep and who to let-go. Then I understood why the dealer I purchased the Malibu from was so eager to fill out my CSS themselves.

Carriage House?? Nice folks.

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

The leasing process last year and the first service appt. this year were both positive experiences in every way. Now, I have a premium service plan, all routine expenses covered. The place was not busy at all. Another customer who was there when I arrived left at the same time I did.
I don't know if they were all busy prepping Christmas deliveries, but that's still unsatisfactory service. In my opinion.
Last comment. I'm two miles down the road when I notice the passenger door mirror was still tucked in. Another CSS comment.

Ah, enough,

My MB dealer will pick up and deliver too, but you have to coordinate scheduling. And if you need a loaner, you'll get one if they are not all spoken for. I had a C-Sport and an E350 for loaners last year for 2 weeks each.

OT, anyone care to guess where the new $71,000 luxury Cadillac Escalade is assembled? Thing reminded me of a strech hummer with a bed in the back. How's Mexico grab you? Engine's country of origin? You guessed it. Mexco again. But, 66% of the manufactured parts are US origin. So, there's some UAW labor in it, but not 100%.

Oil colored.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

OK, what is the correct brand and viscosity of oil that is used for staining shirts and jeans?

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62 220sb
67 250S
72 280SE 4.5
74 280C
77 300D
82 240D
85 190E 2.3
86 300E RIP 12/28/09
85 300SD
92 300D 2.5
00 E320 Current
Over 1,000,000 miles in Benzes, Since66

....and a whole passel of BMW 2002 and Tii

Parents and schools keep cranking out kids being propagandized into thinking they deserve everything, for doing absolutely nothing, with no winners or losers and everyone gets an award just for showing up. These kids then grow up into whiny adults who think they deserve other people to pay their way. They then try to lie and cheat their way through life & wonder why they're unhappy.

Sadly, a service adviser is just one of a large group of working people who are often abused for absolutely no reason. The same person who tried to get you to give them a tire, engine, etc., that they had bought no insurance for, will leave your dealer, go to the grocery store Costco or Walmart, etc. and try the same thing with different things they have owned but failed to care for.

Speaking of MB, when I was selling parts for them I had a conversation with a owner one day & I casually asked how often he changed his oil. He actually laughed and said, "it cost $70,000+, I shouldn't have to do any maintenance on it." As you probably know, he was dead serious. I think about that story whenever I look at a used MB/Porsche/whatever.

Then they'll wonder why they don't have any friends...

Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better.

I missed this thread when it was new .

When I had my indie shop in the 1970's I always had some PIA Customers, I'd cut then a little bit of slack once or twice, reminding them as we went along that I was trying to help them and if they didn't feel they were getting dollar value to go elsewhere if we couldn't make things right .

Decades later I still get stopped in the street by ex Customers who said I was the only Mechanic they ever trusted .

When I worked for the dealer I saw the really bad ones driving the service advisor crazy, even though it's true they worked hard to up sell every job possible .

Thanx for the entertainment .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better