Service experiences at dealerships. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Ashman · #1 03-19-2007, 12:45 PM

Hi al, Just wanted to know what everyone's experiences are with dealerships working on your cars. I am not really interested in any aspect other than the service advisor, what they told you, how they handled your problem, etc etc.

The reason I ask is that I am in training to be a service advisor, and I think it would be a great benefit to be able to hear about peoples experiences and what they think would have made it a better experience.

I don't just want to hear the horror stories, I do want to hear about the good experiences too.

I would prefer only mb dealer experiences, but you can give me experiences from other manufacturer dealers too.

In case anyone is wondering, I will be working as a service advisor for mercedes. I am in training right now in bloomingdale, il which is the chicago area. If anyone is interested in meeting up on a weekend that is in the area, I would be happy to meet up, that is even though I don;t have a car with me.

Thanks,

Alon

P.S. I am very excited at the prospect of this new job, I think it is a god fit for me, and I look forward to being able to not only work with mercedes, but also to be able to help people. I know dealerships typically have bad reputations, but I am hoping to change that by doing the job as best I can.

My new job should start april 9th, and I will be working for Mercedes-Benz of Encino, which was formerly auto steigler mercedes-benz.

thorsen · #2 03-19-2007, 02:07 PM

What is the big Mercedes warehouse in Bloomingdale/Carol Stream? It is just north of Rte 64. I drove past it yesterday and never knew it was there.

Zeus · #3 03-19-2007, 03:16 PM

Hey Alon,

Congrats on the upcoming career!

My dealings with MB dealerships have been limited, but by far my most upfront memory or experience is one of the dealerships' seemingly omnipresent 'aloof' attitude.

The few times I've gone, I've had the feeling that I was an irritant to the service advisor. The welcomes were neutral at best, certainly not welcoming or even just courteous.

An example is when I recently approached two dealerships in my city about a service campaign that MB Canada had issued for my E430 (door frame rust). Neither had heard of it and I practically had to argue the point and show them the print out I had of the actual campaign. It was ridiculous. I showed one of them (service advisor) the print out, he looked at it and said "Where'd you get this?" Which -

a) is none of his business and,
b) is his business to know about the campaigns, not ask customers about them.

So...only negatives to contribute at this time, sorry. The only positive I can add is that at the first dealership, the regular service guy (who was not able to help me directly) took my name and number and told me the manager would contact me. The manager did, though it took a couple of days, and he basically added there was nothing they could do for me.

So...if I could add anything it would be that a polite and positive attitude goes a long way in beginning and nurturing a business partnership. Perhaps Mercedes cars sell themselves but I certainly won't be returning to either dealership for any service. I'll stick to my independent tech - who often goes out of his way to help me and who has always been courteous - since day one.

C.

iwrock · #4 03-19-2007, 03:31 PM

I have dealt with many good service advisors and many bad service advisors.

There is an older guy that has been with Mercedes for years. He is very polite, and somehow is able to remember us almost every time we go in. Well, the SL600 had a problem with the ADS. It had been in for service for almost 3 times, and all three times we had brought it up with a full tank of gas and picked it up with half a tank. Well, we brtought it up and the old guy was working. He remembered that the car had been in multiple times, and instead of stalling and saying that they were doing everything in their power to get it fixed, he admitted that they could just not figure it out. He appologiised and was very, very polite! He also made sure that we would recieve the car with the same amount of gas that we brought it in with, and he also made sure that the car was nice and clean when we picked it up.

This made my dad and I feel alot better, as the guy was polite and made sure that we felt good when we left. This made a good impression, and now when my dad and I bring our cars into the dealer for warranty work/recalls/stuff that my indy cannot do, we are sure that he is working, and that we catch him!

So Ashman, be one polite SOB! It will save you hours of headache and frustration when people are yelling at you. People always take the first impression of the people that they talk to, and think that its how the company conducts business. Plus, you may build up a client base of people that will only deal with you, and that can work to an advantage.

BENZ-LGB · #5 03-19-2007, 03:48 PM

Hey Alon, nice to see you post.

Are the rumors true that you are a recent new Dad.

If so, congrats.

If not, then sue the guy spreading the rumors!

As you know, I take my Benzes to Enrique for service. The only one we still take to the dealer is the Starmarked C320.

My advisor there is a great guy.

You know what makes him a great guy?

He makes me feel special. He never makes me feel like he is doing me a favor. He always seems to be glad to see me walk through the door.

It may be all an act, but it is a pretty good act!

If you make your customers feel special, then you will never go wrong.

Good luck in your new line of work.

Can we now hit you up for discounts on Benz parts?

BENZ-LGB · #6 03-19-2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

Perhaps Mercedes cars sell themselves...

They no longer sell themselves.

Too much competition.

Glitzy sales brochures and cool TV ads may bring the customers in.

A great service department keeps them coming back.

I agree with everything else you wrote.

TheDon · #7 03-19-2007, 04:12 PM

I have had 100% good service

I went in to get my alignment.. My SA told me I was next in line after two hours he came to me and said the last car was taking longer than expected as it had been in an accident so he told me to come back friday and he will get me on the rack even if their is a car already on it.. So I went back, strolled the lot.. got to play with a new CLS and scope out the new bluetecs... The vw dealership (its a 4 brand type place) was interesting as well..

I strolled over to the garage where my car was being worked on and asked if I could watch and the tech said sure he complimented me on my car and how well I take care of it. Took it for a test and it was good as new.

They washed my car, left me a bottled water(chilled) on the seat since ya know.. W123's dont have cup holders... Only thing is they did not straighten my hoodstar after washing it.. I stared at the grill until the guy that drove it to me noticed and fixed it.

Funny thing was that the kid moving cars couldnt get mine started.. he had to be 18.. I was playing with the S65 AMG V-12 when I hear..
Will the owner of a grey 300D please come to the service desk..They couldnt start my car.. I was like you have to have a special touch. (really just have the key a smidgen out)... thank god I didnt have a w115 with a gorilla knob..

But all in all Central Fl eurocars is a good place. I recomended surf n turf their for his alignment

dynalow · #8 03-19-2007, 04:54 PM

Alon,

I have all my work service done by the local MB dealership.
My service advisor, or representative, is a long time employee there. He also happens to live in my area. I live about 30 miles from the dealership, so he shuttles it back and forth and leaves his MB if I need it. I am quite satisfied with him and the service I get. I have never had to just drop in or get towed to a strange dealership.

What I appreciate most is the visual inspection the car gets from the techs and having him drive the car to feel, listen and sense things I might miss.
Last time, for instance, they noticed a wee bit of oil leaking around the front crank seal. Told me to keep an eye on it. When he has the car and things come up which were unexpected, he always calls me to discuss before going ahead. Things like a flex coupling for instance. It's wearing out, should be replaced, cost is... etc.

Now I'm in an old 300CE, pretty low on his client food chain, as far as the car goes. But he doesn't make me feel that way, and that's important.

All together, the experience I have with him is very good. And he is my only POC with the dealership.

Good Luck.

BenzOnline · #9 03-19-2007, 05:52 PM

Only issue I had with ALL MB dealers in Toronto was their snob (you're lower than US) attitudes....enough for me to get back into my car and think that it was too good for me and I didnt deserve to touch it.

Alon, I still have you on MSN....so nice to see now that I'll have a service advisor of MB on my MSN! You'll do a good job for sure.

Hatterasguy · #10 03-19-2007, 07:08 PM

My advice would to to just be nice and to not BS your customers. A lot of MB owners are business people and we don't want to be BS'd with.

I have used MB of North Haven and they have always treated me well, the SA was friendly and helpfull.

One mistake some dealers make is they treat the people with older cars poorly. Which costs them business because just because I have a 20 year old car today, doesn't mean that next year I may want to buy a new E350.

For example the PO on my 300SD bought his new S430 from a dealer because they treated him well when he brought the old 300SD in. And this year he is thinking about buying an S550 from the same dealer. If a SA had pissed him off they would have lost two new S class sales.

Ashman · #11 03-20-2007, 08:33 AM

Thank you all for the information, I am al about treating a customer properly and not treating anybod poorly.

For me it is all about the customer.

I am really enjoying reading the experiences people have had, and I feel they will help me to really undersatnd what people want out of an experience.

The fact that the canada dealership did not know about a service campaign is inexcusable, they can easily find this out and rather than say where did you get this or we know nothing about it, they could have simply taken a few minutes to look it up.

As far as being treated as being a lessor person for any reason that is not acceptable, people should all be treated the same, regardless of if they are a c class owner, if they own a 20 or 30 year old car, or even if they have a brand new s-class.

Can I also ask what gave someone the impression that a service advisor did not care, just based on what your impression was of their non-verbal communication, things like eye contact, body language, the way they stood, were their hands in their pockets etc etc.

And yes I am a new dad, My Son benjamin is 3 months old, and is getting bigger everyday. he is also developing very fast mentally.

I have not seen him since feb 18, since he is in Mexico with my fiancee and family while I am in the chicago area.

Please kep this thread going, I think it is going to be invaluable to learn from everyone's experiences. I know I can trust that you will not sugar coat it and give me an honest accounting of your experiences.

Thanks again, I'll keep checking in as I can.

Alon

jlomon · #12 03-20-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

My dealings with MB dealerships have been limited, but by far my most upfront memory or experience is one of the dealerships' seemingly omnipresent 'aloof' attitude.

My experience has been very similar, for the most part. There was one time, however, that stand out in my mind as an example of both good and bad customer service. I had my oil changed at an MB Express. I don't know if you have the same concept in the US, but it is an MB service facility dedicated to services that can be performed in a maximum of two hours. You can actually drive up without an appointment if you want to take your chances. Anyways, after the oil change I drove home and noticed that the idle was pulsing quite strongly. I called the dealer and spoke to my service advisor, who is ordinarily very service-oriented. He told me that I could bring the car back to be looked at, but he was certain that nothing involved in an oil change could cause the idle problem. He made me feel a little stupid for even suggesting it. This was the bad part of the experience.

I brought the car back, the technician looked at it and saw the vaccum line he knocked loose when removing the oil filter (on the M104), reconnected it, and voila, problem solved. Of course, I was a little testy with the service advisor because of the attitude he had taken with me. Here comes the good part: to his credit, not only did he apologize for how he handled the situation, but he also had his manager call me afterwards because he felt that I left the facility dissatisfied with the service I received. I didn't ask to speak to the manager, he did this on his own initiative. I definitely gave him points for proactively bringing his manager's attention to what happened, as well as for being professional enough to apologize for his mistake.

So the lesson I hope he learned from that was to not pre-judge a situation and to err on the side of caution when dealing with a customer. I don't get service any more at a dealer, I found a trusted indy MB specialist who I rely on now. I never wanted the dealer to kiss my ass or fawn over me. I just wanted to be treated with a degree of respect as a customer who was spending a great deal of money in the establishment.

John Doe · #13 03-20-2007, 02:52 PM

I only read the initial post, so here is my experience I hope I am not repetitive: When my wife was in law school, she had a 190E 2.6 and was still on the parental dole (prior to our marriage). If the windshield wiper blade needed replacing, to the dealer it went and the bill went to daddy and he paid them and never even knew it. When I sold the car several years later, I got all the service receipts and for the most part they were reasonable and no unnecessary fishing type crap you would expect when you know the bill is going to be paid by a guy who owns a lot of MBs, lives out of State and can't complain in person ect.......Dealer changed hands and I buy another MB in 2000. All of the prior service guys left to start independant shops and there was a fresh crop of new MB tech graduates because the new owner was an absentee owner with a quesitonable reputation. I took my diesel there one time. I asked them to check certain things (I learned from Gilly on another site and from this one) and they guys did all sorts of unecessary diagnostics and spent alot of time on things I didn't request. They charged me for the privilege and didn't fix the problem. I took it to one of the old mechs next who is now an Indie and we are together after 7 years

He did what I asked him to do--no more no less.

Only advice I can offer is that unless under warranty, this isn't a situationn where an insurance company is going to foot the bill for an MRI, ECG, Cat Scan, ect.....so if a customer says he has done some research, check this first before doing anything else and let me know--I would use that dealership rather than my local one.

dannym · #14 03-20-2007, 03:37 PM

I only used the dealer once in Fern Park, Florida. I went there for an alignment. Everyone there was courtious and professional. They drove me to work and picked me up when it was done. I wouldn't have any problems going there again.

The only issue I would have is the kid who brought me the car didn't know how to start it. He didn't know it was a diesel or if he knew didn't know enough to glow it. I didn't really like hearing it crank for so long.

Danny

gatorblue92 · #15 03-21-2007, 09:17 PM

the only time i have ever needed to get anything done at the dealer was when i went to get a mississippi inspection sticker at bert allen in gulfport... the assclown would not inspect my 30 year old car because i didnt buy it there... went down the street to my ford dealer and they did it