KenTO

I just wanted to share with you why I think BMW still has the best dealership program. The following is an email I have sent to Acura Canada based on my experiences at their dealer. As of yet, I have recieved no reply:

I was in your dealership a few days ago because my wife's Acura needed service. I currently own a 2002 BMW 530 and I want to purchase a new vehicle. The cars I am currently looking at are the BMW 545, new RL and Audi A6.

I want to comment on the poor service at your dealership. I was in the showroom for over an hour and not one person asked if I needed any help. And it was not because the salesman were too busy. The showroom was empty, and during my time there only one other customer showed up. When I finally get someone's attention they then asked the most junior salesperson to help, and his command of English was not very good. I was ignored and not taken seriously. How do you seriously expect to sell cars with this type of service?

I was very turned off. If Acura wishes to compete with BMW and Mercedes you have to really improve the quality of your service. Even the help at the Service area was mediocre at best. The lone bright spot was the receptionist at the service desk, who was very friendly and pleasant.

This experience contrasts with my experience at BMW Toronto. My service experience for my 530 has always been excellent. I went there after my experience at Acura to look at their new vehicles. While there, a salesman approached me in a very friendly way, and was eager to show me the car I was interested in. He was very professional and took me seriously. They also didn't keep all their cars locked up. I made a deal on a 2005 BMW 545 within an hour. I paid $ 8, 000 more than a similar Acura RL, but I thought it was worth it.

I work in a hospital, and many of my colleagues drive luxury cars (BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, etc.). I commented on my poor experience at your dealership.

If Acura wants to improve its image, you cannot continue to sell cars like this. Perhaps I was ignored because I am young (35 y.o.), and the salesmen thought I couldn't afford an RL. You should see every customer as a potential sale. My colleague (an emergency doctor) also owns a farm and told me after a day working on his farm and looking dirty, he and his wife happened to go out looking for a car. They went to a Mercedes dealership. He said the salesman he met there approached him and didn't judge him. My friend purchased a new SL500 for his wife right there. He is now so loyal to his salesman he just went back and purchased a new G500 from the same person.

Because of my experience at your dealership, you lost a potential sale of an RL. Professionals like me (Doctors, Lawyers, etc.) value service. Once we get poor service we don't go back.

alohalc

i'm with you, kento. very well said . i've experienced the same when i was in bmw dealer but treated differently when i was in m.benz . but i'm just wondering, how did they know you want to get a rl? many of their customers are young and looking for rsx or tsx. they still need to sell them cars. if the young buyers have the same service, i think that dealer has file chapter 11 very soon .

Hormazd

It has nothing to do with the brand!

I went to 4 Los angeles BMW dealers before I bought my 545i. Each one of them treated me with the same disdain that you were shown at the Acura dealer. They are all independent businessess whose culture is a reflection of the upper management.

I bought from the 5th, Bob Smith BMW in Calabassas.

soc_fans

Well, i had the same situation as you though. When i was in a dealer with my bunch of friends, the salesman will not even bother about us. They thought teenagers are not serious on buying. However, when i was with my parents, the people will be very friendly to me. Strange but true though.

skaffa

BMW dealers seem to be like all human: there is all kind. I got good service from my dealer and like others in here also looked other options.

BMW, I bought it!
MB, they ignored me
Ford, spend good half an hour, no one sshowed up
Volvo, quiet, oh so quie
Audi, good, like BMW

Skaffa

yogibear458

KenTO - which Acura Dealer did you go to??

I had an Acura 3.2 CL Type S before. The sales experience was quite good actually. Both the salesman and the sales manager were friendly, and no B/S and sincerely thank me for the business. But the service department of that dealership was really bad. I guess, Acura has that kind of attitude because there are only a few dealerships in Toronto. I think there are more BMW dealers than Acura. And Infiniti is worse!!!!! because they have even less dealership in toronto.

I went back for a creaking seatback 3 times. Luckily on the 3rd try, the owner of the dealership was "working the floor" and we came over to chat. He got the service manager, the shop floorman out... and it was fixed very quickly !!!

I then started to go to Downtown Acura for service and they are much better.

Toronto BMW is nice. I bought mine at Town & Country where they have young girl walking floor to greet people as they come in .... but I noticed she doesn't "greet" the younger potential buyers.

Service is king in today's world. Well you spend that kind of money on a car, you expect quality service and respect. I bought my 2nd VW (GTI 1.8T ) yesterday from the same place I bought my Jetta 1.5years ago. Really nice people, all department managers know me - I go there to have their service manager to modify my Jetta. A modified 1.8T still puts a grin my face every time I drive it... even driven back to back with the 545i. No kidding.

KenTO

I was at Acura North Toronto. I think the point I was making was that even though they didn't know I was going to buy an RL, they still didn't treat me well.

My experience may have been affected by who owns the dealerships. BMW Toronto is owned by BMW itself, it is not an independant dealer. The same is true of all the Mercedes dealerships in Toronto. I think the training at these places is probably different, ie., they also have to promote the corporate image. Acura dealerships are owned by individual owners.

Of all the cars I have owned, BMW seemed to be the one most concerned about their service rating, they were always asking me about the service and I would always recieve a phone or mail survey.

The Acura dealership appeared certainly less professional to me. I have read the edmunds.com article by the reporter who went undercover as a car salesman. What he wrote seemed to apply more to the Acura dealership.

Nevertheless, from reading of others experiences, this is an area that car manufacturers and dealerships can certainly improve on. Think about the lost potential profits.

By the way, my MY2005 has a production date of mid-November, and like many of you, I am dying of anticipation. I actually have dreams of driving my new car.

Tim C

Exactly.

roost

In searching for my BMW samething I ware shorts and t-shirts But have a very sucusful business I could not get some dealers to unlock a door so I could sit in one. I bought my car over the internet and did not see a salesman until 1 month into the order

CRRobert

I actually went into a Acura dealership the other day just to look at the new RL. I was treated well, with an offer for a Test drive. The salesman was helpful and friendly.

I also had good treatment from my BMW dealer. He must have thought that I was some guy who could not afford a BMW, but he figured that one day I might, and treated me as such. I ordered mine through him.

I did go to a MB dealership and had to what a long time before anyone would help me.

As said before, it depends on the dealer, not the brand.