monk134

I have purchased two cars from my dealer in the past 3 years and I just don't feel like I get the service that I should. It's the little things like never returning my phone calls or emails, even before the sale. Not being very friendly when I?m at the dealership. I guess that is because I?m only 27 and do not fit the typical BMW driver. So I guess they feel like I?m not worth talking too.
One little thing was when I purchased my 525xi from the dealership I didn't get a key chain. No big deal right? I called 10 times and had to go through a service guy to get it. When I finally received one in the mail two days later it broke. So I had to send it in for the warranty. I guess there is a warranty on 20.00 key chains. A week later I had received my key chain back. I had talked to so many people I ended up getting another one from the dealership. It's the little things that bother me. I don't know if I?m too picky but I didn't buy a Honda or Toyota. I just don't like the feel of that place. They never seem to go out of their way to do anything for me.

What are your feelings and experiences with your dealership? Good bad?

Ray Hull

I find BMW dealers are human and seem to come in various personalities. You can take em or leave em.

What I absolutely loathe though is their cheesy references and begging for a high score from you when BMWNA calls to check up. I am not afraid to speak my mind to these callers, (since we are paying for the service we get, as well as the survey service). As a result, some employees get snottier, others seem to respond to the honest criticism; as I said at the outset, they are human.

Ray Hull

znod

monk134, I know exactly what you are getting at. You'd like to be treated somewhat specially or at least average. Fortunately, I have a great dealer, and do feel that I get above and beyond service, friendliness, helpfulness, etc.

My approach to getting this kind of service starts with me and not the dealer. In other words, I try to be the kind of customer they are happy to see coming no matter how bad the circumstances. I never complain, but am firm if I need to be--letting them know when something goes wrong.

I buy accessories, etc., and get to know people at the parts personnel--including the parts manager. I think it is good to buy things from one's dealer even if I pay too much. But, you virtually always can get at least 10% off on accessories just by asking or being a member of the NA BMW club. Since I tend to buy a lot of accessories, Dinan parts, etc., I get to know the parts manager early on letting him know what is coming so I can get my discounts arranged ahead of times.

I talk to the service manager to get to know him, ask him some questions about my car that others have not been able to answer, tell him about my interests, and ask for help in choosing an up-the-pecking order, experienced SA that sounds right for me. I make sure that I have a good relationship with my SA in a variety of ways. You can't imagine how much time both, plus techs, spent on a recent issue with the wheels/tires I purchased from parts.

I even get to know the service schedulers. Then, for example, if I have a part coming in and am unsure when it will arrive, they let me make several appointment and then cancel the ones I don't need ASAP. In this regard, I always do exactly what I tell my dealer's personnel I am going to do.

I almost always am a waiter. I take work or play with me as I can work or play anywhere, and my dealer's waiting area is very comfortable. Being a waiter gives me time to talk to people and to get to know them. In this regard, I always find time to talk to my sales rep and his assistant--both of which are very helpful with the little things--e.g., I had floor mat problems. My salesperson just took my soiled floor mats mine and got new ones from "upstairs"--no paperwork, no questions, etc.

But, anyway, the point is that I take responsibility for creating the circumstances that will lead to above and beyond service rather that to expect it simply to be present. I think that what goes around comes around. So, I ways treat everyone at my dealership politely and with interest and respect. It has taken awhile to develop my sincerely felt techniques. Age 27 is a great time to start ensuring that you always have excellent dealership experiences. And, act their equal regardless of your age.

I always am happy to give 5's; I think I have earned them.

JStraw

I don't have the same unfortunate dealings with my dealer. My sales guy was very nice and patient with me - no sales pressure for any option or anything.

My one dealing with the SA at the same dealership was also good. He listened patiently to my issues with the car, made sure that everything was as I had asked for, etc...

Merv the Derv

My experience with the BMW dealerships in the UK that I've used is that they want every last penny from your pocket, they don't know much about the E60, they hardly respond to calls or e.mails and that they regard you as a fly trapped in their web. :thumbsdown:

He Ho roll on the BMW 540d triple turbo - I'll take one. They know they sell a great product and have got us all by the boll$%ks

P.S.B

i know exactly what your talkin about i am 19 and i almost had to throw a tantrum before my agent started callin me back and getting all the info i needed and even after that i had to call places and get the proper information

my530i

My dealer is Stevens Creek BMW. SA's were rude, and most of customers walk away to either Allison or Fremont BMW. For this reason, not many car comes for service nowadays, and SA are quite nice.
I hope Huck (GM of the dealer) needs to make sure that their SA are nice to customers so that they'll come back often.
I always be polite and friendly to SA, and one or two of them are still rude. I don't know why.

ipse dixit

This thread explains why car makers like Hyundai and Chevrolet outrank BMW in customer retention.

miss525i

I didn't get a key chain, was I supposed to?
I had the same experience with two BMW dealerships I dealt with
I believe the reason behind it is that BMW sells very well, and dealerships know it....the car sells itself. Their theory is--> if you don't buy it someone else will... and it's true am I right???

znod

ipse d ,I am not sure exactly what you are saying about the link. I don't see the "explains why" part. To me, the "why" would be why BMW customers are relatively less satisfied with BMW quality and service than are, for example, Chevrolet customers with Chevrolet quality and service. I think the why would be good to consider. So, I'll speculate some below. I emphasize the word, speculate, because I really don't "know" the why.

I suspect there are several issues that cause the difference. First, I think that regardless of the car, customers are going to have some "base-level" problems with, for example, engines, trannys, and air conditioners. I think that those who buy more expensive cars are less forgiving about these sorts of expected base-level problems because they pay significantly more for their cars. In many ways, paying more, I think, does not immunize one from these types of problems. And, I think that, for example, Chevrolet is doing a good job in keeping base-level problems low even if not as low as does BMW. And, in this regard, I think BMW owners are conditioned to believe that they should have few, if any, base-level problems, while Chevrolet owners expect such problems.

The second issue is the expected problems with ultra-high techness. That is, the luxury car manufacturers are building in considerably more high techness than, say, Chevrolet. And, being on the cutting edge is bound to be problematic, although some will pull the trick off more successfully than others. In this regard, BMW owners experience a great deal more frustration with ultra high techness than do, say, Chevrolet, owners. And, then price rears its head again. Many BMW owners think, unrealistically, that they should not have such problems because they pay more for cutting-edge cars.

With respect to satisfaction with actual service, I suspect that BMW's high techness results in more service frustrations for BMW owners than the problems that occur with Chevrolets and, thus, are more critical of their service encounters. I also think that BMW owners have much higher expectations about receiving excellent service than do Chevrolet customers. Thus, BMW owners are more frequently disappointed in their service experiences even if the experience are better than would have been experienced at Chevrolet.

On the issue of, say, BMW versus Lexus, two factors may be in play. First, I think that the Japanese are winning the high-tech dependability war and, thus, their cars actually are more reliable on the tech dimension. And, second, in many ways, Lexus service may be a tad nicer. When we got our X5, we sold our Lexus RX300. Both of the related dealerships are excellent. Below is my contrast between the two. Remember that I know that all Lexus dealers are not the same and that all BMW dealers are not the same.

BMW Dealer:
1. Limited donuts and unlimited excellent coffee and hot tea;
2. Invisible cost of service included in cost of car;
3. Nice area to wait and watch huge HD TV with computer stations near by; and
4. Customer taken to on-site Avis dealer to get a Mazda 6.

Lexus Dealer:
1. Unlimited excellent coffee, hot tea, donuts, other pasteries, muffins, sandwiches, cokes, iced tea, hot chocolate, etc., etc.;
2. Seemingly high service costs paid at time of service;
3. More comfortable, although not nicer, waiting area with nice HD TV and computer stations in the area;
4. Loaner provided at the dealership at least as good as the car being serviced.

I am betting that most customers realized that BMW service is not free and that the costs of BMW and Lexus service are similar. Given these basic understandings, I am betting the Lexus owners go away from their service adventures more satisfied on average than do BMW owners as a consequence some low-level creature comforts.