Change of Policy on Tesla Ranger Service

[mknox]

Well, it has been a while since I last posted an update on our service experience. It has been a very... interesting... experience to say the least.

Wow. I really think that Tesla is going to have to suck it up and enter into some sort of dealership arrangement for vehicles that are outside of a certain radius from a Tesla Service Center. This is just not sustainable. Your example is extreme, but I'd bet there are lots of stories like this with folks maybe just a hundred or so miles from a Service Center, which also has to be costing Tesla a lot.

 

[Doug_G]

It's simply what they have to do to bootstrap entering new market areas. When I got my Roadster there was one service guy in all of Canada, and he spent a lot of time traveling.

 

[mknox]

It's simply what they have to do to bootstrap entering new market areas. When I got my Roadster there was one service guy in all of Canada, and he spent a lot of time traveling.

I think it was a different world then. There were only a relative handful of Roadsters in Canada. If the Model 3 sells like Tesla hopes, they can't possibly afford to handle servicing the way they do for @NetZero right now. Either they'll have to limit sales into geographic areas that they can realistically service or find some sort of servicing partnership model with a <gasp> existing dealer network.

 

[dsm363]

They might have to set a limit on how far Rangers will go at that fixed price.

 

[reddy]

I have to add my Ranger experience, even though it's not as dramatic as NetZero.

I had one of the handles quit retracting reliably.

I am in Amarillo, TX , about 350 miles from the closest service center, which is in Dallas.

Tesla sent out a Ranger. He scheduled an appointment for morning , said it would take about 4 - 5 hours because not only were they working on the handle, but they would be installing the titanium shield under the car, replacing a 12v battery, and several other annual items.

I had assumed the Ranger was driving up. No, he flew here on Southwest Airlines. He then rented a car, drove to FedEx where Tesla had sent all the tools and parts necessary for the expected repairs, and then drove to my home.

He was super nice, and did everything in my own garage. He left in about 4 hours back to FedEx to send his tools back home, then went back to the airport to return to Dallas.

When I tell my friends thinking about Tesla, what the service experience is like in a remote location, they are amazed. So far 4 of them have bought a Tesla.

 

[dalalsid]

Tesla really needs Tesla certified repair shops. Just give those tools away and train selected shops wherever they have significant customers but no service presence.

 

[>NetZero]

I do think Tesla Certified Repair Shops is the way to go. They can even be picky in selecting a service shop to work with in each city. For example, there is a local business here that sells, and services electric vehicles. They have a beautiful service shop (Tesla-esque) and have technicians trained to service Nissan Leafs, Chevy Volts, etc. They had their guys fly to attend the training courses to becoming trained to service each specific vehicle. Tesla could do the exact same. They could offer courses 2-4 times per year to get people trained up. Tesla could look into the shops on a case by case basis to ensure they have the right equipment available and if not suggest to them that they need to get X, Y and Z before they can be certified.

People talk about how Tesla Service is different in that it doesn't aim to create profit. Thats fine for all of the people close to Tesla SCs. But I know from our own experience, we wold not mind paying say 15-20% more for service, if the service could actually be done locally as oppose to have the vehicle transported 2000 km to Montreal.

I know there are lots of other details that would have to be worked on, but I hope Tesla is at least looking into this option.

 

[Doug_G]

Tesla sent out a Ranger. He scheduled an appointment for morning , said it would take about 4 - 5 hours because not only were they working on the handle, but they would be installing the titanium shield under the car, replacing a 12v battery, and several other annual items.

LOL Montreal service said the shield could only be installed at the service center. I even offered them the use of my lift. Seems they don't like sending Rangers if they can send a Valet.

 

[Mayhemm]

First of all, it's a tremendous relief that Tesla took care of you in the end, >NetZero. As someone in similar geographic isolation from Tesla services, I was greatly concerned by your plight and what it meant for people like us going forward. Considering how they tried to screw you over a couple times as well as the positive final outcome, what are your overall feelings now regarding Tesla Service?

I do think Tesla Certified Repair Shops is the way to go. They can even be picky in selecting a service shop to work with in each city. For example, there is a local business here that sells, and services electric vehicles. They have a beautiful service shop (Tesla-esque) and have technicians trained to service Nissan Leafs, Chevy Volts, etc. They had their guys fly to attend the training courses to becoming trained to service each specific vehicle. Tesla could do the exact same. They could offer courses 2-4 times per year to get people trained up. Tesla could look into the shops on a case by case basis to ensure they have the right equipment available and if not suggest to them that they need to get X, Y and Z before they can be certified.

Tesla really needs Tesla certified repair shops. Just give those tools away and train selected shops wherever they have significant customers but no service presence.

It was my understanding that Tesla already has certified repair shops but they are still relatively rare due to the high cost of entry (sending someone to California for training, plus about $100K in equipment).

The problem I see with this model is that the certified shops know they're the only game in town so there's the risk of them boosting the repair costs (and who's going to say differently because nobody else can get parts), then the insurance rates will skyrocket because of the insanely high repair bills. :scared: :cursing:

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Collision repair shops are different from service shops, aren't they? Yes, certified Tesla collision repair shops exist but not certified service shops.

 

[mibaro2]

One thing Tesla might be worried about is that the certified shops would fix one thing and either not fix it correctly (so customer experience is diminished ) or fix one thing and break another by accident. Tesla is still learning how to fix things themselves (like the inverter replacements).

So if Tesla wants to go it alone, they better start opening up a lot more shops and training people now. (thinking now that even if Tesla lost money on a partnership with service centers, it wouldn't be as bad a 10k or the cost of flying rangers all over the place.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Your experience with trying to get your bumper cover repainted is the opposite of what I experienced. The Boston area service center (which serves Vermont) told me that they will allow non-authorized body shops to do repairs and purchase parts, as long as the damage does not involve anything structural. Repainting a rear bumper cover would certainly fall into this category. I had mine repainted last spring for a fraction of the cost of using an authorized body shop.

I'm not sure exactly what the policy is now regarding ranger visits, but owners who purchased the optional service plan seem to be getting free ranger visits—at least during the warranty period, and possibly beyond. When I purchased my P85 in 2012, the service plan cost $600/year and included the $600 annual service. To me, that made it a no-brainer. I know that the terms of the service plan have changed somewhat since then, but it still might be worth having.

The change in policy on ranger visits is disappointing, but not surprising. If you read the warranty carefully, you may find that Tesla left this option open, just in case the free ranger visits became financially impractical. It might have been nice for them to grandfather in the terms of the warranty for existing owners, as they do with the service plan, but in the end economic necessity may rule.

 

[>NetZero]

What are your overall feelings now regarding Tesla Service?

Overall I would say we pleased. Pleased to the point that if someone else in NL was looking to purchase a new Tesla, I could genuinely recommend it. AS LONG AS they had it in a written contract that they would not be on the hook for the crazy service costs associated with ranger visits and/or transporting a vehicle to Montreal. I'm not sure if Tesla would even offer this to new buyers or not, but without it no one living 1000+ km away from a SC can justify it.

Other things that we were not pleased with:
- We were told three times that the Eastern Canada Regional Manager for service was going to contact us directly. We never heard from him in the end.
- We found that it was quite a while between any work actually being done until we received a Summary of Service document to see what they actually did. I know they must be busy but waiting 5 days seemed like an prolonged time.
This is the big one though:
- Tesla Service made several decisions logistically that made things cost more. Examples: 1. We had a little moisture in our reverse lights. It was not a big deal to us but wanted to let Tesla know that it was a problem. We told them it was a problem that we could wait to fix next time the car went to Montreal or if down the road a Ranger has to come for another reason. But without even getting our approval, they arranged a dedicated ranger visit to fix moisture in a reverse light. 2. Transporting the vehicle from St. John's to Montreal could have been easier. We believe it should have been transported via container ship right from the St. John's port to Montreal. Having us drive it 2 hours to put it on a very, then pay 2 Tesla employees to drive down from Montreal to pick it up and bring it back was much more expensive then the other option. This would have also negated another Ranger visit when they came to fix the corroded cable to make the car drivable again. We could have managed to get it onto the container ship and Tesla could have picked it up in a flat bed in Montreal and brought it to their SC.

The problem I see with this model is that the certified shops know they're the only game in town so there's the risk of them boosting the repair costs (and who's going to say differently because nobody else can get parts), then the insurance rates will skyrocket because of the insanely high repair bills. :scared: :cursing:

What about if all the invoices and costs went through Tesla and all work would have to be pre-approved by Tesla before any local certified shop could start. This way Tesla can still remain somewhat in control and help ensure customers are getting a good experience.

 

[Mayhemm]

Collision repair shops are different from service shops, aren't they? Yes, certified Tesla collision repair shops exist but not certified service shops.

You are absolutely right on this. For some reason I keep equating body shops with repair shops in my head. No excuse.

What about if all the invoices and costs went through Tesla and all work would have to be pre-approved by Tesla before any local certified shop could start. This way Tesla can still remain somewhat in control and help ensure customers are getting a good experience.

That may work on paper, but in practice I can see repair jobs being substantially held up by having yet another link in the chain. I got a taste of this when I had to deal with Tesla, their body shop, and my insurance company. Body shop couldn't touch the car without permission from the insurance company, then had to wait on Tesla to authorize and send parts. And the insurance company wouldn't give their okay until they familiarized themselves with Tesla's policies (basically took a crash course). It ended up taking two months to complete bodywork that should have taken a week.

 

[neroden]

Overall I would say we pleased. Pleased to the point that if someone else in NL was looking to purchase a new Tesla, I could genuinely recommend it. AS LONG AS they had it in a written contract that they would not be on the hook for the crazy service costs associated with ranger visits and/or transporting a vehicle to Montreal. I'm not sure if Tesla would even offer this to new buyers or not, but without it no one living 1000+ km away from a SC can justify it.

This is the underlying problem.

* Tesla has to open a lot more service centers to geographically cover the continent.
* Tesla has to offer free ranger service for people who are outside range of the service centers. ('Outside the range' should mean unable to drive to the service center in, say, 2 hours. For now, I'd say >125 miles is 'outside the range' for S60 owners in the snowbelt, and > 175 miles is 'outside the range' for S85 owners in the snowbelt. Outside the snowbelt, >260 miles would be 'outside the range' of an S85. Once more Superchargers are deployed, longer distances might be applicable.)
* Tesla has to offer free ranger service whenever the car is not driveable, for everyone. For a full 8 years. This should be infrequent enough that it should be cheap to offer.

 

[mspohr]

This is the underlying problem.

* Tesla has to open a lot more service centers to geographically cover the continent.
* Tesla has to offer free ranger service for people who are outside range of the service centers. ('Outside the range' should mean unable to drive to the service center in, say, 2 hours. For now, I'd say >125 miles is 'outside the range' for S60 owners in the snowbelt, and > 175 miles is 'outside the range' for S85 owners in the snowbelt. Outside the snowbelt, >260 miles would be 'outside the range' of an S85. Once more Superchargers are deployed, longer distances might be applicable.)
* Tesla has to offer free ranger service whenever the car is not driveable, for everyone. For a full 8 years. This should be infrequent enough that it should be cheap to offer.

... and a pony!

 

[neroden]

... and a pony!

Well, a pony might be cheaper to maintain.

Anyway, yes, Tesla MUST do these things if they want to sell cars. Otherwise the word of mouth will get out pretty quickly -- "don't buy a Tesla if you're too far from the nearest Service Center -- just don't". And that's not a good thing for the brand.

 

[mspohr]

Well, a pony might be cheaper to maintain.

Anyway, yes, Tesla MUST do these things if they want to sell cars. Otherwise the word of mouth will get out pretty quickly -- "don't buy a Tesla if you're too far from the nearest Service Center -- just don't". And that's not a good thing for the brand.

Everyone buying any car always considers the distance to the dealer. Where I live, it's an hour drive to the closest car dealer of any brand and 1.5 hours to Tesla service. I considered that information when I bought the car. I came to the conclusion that that was a reasonable distance. (It also helped that there is a SuperCharger 30 minutes from my home.) I drive to the Tesla service when I need service and they are nice enough to give me a loaner if it will be a long time.
I don't expect any car dealer to provide free ranger type service to my home. If someone bought a Tesla and it came with a contract where Tesla agreed to provide ranger service for free, that's an extra bonus but I don't know anyone who has that contract. Some people may feel entitled to free ranger service but that's not a contract.
For most of us, we just have to deal with the service center being some distance from our houses just like any other car.
If someone is a large distance from Tesla service, they may not want to buy the car now and they may want to wait until there is closer service or they may decide that they will pay for ranger service. I don't think Tesla is that desperate now to sell cars that it needs to promise ranger service to everyone everywhere. Tesla seems to be able to sell as many cars as it can make without offering free ranger home service to everyone so I don't think they MUST offer these services. The distance to the service center is not a secret to anyone so no need to hide it and we don't need to worry about the "secret" getting out.

 

[Mayhemm]

The thing is, Tesla DID promise Ranger service as part of their big, "Revolutionizing Service" announcement a year or so ago. It was clearly outlined that they would send a Ranger to customers living far away from service centers for a flat $100 fee over and above any other associated repair costs. Or one could purchase the "anywhere" service plan, which included UNLIMITED Ranger visits. That Tesla has quietly removed reference to this program without telling anyone does not change the fact that they DID offer it, and led far-flung prospective customers (like myself) to expect a certain level of service and the assurance that Tesla would have their back in case of trouble.

I don't think it is unreasonable to request that Tesla publicly clarify their new policy on long-distance service and perhaps even offer compensation of some sort to customers who were misled into relying on this ill-conceived experiment that did not even exist for 3 years before becoming unsustainable (especially those who purchased the Anywhere service plan).

 

[Doug_G]

When I first got my Roadster, Tesla decided to charge $1 Canadian per km for Ranger service. I went to bat on that, pointing out that they were advertising $1 per mile, and this was 60% more expensive than advertised. Tesla ultimately adjusted their prices to be more in line with the US rates.

When I bought my Model S in December 2012, I purchased that "Anywhere Service" plan for an extra $100 per year. I was, for once, clever enough to sign up for a full eight years - I was worried that it would increase in price. Didn't even think it might go away altogether. (Not sure the extended service plan itself is a good deal... but given the amount of service I've had its way better than paying per visit.)

At this point dropping the plan is a disincentive to upgrade to a P85D. A friend of mine did, and was very annoyed to discover afterwards that he could no longer get the Anywhere Service plan. Won't be a huge big deal in a year or so (caveat - measured in Tesla time) when a store / service center opens in Ottawa, but in the meantime he's rather disappointed. He said he wouldn't have done the upgrade if he'd realized.