Its great that you can tell me what experience I have had personally, and click "disagree" when I state my own personal experiences.
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Customer Service [bad service center experience]
- Thread starter Niki Blue
- Start date
I can only speak to my own experience (very limited with tesla so far as its a new car). BMW service in my area is really horrible. 2 times at 2 different dealerships I brought my car in for an oil change. Called ahead and had a loaner reserved. Both times when I got there was told they don't have any loaners and I can either reschedule my appointment or wait as the service work is being done. I told them I was fine waiting as I had already driven 25 minutes out of my way to get to the dealership and they insured me the service would be quick. About 2 and a half hours later the work was finally done. Not a great experience. Another time I had my sunroof randomly explode outwards. Nothing around me while driving 60 down the highway. There are many class action lawsuits regarding this. I called my dealership and asked if I should contact BMW directly regarding this or if I should bring my car in. They said to bring it in and they would take a look. About a day and a half later I got a call from the service adviser saying the service manager looked at my car and said its not a defect and that something hit my sunroof. When I asked why it exploded outwards they had no explanation. I asked to talk to the service manager who refused to get on the phone. I then drove the dealership and camped him out. He said my car is pressurized like a plane and that's why it exploded outwards. When I told him that is complete BS he just left. Not saying this is typical but regardless of brand you can get good or bad experiences.
Only one I had with Tesla was a mobile service (which bmw won't do). Was super easy to setup through the app. I could move the location where service was taking place based on my work schedule changing. The tech called before they showed up. I didn't even have to go outside and the work was done and they called to let me know it was finished.
This is just my very limited experience and maybe if I have more issues with my tesla it will show weaknesses but from my experience BMW and tesla service is light years apart and not the direction you have experienced. Every area and person is going to have better or worse experiences. I have read and heard about horror stories with the sales process too but mine was amazing. Was in constant communication with the dealership as the sales process moved forward and never had any communication issues. Could be location based, luck of the draw, ect.
I have used that method as well to get to someone. They do not seem too happy when you do that but they will (at least my SC) try to help you. I do not blame the service employees as they are just doing their job. This is on Tesla for scaling so fast (great for them) but not scaling the SCs fast enough. They knew they had 300k reservations for cars and knew they needed to scale faster.
In NJ there are 3, just 3, SCs. I have no idea how many cars they have sold in NJ but even if they sold 50k cars in this state I do not think 3 SCs is enough to handle that and the prior Model S and X sales and now the exploding Model Y sales.
I think two things are going on here.
One, like @Apone said, Tesla wants the car to sell itself, so they haven’t focused on really building out the support around it. The cars are obviously amazing, so it mostly works...for now.
The other thing is that Tesla is oddly positioned. They’re not just a car manufacturer. They’re also a tech company. So while their service dept might be comparable to say, BMW...we’re also comparing them to, say, Apple.
Clearly, there are a lot of Apple fanboys in the world (I’m likely one of them). That’s not because iPhones are that much better than a Galaxy, or Note or a Pixel. Its not because AirPods sound amazing. It’s because of everything that Apple has built around their products. The ecosystem. The support. The seamless buying experience. It’s cliche, but everything really does just work. And when something breaks, there are solid processes in place to remediate the situation to the customers satisfaction.
That’s not Tesla right now. Again, the cars are amazing, but the buying experience, getting service, getting online support, it’s kind of janky TBH. People don’t really love Tesla. People love their Teslas. But what happens when Teslas aren’t as comparatively amazing? What happens in five years when say, Apple releases a semi-autonomous EV and surrounds it with world-class support and a robust ecosystem?
I think this is what we’re seeing. Tesla is consistently missing out on easy opportunities to solidifying it’s customer loyalty.
One, like @Apone said, Tesla wants the car to sell itself, so they haven’t focused on really building out the support around it. The cars are obviously amazing, so it mostly works...for now.
The other thing is that Tesla is oddly positioned. They’re not just a car manufacturer. They’re also a tech company. So while their service dept might be comparable to say, BMW...we’re also comparing them to, say, Apple.
Clearly, there are a lot of Apple fanboys in the world (I’m likely one of them). That’s not because iPhones are that much better than a Galaxy, or Note or a Pixel. Its not because AirPods sound amazing. It’s because of everything that Apple has built around their products. The ecosystem. The support. The seamless buying experience. It’s cliche, but everything really does just work. And when something breaks, there are solid processes in place to remediate the situation to the customers satisfaction.
That’s not Tesla right now. Again, the cars are amazing, but the buying experience, getting service, getting online support, it’s kind of janky TBH. People don’t really love Tesla. People love their Teslas. But what happens when Teslas aren’t as comparatively amazing? What happens in five years when say, Apple releases a semi-autonomous EV and surrounds it with world-class support and a robust ecosystem?
I think this is what we’re seeing. Tesla is consistently missing out on easy opportunities to solidifying it’s customer loyalty.
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I’ll add my experience to the mix, and I’m with the op. I really like the car, but service is something they really need to fix. If I don’t get another Tesla after this one, it’ll likely be for that reason.
The ordering experience was a nightmare - no idea when you’d get the car, then they just drop it off. Mine had physical damage (a dent) on it. I’m glad Elon has ambitious 4Q targets, but don’t throw your customers under the bus by sacrificing quality to rush stuff out. As a result, Elon gets to be the world’s richest man, I get to waste a week fixing obvious defects.
I’m actually happy with the folks in the service department, they’ve been very responsive, true to their word, and a pleasure to work with. They also answer the phone! But... Uber credits instead of loaners really sucks - especially in a pandemic. Thanks to that dent my car was delivered with, I’ve been Ubering to and from work every day this week so far as they fix it at a body shop. They did say they’d get me a loaner if my car isn’t ready by mid Friday, so at least I’ve got the weekend covered if things aren’t on schedule.
In this price range, I think it’s fair to compare Tesla with the Germans. Based on my experiences - BMW always gave me a loaner when I needed service, and that included oil changes. Porsche also gave me a loaner every time I brought the car in - even for oil changes. Heck, I once ran over a nail (technically my fault), brought my Porche in with no appointment on a flatbed to get the tire replaced, they were out of loaners - so they rented me a Mercedes on their dime. That’s service!
The ordering experience was a nightmare - no idea when you’d get the car, then they just drop it off. Mine had physical damage (a dent) on it. I’m glad Elon has ambitious 4Q targets, but don’t throw your customers under the bus by sacrificing quality to rush stuff out. As a result, Elon gets to be the world’s richest man, I get to waste a week fixing obvious defects.
I’m actually happy with the folks in the service department, they’ve been very responsive, true to their word, and a pleasure to work with. They also answer the phone! But... Uber credits instead of loaners really sucks - especially in a pandemic. Thanks to that dent my car was delivered with, I’ve been Ubering to and from work every day this week so far as they fix it at a body shop. They did say they’d get me a loaner if my car isn’t ready by mid Friday, so at least I’ve got the weekend covered if things aren’t on schedule.
In this price range, I think it’s fair to compare Tesla with the Germans. Based on my experiences - BMW always gave me a loaner when I needed service, and that included oil changes. Porsche also gave me a loaner every time I brought the car in - even for oil changes. Heck, I once ran over a nail (technically my fault), brought my Porche in with no appointment on a flatbed to get the tire replaced, they were out of loaners - so they rented me a Mercedes on their dime. That’s service!
I'm with you, traditional dealers bully and trick and oversell people alllllllllllllllll the time though
People are paying $hundreds for service items that they don't actually need -- so that service can be a profit center at the dealership, after the internet has taken away their ability to screw people out of $thousands on the initial sale
boiler81
Member
So I agree Tesla need to step up their "initial quality" of their cars, and I think that would relieve a lot of the pressure on the Service Centers.
I also agree Tesla needs to step up their Customer Service.
However, we all need to remember that unlike traditional "stealerships" Tesla Service is not a profit center.
Mercedes dealerships charged $300-$500 for a routine service (e.g. glorified oil change). So I definitely expect a loaner for these prices, and these dealerships are also trying to get me to trade-up, so often the loaners are newer or higher end models. Also Tesla has begun opening up dedicated Service Centers, which may be distance from Show rooms or delivery centers. I've notice these sites don't tend to offer loaners.
The final saving grace, is that you shouldn't need to visit the Service Centers nearly as much as the ICE vehicle Dealership Service, due to the reduce scheduled maintenance, and higher reliability (after build quality issues are resolved).
I also agree Tesla needs to step up their Customer Service.
However, we all need to remember that unlike traditional "stealerships" Tesla Service is not a profit center.
Mercedes dealerships charged $300-$500 for a routine service (e.g. glorified oil change). So I definitely expect a loaner for these prices, and these dealerships are also trying to get me to trade-up, so often the loaners are newer or higher end models. Also Tesla has begun opening up dedicated Service Centers, which may be distance from Show rooms or delivery centers. I've notice these sites don't tend to offer loaners.
The final saving grace, is that you shouldn't need to visit the Service Centers nearly as much as the ICE vehicle Dealership Service, due to the reduce scheduled maintenance, and higher reliability (after build quality issues are resolved).
Apone
Member
@boiler81 good point about the profit center. It definitely affects the quality and presentation of the people you get. Some places will be great because they are just good employees. Others won't care because they don't get a bonus for driving business/profit.
Also agree completely that shipping a more perfect product would avoid people coming in.
Also agree completely that shipping a more perfect product would avoid people coming in.
In my 35 years of experience with owning German-made automobiles, they didn't really step up in customer service until Lexus started to eat their lunch. Then they added the 3yrs of complimentary service, ie oil changes, and loaners, car washes, etc. Before that bupkis.
What irks me about luxury mfr customer service is the after-service surveys. I hate that they try to bribe you to give them the best rating.
So, while Tesla has most definitely not been up to par with service, it seems alot of that may have been growing pains, as stories of service before the 3 was intro'd seem very good. However, now that Elon has become the richest person on the planet, you'd think they should do more and talk less.
If Elon wants to drive sales to Mars, every quarter, then first-rate after-sales service would make repeat purchases a no-brainer. It's the first sale to a new customer that's hard. Repeat sales are far easier. Why jeopardize repeat sales with lousy customer service? I have a Cyber Triple on order, but if Rivian gets their act together I would seriously consider that instead. Already running simulations thru ABRP, trips with the Rivian actually are competitive, time-wise, with the Cyber Triple. The big negative to using the DCFC network is that most stops are still only 4 charge bays. They need to at least match Tesla's minimum of 8 bays per Supercharger.
What irks me about luxury mfr customer service is the after-service surveys. I hate that they try to bribe you to give them the best rating.
So, while Tesla has most definitely not been up to par with service, it seems alot of that may have been growing pains, as stories of service before the 3 was intro'd seem very good. However, now that Elon has become the richest person on the planet, you'd think they should do more and talk less.
If Elon wants to drive sales to Mars, every quarter, then first-rate after-sales service would make repeat purchases a no-brainer. It's the first sale to a new customer that's hard. Repeat sales are far easier. Why jeopardize repeat sales with lousy customer service? I have a Cyber Triple on order, but if Rivian gets their act together I would seriously consider that instead. Already running simulations thru ABRP, trips with the Rivian actually are competitive, time-wise, with the Cyber Triple. The big negative to using the DCFC network is that most stops are still only 4 charge bays. They need to at least match Tesla's minimum of 8 bays per Supercharger.
Just got back from the service center. They fixed the dent that my car was delivered with. And did a good job with the fix too!
... but forgot to put my spoiler back on. Follow up appt in a couple of weeks now...
/facepalm
... but forgot to put my spoiler back on. Follow up appt in a couple of weeks now...
/facepalm
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
I had the exact opposite happen (in west coast). They texted me ahead of time that they might not have loaners and could give me Uber credits, but when I got to my appointment they actually had loaners available.
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This is so true. My service experience has been horrible, mostly in the quality of parts and repair job (and Tesla refusing to stand by their work and fix). I love my car but think service is an area where they need to improve. I will definitely be contemplating an Apple car for my next vehicle due to this reason.
You’re right - worlds apart. My Tesla service experiences have been exceptional.
Cadillac never had a loaner ready and waiting for me. Never reached out beforehand to ask more details about the issue. Never diagnosed something remotely before my appointment. Never gave me their personal email for follow ups (and responded.) All firsts for me with Tesla. Also, the converse. Tesla’s never tried to upsell me on garbage services. Never lied to me about what was wrong. Never brought my car back with grease on the headliner.
It’s all so dependent on the service centers themselves. Mine rocks. Sorry if yours doesn’t.
I feel the same unfortunately. And I hate that because it’s in all of our best interests that Tesla be great. This isn’t like buying a Honda and never having to deal with Honda ever again if you choose. Tesla is currently the only place to go if you have battery, display, drivetrain, software (and on and on) problems. Improvements to autopilot and FSD can only come from Tesla.
So I don’t want people to think I’m bashing Tesla. It’s the opposite. If I had to buy another car right this instant, it’s a Tesla M3. No question, even in spite of the things we’re talking about. I just don’t want to see them become the Blockbuster or AOL of the EV market.
I kind of worry that none of the service centers are good in CO. I have had one bad experience with Littleton so far and expressed my displeasure with both the manager and my SA when he texted me asking for a 5 star review on their survey. Going back tomorrow for them to hopefully fix the issues they introduced the first visit. It's going to be interesting to see what happens. Having said that I hear Superior is generally very well regarded. I wonder what Tesla plans to do if people start only going to certain service centers because other ones suck?
I leased BMWs before and I think it depends on the location. I always got a loaner and on the one occasion I almost didn't (they had one that had just come in and weren't sure if they could clean it quick enough) they offered to put me in an enterprise rental and have it delivered within 15 minutes to the dealership. I told them I could wait the 15min or so for the car to be cleaned if that was all that was necessary. In any case, I think the German brands have service dialed in much more than Tesla despite the fact most Teslas cost more than many of the cars being serviced by the germans. But Tesla also isn't making money on service the way other brands are so it's bound to be different. I hope they can get their service dept in check though!
I leased BMWs before and I think it depends on the location. I always got a loaner and on the one occasion I almost didn't (they had one that had just come in and weren't sure if they could clean it quick enough) they offered to put me in an enterprise rental and have it delivered within 15 minutes to the dealership. I told them I could wait the 15min or so for the car to be cleaned if that was all that was necessary. In any case, I think the German brands have service dialed in much more than Tesla despite the fact most Teslas cost more than many of the cars being serviced by the germans. But Tesla also isn't making money on service the way other brands are so it's bound to be different. I hope they can get their service dept in check though!
That is a great way to look at it. We all talk about tesla service vs honda, or lexus, or bmw but in reality honda, lexus, and bmw are not the ones doing the service. Its whoever owns that dealership. They then turn around and charge the auto maker for that work. So the dealership is making money on service so they are incentivized to do a good job.
It's nice to hear of positive experiences. Now if they can just get their other SC's up to your standards.
I've been fortunate in that I haven't needed to take my car in for service, so my only customer service experience with Tesla was the purchasing process. And that wasn't good. In fact, it would have to work its way up to "bad."
But the car has made up for the horrible purchasing experience, in spades. That's just *my* opinion, though, and other guys/gals might put a lot more emphasis on how the buying process went than I do. I have a tendency to look at long term ownership rather than short term hassles.
True but at the price Tesla offers there is a certain expectation because they are competing with more costly options. There is going to be a point when people choose to go with ford/porsche/audi/mercedes over Tesla simply because they don't want to deal with Tesla for service. I don't know how soon we will get there, could be years, but it's bound to happen eventually.
Most of us bought a Tesla because the car is a great car, not because of the company’s stellar reputation for excellent customer service.
I’ve owned high end Lexus vehicles for 15 years. For the most part I’ve been offered a complimentary loaner when I bring the car in for service. But at times they were out of loaners and all they could offer me was a shuttle service ride, where I’m sharing a van with five other people and driving all over the county winding my way home, usually taking three times as long as if I’d been offered a direct ride. So offering Uber credits is a reasonable compromise if loaners are not available.
More importantly though, Lexus dealerships see service as a profit center. And as such they have summarily ripped me off so many times I don’t wish to think about it any more. Whereas Tesla is so overwhelmed with service business that they look the do the minimum required to return the car to service, with little if any concern about generating profit. So you can decide which model you like better. Neither one is perfect.
I’ve owned high end Lexus vehicles for 15 years. For the most part I’ve been offered a complimentary loaner when I bring the car in for service. But at times they were out of loaners and all they could offer me was a shuttle service ride, where I’m sharing a van with five other people and driving all over the county winding my way home, usually taking three times as long as if I’d been offered a direct ride. So offering Uber credits is a reasonable compromise if loaners are not available.
More importantly though, Lexus dealerships see service as a profit center. And as such they have summarily ripped me off so many times I don’t wish to think about it any more. Whereas Tesla is so overwhelmed with service business that they look the do the minimum required to return the car to service, with little if any concern about generating profit. So you can decide which model you like better. Neither one is perfect.
So I was just looking at my car a few minutes ago thinking "man, sucks they forgot to put the spoiler back on... looks pretty plain back there..." then it struck me that it's way too plain back there... then I realized... not only did they forget to put my spoiler back on... they also forgot to put the Tesla logo back on...
Seriously, how did they manage this? Someone there put the Dual Motor letters back on, and even knew it was a Performance model because they used the logo that was underlined... then, what... decided to walk away without putting the spoiler or Tesla logo on and declared the car "done"?!?
In case you're wondering, no - this wasn't at the end of the day. It was in the early afternoon that they declared my car ready for pickup.
Grrrrr.
Seriously, how did they manage this? Someone there put the Dual Motor letters back on, and even knew it was a Performance model because they used the logo that was underlined... then, what... decided to walk away without putting the spoiler or Tesla logo on and declared the car "done"?!?
In case you're wondering, no - this wasn't at the end of the day. It was in the early afternoon that they declared my car ready for pickup.
Grrrrr.
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