How Does Tesla Operate?

[tongu05]

I am contemplating selling my present three year old MG ZS EV (privately - I do not need a trade in) and buying a new for 2024 Telsa Model 3. I want the extended range AWD model.

Can anyone explain to me how Tesla operates, as it does not appear to be like what we are accustomed to in the UK, from other car manufacturers?

Normally, the manufacturer of a new vehicle and the dealership where you view, test drive and ultimately buy it are two separate companies. This does not seem to be the case with Tesla. There appear to be locations all over the UK where Teslas can been seen and test drives offered but it seems that you are not able to communicate directly with them. There is only one landline telephone number for the whole of the UK - an 01628 number, which is the dialling code for Maidenhead but I have been unable to find a Tesla location (i.e. an address) in the Maidenhead area. Does Tesla itself run all these "phantom" dealerships directly from a secret headquarters somewhere in Berkshire?

On Wednesday (the 31st of January), I had a test drive booked at my local Tesla "dealership". This had been arranged by multiple text messages over the previous days. The text messages from Tesla always came from the same mobile phone number but there was never an employee's name on any of them. I had made it plain that, as I wanted to buy the extended range AWD model, that was the car that I wanted to test drive. The text messages from me show this clearly and the responses from Tesla assured me that a new for 2024, extended range AWD model would indeed be available for me to test drive on Wednesday the 31st.

When I arrived at the "dealership" the receptionist informed me that they did not have a new for 2024, extended range AWD model but that I could test drive a new for 2024, standard RWD model. I obviously declined this, as this is not a car that I am the slightest bit interested in. I was annoyed that I had travelled more than 40 miles (round trip) and the whole thing had been a waste of my time and money. Obviously I was not blaming the receptionist here but she could not take the matter further in any way. I asked to see someone, on the premises, senior to her, who dealt with test drives etc. but she could not produce anyone to speak to me. Neither could she tell me who had sent the text messages, or even if the same person had been responsible for all of the messages. She did however assure me that she would arrange for "someone" to contact me concerning the matter. However, no one has - so far.

Is this the standard of customer service that one can expect from Tesla? The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy, with no named local "salesman" involved.

 

[spdpsba]

Can anyone explain to me how Tesla operates, as it does not appear to be like what we are accustomed to in the UK, from other car manufacturers?

Yes, it is a completely different model and many like it because there is no nagging middle man or the dealers who can get commission and then offer you some discounts. Some do not like it as you are not given that wining and dining experience in the dealership.

You more or less can book everything online including the delivery (btw you pick up from a dusty car park with no welcome drink etc.,). But if you want to co-ordinate with the local dealers they can send you the link and you can book either there or from your device.

There is only one landline telephone number for the whole of the UK - an 01628 number, which is the dialling code for Maidenhead but I have been unable to find a Tesla location (i.e. an address) in the Maidenhead area. Does Tesla itself run all these "phantom" dealerships directly from a secret headquarters somewhere in Berkshire?

Not sure where the headquarter is but broadly speaking Tesla runs all these locations. They are not phantom.

When I arrived at the "dealership" the receptionist informed me that they did not have a new for 2024, extended range AWD model but that I could test drive a new for 2024, standard RWD model. I obviously declined this, as this is not a car that I am the slightest bit interested in. I

They usually have all the models. Given that 2024 highland is a new model and there is so much test drive going on - may be they didn’t have one. But I understand your disappointment. If you highlight this to the Tesla dealership - they normally refund the £200 advance given the glitch you had.

She did however assure me that she would arrange for "someone" to contact me concerning the matter. However, no one has - so far.

Unfortunate - they are pretty good at contacting as far as my experience goes atleast before selling a car.

Is this the standard of customer service that one can expect from Tesla? The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy, with no named local "salesman" involved

I am not being judgmental here. From what you have said here it looks like Tesla may not be the right car for you.

 

[Kansalis]

TL;DR - If you would like a personal service to help you buy your car, you will need to look at other marques. Tesla don't do that.

I can absolutely see why your experience was frustrating. I'd be annoyed in that situation too (not being able to test drive the car I asked for).

However:

• Tesla Service Centers are not "dealerships", they are generally just a location to drop a car off when work needs doing or to collect a test drive vehicle with an appointment.
• If you do book an appointment for a test drive, you will be given the key card & shown a rudimentary demo of how the car works so you can drive it. That's about it.
• There are no sales people at the Service Centers. The staff there are not incentivised to help/make you buy a car. The only sales people you might encounter are those who follow up with a phone call if you enquire on the website, or don't complete an order you may have started on the website.
• There are no discounts to be had, no haggling and no back & forth on terms. You get what it says on the website.
• If you decide to purchase a Tesla, it's basically a click & collect process. You click buy, pay your money (or apply for finance), then collect the car when it's ready. If there are no issues with payment or finance, you would usually do all that without any human interaction at all.
• All the "paperwork" is done electronically, even the collection of the car is signed for on an iPad & sent by email.

Honestly, I much preferred the experience of buying a Tesla over the multiple other new cars I've had from traditional dealerships in the past. I knew what I wanted and what I was going to get. I didn't have to spend hours being sold to by smarmy salesmen who know less about the vehicles they were selling than most consumers with a web browser can find out themselves.

There are many, many threads on here discussing the ordering & collection process. I'd suggest taking some time to search around on the forums for a while. Each to their own.

 

[Js1977]

The whole organisation seems to be shrouded in mystery and secrecy,

We are not allowed to say...

Jokes aside, you can book your test drive online as to what car you want to book for your test drive and if you want to buy, you can do so online as well so no pressure sales there.

If you do decide to buy, you will not get an unveil ceremony at collection and any service requests are done on the app.

 

[UkNorthampton]

There are no sales people, no commission at the centres - so you're more likely to be told the truth. I for one greatly appreciate the upgrade in experience. Just order online (below). Alternatively, consider a 3-4 year old one - they're absolute bargains at the moment.

Use referral code if applicable (I have one which I would only share via private message, but plenty of others to use). Referral code also gives minor benefit to referrer when a test drive is booked (honestly, I'm not fussed).

Car (generally) improves with time from frequent software upgrades (or recalls as laughingly called in the media).

Test drive what they have. 2024 Model 3s are in short supply and in any case Tesla's Service Centres/showrooms don't have cars hanging around too much in general. Tesla have tiny inventories. Worldwide average of around 16 days of sale includes at least half of that time on ships or lorries (worse for China>UK as it's a 3-4 week voyage).

Standard Range (or just "3") will be the same as Long Range except performance/motor/arguably weight distribution/ride (motors weigh very little, batteries are different chemistry and may not weigh more). Comfort, seats, user Interface and other aspects are more or less the same and settings can change more than this in terms of how the car behaves (steering speed, autopilot settings, Chill mode, Joe mode). There should be youtube videos that go through these options, you can work out the settings you prefer and set them (if you can, might be locked down on demos). Better than spending a limited time learning the User Interface.

Best way to get a Y would be to wait until end of quarter (end of March) and check inventory for last few in the country and be flexible over colour.

Best way of getting a 3 is to order online, select colour of exterior and seats, wheels, towbar and any other options (if any). My personal preference would now include white seats (I have black, but good reports on stain-resistance of white), towbar and the smallest wheels for efficiency - some prefer the looks of larger wheels - but check effect on range. Check at end of March in case you can get one of last Model 3s before they're gone and UK has to wait for new ships - might be a bit cheaper or some incentive. Have financing prepared or if you have a 3 on order, get Tesla to swap to inventory car.

Check the car and refuse if you don't like it, Chinese-built cars have a good reputation for quality. Any problems, mobile Rangers/Service Centres can be booked on the app. Few times I've needed something minor, Rangers came to my house. Some Rangers hang out at Superchargers, check cars coming in and offer any improvements/servicing Tesla have identified.

 

[Zilla91]

• Tesla Service Centers are not "dealerships", they are generally just a location to drop a car off when work needs doing or to collect a test drive vehicle with an appointment.

What you've described there is a dealership...

There are no discounts to be had, no haggling and no back & forth on terms. You get what it says on the website.

Pretty sure they've been offering incentives recently.

 

[Kansalis]

What you've described there is a dealership...

No, it isn't. Dealerships sell cars, Tesla Service Centers do not.

Pretty sure they've been offering incentives recently.

Do they offer incentives that are not listed on the website at time of order? That's not something I've seen but If so, that's a good thing to look out for.

 

[Js1977]

What you've described there is a dealership..

There are no dealerships as you are well aware

Pretty sure they've been offering incentives recently.

There are no other incentives for new buyers besides them having some perks with a referral as far as Im aware.

 

[spdpsba]

Pretty sure they've been offering incentives recently.

Not sure how the OP will interpret this. Someone who doesn’t know how Tesla operates may assume that the sticker price is something similar to the sticker price for example in a BMW showroom - where you can negotiate around £5000 less than the sticker price.

 

[Zilla91]

If it walks like a dealship and talks like a dealership then, i'm afraid, it's a dealership no matter how much you wish it isn't so.

As for incentives, they chuck them out at random. Previous examples include the 3000 quid deposit contribution, free supercharging, FSD transfer

 

[spdpsba]

revious examples include the 3000 quid deposit contribution, free supercharging, FSD transfer

But they were all online. It is explicit not implicit like other car dealerships where if you are good at negotiating a silly deal you may get one.

 

[Zilla91]

But they were all online. It is explicit not implicit like other car dealerships where if you are good at negotiating a silly deal you may get one.

I’m glad we’re in agreement that Tesla do in fact offer incentives

 

[LikesToys]

Yes, this is the level of service that Tesla will provide you during the sales process. You should also be aware that there is no real 2024 model, it will morf over time, in my case a key feature was removed (upgraded audio system on SR) and my car did not show up on the arranged date, not a show stopper, its just that they could have handled it so much better.

A more important question is how they will treat you if something goes wrong. I suspect you may not like the answer.

 

[Js1977]

A more important question is how they will treat you if something goes wrong. I suspect you may not like the answer.

Im sure you have your reason for such statement but personally, my issues have been solved very promptly and efficiently which is more than I can say for other car brands ive had but I can only vouch for my experiences thus far.

 

[legendsk]

Tesla operates with digital self-management. Some people thrive in this environment and can accomplish great things, far beyond the possibilities in a traditional environment with mid-level human managers over-seeing the worker bees. And some don't.


It appears to me that Tesla is quietly, {at least as quietly as possible}, moving toward customer service operating with digital self-management. Customers are provided all of the tools necessary to solve issues, if any, with their Tesla vehicle. There are lots of benefits to this approach and if Tesla can make it work, as they have with so many innovations, it could turn out to be a major step in making the world a better place. I'm a bit nervous about it, but going on two years, so far, so good.

Being an old fart, I happily drive past half-a-dozen general merchandise stores that force customers to scan and check out their purchases and do my business at stores that let me pick out what I want and then they scan and bag the merchandise and take my money, so I don't feel like I'm working as an employee of the store. But I'm told the people of two or three generations younger than me think self-checkout is wonderful?

 

[UkNorthampton]

If it walks like a dealship and talks like a dealership then, i'm afraid, it's a dealership no matter how much you wish it isn't so.

As for incentives, they chuck them out at random. Previous examples include the 3000 quid deposit contribution, free supercharging, FSD transfer

Key difference are... are they on commission, is the pricing opaque and only a few get good deals through haggling, do you get up-sold X pack to get Y feature turning a seemingly reasonable price into a huge money pit, will they purposefully waste your time and deceive you. Amateur buyers vs professional, commission-paid, untrustworthy dealerships. No thanks. Tesla is simple, do research at home, test drive a few times, choose model, trim, few basic options.

Compare to buying a BMW/Audi etc.

Inventory check at end of March/June/September/December might bag an incentive. However, if you wait too long, March delivery turns into May, June or August, September (no July most likely). Ship dependent.

 

[Zilla91]

do you get up-sold X pack to get Y feature turning a seemingly reasonable price into a huge money pit

EAP and FSD say hi

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Tesla want everything done on line and are still coming from a bit of an arrogant stance that they sell everything they make and it's the customers who should be grateful, not Tesla. What you've seen is a bit of a reflection of that. It's also a similar experience if you buy a car, you typically turn up in a great big hall, sign an ipad and told which parking bay your car is and thats it, I didn't even get a "..and thank you for buying a Tesla", you get better service buying a burger. And then if you do get issues, no service manager to talk to, you do it all via the app. Its a change, for the most part its better, but if you have an issue that doesn't follow a defined path it can become frustrating.

Tesla own all the locations, demo centres and service centres, and the staff aren't commissioned on individual sales but are on centre performance, so they usually have a bit of an interest in helping you out, but it's often the computer systems that restrict what they can do. They should also be well trained but we've also seen many occurances over the years where people on forums tend to know more than some of the staff. I think that it's a little better than it was but not much.

Tesla want you to buy on line and you pay the price on the screen. Even in a demo centre/dealer/whatever we want to call it they'll pretty much just stick you in front of a computer if you want to buy.. unless you're happy with Demo cars, some of which aren't on the public website. It's rare and tends t be seasonal. They also offer the odd incentive, at the moment you'd get 3 months of the enhanced autopilot if you bought but as it pretty much doesn't do anything at the moment then you're not missing out on that, although many will clammer to give you a referral code as they'll benefit. I would be mindful of anyone overly encouraging you to buy and use their code, they have effectively a £500-£1000 kick back riding on your purchase so their motivations may be a little biased

Some love the Tesla way, some hate it, it tends to polarise views. I'l like a bit more of the personal touch without being forced to say no to a load of finance product bolt ons like wheel protection you get at other dealers. I think even the staff do when they're allowed, the technician who dealt with my last issue (complete power electronics failure on the front motor on a 14 month old car) ended up standing in the car park for 40 mins having a geeky chat and then joked he'd better go back in and close the job and it was lucky his boss was working from home that afternoon.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Key difference are... are they on commission, is the pricing opaque and only a few get good deals through haggling, do you get up-sold X pack to get Y feature turning a seemingly reasonable price into a huge money pit, will they purposefully waste your time and deceive you. Amateur buyers vs professional, commission-paid, untrustworthy dealerships. No thanks. Tesla is simple, do research at home, test drive a few times, choose model, trim, few basic options.

Compare to buying a BMW/Audi etc.

Inventory check at end of March/June/September/December might bag an incentive. However, if you wait too long, March delivery turns into May, June or August, September (no July most likely). Ship dependent.

I thought most people just go on carwow or similar, enter the spec they want and get the lowest price bid? I'm not convinced dealers are anything like how they used to be.

 

[Zilla91]

I thought most people just go on carwow or similar, enter the spec they want and get the lowest price bid? I'm not convinced dealers are anything like how they used to be.

They do. And when you get a deal online you take it to your local dealer and use it as a stick to beat them with to get them to offer an even better deal