How is Tesla Customer Service nowadays (2020)?

[Ostrichsak]

I think good customer service is something that the majority of people want, not just me. If it's bad, it's the question of how bad it is. Like, is Tesla customer service as bad as Comcast? I dunno...

I think it is not (yet), because probably you would have sold your Tesla rather than owning 3 of them.

But I just want to get the some consensus, so keep up with the real-life examples!

In my region (Rocky Mountains) I would give a princely sum to have Comcrap as my Tesla customer service. Yes, it's that bad here.

I no longer own three, I own two. As much as I love these cars the customer service is equally bad. There's just nothing else out there even in the same competition as Tesla or I'd be gone.

 

[ChuckieCheese]

In my region (Rocky Mountains) I would give a princely sum to have Comcrap as my Tesla customer service

Really? You would choose Comcast over Tesla CS?

I find that kinda hard to believe, but oh well.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Really? You would choose Comcast over Tesla CS?

I find that kinda hard to believe, but oh well.

Absolutely and I realize how low of a bar that is. I don't think you quite grasp just how bad Tesla CS is. I mean, they removed their phone number. Entirely. You can't call anyone at any time if the phone app messaging isn't resolving your issue. At least with Comcrap I can call and talk to a human being and, with enough time invested, eventually get someone with the ability to potentially solve my issue... even if they don't. I can escalate the situation if it's something they can't help me with. I've got phone numbers, emails of agents, names... all sorts of fun things I can track. With Tesla... G'luck!

 

[ChuckieCheese]

Absolutely and I realize how low of a bar that is. I don't think you quite grasp just how bad Tesla CS is. I mean, they removed their phone number. Entirely. You can't call anyone at any time if the phone app messaging isn't resolving your issue. At least with Comcrap I can call and talk to a human being and, with enough time invested, eventually get someone with the ability to potentially solve my issue... even if they don't. I can escalate the situation if it's something they can't help me with. I've got phone numbers, emails of agents, names... all sorts of fun things I can track. With Tesla... G'luck!

I get that you had good experience with Comcast, but Comcast customer service experiences have been proven to be really bad. There are tons of articles that talk about it, not just from customers. Why do you think Brian Roberts made some public comments to fix the issues? Seems that your experience with Comcast is an exception.

And this is why I created this thread - to get some consensus. I am not defending Tesla, but IMHO, I don't think Tesla bad customer service issues has reached the level that Comcast have.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I get that you had good experience with Comcast, but Comcast customer service experiences have been proven to be really bad. There are tons of articles that talk about it, not just from customers. Why do you think Brian Roberts made some public comments to fix the issues? Seems that your experience with Comcast is an exception.

And this is why I created this thread - to get some consensus. I am not defending Tesla, but IMHO, I don't think Tesla bad customer service issues has reached the level that Comcast have.

I think you misread what I said.. I never once said I had a GOOD experience with Comcrap. I even call them Comcrap so that should tell you all you need to know. It's just that Tesla is that BAD. Nothing I've ever experienced in my several decades of what I thought was bad customer service comes even close to what I've experienced the past few years with Tesla. Nothing. Try reading my posts again from the standpoint if agreeing that Comcrap is terrible and among the worst. Tesla is on another level though because they don't even pretend the way other bad CS does.

 

[ChuckieCheese]

I think you misread what I said.. I never once said I had a GOOD experience with Comcrap.

Well, you said this:

At least with Comcrap I can call and talk to a human being and, with enough time invested, eventually get someone with the ability to potentially solve my issue

That’s seems like you have called Comcast and was able to talk to a human being and eventually got your problem solved. That seems oddly specific and you were comparing it to Tesla?

It's just that Tesla is that BAD. Nothing I've ever experienced in my several decades of what I thought was bad customer service comes even close to what I've experienced the past few years with Tesla. Nothing. Try reading my posts again from the standpoint if agreeing that Comcrap is terrible and among the worst.

I have not experienced Tesla customer service, hence my post. But I have experienced Comcast service and it’s bad. It’s not just me, but as I mentioned others experiencing it too (see above post).

But is it as bad as Comcast? Like I said, I don’t think so because I have not seen the amount of publicity Tesla have when it comes to customer service compared to Comcast. I mean, you yourself STILL bought a Tesla, right? If it is THAT BAD, then you wouldn’t buy it, no?

 

[Ostrichsak]

Well, you said this:

That’s seems like you have called Comcast and was able to talk to a human being and eventually got your problem solved. That seems oddly specific and you were comparing it to Tesla?

Yeah, I was comparing it to Tesla. I can literally call a phone number right now for Comcrap and be talking to a human being within minutes. Try that with Tesla. By virtue of at least being able to talk to a human being at Comcrap it's already better than Tesla CS. That's a sad indication of how far we've regressed in terms of CS when simply being able to call a phone number and talk to a human is an achievement.

I have not experienced Tesla customer service, hence my post. But I have experienced Comcast service and it’s bad. It’s not just me, but as I mentioned others experiencing it too (see above post).

But is it as bad as Comcast? Like I said, I don’t think so because I have not seen the amount of publicity Tesla have when it comes to customer service compared to Comcast. I mean, you yourself STILL bought a Tesla, right? If it is THAT BAD, then you wouldn’t buy it, no?

I can tell you haven't experienced Tesla CS because you wouldn't be calling Comcrap the worst CS ever. I'm not joking, you literally can't call anyone at Tesla. Go ahead, try....

 

[ChuckieCheese]

I'm not joking, you literally can't call anyone at Tesla. Go ahead, try....

Just did. (888) 518-3752. Was on hold for 1.5 minutes but I got through and can hear the rep introduce himself (Chris). I then hang up.

Happy?

Why are we fixated just the phone component? The measure of a good customer service is not limited to just that, right?

Also, you still haven’t answered my question:

I mean, you yourself STILL bought a Tesla, right? If it is THAT BAD, then you wouldn’t buy it, no?

In comparison, I know a few people that hate Comcast so much that in the past, they will not buy a house or rent a place if Comcast is the only ISP in the area.

 

[NickInLab]

Just did. (888) 518-3752. Was on hold for 1.5 minutes but I got through and can hear the rep introduce himself (Chris). I then hang up.

Happy?

According to this thread, that's the reservations phone number. They have nothing to do with post-sales customer service. Makes it hard to believe your questions are being asked in good faith.

 

[ChuckieCheese]

According to this thread, that's the reservations phone number. They have nothing to do with post-sales customer service. Makes it hard to believe your questions are being asked in good faith.

Well, feel free to call that number yourself. The number is right there.

The menu options are:

1 Vehicle
--> 1 Sales and existing order
--> 2 Service, support and roadside assistance
-----> 1 Non driveable
-----> 2 Vehicle and charging support
-----> 3 Battery

2 Energy product

I selected no. 2 and got a human to respond after a brief hold. I cannot guarantee YOUR experience, though, since I don't work for Tesla.

EDIT: clarified the menus above. I selected 1 -> 2 -> 1.

 

[ChuckieCheese]

This is OP and just to close the loop in this thread: I am going to take my chances with Tesla.

Reason: due to COVID-19, there is a shortage of inventory for non-Tesla cars (Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Volvo, etc.). So now, for similar models, the dealers are:

1). Not willing to negotiate and selling at MSRP (or more)
2). Money Factor is jacked up from the published Tier-1 (you can check the MF with Edmunds)
3). Dealers are ordering new cars with unnecessary packages and adding it to sticker, increasing the price of the car.
E.g. for GLE 450, back in January 2020, you can get one with Driver Assistance Package (DAP) for less than $73K. Today, this model equipped with DAP will have other stuff included that increased the price to almost $76K+ to $90K+ (check mbusa.com for inventory).

So if I am going to pay MSRP, I rather go with Tesla because:
1). I don't have to pay for unnecessary packages, hence saving some money from the price of the car AND not paying gas + regular maintenance
2). MF is not jacked up - it's the same for everyone

 

[TespaceX]

I get that you had good experience with Comcast, but Comcast customer service experiences have been proven to be really bad. There are tons of articles that talk about it, not just from customers. Why do you think Brian Roberts made some public comments to fix the issues? Seems that your experience with Comcast is an exception.

And this is why I created this thread - to get some consensus. I am not defending Tesla, but IMHO, I don't think Tesla bad customer service issues has reached the level that Comcast have.

Some time ago (last year? 2 years ago?), didn’t Tesla also say in one of their earnings (or shareholder’s meeting?) that improving their service was a top priority?

 

[Altes]

UPDATE: while discussing the customer service / service center here, I test drove the Model X.

I have to say the ride, road noise and comfort are almost the same as my Mercedes wagon. Build quality (buttons, door close, seating, leather, etc.) are still below Mercedes quality, though. Either way, compared to my friend Model Y, the X is far better IMHO.

Now to decide on 2 things: financing or leasing and the customer service....

too funny all the physical switchgear IS mercedes

 

[Ostrichsak]

Some time ago (last year? 2 years ago?), didn’t Tesla also say in one of their earnings (or shareholder’s meeting?) that improving their service was a top priority?

It was the earnings call for Q1 2019 and it was the very first thing Elon addressed. He stated that they knew it was broken and needed immediate attention and they were aware and would fix it. Not "hey, we'll get to it slowly but eventually over the next decade... maybe" the way some Tesla apologists are trying to spin it. Crying about "we have to give them time to address it" BS.

He said in no uncertain terms it was trash, they knew and it WOULD be fixed. It's been nearly two years since that announcement and here in the Rocky Mountain Region things have become even worse somehow. The # of employees hasn't increased but has actually decreased over the same timeframe that units sold has drastically increased. This isn't the recipe to improve your "Customer Service" if you actually cared to. That last part is seems to be the hang-up because if they genuinely cared it would be fixed by now. They clearly cannibalised their "Customer Service" resources in order to maintain profits ahead of schedule when they should have been ramping them up parallel to number of units sold at a minimum.

The bottom line is that new cars continue selling so... why should they care? They've motivated the industry to make EVs and that was their only goal. Their goal never was to provide exemplary service and lead the car sales segment so we shouldn't be surprised, right?

 

[zecar]

Some time ago (last year? 2 years ago?), didn’t Tesla also say in one of their earnings (or shareholder’s meeting?) that improving their service was a top priority?

The transcript of that earnings call was later amended with a "/s".

 

[Larry Hutchinson]

Below I have copied a post I made in the tm3 forum. As far as service is concerned, I can not get any info at all. Not even that they received the car. I have called, left a message, sent an email and nothing. It’s been a week now. Not even Tesla roadside could contact them. We may fly back home with the car at service.

===

Here’s my story. I am at our vacation condo in the Palm Springs area but our home is in the Portland Or area.

I used the app to make an appointment and all went well at first. But because our internet had gone out while we were away, the tech tried to use his phone to download the update. It went very slow and while that was happening, I managed to get WiFi working so we switched to that but it was still very slow. Eventually the tech had to leave but said he would monitor the download and get back to me. Didn’t hear anything and the next day went to the car and found it was dead. Ended up getting towed to the local service center and haven’t heard a peep after 4 days and counting.

Now the reason I did not hear from the tech was that he called my home phone (the number in my profile) rather than my cell (which he had used to contact me for the appointment.) Apparently, since I did not know to go to the car to finish the install, the 12V ran dead. Seem odd that the 12V would not be charged just because it was waiting for a button to be pressed.

Naturally, I tried to contact service but no one answers the phone and a message left requesting an update was ignored.

BTW, the WiFi is key to the whole thing. My cable modem/router died while we were away so I got a pair from Spectrum. However it was impossible to change the name/password (spent couple of hours chatting with them.) To get to the garage I have to use a range extender but that was set for the old name/password. I eventually was able to get it to use the new name by doing a paper clip poke.

So, if our internet hadn’t gone out or if the new router worked properly or if the tech had used my cell number (or had stayed until the download had finished), I would still have a car.

And, yes, my profile now shows my cell.

Oh, one more thing. I believe the tow truck driver, in a hurry to get rid of the dialog on the screen asking to complete the install, hit the button to do it. Of course the 12V was just on his jumper and the battery probably went dead again in the midst of the install.

 

[Altes]

Oh, I did not know that. I could be wrong, but I think I've seen somewhere where Tesla does give loaner? Did they change the policy? I live in SF Bay Area if that helps.


OK, this is kinda worrisome. If I drop off the car a my local service center, is there no service advisor onsite that you can talk to?

You will not get a loaner in SF, Palo Alto, or Burlingame, not sure about the others in the bay area

You will not likely talk to the same person twice for service, drop of with one person, tech (different person) works on car, third person says whts wrong, 4th person texts you when car is ready. Its a minimum of 3-4 days regardless of what the issue is usually radio silence for 2-3 days (i assume they are not working on the car).

 

[Tony8489]

Why are so many people buying these cars?

We’re paying for the tech, OK??

Yes. and as far as service is concerned, I believe relatively few owners run into the severe problems we read about here.
1) The initial quality problems I had were minor, noises that were fixed within a week or two of purchase on both cars.
2) EV's are inherently reliable due to simplicity, few moving parts etc. Regular maintenance is easy stuff like wiper blades, washer fluid, tire rotation etc. Thanks to regen, brake pads last 5x as long as on gas cars.
3) A wide variety of issues can be resolved by rangers. By my experience rangers seem quite knowledgeable and ranger service is more convenient for owners.

I believe a small percentage of owners encounter complex or nagging problems that require extended service center visits. I have no doubt this is often an exasperating experience for that unlucky minority. I'll bet Tesla knows the size of that minority and has concluded that beefing up service center capacity and quality is expensive and lower priority than designing new products, building new factories and expanding the supercharger network.

I have a personal hedge against service issues as I live 3 miles from Burbank Service Center. If I have a problem I drop by in person. Easy issues get resolved fast but sometime I'll need to make an appointment and come back later. So far so good after 4 1/2 years, 2 cars and 70k+ miles. Neither car has in any way been a "problem car," which is probably the real reason I have not experienced service issues.

 

[insider]

Former Tesla manager here. OP, I'm glad you decided to take the plunge and I doubt you'll regret going into it with open eyes. On the whole I've been happy with my Model 3 but I was shocked to learn that Tesla had wiped customer facing phone numbers from the surface of the Earth. When I worked there, the most basic expectation from HQ was "white glove" service from start to finish, so this represented a radical break from the the approach hammered into me.

I bought the car knowing full well that emotional intelligence was not upper management's strong suit. But even using the word "Service" to describe a place that doesn't have a customer-facing phone number is...let's just say it's definitely somewhere on the autism spectrum.

Unfortunately for customers, insane demand has left little incentive for Tesla to make good customer service a priority. Eventually, the specter of actual competition will force them into a saner approach. I won't hold my breath since auto manufacturers still seem content to rest on their laurels to this day.

 

[skgolf91]

I love the cars but the customer service? I've only had a few experience with service and good so far. Not a major problem and hope our cars stay that way. 2 different sales center and 2 different experiences. First one was very responsive to my texts and email and the second one at Paramus, NJ was not. I can't even really give them a feedback either and I guess that's why some advisors don't really give a sh!t about responding..