No more snacks at SvC

[Atebit]

Was at my local SvC for the second time in a month today, and both times there were no snacks (unless you count Lifesavers). The word is apparently they're no longer allowed to order things like granola bars, etc.

Not that I go to the SvC to graze...but even AAA has a better spread. It was nice to have something somewhat healthy to munch on during the wait, not sure how much eliminating snacks helps their bottom line.

 

[Lightmatrix]

Cut expenses says Elon... employees eating too many of the snacks I guess?

 

[aesculus]

I noticed that too. Pretty tacky. Lets hope after the quarter they will return to some form of better customer service. My former Acura dealer had enough of a spread to make a meal out of your visit. Of course my service fees were much higher but the cost of the car was also a fraction of the Tesla's, so it was not like I have not paid for snacks.

 

[kort677]

Of course my service fees were much higher but the cost of the car was also a fraction of the Tesla's, so it was not like I have not paid for snacks.

do you really think all those amenities found at many of the upscale dealerships are "free"?
those $250 oil changes buys a lot of donuts.
fortunately the build quality of the Model S's has been improved to a point that SvC visits are minimal. I haven't been back in the 10 months of ownership of my second tesla.

 

[Lightmatrix]

Honestly, go visit a Lexus store... they have the "amenities" dialed in...

 

[Atebit]

do you really think all those amenities found at many of the upscale dealerships are "free"?
those $250 oil changes buys a lot of donuts.

So do the Tesla $500 windshield wiper and fob battery visits.

 

[Gizmotoy]

There were service centers that had snacks? I've seen water and coffee, but that's about it.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Because snacks are such a drag on the bottom line? ROTFL!

 

[demundus]

So do the Tesla $500 windshield wiper and fob battery visits.

And the out of warranty yearly service visits... and the 12v battery... and the...

 

[NuG]

No snacks at my service center, just a kuerig and bottled water.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

And the out of warranty yearly service visits... and the 12v battery... and the...

It's hard to swallow spending upwards of $800 for an annual service now...

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Because snacks are such a drag on the bottom line? ROTFL!

One of my previous employers used to provide a dozen or so varieties of coffee and tea Keurig cups in the break room. One month, we noticed that that they just went down to a couple choices. We made a joke about cutbacks. A week later, they laid off a third of the company.

 

[Az_Rael]

Honestly, go visit a Lexus store... they have the "amenities" dialed in...

THIS. I owned a lowly IS250, but I was always impressed with the various Lexus service waiting areas. The one in Fort Worth had a "quiet room" with comfy lounge chairs that was separate from the room with the TV. They did those toaster oven baked cookies and a nice spread of beverages. If I didn't have a ride and I hadn't booked a loaner it was a nice place to chill while waiting for my car. It was one of the things I missed when I bought the Volt. The Chevy service area involved a vending machine and plastic uncomfortable chairs and a loud TV. Sigh.

 

[Pdub2015]

Yeah, Lexus has got it going on. But it's a totally different business model: high-margin, higher volume sales plus more service intervals, versus lower-margin, lower volume sales and (supposedly) less service intervals. I think.

 

[Az_Rael]

Yeah, Lexus has got it going on. But it's a totally different business model: high-margin, higher volume sales plus more service intervals, versus lower-margin, lower volume sales and (supposedly) less service intervals. I think.

I think the Model S currently has one of the larger margins compared to the competition. And, yeah the "less service interval" thing is a wash right now.

I think the bigger difference is the branding. Lexus is all about the soft touch and luxury. So, plush service centers, cool side benefits, quiet car interiors, etc. (The old Texas Ranger ballpark used to have free parking right up front for Lexus vehicles - obviously a clever marketing gimmick, but a neat one for owners). Making you feel like you are buying into a brand experience. Acura seems to be all about the tech - the TL we bought was loaded with cutting edge features all standard on the base model. We are new to Audi, so haven't quite figured out their mojo yet, except it seems to lean modern and minimalist.

I don't know where Tesla aims to fall on the scale.

 

[AEdennis]

There were service centers that had snacks? I've seen water and coffee, but that's about it.

Well... the service provided at the service centers have been inconsistent in the past...

...Especially the coffee service...

However, I haven't been back to the higher rated ones from my original blog post, and my regular one just had its top of the line coffee machine service removed (Torrance, CA)

 

[Sir Guacamolaf]

.. so it's come to this. You wonder what else they are cutting costs on.

 

[Max*]

Tysons had snacks. Nuts, pretzels, bottled water, coffee, lifesavers, some other stuff that I can't remember.

 

[Darren Donovan]

Picked up a 2017 Volt for my wife last month. Keyes Chevrolet in Van Nuys had Keurig coffee maker with multiple flavors, another machine dispenses chocolate milk, cold and hot. On the counter were chocolate chip cookies, fresh apples and bananas, and of course water bottles in the fridge.

 

[psgabin]

i thought the amenities was a loaner car