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Service centre fun - a shaggy dog story.

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pgkevet

Active Member
Jul 1, 2019
2,233
2,108
mid wales
I have absolutely no criticism of the staff at Chester and had a good chuckle to myself during the last visit but the Tesla way lacks flexibility.
My car was in for investigation into having glitched about supercharging which would be a problem if desperate for new sparks. I made the point (yet again to assorted Tesla staff) that I live with no mobile cell signal so they must use the landline number to contact me at home. They gave me a loaner 90D. It was in good nick, nicely clean and the only criticism was tyre pressures uneven and a low state of charge. Way better than loaners I've had from Digbeth with failed handles and shabby trim locked in chill mode.

Finding the loaner in the huge Chester car park took a while only to then discover it had a Pin to drive set and I had to go back to showroom to find out what that was. They did say they'd text it to me too in case I ever forgot - but I never got a text.

After a few days a message came through on the Ap and email for me to authorise the thick end of £000 for a replacement HV harness. Oh, dear.. despite sitting surrounded by rat-mat and bait boxes I feared the bloody rodents had got in again (country living). Then I heard nothing for nearly 3 weeks and was just getting around to doing battle with Tesla phone system when a message via the Ap told me it was ready for collection. Back in the old days one had a number for each service centre and nice folk like Natalie who rang every few days with an update but Hey-Ho times change..

Good news on the invoice was FOC - a possible faulty HV harness swapped out under warranty rather than teeth marks through something - yay!

It’s 50 miles to Chester so off I went. Touchless collection sounds easy until confusion strikes. Apparently I wasn't picking up I was dropping off - who knew. After pratting about with the silly box thingy, looking on my phone for non-existent code number texts etc I was rescued by a cheerful salesman who opened the correct box thingy for me but my own fob wasn't inside it anyway. He fetched it from the service guys.

Did I mention how large Chester car park is? I couldn't see my S anywhere obvious. They sent a gopher to go find it. Ten minutes later he looks puzzled before inspiration strikes and he vanishes to return with the explanation that my S is queued for valeting and my option to wait or have it as is. No way am I turning down a free valet and I’m in no hurry - I'll just drink free Tesla coffee and eat free choccy biccies and play on my phone.

The Chester coffee machine is nothing like the one they used to have at Digbeth. After destroying a couple of pods I took a logical approach to matters and finally figured out the darned thing wasn't switched on (I'm quick like that). Of course if I owned one of these new fangled things I might have known that they take a while to warm up so apologies to Tesla for wasting another pod but I did finally make myself a brew. Wow KitKats have got tiny since I bought one 25years ago!

As an aside I did note there were no vegan choccy biccies which might have annoyed my OH if she'd been there but not an issue for me.

The wait was longer than I expected but no real issue. My car was driven round. I genuinely complemented the guy - he'd done a superb job - showroom quality shiny it was inside and out. I did ask if I could drop it round weekly - it’d be well worth the drive now I know how the coffee machine works. I'd even be prepared to pay a tenner (I'm too cheap to pay more) but it’s not a service Tesla offer (a bit of banter about car cleaning followed etc including my foolishness as a young chappie with his super powered newly acquired jet wash blasting a hand-sized bit of paint off my 200 SX and having to have it resprayed).

Service chappie comes out to ask it I have a cell number 'cos they just realised that their system has been sending me update texts for 3 weeks to my landline - which (of course) I never got. They aren't set up to use WhatsApp or email for those and they go to the default number (which has to be my landline as above). Why oh why, Tesla don't you just message through your own App??.

So I’m ready for the off - which is when I find that somehow or other (or some wag) has changed the PIN number. Naturally one punches in the same correct original number at least six times before the frustrated penny drops and one uses the recovery and reset option. Note there wasn't enough charge to safely get me home so off to Flint Mountain. To be fair I'd have gone there anyway unless it was full 'cos I’m on free supercharging and local leccy prices aren't cheap out here in the sticks. Only two other cars charging so might as well get 90%. The only downside was that by then it was evening commuter traffic most of the way home - and roadworks. A slight worry was that when i plugged in the charge port went to red until i fiddled with the plug - so the problem may not have been fixed.. will have to do some supercharger testing over the next weeks and not risk going out of range in case...
 
Have you tried Wifi Calling?
I have virtually no signal at home and have been using wifi calling very successfully on Three and o2 for years though it does seem a bit flaky with text messages on O2.
Text messages landlines can also be made to work these days as well.
 
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The simple fact is that no texts were read out via the landline.
Because of poor cell reception here and no use for heavy mobile phone usage I have a modest Motorola on 1p. Officially 1p don't do wifi calling but oddly enough I discovered recently that it does work on my new phone but until it’s been a decent length of function I'm not relying on that in case it gets cancelled. I also now have a signal not too far from the house - as opposed to crossing the field and climbing the hill, so they must have boosted one of the towers.
I hardly use the thing except to stick it in my pocket when going somewhere in case of a breakdown or entertainment while supercharging.
 
I didn't think the car park was that big, anyone who goes there and accepts the Uber credit beware that Uber isn't popular in the area and you could be waiting unto an hour for one.

I would look at using 3 their wifi calling is pretty good, probably worth having the mobile set as primary and diverted to land line for calls but then when you do get signal you can at least get the text messages
 
No way would I use any taxi service for a 50-mile ride unless desperate - why I always politely ask for a loaner. Before Chester opened then Birmingham Digbeth was the place for my S - only room to cram a dozen cars and a 78mile run.
As I understand it most wifi calling only comes with a monthly contract. My 1P cost £10 a quarter and I've accumulated shed-loads of unused rollover credit too so why pay more? The minimal inconvenience isn't worth it when yer a cheap beggar 😀
I just need to find a reason to keep going back to Chester to get it valeted...😁
 
Have you tried sending this story in to your local community newsletter? I think it’d go down a treat in ours.

I’m genuinely baffled as to what the underlying point of that essay was 😅😂👏 somewhat enjoyable but long, and confusing. 😂 something to do with phones, biscuits, general whining about technology, car parks are too big these days and something else?
 
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Have you tried sending this story in to your local community newsletter? I think it’d go down a treat in ours.

I’m genuinely baffled as to what the underlying point of that essay was 😅😂👏 somewhat enjoyable but long, and confusing. 😂 something to do with phones, biscuits, general whining about technology, car parks are too big these days and something else?
Don't overthink it - was just a shaggy dog story that I thought might amuse.
 
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