Service Centre - Is This Normal?

[rectofossa]

Booked my new Model 3 in for a couple of snags. They said they could do it same day so I didn’t book a courtesy car - none available until July.
Chased them up. Tried for 90mins and could not get through at all. Called the main service number and expressed my disquiet. Got a sheepish phone call just before 6pm saying they hadn’t even started on it. They’ve given me a 2018 S as a courtesy car.
Chased them again today by text (apparently yesterday was my fault - I should have sent a text rather than called).
Finally had a response saying they still haven’t started on it, don't know when they will start on it “but are working hard to create ramp space”.
Is this the norm? Any suggestions? They couldn’t supply a fault-free car and despite booking it in they haven’t started on it and don’t know when they will.. Grrrrrr.....

 

[goRt]

Perfectly normal, I've been waiting months for the driver's seat to be fixed, last time I was in they hadn't ordered enough parts, now over 2 months later they're rude that I dare ask for an update - meanwhile 10s of K cars are reported to sit at Fremont awaiting chips - just take a seat from one of those or any of the cars coming in via Soton

 

[Neilman]

I had a similar experience at Winchester Service centre.
Set up appointment for Friday 30th April to sort "eCall fault" message and a request to change my number plates from blue to green.
They had not anticipated a lengthy fix so no vehicle was booked and it was "while-U-wait" (in Service Reception area)
Three hours later they said they couldn't fix the fault and would have to book it in again.
(As a bonus they did change the number plates ... and seem to have forgotten to bill me for them - £27)

Dropped the car off on Monday 17th May and collected a black Model S using their weird wall keysafe thingy to swap keys.
Got a courtesy text message on Tuesday afternoon saying we're working and more details to follow (but they didn't)
Queried them for progress by text message on Thursday morning and then on Thursday afternoon got a text message saying "Done, come and get it"
Got to the Service reception and used the keysafe to return the S key and retrieve mine.

Communication is definitely not their strong point even though they get the job done.
This "hands free" "touchless" handover is very impersonal - no one to say "Hi" to

Also tried to call them - unfortunately all their service centres operate a "ring-around-pickup" system if your chosen centre's number is busy or unanswered. Another centre may answer and not be able to help you but if they try to reconnect you it doesn't work reliably!

 

[Jez_GB]

Sorry to hear of your poor experience - My car had to go back to an SC on just one occasion - to fix a leaking trunk, they gave me an S as a courtesy car, it worked fine but it was filthy inside, proper mingin! Although they did do the work in the timescale quoted, my car was returned with muddy hand prints all over the rear seats.... When I raised it they were very sympathetic and offered me a free valet & detail.

 

[Billbrown1982]

Booked my new Model 3 in for a couple of snags. They said they could do it same day so I didn’t book a courtesy car - none available until July.
Chased them up. Tried for 90mins and could not get through at all. Called the main service number and expressed my disquiet. Got a sheepish phone call just before 6pm saying they hadn’t even started on it. They’ve given me a 2018 S as a courtesy car.
Chased them again today by text (apparently yesterday was my fault - I should have sent a text rather than called).
Finally had a response saying they still haven’t started on it, don't know when they will start on it “but are working hard to create ramp space”.
Is this the norm? Any suggestions? They couldn’t supply a fault-free car and despite booking it in they haven’t started on it and don’t know when they will.. Grrrrrr.....

Sadly......yes it seems to be. But at least you've got a courtesy car so just enjoy ragging the living daylights out of that instead of putting miles on your own one, plus free supercharging I would imagine?

Not ideal by a long shot but at the moment it doesn't seem like sod all we can do.

By comparison I had a similar screw up with Toyota a few years back and didn't even have any notion of being allowed a courtesy car, so....that a positive I guess?

 

[GlynG]

I suspect this isn't a "Tesla" issue more a typical UK customer service level we have all come to expect. Whilst customer service staff are paid minimum wage and the people they employ are not enthusiasts or indeed in many cases customers of the business they work for then you receive the customary couldn't give a toss mentality - its a British thing. Customer service is just a name and the people haven't a clue how to deliver a service to customers.
Of course they are sort of trained and ensure the phone is answered in so many rings - and if people complain they say the words "Sorry about that" but absolutely no sincerity - its just what the text says on their computer

Its all about the individual who is dealing with you, some are brilliant and enthusiastic, some are competent but have had the enthusiasm kicked out of them and the rest are just people that need a job and a phone ringing is an interruption of their day.

If a Tesla service centre books you in on a specific day then you should expect the car to be worked on on the day and if they cant then its the service centre's manager that's at fault and not doing his/her job. Until customers make complaints to the managers manager nothing will change, perhaps use social media to highlight the poor service.

With something quite technical to explain to a customer service representative the fact they know nothing about the car makes it difficult to fully explain a fault - so once you put the phone down the fault reported to a technician to apply a fix is only as good as the level of detail their representative typed into the computer - and they tend to abbreviate what you said - so in effect screening out what they don't think is important even though they have no technical knowledge to identify what is and what's not important.

Customer service staff are a necessary but financial drain on any business - they don't generate revenue but they do try the upsell tricks they have been told to do to mitigate the costs of providing a service. If any business really wants to deliver super customer service then they would have technically competent staff to deal with technical fault reports.

 

[Ben177]

Which service centre?

My experiences with Birmingham (both branches) so far have been great. One windscreen replacement (warranty), and just last week the recall for the heat pump sensors. On both occasions I dropped it off when it was booked in for, and it was ready exactly when they said it would be.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I suspect this isn't a "Tesla" issue more a typical UK customer service level we have all come to expect. Whilst customer service staff are paid minimum wage and the people they employ are not enthusiasts or indeed in many cases customers of the business they work for then you receive the customary couldn't give a toss mentality - its a British thing. Customer service is just a name and the people haven't a clue how to deliver a service to customers.
Of course they are sort of trained and ensure the phone is answered in so many rings - and if people complain they say the words "Sorry about that" but absolutely no sincerity - its just what the text says on their computer

Its all about the individual who is dealing with you, some are brilliant and enthusiastic, some are competent but have had the enthusiasm kicked out of them and the rest are just people that need a job and a phone ringing is an interruption of their day.

If a Tesla service centre books you in on a specific day then you should expect the car to be worked on on the day and if they cant then its the service centre's manager that's at fault and not doing his/her job. Until customers make complaints to the managers manager nothing will change, perhaps use social media to highlight the poor service.

With something quite technical to explain to a customer service representative the fact they know nothing about the car makes it difficult to fully explain a fault - so once you put the phone down the fault reported to a technician to apply a fix is only as good as the level of detail their representative typed into the computer - and they tend to abbreviate what you said - so in effect screening out what they don't think is important even though they have no technical knowledge to identify what is and what's not important.

Customer service staff are a necessary but financial drain on any business - they don't generate revenue but they do try the upsell tricks they have been told to do to mitigate the costs of providing a service. If any business really wants to deliver super customer service then they would have technically competent staff to deal with technical fault reports.

Do you know how much they get paid? I doubt it’s minimum wage

And paying more doesn’t make much difference, well paid people can not give a damn

Tesla’s problem is poor processes, poor parts availability with a lack of next day delivery with an insufficient parts holding together with being under resourced.

They have 3 models to look after, god help them if they were an Audi or BMW With the number of cars they make and where your rarely hear about the inability to fix. You pay for the privilege mind.

 

[btc1k]

My car came with a host of small defects - dent under numberplate holder, marked alloys, missing valve caps, wonky charge port...

They said just to book it in but I am put off if it's a load of hassle.... Rather just fix myself and/or live with it

 

[GlynG]

George, appreciate your comments. I accept pay isn't the only factor in determining the quality of customer service but like all businesses it doesn't need a high skill base to answer a phone and follow screen prompts on a computer so no business is going to put a highly qualified technically competent person answering phones on anywhere near the average pay in the UK - so the highly technical and competent person isn't going to be applying for that type of job.
I wasn't just referencing Tesla with that comment - its all businesses.

With many car marques I haven't found one business that carries a comprehensive parts store they all seem to order in as required - even quite common frequently used parts, stock is simply tied up cash.
When i left school - 1971, I did an apprenticeship with a British Leyland main dealer our parts store was magnificent - the storesman was an old boy who knew every part he had and I cant remember ever asking for something he couldn't lay his hands on, didn't need (didn't have) a computer to check the part - no stock sheets needed to say where it was in his stores - he just knew. (In 71 the mechanic i was training with asked me to ask the parts man for a differential for a 1920 Austin - he thought that would flummox Charlie - the old boy in parts - Charlie pondered and brought one out 10 minutes later - perhaps a lucky part but that was how comprehensive Charlie knew his part store) Back in those days Motor vehicle mechanics, heavy goods mechanics, stores people, Auto electricians and Trim staff all trained and went to college together for their first year on an apprenticeship - then we all separated into the specialised areas. This allowed us all good networking links with each other and everyone was proud to be doing the job they did.

2019 - a Ford Mk3 RS - I needed a new Oxygen sensor - had to be ordered in and took over a week.

Tesla - well they don't have a comprehensive service network so my view is I expect parts to be less available than is ideal but - once a fault is reported a technically competent person should be able to pretty much know what the fault is likely to be and the parts required - so they should ensure the date of booking isn't before they have the parts in stock - people will wait, but they are antagonised if they take time out of work, take their vehicle in and after the time period identified to repair the vehicle they are told we haven't started it and it creates massive dissatisfaction - and that is the responsibility of the manager to ensure this doesn't happen.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Audi, BMW etc will have any part at the dealer the next day except the very rarest. I had a BMW i8 for a while and the boot latch failed, this is a car the dealership had only sold 12 off and yet the replacement part was on the car by 10am the next day.

Tesla processes don’t work, the staff have to defend the indefensible at times. I’m sitting here and my car delivery has moved again, twice this week.. and they now can’t tell me when it will be available because it needs a repair (how bad is the damage to need a repair given they hardly check a thing) and despite having all the money and taking out insurance I can’t have a loan car because I’ve not taken delivery. Go figure.. that’s not a minimum wage conversation, they need the diplomatic skills of a hostage negotiator to stop me telling them where they can put a CCS connector

 

[pgkevet]

The whole concept of 'just in timee' ordering and zero stock is flawed. Someone has to have made and stored the stuff. I've run a bisness and we always made sure that common items were stocked at at least a months requirement and uncommon stuff stocked at least for one or two cases. And we had daily deliveries of almost anything. But having to get customers to come back to collect stuff is just double the receptionist's workload and customer service is what it's all about.

 

[Dilly]

I worked as a buyer for a well known UK aero engine manufacturer. They tried ‘just in time’ stocking. Ditched it. It was always just too late.
it’s hardly ironic that it wasn’t critical parts that killed it. It was toilet rolls and soap!

 

[rectofossa]

Really appreciate the comments. What I will say is the people - when you can get hold of them - have been ace. Problem is, you can’t get hold of them.

But the system - while superficially slick with the app ‘n’ all - is clearly pants. The idea that you book a vehicle in well in advance for some fairly simple, identified snagging on a particular day - but 48hrs later they haven’t even been able to look at it is Fred Karno's Circus.

Yes, I’ve got a loaner and this is v much a First World Problem - but bonding with the new addition to the family has been interrupted! Mein Schmerz!

 

[Roy W.]

My own experiences of Tesla service have been great, but I've read enough horror stories on here to know there has to be a major problem. It certainly doesn’t seem to be a lack of staff, but parts supply really seems to be the issue. Elon said ages ago that they don’t want to make a profit out of service. Given how ineffective the whole process is, I think he’s on safe ground, it’ll never break even!

It’s not just Tesla though. My 2018 Kona electric spent more time at the dealer than any car I’ve owned in 43 years of driving. Their diagnostics were appalling, and I was having to wait weeks every time a part was needed. They never fixed it in the 11 months I had the car, and eventually I had a refund.

 

[Drew57]

I worked as a buyer for a well known UK aero engine manufacturer. They tried ‘just in time’ stocking. Ditched it. It was always just too late.
it’s hardly ironic that it wasn’t critical parts that killed it. It was toilet rolls and soap!

Sounds like a crap excuse that just didn't wash.

 

[DrJFoster]

To me service has two personalities. Some faults they readily accept and know how to fix which are dealt with well, and then everything else where they duck and dive, blame within tolerance or wear and tear and seem to be inconsistently handled around the country. The paper mache under tray that some get fixed under warranty and others don't for example, and with excuses such as "well its because you've driven through water" and "undertrays are consumables" which are laughable.

JIT works in manufacturing as time in "just in time" is when it's being attached to the car. You can't run JIT on warranty unless you know what parts you need before you receive the car, otherwise the best you can realistically hope for is "Just by tomorrow". That said, the argument for not having a decent European parts holding seems very inefficient. and even "tomorrow" seems a pipedream I believe they were trying to hold parts in Tilburg but that's been shut. This is where thinking you are a technology/software company and not a manufacturer causes problems. Most companies would just outsource the whole thing but that's not the Tesla way as Elon Musk thinks he knows better on everything.

 

[Stuart1714]

Perfectly normal, I've been waiting months for the driver's seat to be fixed, last time I was in they hadn't ordered enough parts, now over 2 months later they're rude that I dare ask for an update - meanwhile 10s of K cars are reported to sit at Fremont awaiting chips - just take a seat from one of those or any of the cars coming in via Soton

I’ve got seat problems as well which can’t seem to get fixed, reported in September.

I’ve not been doing much driving since last year, and so when I log into Teslafi, the third most visited place is a Tesla Service Centre.

 

[Envchem]

Welcome to Tesla Customer Service When my car broke down a couple of months ago and had to abandon it on the side or the road I spend all next day morning just to confirm that the car was actually getting to the SC. Without being able to to get a hold of them I had to drive there with the courtesy car to find my 3 in the court of the SC. When I spoke with the guys there I was told that the car was there since 11 in the morning. Then as I was walking out I was asked for the key card since they couldnt access the car...After that 3 weeks of silence till I got it back.
So yes get used to it

 

[Nick77]

Just having my first frustrating Servicing issue 5 days after collection.

Booked a service for a small paint chip and a small triangular piece of plastic door trim. Booked it for this Thursday in Nottingham, they said they could do it while I wait.

Had a text today saying the plastic trim is now on back order. Plus the tiny paint chip (about 2-3mm diameter) would need the car to be left with them as "the smart paint repair could take a few hours". So I have to have a courtesy car, which pushes the appointment back to August 9th.

I now have to drive 20 miles to them, then back home and then back to them again, instead of just sorting it all in an hour or so, which they could easily do IMO. Paint chip first then 10 mins to fit a new plastic trim while the paint dries.

No doubt once I drop it off I'll get a call 2 hours later saying its ready for collection!

This means delaying any planned ceramic coating for another 6 weeks as well.