Service Challenge

[PartyBoy]

I had the FUCA (front upper control arm) and a few of it's neighbors replaced under warranty last week. Two weeks prior, I had made the trip (2+hours and a ferry, each way) to get to my closest service center and they had no FUCAs on hand. That's right, zero. A waste of a day. So back to last week, the appointment went long and they got me out of there about 10 minutes before closing.

I noticed on the way home that I have an alignment issue on the road and at the steering wheel. The only option I'm aware of is to shcedule a service appointment and spend another day + potentially ~$300 (per estimate).

Is there really not a way to talk to a human being at Tesla for these circumstances? Tesla and I both know they rushed the job. They wasted a day of my life the first time I took it in and they didn't have any parts. I'd like a little customer service that I don't seem able to find.

Anyone else have success in a circumstance like this?

 

[Tronguy]

Um. As far as contacting people.. The few times I've needed to find a live body, did a Google Search for "Tesla <such-and-such location> phone numbers" and I got a list of phone numbers for that location. Calling that number whatever it was, but ending up with, "Describe your problem". Which I would do; shortly after that, was talking to somebody who had a pulse.

Maybe this is just New Jersey?

 

[PartyBoy]

Um. As far as contacting people.. The few times I've needed to find a live body, did a Google Search for "Tesla <such-and-such location> phone numbers" and I got a list of phone numbers for that location. Calling that number whatever it was, but ending up with, "Describe your problem". Which I would do; shortly after that, was talking to somebody who had a pulse.

Maybe this is just New Jersey?

I tried that. Google even came back with a local area code number. But as soon as I called it, I got the bot and the bot would not let me free. No "representative" option. No pressing 0. Could not find a human on that line with a gun to my head.

 

[PartyBoy]

I completely understand that bots can handle a lot of the calls. Calling is never my first option. But Tesla really doesn't give us options other than cold-calling the service desk in person.

If there's another option, with a human involved, I'm all ears...

 

[Yelobird]

I completely understand that bots can handle a lot of the calls. Calling is never my first option. But Tesla really doesn't give us options other than cold-calling the service desk in person.

If there's another option, with a human involved, I'm all ears...

Only suggestion I could offer is submit a service ticket with a long detailed story as you did above. Describe Exactly what you need and expect and they will respond with a solution. Always works for me. I’m not a mechanic so there is little value to me tying down a mechanic to share my lack of knowledge and attempt to tell him how to do his job. Their system actually works rather well when it’s used correctly. My few service interventions all went perfectly and never once felt the need to sit on hold to bark out a story with a tech.

 

[Tronguy]

I tried that. Google even came back with a local area code number. But as soon as I called it, I got the bot and the bot would not let me free. No "representative" option. No pressing 0. Could not find a human on that line with a gun to my head.

OK. First, the last four or five calls were about getting a 2023 M3 bought and delivered this week. One kind of sees that if one is actually threatening Tesla with wads of money, they tend to react to that. Each time after the, "describe your problem" and it was about something like, "Transferring FSD", we got to a live body fairly quickly.

When going for maintenance, I tended to use the app. There'd be messages back and forth, most automated, but if there were necessary pictures or comments I'd put them in and, well, get responses fairly quickly. It sure seemed like there was somebody there. And, once the car was actually in for something that required a day or three of actual repairs (blew a pyro fuse one year, early on with the 2018 M3), getting ahold of a live body, given the extension, wasn't a problem.

I've heard tell of, "Can't get to a human!" problems in this and other forums before this. Dunno: I don't abuse the service centers, haven't had the issue, so don't know what's going on with you.

 

[Resist]

Elon is so wrong that using the app is a better way. Sometimes we need to talk to a real person before driving hours to service center!