Tesla Service Getting Worse - Need a senior contact for UK please

[d.c.palmer]

Tesla service is plumbing new depths - and I wondered if anyone had any senior contact details they could share to try and sort things out please? (No, I don't use social media, so I can't Tweet Elon!).

At the heart of all of this is Tesla's decision to ditch its key assets - people - in favour of a dumbed down, app-based service system. That the system is inadequate is immediately apparent when one receives text messages asking to qualify the nature of the visit (which one could have done over the 'phone when booking the visit in the first place).

To make matters worse, Tesla doesn't seem to be receiving receive text replies from certain customers (including myself). I've checked with my phone company, and the texts are sent - and Tesla admit that I'm not the only customer whose texts their system isn't showing.

Another key issue is the apparent lack of anyone with any authority that we can speak with.

At the risk of boring you all rigid, here's my present status:-

1. UNRESOLVED: Service Booking in Limbo
Having had my windscreen replaced recently, I need to get the dashboard cover replaced because this was damaged during the installation of the new windscreen. The company involved have been excellent, and are offering to pay for the replacement - but they can't get through to Tesla…

…I offered to book a service appointment myself to have the work done, but this then got cancelled by Tesla because someone hadn't bothered to order the part in time. I was told that "someone" would contact me to schedule a new appointment once the part had arrived (which apparently it has) - but no one has contacted me in the past week, despite two e-mail follow ups.

2. UNRESOLVED: Honouring Pre-Paid Servicing
I've also asked that my winter wheel swap be done (as part of my pre-paid four-year service agreement). This was negotiated with the late-lamented Georg Ell (the former Tesla Director for Western Europe) when I splashed £6,000 on a set of four 21" turbine alloys + Pirelli winter tyres. Now Tesla seems to have a collective amnesia about this.

3. UNRESOLVED: Vehicle Damage from Previous Two Service Visits
I've also complained about the two gouge marks that appeared on my car's bonnet after the last service visit, which was itself prompted by a previous service visit in which they managed to damage one of my *pristine* 21" alloys.

In Summary

1. Communicating with Tesla is like sending radio signals into a black hole;
2. When service does happen you have to argue your rights - and can't trust the staff not to damage your car whilst they're working on it. (This is Tesla Heathrow I'm referring to.)

Maybe the app-based system is a clever way to prevent any criticism (or comeback)?

Having paid close to Bentley money for a top-of-the-range P100DL, I am NOT impressed… If anyone has any suggestions for escalating things, I'd be very grateful - thanks!

 

[thebishop]

Unfortunately no good idea (except perhaps trying LinkedIn) - but can only concur that the current sad state of service is a global problem.

I was asked yesterday whether I was happy with my Tesla and would buy a new as my next car. I just said - not until they’ve sorted out service to a decent level again. I love the vehicle, I used to love the service even more. These days, not so much. The staff is great still here - but the lack of working communication is just an affront.

I do hope to be able to unreservedly recommend Tesla in the future - I’ve really liked the car - but not having reasonable access to service is a showstopper for buying another one (and we were looking at both adding a model 3 as a secondary car as well as upgrading our 2015 to a raven...).

the app is just too broken (I can’t even add additional issues to an already booked service visit, and the issues with it are too numerous to write down).

 

[thegruf]

meh - stop your whingeing - at least you got yours, I can't even get Tesla to deliver my damn car
(and I know it has to go straight into service to fix the known service bulletins they refuse to fix prior to handover )
... although with your experience ... maybe not ...

I think anyone in UK Tesla Customer care worth talking to, is currently wearing noise cancelling headphones and cowering under a huge tin hat.

I have absolutely no idea why Tesla UK is currently such an utter mess.

I almost had a contact at one point before he disappeared again.
He apologised so profusely I actually felt sorry for him!

Bizarre really that the cars, even now, are still such a uniquely brilliant offering that we put up with this seemingly endless cr@p.

 

[d.c.palmer]

Thanks for the replies. It's heartbreaking really, that the company we so want to succeed, seems to be doing its best to destroy itself from within.

As one of the very-first Tesla UK customers ("Signature" reservation holder) I've been a keen supporter of the company for the past 6 years or so. My wife and I both drive Teslas - and have encouraged others to do the same. We feel we put our faith in company - and paid a very-high premium for the privilege. Our cars cost 2-3x the cost of the Model 3s that Tesla seems to keen to shift now - and presumably a fair proportion of the premium we paid helped fund production of the new cars. But we see precious little recognition for our faith now.

By contrast, before the Tesla era, my wife and I drove Jaguars. Now that was a company with decent service (and, frankly, rather better reliability than the woeful Mercedes and less-than-stellar BMW we had owned earlier!). And the fact is, my Jaguar dealership still treated me with great respect 11 years after I bought my XJ8. So, if Jaguar came out with an electric XJ that looked sleek and elegant (unlike that pig-ugly SUV thing), I would be seriously tempted to go back.

The irony is this: we were there at the launch of the right-hand-drive Model S on 7 June 2014, and seemed to be surrounded by fellow Jaguar owners. Now we're all thinking of going back…

 

[thebishop]

I think the service team (here at least) do treat me respectfully and do help, it is just getting a slot that is close to impossible - presumably they are busy sorting out delivery stuff with the vast fleet of model 3 that are rolling on the roads now.

I think Tesla is making a quite significant strategic mistake in not taking care of early customers - I was fairly early here (early 2015) and i have since long lost count of the number of people who ask me about the ownership experience - especially now that thy can start to afford the model 3 (price was for many a show stopper). Still get questions weekly. The early customers are the most important ambassadors for expensive stuff, treating them disrespectfully is not very smart.

To not provide decent service (and communications is part of that for sure), is simply disrespectful.

I’m giving them some time to sort it out, but most definitely this weighs heavily into future purchasing decisions - as well as to how one replies when people ask about the ownership experience.

 

[thegruf]

Thanks for the replies. It's heartbreaking really, that the company we so want to succeed, seems to be doing its best to destroy itself from within...

So, if Jaguar came out with an electric XJ that looked sleek and elegant (unlike that pig-ugly SUV thing), I would be seriously tempted to go back.

The irony is this: we were there at the launch of the right-hand-drive Model S on 7 June 2014, and seemed to be surrounded by fellow Jaguar owners. Now we're all thinking of going back…

your wish ...

New electric Jaguar XJ confirmed for production

I'm in the same camp really, as are so many other owners here.
Would love to continue to support Tesla but there is only so much poor service and poor quality that can be accepted.

This more than anything else will damage Tesla long term reputation and success.

Tesla just seems to be the Ryanair of cars
- the product is great but frustrating; and customers are an just irritating way to fund the business.

We all just hope that Tesla grow up and recognise that customers can excuse Ryanair becuase they are at the bottom of the price market, Tesla are not. And much is said about Tesla future success, poor service and poor quality can actually be their undoing as customers switch to maybe slightly less capable cars but with half decent service.

 

[d.c.palmer]

your wish ...

New electric Jaguar XJ confirmed for production

Looks like a nice profile - just hope it doesn't have a huge gaping gob like other recent Jaguars…

 

[Battpower]

meh - stop your whingeing - at least you got yours, I can't even get Tesla to deliver my damn car
(and I know it has to go straight into service to fix the known service bulletins they refuse to fix prior to handover )
... although with your experience ... maybe not ...

I think anyone in UK Tesla Customer care worth talking to, is currently wearing noise cancelling headphones and cowering under a huge tin hat.

I have absolutely no idea why Tesla UK is currently such an utter mess.

I almost had a contact at one point before he disappeared again.
He apologised so profusely I actually felt sorry for him!

Well you saved me from typing exactly the same thing! Even down to needing service buletin work done prior to handover. This is shameful. Smacks of a business run by engineers!

 

[d.c.palmer]

It would be helpful if we could find a way to escalate these issues within the higher echelons of Tesla management.

In the old days, Tesla UK was run by Georg Ell - who was relatively new to the scene, but enthusiastic and energetic. Whilst not perfect, things got done - and if things failed, there was always Georg who could be approached to set them right again.

Tesla UK also had - for a while - an excellent countrywide Service Manager, Simon Whittock. He was brilliant - and helped shorten the long lead times for servicing and generally "get a grip" on outstanding issues.

Georg left a couple of years ago, as did Simon. Georg was replaced by some woman from the fashion industry (?!) who barely lasted a few months. Now there's no one. It would appear there may be one or two roving service managers who trek from one service centre to another - but as far as I can see, no direct line of management (or certainly, no direct local management).

Now, given Tesla's obsession with Germany (witness their - wrong in my opinion - decision to build a new factory there), it's perhaps unsurprising that the UK should be left rudderless. That's a mistake, however. As I have long argued, the UK is a much bigger market for Tesla than Germany. Why? Because we "Brits" don't have so much loyalty to our traditional car industry (well, what's left of it) compared to the Germans. (And we also have a very-affluent South East region.) Despite all this, Tesla has spent an inordinate amount of money and effort trying to promote Tesla in Germany - compared to the UK - but with far less to show for it.

So here we are in the UK, stuck with the lowest density of superchargers in N.W. Europe, an inadequate servicing network - and a company reeling from crisis to crisis with no one at the helm.

Call to action: let's try to find out who's running the show - even if that takes us back to Freemont - and see if we can help Tesla save themselves from this mess.

 

[Jason71]

It would be helpful if we could find a way to escalate these issues within the higher echelons of Tesla management.

In the old days, Tesla UK was run by Georg Ell - who was relatively new to the scene, but enthusiastic and energetic. Whilst not perfect, things got done - and if things failed, there was always Georg who could be approached to set them right again.

Tesla UK also had - for a while - an excellent countrywide Service Manager, Simon Whittock. He was brilliant - and helped shorten the long lead times for servicing and generally "get a grip" on outstanding issues.

Georg left a couple of years ago, as did Simon. Georg was replaced by some woman from the fashion industry (?!) who barely lasted a few months. Now there's no one. It would appear there may be one or two roving service managers who trek from one service centre to another - but as far as I can see, no direct line of management (or certainly, no direct local management).

Now, given Tesla's obsession with Germany (witness their - wrong in my opinion - decision to build a new factory there), it's perhaps unsurprising that the UK should be left rudderless. That's a mistake, however. As I have long argued, the UK is a much bigger market for Tesla than Germany. Why? Because we "Brits" don't have so much loyalty to our traditional car industry (well, what's left of it) compared to the Germans. (And we also have a very-affluent South East region.) Despite all this, Tesla has spent an inordinate amount of money and effort trying to promote Tesla in Germany - compared to the UK - but with far less to show for it.

So here we are in the UK, stuck with the lowest density of superchargers in N.W. Europe, an inadequate servicing network - and a company reeling from crisis to crisis with no one at the helm.

Call to action: let's try to find out who's running the show - even if that takes us back to Freemont - and see if we can help Tesla save themselves from this mess.

Is there an easy way to set up an online petition that could be sent to Elon of get enough response for the media to pick it up. If it got enough publicity that it actually started to affect peoples decision to buy they might do something. Either that or go to the press directly. publicity seems to be the main thing that Tesla reacts to.
On your actual issue could you go down to the service centre in person. I have heard that works quite well sometimes.
S and X owners should probably not be surprised that they have been abandoned. Find a roadster owner and ask them how they feel right now....

 

[Joelly]

That's a mistake, however. As I have long argued, the UK is a much bigger market for Tesla than Germany. Why?

Brexit. The U.K. is an awful proposition at this time. Let’s build a plant to serve Europe but let’s build it somewhere that could well have import tariffs to the whole of Europe.

 

[pdk42]

This is a depressing thread. I love the car but I fear the time when I need Tesla service. Then, someone mentioned Germany, Brexit and the mess we're in as a country - completely spoiled my day!

 

[navt]

Companies House only shows 3 active directors. None are UK resident which could explain a lot.

TESLA MOTORS LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)

You would typically appoint your most senior resident employee as director - unless you haven't got one.

Stephan is EU Finance Director. Vaibhav is Chief Accounting Officer and Marc is associate general counsel. You could infer from that no one senior is running the show.

 

[d.c.palmer]

Companies House only shows 3 active directors. None are UK resident which could explain a lot..

Yes, I forgot to mention that I'd already checked with Companies House. I'm not sure that any of the contacts given there are going to be useful to us, sadly.

 

[thegruf]

You have to feel for Tesla UK staff trying to work in this melee too.

 

[Jason71]

Yes, I forgot to mention that I'd already checked with Companies House. I'm not sure that any of the contacts given there are going to be useful to us, sadly.

The last time I saw a company with a management structure this opaque it was on BBC Rogue Traders and Matt Allwright was chasing real boss down the street with a camera and a microphone.

 

[Dejavus]

Cant this plight be brought into the media's attention, I placed a Deposit for a used MS which was cancelled with no refund yet and no one replying to my emails and I am thinking maybe this is the signs of things to come. I mean if a company can treat their New car customers like thins talk less of us buying used.

I dont think any other manufacturers delivers brand new cars with the same amount of niggles and faults being recorded by Tesla M3 customers, its ridiculous, I mean I cant believe Elon is not aware of whats going on here.

I think someone needs to sue Tesla'a ass in the Uk, the services is in complete shambles

 

[d.c.palmer]

Cant this plight be brought into the media's attention

Yes, but given the negative slant in the media already, I don't think it would do much to help our cause.

I would prefer to work with Tesla, rather than against them. As others have (quite rightly) pointed out, most of the Tesla staff are really helpful and enthusiastic - it's just that they're hamstrung by the chaotic management structure (or lack, thereof). If we can locate a senior contact with power and influence and nudge them in the right direction…

…Alternatively, we could go right to the top and get Elon to direct his laser-like focus back to the UK - just like the old days, when he used to regularly visit in the ramp up to the Model S launch (and/or because of his then wife, Tallulah Riley?)… I'm not on Twitter, but perhaps someone else can try getting Elon's attention via that platform?

 

[pdk42]

We should perhaps get a bunch of us to go down to Tesla HQ, armed with placards, and stand around shouting slogans like "What do want? Customer Service! When do we want it? After the hold music". That sort of thing. We could perhaps share ideas for the placards - "There's no F in service", "Tesla invented electricity, but they can't answer the phone" - I'm sure we could get very creative. If we invite some media types, it world be a fun day out that might get some attention from Tesla.

Also - you might consider contacting Will Fealey on the Facebook group. He has good contacts at Tesla.

 

[Battpower]

You have to feel for Tesla UK staff trying to work in this melee too.

Seriously, despite many points of frustration, I have also come across some really nice staff trying to do their best for customers and the business.

We are watching a business growing at an alarming rate while attempting many things for the first time ever. Bound to be some problems. Early adopters (even now any EV owner is an early adopter) have a responsibility as a supporter not destroyer, but Tesla must make avenues to work with us.