I have to agree that Tesla service is the worst i’ve ever come across. I took my model 3 in for a 1pm service appointment on a Friday to check an alert after replacing 2 tires after a flat. Big MISTAKE. “It will be ready at 5pm”. About an hour later I see in the app that the service will be done Sept. 19 at 2:45pm. Today is Friday Sept. 2. I find no way to call them or “communicate with the app”. When I try communicating by phone or with the app I get nowhere meaning I learn nothing, like are they really planning on keeping the car until Sept. 19? I did drive the car in just fine.
So I go back to the service center and they give me a flip answer to the Sept. 19 (oh that just gets in there) return date and finally tell me it will be ready on Monday. No problem I tell them I’ll bring it back in Monday morning so that you can finish whatever. ”No you can’t have the car until Monday at 5pm.” If I hadn’t gone back in they would have closed at 5pm with no communication as to what was happening. As I said when I dropped the car off they said come back at 5pm. They close at 5pm and I learned that if I’d shown up at 5:15pm they would have simply been closed. So that is two strikes.
So I now find an invoice for service work including “Replace Refrigerant Pressure/Temperature Sensors” which has nothing to do with the simple reason I’d brought the car in for, still haven’t been communicated about, did my own homework to find it is a recall service situation. And Update Vehicle Firmware to Correct Seat Belt Chime Functionality and Install O-ring On Trunk Power Strut. None of these extra items were mentioned as even a possibility or EVER communicated to me. I just stumbled onto the invoice in the app.
I have never had a service call go off the rails like this where there was no communication about what was to happen and how long it would take. If they had communicated with me at all I wohld simply have said please set up another service time next week and I’ll bring it back then and leave it.
I‘m 73 years old and didn’t realize that this level of lack of communication was a possibility since about 1990. You take a car in, discuss expectations including what might impact expectations and go forward. Tesla said nothing except it will be ready at 5pm And then later I stumble onto a list of issues that weren’t on the table when I brought it in And a finish time two weeks from now. I felt like calling the sheriff to have someone arrested as my car has been highjacked.
In addition Tesla cars don’t have spares or a jack. So if you are traveling to remote areas know about tires for your Tesla. If your tire can’t be fixed you will have to buy a tire to get to where you can buy proper tires for a Tesla. And if you aren’t savy or even if you are you will probably be presented with all kinds of inaccurate info to get you to spend all kinds of money to get on the road again.
Could Tesla improve the service experience ? Absolutely
When ever you make a service appointment you are presented with an Invoice.
It outlines
1. When to bring you car in
2. A statement of Work
3. Projected costs
4. Completion date
5. Your signature authorizing the work
Signing the invoice in the App or On-site should have set your expectations……..
Now this invoice will change depending on what they find when they actually have a look at your car.
These changes can effect
1. Statement of work, more items could be added to the list.
2. Completion time, could expand or contract depending on the work and parts required.
3. Costs, could increase or be waived under warranty.
The recall assessment would push out the date on the invoice to when the parts and additional work could or would be performed. That should not have changed your original agreed upon delivery date
Additional recall work might have required another approval in the App or on-site.
Once most service departments including Tesla have your car they will keep it until the agreed upon date.
The time is usually End of day before the department closes, not after.
If your car was disassembled awaiting parts, service will probably not have it ready togo at a moment’s notice if you change your mind.
That said Holidays like Labor Day may prevent a Monday delivery
As for your tire issues a lot of cars have gone to space savers or like Tesla no spare at all.
Thats why roadside assistance is included.
Not ideal but certainly an issue all drivers need to consider and plan for accordingly.
I don’t see Tesla dumping the App centric approach and moving toward a personal service consultant like a Lexus, Infiniti, Mercedes, etc dealership.
For now, Consumers can only vote with their wallets.
