I just had a massively crappy service experience. Long story, short -- my car had a small, deep scratch at delivery that extended on to a headlight lens. We agreed it needed bodywork and a new headlamp and made an appointment.
In the interim between pickup and service, a service manager decided sight-unseen that it could be buffed out of the body and the lens didn't need replacing. I insisted he was wrong and told him that the detailer who was going to put on my PPF said the fender absolutely had to come off and be repainted. He didn't budge.
I showed up for service and was immediately told it needed bodywork and a new headlight, but they had no headlights in stock and no loaners, for what could be a week wait for the part and a week wait for the work.
So, they'll order the part and I'll bring it back when it comes in, whenever that is, and wait another week to get my car back.
And I realized that, despite the woman helping me today seeming genuinely sorry and pissed at the chain of events, there would be absolutely no impact on anyone that worked there that the mistake was made.
No consequence, so no reason to expect behavior to change.
And all I could think of was how much a local dealer would have been all over the situation trying to find a way to make it right.
99% of the no-dealer model is great, but the remaining 1% -- the accountability that comes when you are working with a business owner -- makes a huge difference.
Thanks for listening to my petty rant!
In the interim between pickup and service, a service manager decided sight-unseen that it could be buffed out of the body and the lens didn't need replacing. I insisted he was wrong and told him that the detailer who was going to put on my PPF said the fender absolutely had to come off and be repainted. He didn't budge.
I showed up for service and was immediately told it needed bodywork and a new headlight, but they had no headlights in stock and no loaners, for what could be a week wait for the part and a week wait for the work.
So, they'll order the part and I'll bring it back when it comes in, whenever that is, and wait another week to get my car back.
And I realized that, despite the woman helping me today seeming genuinely sorry and pissed at the chain of events, there would be absolutely no impact on anyone that worked there that the mistake was made.
No consequence, so no reason to expect behavior to change.
And all I could think of was how much a local dealer would have been all over the situation trying to find a way to make it right.
99% of the no-dealer model is great, but the remaining 1% -- the accountability that comes when you are working with a business owner -- makes a huge difference.
Thanks for listening to my petty rant!