I've decide to chronicle the sub par experiences I've had with my local Porsche dealer here; where this group can actually affect change in the marketplace and to let this serve as a cautionary tale for anyone in my area considering doing business with them. It's a cinch the dealership doesn't care because I brought some of these issues to the GM's attention after my initial experience and it only got worse.

SALES
I made several attempts to inquire about buying a car on their lot via phone calls and the contact form on their site with no response. When I finally tracked down a salesman on the phone I made what I thought was a fair offer but was literally laughed at by the "senior Porsche salesperson". That being my first offer on a Porsche and not knowing what I know now about how their sales are suffering, I tucked my tail between my legs and almost felt bad for wasting his time.

Then I asked if I might be able to order a car and if he would be interested in taking the order. That was met with a less than enthusiastic response but the salesman, almost begrudgingly, offered his email address and said to send him the car's build after I configured it at the Porsche site.

About 30 minutes after we hung up the phone I configured the car I wanted to order and sent it to his email address. Four days later still no word from the salesman. I sent another message via their website regarding my desire to buy, but again no one replied.

After giving up on my local Porsche dealership I searched the Internet and found a car at Roger Beasley Porsche in Austin, Texas. I made them an offer over the phone, they accepted, I flew to Texas, and drove my new baby home the very next day. A 100% beautiful transaction.

PARTS/SERVICE
The day after I drove my new car home I ordered an expensive Porsche child's seat at the dealership and was told it would arrive in a few days. Five weeks later the parts salesman called to "give me an update on my seat". I politely told him to keep his car seat as I found one for a fraction of the price elsewhere in the 1+ month I was waiting.

I bought an oil filter a few days ago but it did not include a gasket. After posting a thread asking if the gasket was necessary for my DIY oil change I concluded I shouldn't change the oil filter without changing the seal too.

So I drove to the dealership again to pick up the o-ring today. The parts manager told me they no longer ship the filter with a gasket and that he didn't have one in stock. I asked him how his service department can perform their $200 oil changes without filter gaskets. He said, get this, they don't - They don't replace oil filter seals. I just about passed out. I shared with him my thoughts on the matter and left, vowing never to dawn their doors again.

Now for the worst part; I spent all of last night and most of this morning detailing my car with all the fancy stuff I bought from Moe at GP...and it poured down rain on me driving home from that place! I crawled in my wife's lap and got in the fetal position when I got home.

CONCLUSION
It's my experience through the years that a lot of car dealerships bend over backwards to please you during the buying experience so you'll rate them a "10" on the obligatory surveys we receive after buying a car...so they'll get their bonus. This dealership didn't even do that much and the experiences I've had with their service department have been no better.

Dealers who have done things the old way for years need to understand those days are over. Just because you're the only dealership in town no longer means customers are captive to your way of doing business thanks to a little thing called the Internet.

Thankfully I found a reputable independent shop in town so I'll be taking my car to them in the future for any service issues, and I'll be buying my parts from Suncoast as they've been quick to answer my questions and great to work with on the few items I've bought from them.

DEALERSHIP
Bob Moore Porsche - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

Wow -
This is the total opposite of how I have been treated in all three South Florida dealerships . In fact I like going to the dealership just to hang out sometimes .

Changing the oil yourself and facing this type of stress with your new car is not part of what owning any car ought to be ..especially a Porsche .

I google searched Oklahoma to see if there's another dealership near you . Nothing.
That could pose an issue for you if you ever face a big warranty repair .

Yet I would not close the door totally as you may need them and chances are that if you think that these few individuals are unprofessional .. there are probably others who agree .

My advice woild be to find the one person in that place who cares . Find the one person who you can count on if your car ever breaks .There may even be more than one but all you need is one.

I don;t believe that 100 percent of the staff in any dealership are awful . In your post you mention two people and I do agree that they represent that dealership . They also represent Porsche in some capacity too .

But they are not everyone .. and if you think they are A$$***es imagine how other might feel who have to work with them .

Find the one who cares . You have four years of warranty on a beautiful car .
You do not need to do the work yourself. You do not need to pay a private mechanic .

 

That is probably the reason they are such A-Holes- only P-Dealer in town...

 

sounds like a good business opportunity to open up that 2nd Porsche dealership in Oklahoma

 

Much like Larry, this has been the exact opposite of my experience locally and abroad. When searching for my car, I had contacted several dealerships and all of them were very responsive and willing to help, email, ship, inform, etc. Not just in the Florida market, but out of state as well. Not Oklahoma mind you.

As for the local dealership that is the closest, minus a little dispute over an hour worth of labor there was a miscommunication on, I have had nothing but great experiences. I think the advice above is correct though. There has to be someone at the local dealership that is cordial. Find that person and get him to do introductions otherwise.

For instance, Bruce the service guy I work with, Aaron, the part guys, Hemrik, the sales guys all are awesome here locally. None of them were my first contact at the dealership though, it was their used cars salesperson who i cannot even remember their name now. He did introductions to all these other staff members and the rest is history and I guess I have had great luck since then. They have gone above and beyond, each time I have needed something, parts ordered and even special price matching or discounts because of other reasons. I have definitely had a great experience so far.

Just as a side note and I though amusing. None of the guys I work with at the Porsche dealership actually drive a Porsche. Bruce drives a motorcycle, Aaron drives a Honda and Hemrik drives I think a Land Rover. During conversations I've had with them, all have admitted to "test driving" cars when needed, but being around these cars all day long, you want something different when you are away from work. I guess that makes sense....or not....who cares though. I still love my pcar and the service (so far - knock on wood) that I get here locally.

This was an original thread I posted about my experience there: https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...o-service.html

 

The guys at Roger Beasley Porsche are fantastic. I had a somewhat similar experience when buying my TT. The sales manager had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to buy something a little more affordable like a Boxster. So instaed of buying in Virginia I went to Roger Beasley Porsche. They could not have been better!

Find an independant and don't look back to the stealership

 

I can add here - Burlington, MA, 'Porsche of Burlington'. Will not go into details - overall left nothing but negative impression.

Complete opposite was at IRA Porsche as Westwood - great service manager, nice facility and completely different attitude.

 

Only contact with Bob Moore was to request quote. After one exchange, I mentioned the extra trunk money and I got the curt response " we don't discount any Porsche 20%" , and that's it, no " but how else can we make your Porsche buying experience pleasant", nothing, nada! Well needless to say, we went no further. Not because of not discounting, but because of the curt response. I'd bet their allocation is tiny, and they're just milking their small local customers who don't know any better and/or can't go elsewhere.

My suggestion if you are stuck in OKC is switch to BMW , there is a great dealership in OKC .

 

In todays times, I don't always count on the local dealership "experience" and that may be part of the problem. These guys are dealing regionally on eBay and Cars.com now and tend to overlook the personal aspects of the sale.
On the purchase, it is very easy for the consumer to deal on a regional, even national, level. Service is a different animal. I agree that you may need to hook up with at least one person locally that can help you navigate your nightmarish dealership with respect to warranty/service. I am lucky there are several local Porsche dealerships and over the years have developed a first name basis relationship at the service department which is key for warranty/service.

 

I've had a couple similar experiences in the past where dealers were the only game in town for their brand --- too bad they have to rest on their laurels and slowly rot away. I'm glad RB doesn't fall into that mold since it's the only dealer in Austin. If you're ever with the car in D/FW, the Autobahn group in Ft. Worth is awesome and Park Place here in Dallas just accommodated me for some minor stuff last Saturday afternoon as a Labor Day weekend walk-in w/o an appointment (and they were very busy).

 

I have had similar experiences with our local dealership, but in the last 6-12 months, have seen a complete 180 on there customer service attitude. My guess is that they have pi$$ed so many people off that they are now seeing the light.

I read a book a while ago on how to get what you need out of people, and if someone doesn't like you get them to do you a favor or find a way to reverse the customer supplier relationship. If you are in dire need to use your local dealer for warranty work, I suggest a bribe when you arrive for your appointment. I buy a few dozen donuts and give them to the service department before I even start talking about my car. Most times suppliers are looked upon to do the little extra for the customer, but when the customer does the extra (free donuts) the supplier feels at ease and does not feel like everyone is trying to take advantage of them.

This does work, the last service visit, was by far the best experience that I had with them.