Good service is something that is both the dealer's and owner's responsibility. Many customers seem to think that since they have dropped the big money on a BMW or Porsche, that the dealer owes them service. While that may be true contractually, what most people want is just a touch above and beyond what the warranty minimally will provide.

One key to getting great service is showing some courtesy and respect to your service person or persons. Meeting with them and talking with them about the car when there is no problem paves the way for a much better interaction when there is one. Treating them with respect when there is a problem is also key.

This can explain how two different customers will have radically different ownership experiences with the same car and dealer, aside from manufacturing variations.

I used to see this so often at the BMW dealership - people being blatantly rude, condescending, and overly demanding towards those they were looking to to help them out. I do believe there is discretion about what can be denied for "on the fence" warranty issues. I even suspect the dealer's relationship with the parent company, BMWNA or PCNA for example, also comes into play. If the dealer has good relationships with their customers, they probably have similar with their parent companies. For these gray areas, a good relationship might be the difference between satisfaction and frustration.

I'm not saying this is yrralis1's issue, in fact from his past posts I imagine the opposite is true. Just saying that great customer service, like any relationship is a two way street.

I joked that while I knew that adding spacers was a fairly simple DIY and that I could have saved even more buying them elsewhere, I gave that one to my local service department as a relationship building investment. Call me crazy, but sending them flowers didn't seem to make any sense.

 

Good or bad service has nothing to do with the make of the vehicle. Great service is a function of the management team that runs the place and the caliber of the people they employ. Great service promotes customer loyalty, bad service is bad for business.

 

I haven't read the thread yet bdecause I am going off to BMW to pick up the car now . They serve as example of how something so simple can become so complicated.

Girlfriend brought the car yesterday . She was not given a loaner even though they had them and she was given loaners in the past . We bought the car at another dealership . To rent a car was 68 bucks a day . She declined .
She said "can I at least have a lift back to work three miles " . Nope .

So I had to drive an hour to pick her up and there she was in an awful run down area of town standing there waiting in the dark for me.
She was not given a timeline .

Today the car was ready . It only needed the axle lock lubricated ... simple fix.

She went to go pick it up but now she has two cars . So she asks if she can leave one and go back with me to pck it up . They insist that they close at 8 , request to have the key , and tell her to park in a handicapded spot . She refused all of the above and told them they had some nerve to ask her to park in a handicapped spot.

So she took the car to the sales area (in a regular spot) and is now on her way home to go back with me. Hopefully they won't tow it .

In contrast Porsche not only gioves me a loaner but even picks me up at my house if i need it . A simple fix is easy .

And yes these things do make a difference in how I view the car .
I like my BMW but feel that i even get better service at Honda .

and BTW .. she took the car because it was near her job but had i taken it I think i woild have been treated worse . Being that she is a woman and (in my opinion) attractive and pleasant .. usually guys try to be nice to her.

And yes .. they did fix the car but in the process gave her and me a real task trying to pick it up

 

This is a great post .

The strangest part is that since my BMW's have been basically reliable I haven't spent a lot of time with service . The small negative dose is enough.

On the other hand with my Porsches I have chosen to modify and customize them . The amount of time that went into my Turbo is extraordinary and because they were so professional it made the experience fun. In the course of time I became friends with the guys who worked on the car . If I ever sold the car .. I would miss them and would call them . In fact there's a few guys who knew me from when I bought my first Porsche when we were all younger . In a way .. I almost feel like we grew up together .

 

I have to say... reading Larry's most recent post confirms for me that service is definitely a regional thing. Perhaps BMW NA is at fault for not holding their dealerships to a higher standard, but the individual dealerships are generally responsible for their own actions.

A positive BMW example: I had a BMW Z4 roadster before the Porsche. I had ordered it from the factory with red leather, M seats, and always brought it in spotless. Perhaps that has something to do with how I was treated, but I have to imagine Larry's cars are well taken care of when they come in as well.

Either way, I brought the car in for a routine oil change, which BMW pays for. When I dropped it off, I mentioned that a few times on cold starts, I heard a fairly loud valve tap that went away after a minute or two. As I am one of those who are always skeptical about service departments, I assumed they would blow me off or say the usual "We couldn't reproduce the problem" line. However, the service manager seemed to take my complaint seriously. When I picked the car up later that day (the dealership sent a friendly young kid in a clean 5 series to get me), they told me they did a procedure that should cure the valve tap, but said that if it happened again, I should let them know because there is a redesigned head for that engine that might be required - it allows oil to stay up in the heads better to keep the valves lubricated when it sits in the garage. Of course I wanted the improved design, so the next time I heard a tap, I called my service advisor.

What happened next was fantastic: She called me back later that day to say that BMW had approved a full replacement of the heads and valves. I dropped the car off, and they handed me the keys to a BRAND NEW 335i (twin turbo), which I happily drove for a week until my car was ready. Got the car back and it never made a bad sound for the rest of the time I had it.

So I can say I have always been happy with BMW service. For that matter, even the Subaru service department always offers to give me a ride home when my Outback is in for service, and although they aren't perfect, they generally do a pretty good job.

So far, the only service experience with the Porsche has been right after I bought it. It was certified and had a clean DME, but I wanted my local dealership to check it out after I brought it home from Texas. No questions asked, a technician pulled the car into the garage, went over everything, then drove it with me (I encouraged him to) and told me I had a perfect example, and talked through typical maintenance things he sees. His best advice was that the cars he sees having the most trouble seem to be the ones that sit in garages.

So, I've been lucky lately, or maybe Boulder, CO has nicer service technicians I've had some unpleasant experiences in the past with VW's and an Audi, but I won't go into that

 

Yours is not the first post that I have read where BMW owners were happy with service . Region is a factor as each dealership is linked to the manufacturer but handles the bulk of the issues .. especially the small ones.

My M3 was fixed correctly . They did do the job right .
I felt they should have given my girlfriend a loaner car. If not then they could have at least offered a discounted rate on the rental . If not then at least take her back to her job but for them to leave her standing there with the large homeless population of that area at night in her work clothes was outrageous. For them to ask her to pak the car in a handicapped spot for the time to get home and come back with me to drive both cars was even more outrageous . They just didn't want to help her beyond the basics . They even left her paperwork on the windshield of the Honda rather than handing it to her.

In this case .. I never spoke to them but when I see a dealership treat someone else right I take note and the same is the case when they don't . For instance I remember when you bought your car . I have never gone to Texas but I did notice the words of praise you gave with your car purchase and when forum members in your region ask about cars I peek at their inventory .
Word of mouth can be positive for a business .

As for your Z4 .. that is the type of BMW serive experience I wish I could have.
In fact .. when my car comes off warranty .. there is a very reputable independent shop and if I keep the car I may try that route .

 

Is the car under warranty? Was this a warranty issue?

Those are the 1st things that pop into my mind, and then from there what happened? There is some disconnect at the very least and maybe you don't know what it is either, but as it stands this story seems half told.

I have had the experience where loaners were all out and a rental was provided at no charge. I can imagine that some dealers may no longer be providing loaners with the effect that the economy has had on car sales, but this is something that you should be made aware of up front when you call for the appointment. In fact I always stipulate that I would like to schedule my appointment when a loaner is available unless it is an emergency. And I usually don't get blindsided by the process.

If I were you, since you are part of this process, I would go there and ask for an explanation in a rational, non-confrontational way. If the explanation is no good or you still feel like they offered poor service, I would talk to a manager about it. Otherwise, it is just some weird mystery of events that don't sound typical of BMW.

 

I have purchased 5 cars from the same dealership because of the service department. The people have changed and I no longer deal with them.

The service is a huge part of who I deal with.

 

1) The car is under warranty . The repair was free .

2) The problem was minor and quite common -- axle lock needed new fluid .(posted in several BMW forums )

3) Loaners .. they gave her loaners in the past . They even had loaners .
But NOW they claim that since we bought the car at a different dealership they would not give a loaner Or free rental.

4) I was not part of the process . I have owned 19 BMW's (second cars) . The last one (05 330i) convinced me not to buy another BMW due to service . The M3 sales was bumpy too but to see my girfriend smile with the car made us both so happy . She loves that car and it is a nice car. So we bought it and near her job happens to be a service center that neither of us had ever been to (clean slate .. her 1st BMW .. new service center .. her chance at BMW) .

5) the car is fixed .. it's done . If they call me (car is in my name) to ask if i was satified then I will share my opinion and point out that if future repairs or service disappoint .. I will trade in the car and leave BMW .

I teeter back and forth over a new M3 or a Panamera S for the next DD .
Service may be factor when i shop the next car.

 

Larry,

I will say that BMW has THE most service problems out of any car that I have ever owned. My 535 has been in at least 10 times within a year....not bad
Typically its for a computer upgrade, or service now notice.

I purchased the car from out of state and have it serviced local. Its still under warranty so everything is covered. My friend is the service manager so he sends a car to my work, picks up the car and then brings it back after the service is done

Not sure if this is what they do with service calls, but it works for me....


Jim

 

+1 I agree. Service is paramount. I do not hesitate to pay more (regardless of what it is) to ensure that I get prompt, courteous service.