I feel that good service is a major part of owning a car . I feel that way about ANY car . In fact -over the years I feel that the Porsche dealership in my region have done everything to make me happy . By exceeding my expectations they stand out above so many other businesses in South Florida .

It's not just because a Porsche is an expensive car that i value service . Honda is not an expensive car and at the local Honda dealership they have done a great job too.

But ..
BMW ... not the same
I have had many BMW's and experienced quite a few service centers .
For the most part they do fix the car but I have rarely (if ever) felt that they go the extra distance .

I knew in advance that BMW service wasn't what I had hoped for.
I also know that a few BMW owners have been extremely pleased with BMW's service in their area . So it's not all BMW service that are the same .

But FWIW --it spoils that aspect of fun in owning the car . I almost didn't buy the BMW 3 years ago for that reason.
Luckily today my BMW faced its first minor issue .

So ... questions ...
1) How much thought do you place on service ? What percent of the overall experience would you feel goes to service ?
2) Have any of you guys sold a car that you loved because you were not happy with service ?
3) Have any of you BOUGHT a car because you liked the service experience ?
4) Do any of you feel happy going to service? I know I do with Porsche . i love going to see the cars , talk to the shop, peek at the Ferrari's ..sip coffee .
5) Do any of you cringe at going to service ? If so .. how does that effect how you feel about the car in terms of repairs.

I would absolutely buy another Porsche .
I would absolutely buy another Honda .
I hesitate with BMW .
3 different cars .. three different views which play a role in the overall experience .

 

Porsche service can be first rate. My dealer, Porsche of Fremont, has a top notch service department. I feel that the people - service manager and mechanics make all the difference.

 

I do place much value on service regarding ANY brand, and that certainly includes vehicles at this tier and higher.

 

I had a very good experience buying my car, but I have NEVER heard from the dealer's service manager (even after I emailed him twice). I now go to another dealer that treats me like I bought the car from them, and they do go the extra mile; to wit: My first visit to them was to fix an an oil overfill situation done by an independent shop. I got in with no appointment, they fixed the problem AT NO CHARGE, and then gave me a "class" on the proper fill procedure they use to preclude overfilling. The only thing they asked of me was to consider them the next time I needed any service. I am now on their mailing list and they offer some great maintenance specials from time to time. You can rest assured this is where I now go for parts/accessories/service.

 

Service is king in my book
It is what keeps clients coming back.. I refuse to purchase a car from somewhere that has bad service even if it is cheaper
I'd rather pay more to a dealer that treats me well then one who will treat me like a number

 

Whenever I've purchased a car, I always visit the service area which tells me alot about the car and the service I might get. Its actually a make-or-break with me as I look at it in the total deal.

So far, Hennessy here locally is second to none........I mean to the point where I feel spoiled and use them as a comparison.

 

This is how i feel with my BMW. As the M3 nears higher miles the next daily driver leaves me wondering . I had thought all along that i would simply replace it with another (M3 is more suitable for my needs) .

I like the size of the M3 and enjoy the way it drives . It is a very practical car . On the other hand i also like the Panamera but I don't need or really like a big car .

Great service is what's attracting me to consider the Porsche Panamera S .
Mediocre service places a concern with BMW . Up until now the car has been flawlwess in reliability . This first issue os very minor but it was not a "5" in terms of my expectations .

Both cars are great .. but the deciding factor may narrow down to service on which to get in the near future.

Service also has me wanting to keep my Porsches .. long term.
It brings more enjoyment to both my 997S and Turbo.
It really makes a difference.

 

A salesman has typically hours, days, or weeks to win your business. The service department has months and years to lose it. Smart dealers place a big emphasis on top tier service to create a revenue stream from return customers.

 

I sold my '07 Ford Shelby GT primarily because of bad service and bought my '08 Porsche primarily because of good service.

J

 

Wow, you nailed it...

 

Great service is one of the key things toward ownership enjoyment. All machines can have problems; it is the resolution that ultimately makes the experience good.

That is one of the major reasons I was fearful leaving the BMW brand - years of outstanding service from United here in ATL.

But we have also had excellent service from Hennessy Lexus and I am glad to say that so far Hennessy Porsche is living up to both BMW and Lexus. And it is also encouraging to hear others say the same thing about them.

I have heard bad things about BMW and Porshce dealers in other areas and am always sad to hear it - both cars can really be wonderful to own if you local dealer service stands behind them and makes service a pleasure rather than a burden.

I wish you had better BMW service - I really loved my BMWs; they were a joy to own and drive - it was the direction of the Brand, not the dealer/service where they lost me. And I still think they make fine cars, just not for me right now.

 

I have owned three porsches so far and with the exception of warranty work I never use a dealer service center.

I go to an independent high end motorsports service place in my area. So service at the dealer is not an issue.

I believe I have learned more about my car from the indy guys then I would ever have learned from a dealer service center. Not to mention significant savings in costs.

I dont need a service appointment to sip coffee or peak at high end cars. Can do that anytime I wish.

 

right there is bad customer service for me
I walk in to a dealership with a problem, it gets fixed right away.. they don't tell me to haul my *** back to their service center next tuesday when I have a broken gear brace, or I've been rear-ended, or just plain engine trouble...
I want my car dropped off, with a load off my mind, and a rental/courtesy car from the same place

as for independent garages, I've had more bad experiences with them then with dealerships.. They never get the problem fully fixed and something always magically breaks afterwards

 

i am surprised you liked Honda service. honda and toyota both are pretty, well, heck with them.

Lexus is not that far from them, but they do give nice new lexuses as rental substitutes. but every time try to charge you for labor on warranty jobs.

all my friends who own BMWs use private independent mechanics and interactions with dealer on warranty issues are often problematic.

my experience with porsche dealer was so far OK, except of ongoing issue with clutch pedal vibration where they keep saying - they may take it apart but 'if' it will show up as problem is originated by non-warrantied items I will have to pay 100% for all labor. I decided to wait until problem will get worse but it is not progressing anywhere.

 

Almost all of my service dissatisfaction owning a Porsche or BMW stemmed not from how the dealership has treated me but with the inability of the manufacturer to (a) supply proper diagnostic tools for the entire electrical side of the car, (b) require the owner to discover, report, and reproduce a problem even though the manufacturer knows it exists and, in many cases, has a fix, (c) not fix bugs associated with the consumer electronics side of the car, and (d) use abuse or mods to deny warranty coverage for items that, in many cases, were the result of original poor factory build or supplier quality. I don't have much experience with out of state service but I typically find the service side of the house much more down to earth, matter of fact (honest), and personable than almost any sales side I have experienced.