Are You being served?

[grober]

What Car has a detailed breakdown on the dealer satisfaction part of the 2007 JD POWERSURVEY. Mercedes gets 4 stars with complaints from SLK owners highest and high costs all round.
http://www.whatcar.com/news-special-report.aspx?NA=226529&EL=3204241

 

[ian_c_uk]

Mercedes gets four, smart gets one, most places it's the same dealership and often staff!

Interesting.

 

[Gucci]

When you walk in having parked the Merc "Afternoon sir, how can I help?"

When you walk in having parked the Smart "oh, it's you...what now?"

 

[Ted]

Interesting.
My recent experiences of both Mercedes (SLK) and Lexus (RX300)

Mercedes

Me "My SLK baulks between first and second gears"
MB " What does baulk mean?"

another time I took the SLK in for it not getting warm enough - the colder the weather the colder the temperature showed on the guage, and the cooler the heater.
Picked up car to be told it was a temperature sensor. "Not the thermostat then?" said I. No definitely not the stat, - we didn't have a sensor, so book it in again.
Booked in a week later, sensor fitted, car just the same.
Ted returns to Mercedes garage, a little upset (obviously hadn't even been tested), mechanic comes out, checks car and announces that all is ok. "So why is the gauge reading 60 degreed then" says Ted. "thats the right temperature for one on these " say mechanic. "No it F**** isn't" says Ted.
Mechanic storms off. Ted storms in to service manager, who agrees that it looks like the stat. Car booked in yet again.
Stat replaced, temperature normal, heater works. Ted not happy with three visits to replace a thermostat.

Lexus

Car needed 60,000 service (the BIG one)
Ted calls Lexus to enquire after the price, and gets a pleasant surprise - thought it would be a lot more expensive. Books in car, also says please adjust the fan belt, as is squeals after start up.

Picks up car. Service advisor informs me that they had misquoted me over the phone. He then goes through the bill. Oil at cost price, several parts at cost price. (shame he couldn't do the same for the labour). In all they knocked over £100 off the bill to bring it down to the quoted price. Ted very happy.
Ted goes out to pick up car - fan belt still squealing. Ted not happy, and goes in to let service advisor know, who apologises profusely, as it HAD been put onto the job card.
Next day, service advisor picks up car from my work in the morning, drops it back in the afternoon "we've put on a new auxilliary drive belt, and while we were at it we replaced the power steering drve belt too" "Thank you very much" says Ted, "How much is that?" "Nothing" says service advisor "It was the least we could do for you, for the inconvenience caused"

The above aren't criticisms, just personal observations.

 

[IanA2]

Interesting.
My recent experiences of both Mercedes (SLK) and Lexus (RX300)

Mercedes

Me "My SLK baulks between first and second gears"
MB " What does baulk mean?"

another time I took the SLK in for it not getting warm enough - the colder the weather the colder the temperature showed on the guage, and the cooler the heater.
Picked up car to be told it was a temperature sensor. "Not the thermostat then?" said I. No definitely not the stat, - we didn't have a sensor, so book it in again.
Booked in a week later, sensor fitted, car just the same.
Ted returns to Mercedes garage, a little upset (obviously hadn't even been tested), mechanic comes out, checks car and announces that all is ok. "So why is the gauge reading 60 degreed then" says Ted. "thats the right temperature for one on these " say mechanic. "No it F**** isn't" says Ted.
Mechanic storms off. Ted storms in to service manager, who agrees that it looks like the stat. Car booked in yet again.
Stat replaced, temperature normal, heater works. Ted not happy with three visits to replace a thermostat.

Lexus

Car needed 60,000 service (the BIG one)
Ted calls Lexus to enquire after the price, and gets a pleasant surprise - thought it would be a lot more expensive. Books in car, also says please adjust the fan belt, as is squeals after start up.

Picks up car. Service advisor informs me that they had misquoted me over the phone. He then goes through the bill. Oil at cost price, several parts at cost price. (shame he couldn't do the same for the labour). In all they knocked over £100 off the bill to bring it down to the quoted price. Ted very happy.
Ted goes out to pick up car - fan belt still squealing. Ted not happy, and goes in to let service advisor know, who apologises profusely, as it HAD been put onto the job card.
Next day, service advisor picks up car from my work in the morning, drops it back in the afternoon "we've put on a new auxilliary drive belt, and while we were at it we replaced the power steering drve belt too" "Thank you very much" says Ted, "How much is that?" "Nothing" says service advisor "It was the least we could do for you, for the inconvenience caused"

The above aren't criticisms, just personal observations.

I've had both of these responses from MB dealers.....unfortunately the latter is getting rarer and the former more frequent.

 

[Rory]

I've had both of these responses from MB dealers.....unfortunately the latter is getting rarer and the former more frequent.

MB have a way of making something that is their fault, seem like it was yours!

 

[ian_c_uk]

When you walk in having parked the Merc "Afternoon sir, how can I help?"

When you walk in having parked the Smart "oh, it's you...what now?"

I should swap the keyrings over, see if the service follows the keys...

 

[IanA2]

MB have a way of making something that is their fault, seem like it was yours!

Yes...and as I've said before, the rot seemed to set in after "The Great Reorganisation"......

 

[pammy]

Well I must be on a parallel universe, or they are talking about the R171 - coz I can't complain. Yes they got it wrong on a couple of occasions but overall I rate my car, the marque and the dealer very highly. I just count my blessings.

 

[Colin_b]

Oh dear, and there was I about to buy an SLK

Colin.

 

[BlackC55]

Interesting.
My recent experiences of both Mercedes (SLK) and Lexus (RX300)

Mercedes

Me "My SLK baulks between first and second gears"
MB " What does baulk mean?"

another time I took the SLK in for it not getting warm enough - the colder the weather the colder the temperature showed on the guage, and the cooler the heater.
Picked up car to be told it was a temperature sensor. "Not the thermostat then?" said I. No definitely not the stat, - we didn't have a sensor, so book it in again.
Booked in a week later, sensor fitted, car just the same.
Ted returns to Mercedes garage, a little upset (obviously hadn't even been tested), mechanic comes out, checks car and announces that all is ok. "So why is the gauge reading 60 degreed then" says Ted. "thats the right temperature for one on these " say mechanic. "No it F**** isn't" says Ted.
Mechanic storms off. Ted storms in to service manager, who agrees that it looks like the stat. Car booked in yet again.
Stat replaced, temperature normal, heater works. Ted not happy with three visits to replace a thermostat.

Lexus

Car needed 60,000 service (the BIG one)
Ted calls Lexus to enquire after the price, and gets a pleasant surprise - thought it would be a lot more expensive. Books in car, also says please adjust the fan belt, as is squeals after start up.

Picks up car. Service advisor informs me that they had misquoted me over the phone. He then goes through the bill. Oil at cost price, several parts at cost price. (shame he couldn't do the same for the labour). In all they knocked over £100 off the bill to bring it down to the quoted price. Ted very happy.
Ted goes out to pick up car - fan belt still squealing. Ted not happy, and goes in to let service advisor know, who apologises profusely, as it HAD been put onto the job card.
Next day, service advisor picks up car from my work in the morning, drops it back in the afternoon "we've put on a new auxilliary drive belt, and while we were at it we replaced the power steering drve belt too" "Thank you very much" says Ted, "How much is that?" "Nothing" says service advisor "It was the least we could do for you, for the inconvenience caused"

The above aren't criticisms, just personal observations.

WTF is Bulking?

Thats a new one on me!

 

[Ted]

Love the car.
LOVE the car!!

Not impressed with the (2) dealers

I also have to say that opinions can be clouded by just one person.
Mercedes (formerly Speeds) of Stratford upon Avon had a great service advisor (only knew him as Jeremy). He couldn't do enough to help, on more than one of my cars.
Since he left, my experience was not good.

 

[Ted]

WTF is Bulking?

Thats a new one on me!

Perhaps it's me then.
I always thought that manual boxes had baulk rings to help prevent baulking.

Just a thought - you may also know them as synchro cones

never heard of bulking though.

 

[Rory]

My daughters new Mitsubishi Colt (of course, Smart is basically a Colt) 'baulks' when being put into first - the dealership service staff seemed completely baffled by what I meant. Turns out they nearly all do it, so it's even more surprising they didn't know what I meant.

 

[Silestanix]

Our Vito's been in to the stealership so many times. More than 3 years on, the problem still hasn't been solved. The van makes a faint bumping noise when you put weight on the left front, such as when turning right or taking a sweeping right on a motorway. This problem came up 3 weeks after purchase...why we didn't refuse it and ask for a new one I still don't know. They even tried to blame it on ME several times, asking if I hit kerbs and whatnot. I replied 'No, I deliver abroad and over the country, you think I have time to hit my van into the damn kerb all day?!'.

In contrast, I had my Renault Clio about 4 months before we bought the Vito, the Clio was on a 51 plate, so 2001. About 2 months after I bought it, it started to cut out at the lights. I took it to renault where they said it was the ECU and the TDC sensor causing problems. I booked the car in for 2 days after. I turned up and they'd not recieved the parts. The serviceman apologised and booked my car in for the next day. I turned up the next day and they replaced both parts free of charge, the ECU and the TDC sensor. Not a single problem after that till I sold it about 3 weeks ago...still miss it, it was so easy to park!

 

[grober]

Oxford online dictionary:-
baulk

/bawlk, bawk/ (chiefly US also balk)

• verb1 (baulk at) hesitate to accept (an idea). 2 thwart or hinder (a plan or person). 3 (of a horse) refuse to go on. in other words its difficult to change gear

ORIGIN from Old Norse

 

[MikeL]

My daughters new Mitsubishi Colt (of course, Smart is basically a Colt) 'baulks' when being put into first - the dealership service staff seemed completely baffled by what I meant. Turns out they nearly all do it, so it's even more surprising they didn't know what I meant.

My father's does it when engaging reverse, the general advise is just pause before engaging, let the revs die down.

Mike

 

[big x]

Oxford online dictionary:-
baulk

/bawlk, bawk/ (chiefly US also balk)

• verb1 (baulk at) hesitate to accept (an idea). 2 thwart or hinder (a plan or person). 3 (of a horse) refuse to go on. in other words its difficult to change gear

ORIGIN from Old Norse

Baulk is definitely a word in common usage I've heard TV commentators use it in show jumping and F1 !
The job fit trainee probably thought you meant baulked beans... groan.

adam

 

[Gucci]

baulk verb & noun
|bôk|
verb [ intrans. ]
hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking : any gardener will at first baulk at enclosing the garden. • [ trans. ] thwart or hinder (a plan or person) : the utmost of his influence will be invoked to baulk the law. See note at thwart . • [ trans. ] ( baulk someone of) prevent a person or animal from having (something) : the lions, fearing to be baulked of their prey. • (of a horse) refuse to go on. • [ trans. ] archaic miss or refuse (a chance or invitation).

(damn, just scrolled up to see dictionary already referred to... I baulked it up)

 

[glojo]

Baulk is definitely a word in common usage I've heard TV commentators use it in show jumping and F1

I definetly would not cite our Formula 1 commentators

The day they talk sense will be the day Jenson Button becomes the World Champion.

John