Disappointing service at MB Croydon

[Dave.tam]

So my car was booked in yesterday at MB Croydon for its first service. I also asked them to look at the LEDs in the door handles, as another has failed (this will be the third since I picked it up), and to check the maps for COMAND Online as they are out of date and an update is required (was showing as 2015 maps V5).

The guy on the phone says no problem at all, leave it with us!

So far so good

I was waiting for a call yesterday to tell me that the car was ready for collection, but by 17:30, nothing. I took the car in at 09:30.

I called them, and the guy was very appologetic that no one had called me to let me know that the car would not be ready until tomorrow. Not too much of a problem at all, but a phone call would have been nice.

I get a call today at midday and I'm told that my car is ready for collection. The guy tells me that the service is complete, they have changed another two LEDs and my maps didn't need updating. "Didn't need updating!" I asked why over the phone. He said that the issue was a setting in the sat nav, and he's now changed the setting to "fastest route" as I had it on "dynamic route" which was apparently the wrong one he explained that where I had it set to dynamic, it was not taking into account traffic, so he changed it to fastest route, as this would take traffic into account and my sat nav would work better!

This pi$$ed me off no end! I tried to let him know that he had it all wrong, that I wanted it on dynamic, and dynamic does use the traffic information to "dynamically" update the route as and when needed, and that the maps DO need updating as they're 2015 V5 maps. He said he didn't know and that he was only passing on information from the technician, but he would ask again and confirm when I get there.

Anyway, I get there and take a seat, waiting for the guy to come and explain himself in person. While I'm waiting, the salesman I buy my cars from sees me and comes to sit down for a chat. He's a really nice bloke and I tell him about the maps. I told him that the maps are outdated and that V8 is the latest. I tell him I'm well aware that updating the maps takes up to 5 hours on a ramp and that's probably why the service dept didn't want to do it. He says don't worry, he'll sort it out.

The service man then comes and sits down and tells me that he got it wrong. He said that he got the sat nav settings mixed up, and confirmed that in either cases the settings had nothing to do with the updates, and that my car was indeed due an update!

He apologised again and asked my to bring my car back in on Tuesday for the map updates, and he'll have a courtesy car ready for me

All's well that ends well

 

[whitenemesis]

At least the service guy admitted he had it all wrong and didn't try covering his ****.

And he arranged a courtesy car without you asking, rightly so..

 

[Dave.tam]

I do agree, but I was annoyed that he tried to bluff me off in the first place. I must have told him three times on the phone that what he was saying was wrong. Someone without the prior knowledge that the maps were in dire need of updating would have accepted what the Mercedes representative said, and that's just wrong and shouldn't happen.

I know that there's debate on this forum recently around whether MB are supposed to be a premium brand, offering a premium service, but this is far from premium. Even when the customer was specifically asking for the map updates, they tried to get out of doing them.

If I were in charge of MBUK, I'd INSIST that any updates were carried out at the earliest convenience of the customer if requested, and in any case at the next service without need for a request at all.

Also my loan car was dirty, was not an "equivilant" vehicle, and although my car was cleaned prior to handing it back to me, it wasn't to any kind of standard at all.

They also left my push start button in the centre console. Now I know these are not big issues, but come off it, they're easy wins! There doesn't seem to be any kind of quality control at all.

A premium brand, they are not. They need to employ a single person who "oversees" what comes in and out of their service department. Someone who does no paperwork, has no other roles, but gets things done and makes sure things are finished to a standard before the customer is handed back their vehicle. Pay them a decent wage, and make sure they have pride in their work and customer service as their main priority. It's not a hard thing to do for a massive brand like Mercedes.

 

[AMGeed]

Just goes to show how uninformed some of the staff are.
As post#2, they are dealing with the map update now and you have a courtesy car. Not much more they could have done.
But it does make you think, if you hadn't known about the sat nav mapping or met with the salesman, you'd probably have taken his word for it and left blissfully unaware.

 

[Dave.tam]

Well I'd already checked, so I knew before speaking to them that the maps need updating, and I assumed (wrongly), that specifically requesting them to be done, they'd actually check, realise I knew what I was talking about, and actually do them......obviously not lol

The complete BS I got off the service representative was cringing to hear, as he was talking out of his behind. Telling me that he'd changed my settings from dynamic route, to fastest route, as fastest route utilises the traffic info and dynamic route doesn't was purely embarrassing. I mean, this guy gets paid a wage to tell me that drivel. Know your product at least. All I wanted were my maps updating at the same time my service was carried out. I don't think that's too much to ask? Maybe I'm being a little precious lol

I think it would be wholly acceptable for them to say "sorry sir, but our workshop is very busy today, is it ok if we re schedule your map updates for a different day as they can take up a ramp for up to 5 hours?"

I'd have said, of course!

 

[markjay]

...He said he didn't know and that he was only passing on information from the technician....

...The complete BS I got off the service representative was cringing to hear, as he was talking out of his behind...

'Service Advisors' the main issue with dealer servicing.

 

[whitenemesis]

Agree, BS and waffle are not acceptable in any service industry. If unsure, find out before facing the customer. In fact, find out before it ever becomes a question. These service chaps should be 'one the ball'.... Must be embarrassing when the customer knows better !!

That said I'm always accepting of the honest "I'm sorry I don't know but I'll find out" response

 

[Dave.tam]

You'd think a company like MB would be able to identify this issue and address it though? Maybe I'm expecting too much lol

 

[Dave.tam]

Agree, BS and waffle are not acceptable in any service industry. If unsure, find out before facing the customer. In fact, find out before it ever becomes a question. These service chaps should be 'one the ball'.... Must be embarrassing when the customer knows better !!

My point exactly! I felt embarrassed for him! Lol

There's no shame in saying "sorry sir, I'm not sure. Let me find out and I'll get back to you straight away"

I'd rather that than hear something he just made up lol

 

[markjay]

You'd think a company like MB would be able to identify this issue and address it though? Maybe I'm expecting too much lol

They are probably still busy working-out how to resolve the rusting wheelbolts issue.....

 

[Dave.tam]

They are probably still busy working-out how to resolve the rusting wheelbolts issue.....

There's a rusting wheel bolts issue?

They need to pay me a wage as a trouble shooter! I'm pretty sure I can source a metal that won't rust to use as a wheel bolt! :bannana:

 

[whitenemesis]

You'd think a company like MB would be able to identify this issue and address it though? Maybe I'm expecting too much lol

The only way they can identify it is if the customer feeds back, directly to MB. Not just a rant but a constructive complaint.

 

[Dave.tam]

The only way they can identify it is if the customer feeds back, directly to MB. Not just a rant but a constructive complaint.

Again, I agree completely. I think I'll drop the service manager an email and see how I get on.

Going by their reply, I'll decide if I need to take it further. The thing is, I'm not one of those customers who makes waves or is awkward, but I'm also of the mindset that if you don't bring the issue up, you can't expect them to address it.

 

[SUPERNOVA1a]

I was wondering, whether MB leave a comment card to be filled in after the service and the car is picked up. Lexus do that, Birmingham franchise do that is, And I have left 1/10 once, things where better next time.

 

[Dave.tam]

There are no comment cards, but they might drop me an email asking about my experience.

 

[CLSMark]

So my car was booked in yesterday at MB Croydon for its first service. I also asked them to look at the LEDs in the door handles, as another has failed (this will be the third since I picked it up), and to check the maps for COMAND Online as they are out of date and an update is required (was showing as 2015 maps V5).



The guy on the phone says no problem at all, leave it with us!



So far so good



I was waiting for a call yesterday to tell me that the car was ready for collection, but by 17:30, nothing. I took the car in at 09:30.



I called them, and the guy was very appologetic that no one had called me to let me know that the car would not be ready until tomorrow. Not too much of a problem at all, but a phone call would have been nice.



I get a call today at midday and I'm told that my car is ready for collection. The guy tells me that the service is complete, they have changed another two LEDs and my maps didn't need updating. "Didn't need updating!" I asked why over the phone. He said that the issue was a setting in the sat nav, and he's now changed the setting to "fastest route" as I had it on "dynamic route" which was apparently the wrong one he explained that where I had it set to dynamic, it was not taking into account traffic, so he changed it to fastest route, as this would take traffic into account and my sat nav would work better!



This pi$$ed me off no end! I tried to let him know that he had it all wrong, that I wanted it on dynamic, and dynamic does use the traffic information to "dynamically" update the route as and when needed, and that the maps DO need updating as they're 2015 V5 maps. He said he didn't know and that he was only passing on information from the technician, but he would ask again and confirm when I get there.



Anyway, I get there and take a seat, waiting for the guy to come and explain himself in person. While I'm waiting, the salesman I buy my cars from sees me and comes to sit down for a chat. He's a really nice bloke and I tell him about the maps. I told him that the maps are outdated and that V8 is the latest. I tell him I'm well aware that updating the maps takes up to 5 hours on a ramp and that's probably why the service dept didn't want to do it. He says don't worry, he'll sort it out.



The service man then comes and sits down and tells me that he got it wrong. He said that he got the sat nav settings mixed up, and confirmed that in either cases the settings had nothing to do with the updates, and that my car was indeed due an update!



He apologised again and asked my to bring my car back in on Tuesday for the map updates, and he'll have a courtesy car ready for me



All's well that ends well

What's the courtesy? S63?


Sent from my Apple product using Crapatalk

 

[Dave.tam]

I had a boring A Class yesterday :/ never had a decent courtesy car off of them!

My neighbour took his GLA 200 in for a service yesterday too, dropped it off a bout an hour after I picked mine up. What did he get as a courtesy car......a C250d AMG line premium +!

Maybe I've annoyed someone there lol I NEVER get a decent loan car lol

 

[uumode]

I have a 2015 car, so I guess it came like that from the factory, but I had assumed it updated automatically over the air on COMAND systems with remote online services?

 

[Dave.tam]

Unfortunately not, it's needs to be manually downloaded by you local dealer. You're entitled to 3 years of updates for free I believe, from the date of manufacture.

Book yours in ASAP and make sure they don't try and fob you off!

 

[markjay]

On newer cars the maps can be downloaded to a PC then copied to USB stick and installed from there, apparently it is much quicker this way. You still need the MB PIN code; I wonder if the dealer would agree to just give customers the code, or perhaps they have to install the map updates themselves while under warranty.