Mercedes Dealership Service ! I'm Not Happy !

[E280wilson]

I've had impeccable service from Hull. They can't do enough for you. I was given a survey after purchasing mine and found out that they are penalised financially if they don't score high enough.
Vicki was my sales lady and first class.

 

[WDB124066]

Dealership staff tend to influence the surveys in ways they should not, it could be very different if the surveys were not conducted by a third party but buy the parent company themselves AND the parent company resolved any serious issues raised. I once wrote in detail about some of my experiences that went seriously wrong, told them to contact me asap. They never did, but rather got someone else entirely inappropriate to contact me.

Developer, from what is mentioned you appear to me at least to be precisely the type of customer they want and will fuss over.

Retention of sales staff seems more stable than parts and maintenance staff I have found.

The Dealer Principals are the ones driving the policy through the organisation. My feeling is you have been identified as someone meeting the profile of someone they do not particularly care for. You can try one more time or even a couple of times to see if I am correct. You have the experience of others on here as to what proper MB service is all about. Certainly I can vouch for that in earlier times before I spent 40000 pounds with them on maintenance and informed them I have no intention of buying the undersized cars they seem to be producing for the masses in this day and age.

 

[dhard]

Yes, just ask to see paperwork that they are indeed a Dealership. That one gets sprung on you too.

Get out of the MB network it is just too corrupt to be taken seriously. Go find a good indie, there are a few on here, they will look after you MUCH better than any Dealership.

last time I looked MB network / dealerships were run as a business not a register charity ...

 

[markjay]

I had customer satisfaction surveys from several dealerships (not just MB), and on those occasions where I had a complaint and replies 'yes' when asked if I wanted someone to contact me regarding my complaint, no one ever called back.

 

[markjay]

I've had impeccable service from Hull. They can't do enough for you. I was given a survey after purchasing mine and found out that they are penalised financially if they don't score high enough.
Vicki was my sales lady and first class.

My Kia dealer told me the same, they are penalised if they 'don't get 10 out of 10, not 9 out of 10 Sir, but 10 out of 10'.

The service was abysmal, then they overcharged 'by mistake', refused to deal with a warranty issue, the service manager was arrogant, they invoiced for work that wasn't done, and then never provided me with the list of items replaced as part of the service which I asked for - but in spite of their incompetence they kept asking me if the service was '10 out of 10'.... seriously, they did. It was borderline comic....

 

[developer]

last time I looked MB network / dealerships were run as a business not a register charity ...

I love you dh - reading your posts is a bit like glancing at the top shelf - you know you shouldn't but...

Please don't get yourself banned any time soon...

 

[WDB124066]

@#23; Care to explain your comment further....

 

[st13phil]

@#23; Care to explain your comment further....

That's like applauding a truly awful musical performance. You really shouldn't do it: it only encourages them.

 

[flango]

From my experience of UK dealerships which is pretty extensive I would go no where near them to purchase a car. If I did decide to buy a new MB which is highly unlikely I would order it from a German dealer where the experience is a lot more pleasant and they actually care about customer service and customers unlike the profiling system they use in the UK

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Charles Morgan]

My attitude now is if you need a 10 to get paid this is what you have to do. I heard recently about the base pay and hours of sales staff at a large BMW dealership which were rotten (plus having to wear a cheap corporate suit - is there anything now more indicative of low social status than being required to wear a cheap suit for work?) so it's hardly surprising it is a high turnover career.

I have never understood MB customer service here, it has been rotten for years, and is now about flogging standardised cars at low lease rates (which is fine with me). For a 'premium' brand, it certainly has an odd way of operating.

 

[flango]

Charles I totally agree I always used to wear a shirt and tie for the office and suit although not a cheap one. 5 years ago we were taken over by a massive German company first question they asked why do you guys dress so formal for the office does it make you work better does it improve your productivity? Since then the suit has been replaced with jeans and a smart shirt

Research has shown that there is an inherent distrust in sales people wearing suits and yes I was one of the guilty ones. For customer meetings I always wear trousers and shirt but the tie is gone unless it is very formal. I've found this more relaxed dress code gets trust faster and delivers results easier, either that or it's the change of company that's made the difference

What really annoys me about MB UK is the salesmen and women don't even know the product they are selling the customers usually know more. Walk into a German dealer and the salesman will tell you the spec of steel the bumper bolts were made of that's the difference

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[WDB124066]

That's like applauding a truly awful musical performance. You really shouldn't do it: it only encourages them.

Fair enough, I will restrain.

 

[Rory]

My Kia dealer told me the same, they are penalised if they 'don't get 10 out of 10, not 9 out of 10 Sir, but 10 out of 10'.

These surveys are used to beat dealers up and to with-hold money from them, so if you find someone in the organisation who cares about that then they should go out of their way to fix stuff (never mind that it should have been right in the first place).

Bear in mind the default score is 10. You're only expected to mark less than that if there's a specific unresolved problem.

There's a story on either this or the other forum of someone who put down an average mark for the whole survey as the buying experience was average - nothing outstandingly good or bad. He got a call from the DP saying it was the worst survey card they'd ever had!

 

[IanA2]

My attitude now is if you need a 10 to get paid this is what you have to do. I heard recently about the base pay and hours of sales staff at a large BMW dealership which were rotten (plus having to wear a cheap corporate suit - is there anything now more indicative of low social status than being required to wear a cheap suit for work?) so it's hardly surprising it is a high turnover career.

I have never understood MB customer service here, it has been rotten for years, and is now about flogging standardised cars at low lease rates (which is fine with me). For a 'premium' brand, it certainly has an odd way of operating.

Yup, ever since "The Great Reorganisation" Prior to this my MB main dealer in Bath was excellent. Even had a box at The Rec

 

[nb_racing]

I think that 9 out of 10 "salesmen" should now be regarded as "check-out assistants".
That is to say, most customers specifically want to buy a Mercedes (in this case), so they will often go through the appauling service to get what they want. Bare in mind 9/10 buyers are "Jo Public" with no real enthusiasm for cars, driving or motoring. The car is a tool.
Similarly, I'm not a foodie, and if I get bad service in a restaurant, I let it go over my head and just don't tip. My brother-in-law is a chef and if he gets bad service he goes for it, hell for leather...
Thus, the "salesman" need only talk the custmer through the options, and take payment. Hence "check out assistant".

My theory is MB get away with paying peanuts to monkeys, because that is all they need.

There very good salemen out there and I have worked with some fantastic salemen who could sell ice to eskimos and make the Queen feel more important than herself.

It's a sad state.

 

[219]

I think that 9 out of 10 "salesmen" should now be regarded as "check-out assistants".
That is to say, most customers specifically want to buy a Mercedes (in this case), so they will often go through the appauling service to get what they want. Bare in mind 9/10 buyers are "Jo Public" with no real enthusiasm for cars, driving or motoring. The car is a tool.
Similarly, I'm not a foodie, and if I get bad service in a restaurant, I let it go over my head and just don't tip. My brother-in-law is a chef and if he gets bad service he goes for it, hell for leather...
Thus, the "salesman" need only talk the custmer through the options, and take payment. Hence "check out assistant".

My theory is MB get away with paying peanuts to monkeys, because that is all they need.

There very good salemen out there and I have worked with some fantastic salemen who could sell ice to eskimos and make the Queen feel more important than herself.

It's a sad state.

These days , with factory collection being an option , there would be a lot to be said for an online shop via the Mercedes website , where you could configure your car , choose your options and collection date , then pay online without ever needing to go near a dealer .

Mercedes could then do without the network of glass palaces and instead have a network of more down to earth 'service centres' which would just be workshops and perhaps without the overheads of an under performing sales department could actually get on with the business of providing proper aftercare .

If you are fortunate enough to have a M-B approved indy , who can do warranty work , you might be able to enjoy the ownership experience without ever going near a dealership at all :bannana:

For the small minority who ever bother to test drive a car these days , there could be a smaller number of regional demonstration centres , who might also deal with the small number who wish to trade in against another car ; lease customers would just return their cars to the workshops where they would be inspected and signed off .

 

[IanA2]

My guess is that they don't bother providing a premium dealership service as they no longer sell (with a few exceptions) premium vehicles. They're selling their history.

αναπαύονται στις δάφνες τους, which is rather appropriate given the MB badge.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Yup, ever since "The Great Reorganisation" Prior to this my MB main dealer in Bath was excellent. Even had a box at The Rec

Ah yes, the Great Leap Forward, launched so many years ago to address the perceived erratic service levels in MB franchises. That worked well.

 

[IanA2]

Ah yes, the Great Leap Forward, launched so many years ago to address the perceived erratic service levels in MB franchises. That worked well.

Didn't it just :fail

 

[Charles Morgan]

αναπαύονται στις δάφνες τους

It's certainly a Hardy perennial with MB...