Poor service

[Istbclass]

So we noticed a funny noise from the exhaust on starting our 2019 B200, the exhaust sounded like an outboard motor for the first few minutes, once star it didn’t do it again until started fresh the next day.
So we booked it in with Mercedes Cambridge, on arrival we went straight to the service dept, an a young service adviser, first negative was a very curt attitude, did you check in with reception, no did know we didn’t know we had to, he didn’t leave us feeling valued, got the courtesy car, a GLC with 400 miles on it, a nice gesture would have been to be asked if there was anything we needed to know about the car, or perhaps asked if we needed sat nav as we have since been told none of there courtesy cars have it activated.
We got home an my wife noticed it had 1200 miles on it, instead of the 400 mile the insurance form said, it was at this point we realised why the difference in mileage, we had been given the wrong car. A phone call from themanager assured us the insurance had been sorted.
By midday no phone call from them so we rang them, only to be told by the same service adviser they have the camera for the car, we pointed out it wasn’t in for a camera and after checking the reg number we were told apparently they are short staffed, so although they had started it and noticed a noise they had not managed to get it on a ramp yet. By late afternoon still no call so we phoned them again, ah we can’t find the noise now, we pointed out that’s because it only does when started from cold!, as we told you and why we left the car with you overnight.
We thought by purchasing a Mercedes we we getting a premium product and premium service albeit at a premium price, oh well 1 out 3 is not bad, just a shame it’s the last one.

 

[kianok]

I’ve had loan cars with no Nav SD card.

When I asked why apparently some customers ‘remove them!’

Can’t blame the dealer for taking them out.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

....................
We thought by purchasing a Mercedes we we getting a premium product and premium service albeit at a premium price, .............

That was in the old days when it was a premium product ........my dad drove a MB and it was considered very posh (I was the driver of the bride for several of my friend's weddings) - these days every Tom, **** and Harry has a MB (wife and myself included ).

 

[zipdip]

Well it seems you picked a overrun MB main dealer,of course you had to use them your car is new,best to chill out and enjoy driving the GLC ,and of course when they say your car is fixed,pick it up first thing in the morning but check the engine temperature to make certain it has not been started,and then it will be either fixed or not ,if not you still have the GLC.

 

[oldguy57]

I think service started to go wrong with the introduction of "service advisers" and "reception". In many dealers now you can't talk to the people who actually do the work.

 

[markjay]

From memory, some 20 years ago MB UK announced that they were 'buying-out' the franchised dealerships from their then owners in order to resolve the problem of poor customer service, and that they intend to own and run the dealerships themselves.

(This is when Alan Day lost the franchise...)

Since then, some private groups have become MB dealers, but a large chunk of the dealerships are still owned by MB UK.

As for service levels... from reading on here, it seems that the issue of poor customer service still persists.

Said that, I am currently using MB Brooklands (which is owned by MB UK) and so far had no issues.

With regards 'service advisors'... I think this has always been the case with main dealers, of all marques... certainly this is has been my experience in the past 20 years. If you want to talk to someone who knows your car... take it to Olly, Terry, Jay, or Acid....

 

[Nat]

I'm not a fan of Mercedes showroom, parts and service set up. It's like visiting the Doctors or Dentists.

You can get a bad experience anywhere nowadays. It's how they put it right that also crucially matters and making you feel they want your business. I've also used places recommended to me on website forums like this one and was not impressed and felt like a walking wallet candidate. I gave up with BMW's as the whole package for me, was poor. Porsche is good but they know how to charge.

Hope you get it sorted without any headaches and it's certainly not confidence inspiring when you get mucked about like this.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I can think of worse things that could happen.

 

[neilrr]

I can think of worse things that could happen.

Agree, mountain out of a molehill, first world problems etc.

 

[grober]

The B class W247 has an exhaust flap towards the rear of the car- i believe its designed to restrict exhaust gas flow when the engine / exhaust is warming up from cold to reduce its warmup time. Its driven by an actuator that has a plastic casing which can melt- its a known fault- perhaps that's your problem?
http://www.sprinter-rv.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Introduction-of-the-Mercedes-OM654-Engine.pdf

 

[Istbclass]

I agree not the end of the world, but still disappointing. Went there first thing this morning and started it, yes they agree there is a noise for he first few minutes but they can find no faults so have deemed it a feature when first started, probably something to do with the emission equipment.
With regards the sat nav, yes they say they remove them because people nick them, wouldn’t it be better to give you a fully functioning car and check it when it’s returned. Fortunately we know where we were going, my daughter who gets lost at the end of the street without sat nav would have had a problem.
As so often with faults, it’s not the fault that people have issues with it’s how it’s dealt with.
Having driven the GLC (a 220d) I thought the engine was a bit harsh and unrefined, certainly not as quite and refined as a BMW X3 or Audi Q5.

 

[Rory]

From memory, some 20 years ago MB UK announced that they were 'buying-out' the franchised dealerships from their then owners in order to resolve the problem of poor customer service, and that they intend to own and run the dealerships themselves.

(This is when Alan Day lost the franchise...)

Since then, some private groups have become MB dealers, but a large chunk of the dealerships are still owned by MB UK.

MB own only own a few dealerships in the London area now - they did own the dealerships in a few major cities for a while but they sold the ones outside the London area to a Chinese company a few years ago.

The Cambridge area dealerships used to be Robinsons but they sold them to an American company a year or two ago.

 

[219]

From memory, some 20 years ago MB UK announced that they were 'buying-out' the franchised dealerships from their then owners in order to resolve the problem of poor customer service, and that they intend to own and run the dealerships themselves.

(This is when Alan Day lost the franchise...)

Since then, some private groups have become MB dealers, but a large chunk of the dealerships are still owned by MB UK.

As for service levels... from reading on here, it seems that the issue of poor customer service still persists.

Said that, I am currently using MB Brooklands (which is owned by MB UK) and so far had no issues.

With regards 'service advisors'... I think this has always been the case with main dealers, of all marques... certainly this is has been my experience in the past 20 years. If you want to talk to someone who knows your car... take it to Olly, Terry, Jay, or Acid....

Has it been that long ? Wow !

I think it had the opposite effect , certainly around here places like Dicksons and Western seemed better in the old days , can’t comment on others .

 

[bpsorrel]

if you want to see my view on MB service these days, take a look at this thread! Unpleasant surprise

All worked out OK in the end, but they put me through a merry dance to get there! Best result was when the (very good) service manager got involved personally. Snowflake service advisers were...... (insert your own expletive here) LOL!

 

[Bellow]

I agree not the end of the world, but still disappointing. Went there first thing this morning and started it, yes they agree there is a noise for he first few minutes but they can find no faults so have deemed it a feature when first started, probably something to do with the emission equipment.

Turboed engines have their wastegate opened on cold start to direct (bypass the turbine) the exhaust gas to the cat to enable faster 'light-off'. Without the muffling effect of the turbine, the exhaust sound is louder. It shouldn't be for that long though. Mine closes when the artificially high idle speed subsides - circa 30-40 seconds after first firing. Yes, an emissions strategy.

I thought the sat nav situation was a security/privacy thing? (prevent someone else accessing your home address and details of your journeys).

 

[oldguy57]

Agree, mountain out of a molehill, first world problems etc.

All posts on car forums relate to first world problems.

 

[markjay]

...I thought the sat nav situation was a security/privacy thing? (prevent someone else accessing your home address and details of your journeys).

Fair point, but this does not explain why rental cars have satnavs? The staff should simply reset the unit after each customer.

Incidentally, the same applies to Bluetooth - when you pair your phone, some systems copy your contact list to the car. I always reset the unit to factory setting before returning a rental car.

(The fact that the SD cards tend to go walkies is a more plausible explantation...)

 

[Bellow]

Fair point, but this does not explain why rental cars have satnavs? The staff should simply reset the unit after each customer.

Incidentally, the same applies to Bluetooth - when you pair your phone, some systems copy your contact list to the car. I always reset the unit to factory setting before returning a rental car.

(The fact that the SD cards tend to go walkies is a more plausible explantation...)

I'd hit the 'post' button before I realised I needed to add ''but I could be wrong''!

The new privacy law (4 lettered acronym I can't remember) is causing all sorts of grief. A large organisation contacted me to ask if my phone number could be shared - one colleague to another - within the same organisation.

 

[Trickythemerc]

Most blue tooth systems will dump the contacts list when the phone is unpaired. Both my MB's and the two Fiats do it.

 

[ShaunB]

I'd hit the 'post' button before I realised I needed to add ''but I could be wrong''!

The new privacy law (4 lettered acronym I can't remember) is causing all sorts of grief. A large organisation contacted me to ask if my phone number could be shared - one colleague to another - within the same organisation.

GDPR is what you're looking for, and yes, its a complete pain in the ass for any services related company, because one slip up could cost a large amount of money.

As for what that company has done, its my understanding that's unnecessary, as they've already asked your permission to have your phone number in the first place.