Poor service

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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.

I'm not arguing with you, but as they obtained my number pre GDPR, and probably I gave it without being asked.... maybe that influenced their thinking?
It was early days of GDPR - possibly an over reaction. It just struck me as flat out weird that a phone number (of a product supplier) couldn't just be handed over. Strange days getting stranger by the day!
 
I'm not arguing with you, but as they obtained my number pre GDPR, and probably I gave it without being asked.... maybe that influenced their thinking?
It was early days of GDPR - possibly an over reaction. It just struck me as flat out weird that a phone number (of a product supplier) couldn't just be handed over. Strange days getting stranger by the day!
Pass.
I know I had to spend about half a day(which I'll never get back!) listening to all the things I should do, and definitely shouldn't do.
I shouldn't pass your information to an external party(unless I request your permission), but I believe that I could share it internally, as previously I would have asked you for something, and if you replied to me, it was assumed that you'd given your permission for me/my company to have it.
I also know there is a load of stuff in our customer contracts with regards to GDPR.
 
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Most blue tooth systems will dump the contacts list when the phone is unpaired. Both my MB's and the two Fiats do it.
Good point, but then do people really bother to unpair their phones before returning a loan car?
 
Probably more often that one would think.

But not as often as those who never pair them in the first place, even in their own cars.
 
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Re GDPR... been to a hotel in the South of Italy earlier this month looking for one of their guests. It was a foreign name and the man at reception could not understand it... so he handed me 4 stapled pages comprising of the entire hotel's guest list and their room numbers, and asked me to look it over and find the name I was looking for, then point it out to him. Nice.
 
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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....
I believe a little under 40 dealerships are owned by MB and approx 190 are franchises.
 
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.
I wasnt aware of this, do you have a link to the info, thanks.
 
I don’t have a MB at the moment but went into the Cambridge dealer about 6 months ago to ask about seven seater E Classes.

I was told quite bluntly that there was no such thing as a seven seater E Class. I’m British so I obviously apologised for coming into their dealership asking about their cars and said I was talking about the S212 model, which admittedly was out of production (but only by about 18 months at this point). Nope, you can’t get those with seven seats I was told. At this point I was tempted to reach into my pocket for my phone to prove them wrong but I had already decided they were lacking in the basics of customer service and product knowledge. Perhaps sensing my miffed look the dark suited with scuffed light brown shoes salesman asked would I like to look at a used GLE they have for sale on the forecourt? “Does it have seven seats?” I responded. “Er, no.”

Mercedes Cambridge. Rubbish.


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Don't get Audi, you may be even more frustrated. I wasted 2.5h on Wednesday to drop off and pick up the car. It wasn't fixed but when trying to book it again they got me so annoyed with their lack of dates or "can't do" attitude, that I decided to put Audi in the garage and drive other car for a couple of weeks. From all brands, I think Mercedes had nicest people in dealership, even if they couldn't fix the problem. If I was choosing brand based on dealership network, I would choose Mercedes. Unfortunately I don't like any new model.

And yes, I frequented ones owned by MB Retail Group and one in Guildford which was bought by Sandown Group from previous owner.
 
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Probably more often that one would think.

But not as often as those who never pair them in the first place, even in their own cars.
I avoid use of mobile phones when driving so would never use that feature even if any of my cars had it .
 
One would expect no less from a gentleman such as yourself.

However, the demographic in question are those whose cars are very definitely equipped, and yet still driving along with phone in hand. Range Rovers and X5s seem to be the weapon of choice around these parts.
 
Re GDPR... been to a hotel in the South of Italy earlier this month looking for one of their guests. It was a foreign name and the man at reception could not understand it... so he handed me 4 stapled pages comprising of the entire hotel's guest list and their room numbers, and asked me to look it over and find the name I was looking for, then point it out to him. Nice.

Not only Italy. I had that happen on a guest list for a gig and almost lost my place. Similar when I had a newspaper put aside and someone asking for the same paper was asked if their surname was mine.
 
Not only Italy. I had that happen on a guest list for a gig and almost lost my place. Similar when I had a newspaper put aside and someone asking for the same paper was asked if their surname was mine.
I have also seen here in the UK, posh business buildings with a self-service computer at reception, that lists the names of all the visitors scheduled for the day and which company they are visiting, and you are required to choose you name from the list and tick it, it then prints-out your visitors pass................
 

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