Why You Hate the Service Department

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After 10 minutes I realised, while I do hate service departments, I really really hate self-indulgent prolixity more. The man needs a sodding editor.
 
That's why I use an independent garage where they only do what's needed.
 
It's that Australian bloke isn't it?

I'm not watching.
 
After 10 minutes I realised, while I do hate service departments, I really really hate self-indulgent prolixity more. The man needs a sodding editor.

You watched it for 10 minutes!

I'm impressed. I didn't last a minute once he started jabbering.
 
Thirded! I'd like to see critics like this guy create a marvel of modern engineering and bring it to market. It's like some food critics. Go a cook something up yourself and we'll all stand round telling you how bad it tastes. Always easy to criticise once something exists. Having the idea and executing it is something else.
 
I've never said that I hate the service department, always found my local MB one very helpful and accommadating . My only complaint is the amount of money they want before they let me leave the place.
 
My brother has been a service manager at a few (volume) franchise garages for a number of years. I think he would suggest that you should save your hate for the manufacturers who are no help whatsoever....

And a little bit for the owners who are selling new cars at zero profit and expect service to generate enough return to pay for those fancy garages and stuff you take for granted now....
 
My brother has been a service manager at a few (volume) franchise garages for a number of years. I think he would suggest that you should save your hate for the manufacturers who are no help whatsoever....

And a little bit for the owners who are selling new cars at zero profit and expect service to generate enough return to pay for those fancy garages and stuff you take for granted now....

Part of the issue is that the average car forum member is not the average motorist.....

I find that main dealer 'Service Advisors' are very good at pricing-up the service and liaising between the customer and workshop, but they know very little about cars in general or about car mechanics in particular.

The point is that from the owner's perspective, they don't need to.... it only becomes an issue when they are confronted with a petrolhead who asks the right question and gets annoyed with made-up answers.

But the vast majority of customers simply hand over the keys then come back and pay the bill.

Where is the business case for having expensive highly trained staff dealing directly with customers? The tiny minority who (rightly) ask difficult questions are better served by a good indie.

Business-wise, it makes more sense for the dealer to give-up their cuslome than try and accommodate.
 
Now here's an idea. Service Advisors will comprise of veteran or retired mechanics who worked on the workshop floor for two or three decades but now want a more relaxed job. How about that? Top notch service to the public by experienced persons. Sort of the B&Q of the car servicing world.
 
Thirded! I'd like to see critics like this guy create a marvel of modern engineering and bring it to market. It's like some food critics. Go a cook something up yourself and we'll all stand round telling you how bad it tastes. Always easy to criticise once something exists. Having the idea and executing it is something else.
"Journalists", "critics" and the like are little more than parasites, living off other people's endeavour. It's why I take no notice whatsoever of those who critique for a living.

Thankfully though, due to t'internet, the vested interests of publishers/media barons is being eroded at great pace compared to even five year ago.
 
Part of the issue is that the average car forum member is not the average motorist.....

I find that main dealer 'Service Advisors' are very good at pricing-up the service and liaising between the customer and workshop, but they know very little about cars in general or about car mechanics in particular.

The point is that from the owner's perspective, they don't need to.... it only becomes an issue when they are confronted with a petrolhead who asks the right question and gets annoyed with made-up answers.

But the vast majority of customers simply hand over the keys then come back and pay the bill.

Where is the business case for having expensive highly trained staff dealing directly with customers? The tiny minority who (rightly) ask difficult questions are better served by a good indie.

Business-wise, it makes more sense for the dealer to give-up their cuslome than try and accommodate.

My brother is a fully qualified mechanic who can wield the spanners if needed - he left his last company because they wanted customer facing people to be young kids who didnt know how cars worked.

Its a small price to pay for alot of goodwill.
 
Now here's an idea. Service Advisors will comprise of veteran or retired mechanics who worked on the workshop floor for two or three decades but now want a more relaxed job. How about that? Top notch service to the public by experienced persons. Sort of the B&Q of the car servicing world.

It's a nice idea but things change and they're going to be so far out of touch as to be annoying. Most queries these days are probably about things like bluetooth streaming not working etc.

The other problem is that when you call a garage now it's very difficult to speak to service - you get diverted to a call centre.
 
My brother is a fully qualified mechanic who can wield the spanners if needed - he left his last company because they wanted customer facing people to be young kids who didnt know how cars worked.

Its a small price to pay for alot of goodwill.

One of the reasons I hated taking my car in to BMW and MB were the 'service advisors'. Perfectly presentable and professional people but in effect a buffer I didn't want between myself and the technician wearing gloves who would deal with my car.

My local VAG dealership actually has a mechanic on the desk. I don't know if he's been invalided or just prefers it but he knows the cars and offers advice. The result is that it makes them my prefered place to go for servicing.
 

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