Dealers Are all car salesmen the same?

[Keasden]

Originally Posted by andylangtree

Finally got my car on the 2-10-07, (worth waiting for). Got call of Honda and told them what i thought of the dealers. Got a call from dealers last Thursday saying that if i took my car down to them they would fill tank with petrol for me, did this today and now got full tank of petrol for free. Still a little short for me to buy another car of them.

Hi Andy, I see you are from the NW area like me, what dealer did you use.

I got mine, and the accompanying dreadful non-existant customer service from Blackpool Honda.

When I went to pick the car up I said to my wife that I was certain they would forget either A) to fit the free car mats or B) to apply the LifeShine paint protection. This was offered at a 'cost' price of £90 (!?) as compensation for all the messing about that I had incurred.

Well, they didn't disappoint me, the mats were there but no Life Shine, despite it being on the order form and despite them actually asking me to pay for it there and then!!

I have now arranged to take it back and have it done next week but having 2nd thoughts now.

The car was also not in what I would call excellent condition with polish overspill on the trim and water drops all over the paint work. I have put all that right now, but it should have been spotless when I collected it.

The salesman nearly dropped off his chair at my reply when he ran through his standard pro-forma questions and asked if I was completely happy with the customer service I had received.

Just need to track down the name and registered address of the MD of Blackpool Honda so I can tell him how his sales staff have ensured that I will not be a repeat customer, and neither will any of my family, friends or colleagues if I have my way. Not because of the botched collection but all the lack of returned calls and general failure to keep promises made.

I was told my original salesman will call me within 3 days to check if everything is OK with the car. Its now 6 days in and I have been sat by the phone waiting for him to call !!

[andylangtree]

Greenacre Honda Blackburn. The service i got was non existent, i think they gave me the extra tank full of petrol as an apology, but too little too late. A bit of thought by the salesman and common courtesy would have avoided the way i feel about the dealers. I have however had the call from Honda UK (who asked if they could send a recording of the conversation to the dealers, to which i agreed) and then from the dealers offering me the free tank of fuel. I will buy Honda again but not from them.

[Keasden]

Originally Posted by andylangtree

I will buy Honda again but not from them.

My sentiments exactly.

[Keasden]

Just to bring this one up to date -

I decided to write a letter to the MD of Blackpool Honda and calmly listed all the unreturned calls and general poor service that I have experienced (already mentioned throughout this thread so I won't bore you all with the details again).

I didn't ask for anything in my letter, just pointed out my experience and dissatisfaction and posed the question, would you be happy with the service I had experienced.

Got a call from the Sales Manager today who could not apologise enough. he said that he was embarrassed at the service I had received and that it clearly wasn't acceptable. He said a meeting had been held with everyone concerned to ensure that lessons are learned and wanted to know what he could do to restore my faith in his dealership.

Having given it some thought I called him back and discussed it further and he has promised to personally oversee the collection of my car next week when it will go in for the Life Shine treatment and the fitting of the Ambient Lighting kit, both as a gesture of goodwill. (He did say he would have done a free 1st service but I had purchased the Honda 5 year service plan)

I am delighted at this response and very pleased that someone senior took the time to call me and not just send a standardized apology letter. I would obviously rather have had a better purchasing experience in the first place and would preferred to have sent a thank you letter rather a complaint letter, but its a thumbs up to the sales manager from me for the way he has handled this.

[TTDegs]

making mistakes is human (though there were a lot here...) - how they are resolved makes a big difference

Glad you're happy now Keasden

[FWH]

Originally Posted by TTDegs

how they are resolved makes a big difference

quite.

I always say that the only guarnatee with any supplier is that you will have problems. The differance is how they will be solved.