BMW Customer Service....universally bad???

[Triv]

Here in the UK, whenever I visit my local BMW dealer (for that obscure part) I feel like a second class citizen, in addition to this the parts are NEVER in stock and has to be ordered in. Also, the parts department (Ocean BMW Plymouth) is separate to the showroom and service area, I believe this arrangement is to keep the riff-raff, like myself, away from the more affluent 6 or 7 series owner. After all, why would these owners EVER be in the parts department, well maybe for a ski rack I hear you say, but no.....the accessories department is part of the showroom.

I have also noticed that the Mini's are also kept away from the BMW's as they are not nearly as expensive as the BMW'S.

Is the service like this where you are i.e. USA or OZ?
I hate going into the dealer for anything!

P.S. I have thought about whether this is just me and maybe my own personal insecurities arise as a direct result of being intimidated and feeling inferior to 'posh' people, i.e. I'm just too damn working class.

[Jon K]

Service in the u.s. is generally just as bad. i use thompson bmw and they are probably the better of the dealerships around here in PA. However sometimes you will call ahead and ask for a part, wait on hold for a while, and then it forwards to the operator desk. the sales guys at the showroom are real helpful and often times comment/ask about my car. the service guys seem to be the snotty ones, since thompson is a dinan installer they kind of have this whole "you do labor yourself?" attitude. They're good for coolant, oil filters (when Zygmunts is out) and door panel clips. aside from that, they suck.

[Triv]

Recently I had to get a catalytic converter from Citroen for my girlfriends Saxo (for the benefit of forum members in the USA, a Citroen Saxo is a small town car), I found the Citroen service to be outstanding. The part was in stock on the shelf which I amazed at and was only marginally dearer than a crap pattern version.
This is all well and good except I don't want to drive a Citroen.

[Lennyz525i]

Isn't citroen french for lemon?

PS, most dealers over here suck with their prices, it's why we call em stealers!

[Mitch90535im]

I guess everything has exceptions. I have been well pleased with the customer service I recieve from Village Imports in Chattanooga, TN. I've only used their service dept. once when I needed the reset code for a 325ic radio, but the service was quick even without an appointment, and the service manager even apologized for having to charge me for it. (a local indy who disconnected the battery for no reason picked up 1/2 the tab, so it wasn't too bad). The parts guys are top notch. Chattanooga is only 20 minutes from where I live, but if I need dealer only parts, or even just oil filter kits in a hurry, they always UPS them to me, shipping the same day. I've never been treated as a 2nd class citizen and whenever I'm by there in person I usually get a postive comment or two about my 535i and its great condition considering it has > 200K on the clock. (Apparently everybody appreciates the classic looks of the E34). I'm sure there are plenty of dealer pricks out there, but the guys at the dealership in Chattanooga isn't one of them...

[TheDuke]

I think it all depends how long they are in business. I noticed that older guys working in BMW or any other dealership appreciate classics. Probably only because they were their dream cars as kids or they had them before. In West Springfield, MA most of the sales seems to appreciate that, and regardless of the year they take same care of the vehicle when they take it in, unfortunately same goes with price. $ is prop ably the only reason why I don't go there too often. About the looks of E34 it's all true. Form little kids to old grammyes everyone loves the looks of the car. I even know few people with never 5 and 7 series and they like 34 more.

[Nick.Hay]

I have noticed a 'cold' reception in all the BMW dealerships I have visited. Maybe its the fact I am in my early 20s, and the pierced ear certainly wouldn't help. What the dealerships fail to remember is that not all BMW enthusiasts are NOT the loaded, 50+ businessmen that frequent the showrooms. Most of these guys are buying a BMW as a status symbol, not because they love the marque!! (although, amusing Enthusiasts is not going to sell expensive cars...)

The only real success I have had in a dealership goes like this:

I was looking for an E36 coupe (before I got me beautiful 5 series). I went into a dealership, as they had a merlot red coupe in the yard. I was ignored by the salesperson for about 10mins. When he came over, I told him I was looking for a ''96 318iS like the one outside" He replied "That one is a '93". I took him outside, showed him the VIN plate, and said "no... its a '96"

Dumbfounded, he showed me around the car, top to bottom. He offered me a drive, which I declined. He gave me his contact details (including home numbers), reinforcing the fact that he could bring the car to me for a test drive any day of the week.

I love doing that to people who supposedly know their products!!

[632 Regal]

Definetly sorta off topic here guys...

I think age has a lot to do with how any person treats you weather it be at a dealership or a grocery store. When I was young(er) I got absolutly NO respect something about the combination of youth and hair half way to my ass. Cutting the hair did not help, just I would get negetive help in a different manner such as not snotty but as I was a dumbass instead. When I was young I was a hot head muscle building ******* but never did I allow that into any service center or other place where I needed help, felt like tattooing their asses on the wall though. I would pleasently smile and praise them on their lack of helpfullness.

As I grew older the people in those positions got younger leading to better treatment. Owning my own business led me to a profound relationship with people: be nice, kiss ass, respect their oppinion no matter how much of a dumb**** they are and last try to educate them so they can be a bit more knowledgeable in their own quest, at least for my own understanding of what they want. I would never dis a kid cause hes a kid, thats complete BS to me.

Beind older now, the police could be my children, the judges could be my parents and the congressmen..wel there still just old ****s. I dont miss my youth on that aspect but I do now get respect when my head isnt completley shaved almost anywhere I go. I talk with a respectful attitude acknowledging they are just people that usually just hate their jobs and like mutual respect. They have to pay the same prices and costs, IE: dont bitch at the tax assesor unless you want a new assesment to your home.

I have no idea why I posted all this besides I'm breaking in a new gallon of vodka and have nothing better to do at the moment. I hope some of my meaningless blabbering will in some way, and some day help some of you. You will ALWAYS have *******s that will ruin your day, look back with a pleasant reply and let them know it was no big deal and you will go on with no feelings...piss on em.

[bjl4776]

Age definately had something to do with the way people treat you. When i go into a dealer looking for parts on my E34 people look at me like Im some stuck up snott driving around my daddy's money and won't give me the time of day. But when i goto the same people with my father they give stupid service **** for free and kiss his ass for him to come back. I don't need that Ill just stick to bimmer.info and BMA for parts and advice.

[infinity5]

I'm breaking in a new gallon of vodka and have nothing better to do at the moment.
Cheers!

[632 Regal]

Cheers!.

[Beez540]

I have to say, a couple of the guys I've dealt with in the parts dept. here have been awesome. One of them even offered to give me a mechanics rate on parts, but I haven't needed anything so by the time I go in for something, he'll probably have forgotten about it.

The service techs are all kids that don't know what they're doing though. I ordered a new keyfob remote and they said they'd set it up so my keyless worked... they tried and tried and tried, couldn't get it to work. So I did some research on initializing those remotes... and got it on the first try. The parts guy forwarded me to an independent BMW mechanic for anything I might need. So it's good for me, but not so much for BMW I guess.

[Paul in NZ]

i have had both kinds of service,sometimes really good ussually average,and i am a 50 ish person(not the loaded business man tho......)The parts guys the used car sales guys and the mechanics are good,the service manager is always too busy with new cars.Its the new car sales people that seem to be the funny ones.I am on the committee of the bmw cc(the newest cars on the committee are a e36 and my e34!) and do you think they were interested in organising an evening for the club when the five came out???I couldnt even get a date outa them!!!!

[TheDuke]

All true, for most people age is the factor which they go by. I'm still a pretty young buck, and on countless occasions I've been misjudged because of my age and not my skills.

[Triv]

I think the age (or ageism/ageist) thing is definitely an American thing, definitely more so than in England, I'm not sure what europeans are like. I have noticed when I visit the states that young people do have a harder time getting the respect they deserve.

The difference here in the UK is that wisdom and experience possessed by the older generation is often ignored in favour of young and new ideas, but this is a policy that rarely works from my experience.

As far as productivity and customer service goes, the American system is infinitely superior and Britain could learn a lot from it.

That said, even though the youngsters in Britain are (in my opinion) offered more respect than their American equivalents, the young Brits are in general a miserable lot that have no idea what customer service is. The young people in the US that I have encountered have always been polite and enthusiastic and willing to help, its a breath of fresh air!

How this translates to BMW dealerships, well I don't know, maybe its a German thing, don't even get me started on that!

[Triv]

I believe Citroen roughly translates to 'Lemon' and rightly so.