[Colmsport]

Bit of a rant over today's escapades....

Car booked in under the service pack for a brake fluid change, couldn't be done 7 weeks ago when I paid for an interim oil change as apparently too early & dealer wouldn't do it.

At the time I booked the brake fluid change, was told it needed a 'quality enhancement' to the egr or something, was a bit unsure but thought it would have to be done.

Roll on to end of last week & noticed that horn stopped working. Bit inconvenient, but thought that it could be sorted when car went in today. Rang dealer to notify them last week & ensure that the job card was updated etc...

So, I rock up at 7.41am this morning (they open at 7.30), booked car in & was told that the egr enhancement could take all day due to software download etc. I was a bit miffed as not previously offered a courtesy car (this visit was booked mid May so surely if it was going to be an all day event then they should of advised & booked me a courtesey car?).

Car eventually finished at 4.25pm, after they had left it outside with bonnet up in the rain - you should see the mess of my engine bay now!! Plus, horn not fixed as it needs both horns replacing & they didn't have them in stock.

I missed out on a day of work (thought it would have been sorted before lunch & I could get to office early afternoon) & the horn hasn't even been fixed.

To say I'm pissed off is an understatement.

I've now got to take car back at 7.30am on Saturday to get horn fixed.

What would you do? Worth escalating as a complaint or is this just the way things are with BMW dealers??

[TouringPleb]

You say you were miffed because you weren't offered a courtesy car. Did you ask for one?

When I was a service advisor if someone doesn't ask for a courtesy car then you expect them to have sorted out their own arrangements.

However, I would have also pre-ordered a high and low tone horn as that seems to be a common fault.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

You say you were miffed because you weren't offered a courtesy car. Did you ask for one?

When I was a service advisor if someone doesn't ask for a courtesy car then you expect them to have sorted out their own arrangements.

However, I would have also pre-ordered a high and low tone horn as that seems to be a common fault.

Coopers always ask me if I require a courtesy car!

[Colmsport]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

You say you were miffed because you weren't offered a courtesy car. Did you ask for one?

When I was a service advisor if someone doesn't ask for a courtesy car then you expect them to have sorted out their own arrangements.

However, I would have also pre-ordered a high and low tone horn as that seems to be a common fault.

No, in fairness I didn't ask for a courtesy car when I booked it in mid May. However I did say I was planning on waiting for it to be sorted & at no point when it was booked did they advise it would be all day.

Surely if they knew this & was aware that it was going to be an all day job they should have given me the heads up or booked a courtesy car / at least offered one?

[SteveChester]

This is quite easily explained - BMW main dealers are useless.

[Nobby Clark]

So what are you miffed at?
You can’t book scheduled services in too early. The fact you booked an unscheduled service when you wanted it has no bearing on this. If anything, why did you not wait until the scheduled brake service and then at the same time have your additional service carried out?

You did not check how long the car would be in for. Personally, I’d always take a curtousy car in case work wasn’t finished that day.

So the last thing is you are miffed because BMW don’t have a part in stock that they didn’t know they needed. Boy, you’d be really miffed if you got pulled driving round without a functioning horn and a vehicle that wouldn’t pass an MOT.

[a803sgo]

At the *unting dealers tomorrow for my final service on the service pack (at last), only brake fluid but to be sure they'll wash it even when I've told them not to, they'll forget to update the service history even though I'll remind them before leaving, they'll try and do an update which will fail due to all my custom coding and then try and charge me for it etc etc what a bunch of *anksters hate them! Dealers are absolutely useless, never a good word to say about them.

[Nobby Clark]

Originally Posted by a803sgo

At the *unting dealers tomorrow for my final service on the service pack (at last), only brake fluid but to be sure they'll wash it even when I've told them not to, they'll forget to update the service history even though I'll remind them before leaving, they'll try and do an update which will fail due to all my custom coding and then try and charge me for it etc etc what a bunch of *anksters hate them! Dealers are absolutely useless, never a good word to say about them.

Apparently throwing an eppie in the showroom smooths the path to a successful visit.

[chris-c]

I've heard you should just take a dump on the floor.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Colmsport

No, in fairness I didn't ask for a courtesy car when I booked it in mid May. However I did say I was planning on waiting for it to be sorted & at no point when it was booked did they advise it would be all day.

Surely if they knew this & was aware that it was going to be an all day job they should have given me the heads up or booked a courtesy car / at least offered one?

Looks like you learnt the hard way not to ever wait whilst they do work on the car, same as I did when I decided to wait whilst they did a wheel alignment on my last car, a job that takes other garages maybe 45 minutes max took them over 3 hours! Thank christ I had my iPad, but still I will never wait again!

[Liquidfox]

Originally Posted by Colmsport

& the horn hasn't even been fixed.

What would you do? Worth escalating as a complaint or is this just the way things are with BMW dealers??

Always expect the car to be there all day unless they tell you otherwise.

Regarding the horn however, escalate. I did after I booked the car in for a full service and warranty work, only to pick up the car to find none of the warranty work had been done as they "didn't have time" and "I should have booked it in for two days". Great, except I'm not the one who's booking my car in, BMW are and I advised them of the full list of works that needed doing. Turns out they hadn't even started working on my car until 1520 when it had been sat there since 0815 either.

I filled in the review form I got, an adviser from the garage called me, arranged the car to be booked in for a full week with a courtesy car provided and an offer of compensation made which I gratefully accepted. When I got the follow up call I made to sure to name the adviser by name who had resolved the situation, if you pick them apart for their failures, make sure you point out their successes too, staff always appreciate it!

[x-m4n]

Originally Posted by a803sgo

At the *unting dealers tomorrow for my final service on the service pack (at last), only brake fluid but to be sure they'll wash it even when I've told them not to, they'll forget to update the service history even though I'll remind them before leaving, they'll try and do an update which will fail due to all my custom coding and then try and charge me for it etc etc what a bunch of *anksters hate them! Dealers are absolutely useless, never a good word to say about them.

This was exactly my case! I have to go back a 3rd time next as they want to keep the car all day to update the service history - the car still says break liquid due...

They never updated the car's software under service inclusive all these years, are they supposed to? (I also have DIY EBT) - how can I push them to do this? This was the final service inclusive...

[PX3]

[QUOTE=You can’t book scheduled services in too early.[/QUOTE]

Really!
I have booked my car in to have a service before the scheduled date, it just means you are bringing the date forward.

[PX3]

Originally Posted by Colmsport

Bit of a rant over today's escapades....

Car booked in under the service pack for a brake fluid change, couldn't be done 7 weeks ago when I paid for an interim oil change as apparently too early & dealer wouldn't do it.

At the time I booked the brake fluid change, was told it needed a 'quality enhancement' to the egr or something, was a bit unsure but thought it would have to be done.

Roll on to end of last week & noticed that horn stopped working. Bit inconvenient, but thought that it could be sorted when car went in today. Rang dealer to notify them last week & ensure that the job card was updated etc...

So, I rock up at 7.41am this morning (they open at 7.30), booked car in & was told that the egr enhancement could take all day due to software download etc. I was a bit miffed as not previously offered a courtesy car (this visit was booked mid May so surely if it was going to be an all day event then they should of advised & booked me a courtesey car?).

Car eventually finished at 4.25pm, after they had left it outside with bonnet up in the rain - you should see the mess of my engine bay now!! Plus, horn not fixed as it needs both horns replacing & they didn't have them in stock.

I missed out on a day of work (thought it would have been sorted before lunch & I could get to office early afternoon) & the horn hasn't even been fixed.

To say I'm pissed off is an understatement.

I've now got to take car back at 7.30am on Saturday to get horn fixed.

What would you do? Worth escalating as a complaint or is this just the way things are with BMW dealers??

I would love to know more about this EGR quality enhancement is/does exactly?
I had mine done last year and the dealer couldn't really explain it to me.

This year I have found my car has some form of hesitation, which I tend to notice if I have slowed down at a roundabout and as I am accelerating out, it feels as though my car is momentarily pulled back on elastic, then it go's.
I have also noticed a delay when travelling at a steady 40/50mph and then as I increase the power, it hesitates.

Elsewhere on this forum, others have experienced similar actions and have pointed to the EGR, so it makes you wonder!

I will mention this to the dealer when it is next booked it and see what they say.

[Dyl]

I had my car serviced last week.

Was told there was a 6 week wait for a courtesy car but to bring it in earlier than that as they didn't want it to go past the service milage too much.

So. My boss offered to come and pick me up (10miles away) and bring me to work. I arrived and basically pleaded for a car as my daughter was not 100% and thought I might get a call. No cigar.

Boss picks me up, then on the way to work I get the call from nursery and we had to go and get her. My boss then dropped us both home. He was thrilled. Best bit, he then had to come and pick us both up in the afternoon to take me back for my car. Huge PITA of a day.

When asked how many courtesy cars they had they said 20, but do 50 services a day. Brilliant maths.

[Gromdal]

Having been sat in the waiting area while my brake fluid was done earlier this month (after I'd had to be squeezed in due to my 5 year service pack from the previous owner expiring, even though I called up with a month still remaining and was offered an appointment in 6 weeks) I honestly think that some of the front line staff just don't have a clue what they are or aren't booking.

Cases in point - chap had dropped his car in for service, had requested that he had a courtesy car - quite liked the new 5 series, could he have that. No problem sir, we'll have that for you out front shortly. 20 minutes in, no, it appears we don't know where our 5 series demonstrator is(???) and all our cars are already booked for courtesy now, can we arrange a complementary taxi for you as all of our drivers are out picking up cars for service.

Dad drops his son's 5 series in for oil and microfilter, takes a seat. After 20 minutes, up comes an advisor, sorry sir your service lights and idrive are indicating that everything needs doing at a cost of £670 not the £225 as quoted. Dad calls son, passes phone across, no sir we won't just do the oil and filter as we are obliged to reset the service light that will say we did the additional work due at this service etc. yes, although your service light says oil and filter you need to check the idrive listings for other servicing requirements that are listed there - what do you mean you've never seen that before it's always been there since you bought the vehicle. Lots of to and fro-ing over what should have been advised when the booking was made and eventually the car was taken away with no work done to it. Surely the adviser when the service request is made would have been aware based on age/mileage when the booking is made (I know I was asked)? With that said, who has a 3 year old 5 series and isn't aware of what servicing is required when and the costs - while I appreciate the issue here was more work and costs than quoted, a 2nd service cost at that price seems about par for the course?

[ZeroFx]

Some on this forum expect you to bend over and take it in the ass and then pay them double for the pleasure.

Namely because they used to work there or are somehow connected to the dealer network.

If it makes you feel any better they want 113 quid for 1 parking sensor which i need. They rob us all. Gravy train..

[G82Dude]

Originally Posted by teaston

Coopers always ask me if I require a courtesy car!

+1

[dizzy619]

Originally Posted by ZeroFx

Some on this forum expect you to bend over and take it in the ass and then pay them double for the pleasure.

Namely because they used to work there or are somehow connected to the dealer network.

If it makes you feel any better they want 113 quid for 1 parking sensor which i need. They rob us all. Gravy train..

Literally never seen anyone say anything like that :

[Willsy33]

Originally Posted by ZeroFx

Some on this forum expect you to bend over and take it in the ass and then pay them double for the pleasure.

Namely because they used to work there or are somehow connected to the dealer network.

Ah, yes, those forum members with a ‘vested interest’? Sneaky buggers!

[Soul_Glo]

Mine was in today for an end of warranty check and they disconnected my dash cam. It is a BMW camera for heaven sakes and has a massive off button you can't miss. I was only offered a MINI as a courtesy car. Other dealerships always try to go like for like.

[Colmsport]

Thanks for the responses chaps, seems like a very common theme here...

Originally Posted by Nobby Clark

So what are you miffed at?
You can’t book scheduled services in too early. The fact you booked an unscheduled service when you wanted it has no bearing on this. If anything, why did you not wait until the scheduled brake service and then at the same time have your additional service carried out?

You did not check how long the car would be in for. Personally, I’d always take a curtousy car in case work wasn’t finished that day.

So the last thing is you are miffed because BMW don’t have a part in stock that they didn’t know they needed. Boy, you’d be really miffed if you got pulled driving round without a functioning horn and a vehicle that wouldn’t pass an MOT.

Not entirely...

I rely on the professional advice given to me by those people in the know. Therefore, when I advise them I'll wait for the car to be completed, I would expect that the service advisor will know roughly how long a job will take & therefore tell me in advance that it would be all day, something known as managing expectations. At no point was I advised this at the time of booking even though they were aware I was planning to wait. If I had been advised that it was going to be an all day job then I would of either asked for a courtesy car or arranged alternative transport. I'm not a technician & therefore I will not know how long these things take, hence the service advisor should have used common sense.

Regarding the parts availability, I had already phoned them several days before, so common sense would have dictated that at least it would have been worth checking parts availability & ordering as necessary, especially with what seems to be a common problem. If I had rocked up on the day & not given them any notice then yeah sure its my fault.

Strikes me, like others have said, that most dealerships don't give a shit about their customers.