When did dealers service centers start treating customers like an inconvenience?

[mgarciaknight]

When you buy a Lexus and take it in for service especially when they have to keep it you get a Lexus to drive. When they are just doing a service they ask you if you need a ride or if you need a car. Can’t beat Lexus for customer service they know how to keep customers coming back.

AND, they fill up your tank when it is warranty work, recall, or even a TSB. I try to go in on empty when I can. Plus have you seen their waiting room?!? Fantastic!

Sponsored

 

[BXFXJeep]

would it be possible for a new business to start up to service and do warranty work for jeep products? if that's all they do I think it could be profitable. I'm sure they would have to set this up through FCA.

Dealer lobbyists would have a fit.

Dealer franchise laws prevent

I'm just saying that's when the dealerships all started backing up, for that couple months that they told us we couldn't work in groups, to when everyone figured out it wasn't causing much of an issue in healthy people. When we all went back to work together, we were 5 weeks behind on appointments, because EVERYONE all of a sudden wanted work done. We had exactly one slow week at the onset of Covid response in April 2020, then Katy bar the door after that.

The parts have been problematic since, the suppliers have been behind since Europe had lock down responses that shut whole parts of the supply chain down. Doesn't help that the Ukraine was making a lot of parts for the Euro market cars either. They've been a larger manufacturing base for the OEM's for years now.

China lock downs really, really hurt the Chinese made parts and the shipping. OEM's have been scrambling to source other markets for parts. It's now hurting China, because so many things had to be sourced and the OEM's aren't trusting the current regime not to shut down again. There's been a shift and parts are coming back to being available, but sometimes increased lead times.

The big hit is to the older cars. Parts for 12-15 year old cars totally went off the OEM concern list. We literally cannot get parts for some systems on the older cars, with no expected date for them ever again. ~2000 model year cars are really SOL. This is across multiple Euro product lines.

Had a 25 year old car in her yesterday, literally 6 of the 8 issues it came in for have no parts. At all, no stock, obsolete, no intended release date. Some of these are only OEM parts type issues, no aftermarket solution. What happens next?

The part about sitting on a customer vehicle for a week to look at a roof is BS.

Leave your perfectly drivable vehicle here for a week, and take the city bus

 

[swampflyer]

After reading for years about this problem I’ve come to the conclusion that a separate stand alone company created just to do service and warranty work is overdue. New laws or policy needs to be addressed that covers factory quality of vehicles( not just jeep). No company should be allowed to manufacture electronics in vehicles and put on the market that are crap. The American public is being used as a testing ground for their ideas. The people I’ve talked to do not want or use the electronics and want a vehicle that works and is reliable. The tech should be available as option only to those who want it. It’s a crying shame we can’t build a vehicle that is reliable. Manufactures should meet reliable set standards or be suspended until met. So much for the rant.

 

[aldo98229]

A big part of the problem is that states have spent the last 100 years lobbying legislatures to pass laws to protect them.

Yet, when anyone tries to do anything about it, dealers will be the first to scream that we have “too much regulation” already...

 

[TheRaven]

Yes, the dealership lobby has created a very difficult atmosphere for everyone. It's the reason that such a mind-blowingly stupid way of buying has remained the only way to buy an automobile for so long. The only way it's ever going away is for automakers to go with direct-sales, and some are starting to do this. It's going to be a HUGE uphill battle though. Once enough automakers start doing direct sales, and enough buyers choose to forego the dealership "experience" that it starts to seriously eat into the dealership bottom line, the dealerships are going to start to fight it...and that's going to make it REALLY hard on automakers. So it's entirely possible that the dealership lobby will end direct-sales. But if automakers are determined enough to weather the lawsuits then we may be able to break free of this model someday.

AND, they fill up your tank when it is warranty work, recall, or even a TSB. I try to go in on empty when I can. Plus have you seen their waiting room?!? Fantastic!

Pretty much all luxury brands are like this. I have the had the same experience with Cadillac and BMW. The problem with the German brands however is trying to get issues fixed - they have the general attitude that "issues" are what happens to other cars. The only problems on their cars are the drivers. So they'll treat you like royalty - gourmet coffee and comfy chairs, loaners and shuttle service. But you'll be back three times for the same problem until they tell you "OH that's how it's supposed to work".

 

[BXFXJeep]

Thank you! For every apologist crying the FCA/Jeep has no control over how crappy their dealership network is, I ask why do they allow it if they don’t condone it? Lexus dealerships are independent of the brand as well. I’m sure someone here has a story of their friend’s bus driver’s second cousin who got lousy Lexus dealership service once back in ‘98. But it’s a rare exception rather than the rule. There’s only 3 in Houston and each one strives to one up the others. There’s probably 30 CJDR franchises and the general consensus is average to below average. My personal experience is different, I wouldn’t say my dealership is exceptional but they seem competent.

I think Lexus uses their superb customer service to juice up serious cash flow.

My mom used to take her Toyota Corolla to a Lexus dealership for oil change etc, because she got a free manicure, this dealership was like a resort.

After the oil change they usually tell her she needed a few hundred in repairs, not now but soon think about it.

Now the Jeep dealership does the same , but they usually say like the vehicle is a danger on the road, and all sorts of nonsense, plus there is no manicure, and the coffee if they have any is like sewer water.

I used to take my JK to an Acura dealership for oil changes, because it's the same price as Jeep, but you get lattes, pastries, TV, a nice lounge, free internet, and they washed off the 1 month caked on muck.

My buddy has an Acura, so we would make a couple of hours hang of it, to get our oil changed.

That said the couple of Jeep dealerships I used to go to were old established with poor service.

This last one I went to is a new auto mall, Jeep, Lexus, Nissan all under one roof, the experience was top level and welcoming, I have no issues recommending them.

 

[mgarciaknight]

Too much regulation, and things are over-thought. And one side screams bloody murder.
Too little regulation and entities take advantage of people. And the other side screams bloody murder.

 

[Traveller128]

Dealer lobbyists would have a fit.

Dealer franchise laws prevent


The part about sitting on a customer vehicle for a week to look at a roof is BS.

Leave your perfectly drivable vehicle here for a week, and take the city bus

I get it, but what they're saying is, we're loaded down with appointments, from customers that made an appointment ahead of you, and yours is about a week out if you want a rush order instead of waiting in the 3-4 week line that other people are waiting in. If you make an appointment 3 weeks away, then you don't need to drop off your car and wait a week to hear anything.

It sounds like "you could just look at my car as it's probably simple". What you're saying when you say this, is butt me into the line of people that already have their cars here for service, already have appointments, and are waiting for their cars. Would you want someone to bump your service/warranty/repair appointment for someone with a non-critical issue? If you're willing to drop something off, they'll look at it when they have an opening. Sometimes that can take days. Sometimes it happens the same day. Depends on who shows up, who cancels, how quickly jobs get done. We tell people the same thing, drop it off and it will probably be looked at in a week.

We try to prioritize tow-ins here for newer vehicles, but the scheduled work MUST BE DONE the day that it was scheduled. We get torn up on surveys otherwise, and the OEM's are crazy about surveys. It doesn't matter if it's a critical problem or an annoying one, the backlog is what it is at this point, and waiting in line behind other people ahead of you, is the way that things have worked forever. Patience goes a long ways towards a happy outcome. Understand that shops are busy, have been busy, and it isn't looking like they won't be for some time. It's not a matter of techs always, a lot of the shops have full bays of techs. Experienced techs, well that's another matter.

 

[TheRaven]

I get it, but what they're saying is, we're loaded down with appointments, from customers that made an appointment ahead of you, and yours is about a week out if you want a rush order instead of waiting in the 3-4 week line that other people are waiting in. If you make an appointment 3 weeks away, then you don't need to drop off your car and wait a week to hear anything.

The backlog is a big part of the problem. It takes 2-3 weeks to get into any CDJR dealer for anything (around here that is) while I just made inspection appointments for my Silverado and CTS yesterday, for tomorrow at the local Chevy and Caddy dealers. Even if you know nothing of FCA/Stellantis, the fact that it takes weeks to get an appointment at their dealers while other brands that outsell CDJR by significant margin are taking vehicles next day or two days speaks volumes about the respective brands.

 

[Heimkehr]

Unfortaunately, many Dodge/Ram/jeep dealers value cutomers with poor to fair credit, so they can rake them over the coals on a "monthly payment" deal. CDJR dealers all have a sleazy feel to them, and I hate being there. Whenever I buy a Jeep, I have to just deal with it then get out.

Honestly, the aesthetic and overall vibe of the showroom and the customer waiting area (for service) at my CDJR dealer* is maybe one step removed from what I'd expect to see at a We Finance Everyone! used car seller. The Parts counter is literally at the end of a nondescript hallway with lighting that could be better.

I'd be curious to know if this reality has dissuaded anyone from buying a new Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer at such a dealer, vis-a-vis the expectations of the customer tier that is willing to spend what they must for a luxury SUV.

*I selected that dealer for my business because my salesman, while kinda clueless, was friendly enough, and because the CDJR dealer that is closer to me has recurringly low ratings. My purchase experience went well enough, as have my annual state inspection appointments, so I'm sticking with what works for now.

 

[Traveller128]

The backlog is a big part of the problem. It takes 2-3 weeks to get into any CDJR dealer for anything (around here that is) while I just made inspection appointments for my Silverado and CTS yesterday, for tomorrow at the local Chevy and Caddy dealers. Even if you know nothing of FCA/Stellantis, the fact that it takes weeks to get an appointment at their dealers while other brands that outsell CDJR by significant margin are taking vehicles next day or two days speaks volumes about the respective brands.

We have several luxury brands where I'm at. Porsche, Mercedes, Acura, Volvo, Rover, Jaguar, plus Sprinter. The Acura shop is the only one that's less than a week out. Mercedes is down to over a week, less than two typically. All the others are 3 weeks plus. They're expanding as much as they can with limits on space being an issue currently.

Oh, and local CJDR down the street got me in right away 2 weeks ago. They had a recall part (charcoal canister) on order for me for a couple weeks and I was supposed to be hearing from them. I called in the morning to check, and he said the one for my VIN wasn't there yet, but they had a couple on the shelf that other people hadn't shown up for and if I ran the car over they'd get it done. They're 2-3 weeks out on appts typically, but they had some no shows and they got right on mine. Turns out they did 3 open recalls. Passenger airbag, wheels chocks and the charcoal canister.

 

[TheRaven]

We have several luxury brands where I'm at. Porsche, Mercedes, Acura, Volvo, Rover, Jaguar, plus Sprinter. The Acura shop is the only one that's less than a week out. Mercedes is down to over a week, less than two typically. All the others are 3 weeks plus. They're expanding as much as they can with limits on space being an issue currently.

Yeah consider the brands you listed though - with the exception of Acura, which is just average, all of them are right down there with Jeep at the bottom of the quality spectrum. So I definitely believe you. I'd expect Rover and Jaguar to be taking appointments for January 2024 at this point.

Right now, of the 5 CDJR dealers within a 30 min drive of me, the biggest one has an appt available next Thursday, 3/30. All the rest are three weeks out while my Chevrolet and Cadillac/GMC dealers, and closest Toyota dealer all have spots available tomorrow. I remember having this same discussion in another thread last fall and it was the exact same situation then.

 

[aldo98229]

My Jeep dealer has a coffee maker that says “Mopar” right on it.

The coffee is a bit gritty; I think they reuse oil filters...

 

[Yogi]

After reading for years about this problem I’ve come to the conclusion that a separate stand alone company created just to do service and warranty work is overdue. New laws or policy needs to be addressed that covers factory quality of vehicles( not just jeep). No company should be allowed to manufacture electronics in vehicles and put on the market that are crap. The American public is being used as a testing ground for their ideas. The people I’ve talked to do not want or use the electronics and want a vehicle that works and is reliable. The tech should be available as option only to those who want it. It’s a crying shame we can’t build a vehicle that is reliable. Manufactures should meet reliable set standards or be suspended until met. So much for the rant.

Your dream just might come true. The dealership model is a dinosaur and is doomed to extinction. Elon Musk has already proven that, and Ford is eyeballing getting rid of their dealerships with a bit of a twinkle in their eye.

In the class 8 vehicle world where I do most of my buying and selling 3 of the 6 electric truck makers, Tesla, Lion, and Nikola, all sell direct to the end user. The other 3 which are traditional OEMs have a very limited part of their dealership network that can supply electric vehicles.
On the diesel side, the traditional OEMs have massive dealership partners that don't just cover a county or two, they cover entire states, like 3 to 10 states each. They also have to meet very specific dealership guidelines vis-a-vis service else their access to parts goes down, the price of those parts go up, and their OEM new unit discounts decrease. What that all adds up to is "Do as we say else we'll put you out of business.". Frankly, I don't have a problem with that at all. I can expect the same quality of service wherever I take my trucks whether in the U.S., Canada, or even Mexico.

Almost forgot ... a new service initiated by Daimler (Freightliner and Western Star) ... Mobile mechanics !!!!!!!!!!! They come to my shop with their parts and their own tools, and fix my trucks !!!!

 

[JEEPIDON]

So sad that my fellow Jeepers are not getting the service I get from my dealer. I've done business with my local dealer, Tri-Lakes in Branson, Mo. for over 14 years and have never had any issues like I read here. It took a couple of shots at fixing my remote/alarm system on my 2013 Ram but they got it the second time. It was a rather complex issue.

Yes, I've bought numerous vehicles there, taken several of my employees and introduced them to my sales guy and referred friends....all with no complaints. They give back to the community and are well respected.

In December I bought a 2023 GC L Summit Reserve and when I got it home the "Check Engine MIL" light was on. This is the first time I've ever had that issue since I once lost my gas cap on a 1997 Jeep GC. I ran it right back to them (this was on a Friday afternoon) and they brought me a brand new Grand Wagoneer series II to take for the weekend and until they fixed the issue. I didn't get a call until Tuesday afternoon to pick it up. The issue was a connector on one of the sensors was not pushed in all the way and once reseated it was fine. My sales guy drove it home on Monday and the Sales manager drove it on Tuesday several times to make sure that was the only issue. They filled it up again and it was redetailed for my pickup. Thank God for that as the Grand Wagoneer was getting about 12.5 MPG....lots of power though.

That's what I call service and building a good relationship over the years certainly went a long way.

Good luck.

Sponsored