<Minor Vent Warning, don't read further if you don't want to hear me complain>

I just picked my car up today, and I'd give them a 1 for trip.

After waiting three weeks for an appointment for my 12K service, I got to the dealer at 6:45am to make sure I was at the front of the line (well third in line). After talking to the advisor and telling him a few things that I wanted checked, I even brought a typed list which he didn't want) he told me that he *might* have to keep it overnight (in my mind that means "In order to fix that it might take a little longer"). So I said "No problem, I'd rather have it right, than fast".

I wait for my loaner car, and out rolls a nice bright red.....Neon. Bummer, but I'm ok with that it's only for the day.

4pm rolls around and I haven't heard a peep from the dealer. So I call, because I'd like to know if I can pick up my car on the way home.

Well, remember the translation of "right vs. fast?" well apparently that meant to MoS, that we "don't have to look at his car until tonight". Ok, well I understand that it's a busy place, at least that means it will be ready in the morning (my translation).

So, since I didn't have get to work early today I show up at the dealer at 9am-ish and say, "haven't heard anything, is my car ready?" "Well, we did the oil change, but haven't done the safety inspection, or checked the small surging problem yet, I'll have to keep it the rest of the day".

To which I said: "Is it in the shop now being worked on?"

"No, I've got it scheduled with the tech for this afternoon".

"Pull it around front, I'm taking it now."

So they scramble to get that pulled around, (I've known the woman who does scheduling at MoS for years so I was killing some time showing her my wedding pictures).

They get my car, I sit down and start it up and see the blinking service in XXX message. So they MAY have done my oil but didn't reset the service indicator. Gee, way to be on top of that check list. Not a big thing, but it tells me that they didn't really take any time to work on it.

Now, I'm a fan of bringing my car to people who are certified to work on it, I like to do my own oil, etc when I can, but I also recognize that it's good to have an expert put it up on the lift and give it a good once over every once in a while. However when they show me that they don't even do the minimum that the job requires I don't trust them to do the work at all. When I get home I'm going to check and see if there is a new air filter, and fresh oil. I might still do my own oil change just to be sure.


I'd have been less miffed if when I got there yesterday morning they told me that they weren't going to touch it until that night, because I would have happily dropped it off that night and waited for it to be worked on, or picked it up in the morning. If you're going to make people wait three weeks for an appointment, you sure as hell better be able to schedule your techs to the number of cars you're expecting to be there.

I'm sure I'll go back for big issues that come up, but I'll do as much as possible myself, and probably go elsewhere for anything that isn't going to be covered by warrenty.

<End Vent>

 

I'm having the same problem with MoS. See my rant thread, "Anyone had SIRIUS installed lately at MoS". My MCS was in for 2 days to get SIRIUS installed and the only reason I was able to get it back yesterday was with the help of a BMW Service Manger. Who was your MINI Service Advisor? If it was David Rockwell, I really feel your pain.

 

I had the opposite kind of service at MoS and w/ Dave Rockwell. I waited (which may make the difference) for my service to be completed and it took under 3 hrs. I even had a question afterwards and Dave called me back quickly with the answer. My service went quite well.

 

I also actually had the opposite experience - my service visit was excellent, and I really went in there expecting it to be terrible.

All I can say is that they are obviously overbooked and understaffed. This should never be our issue (the customer that is) to deal with but unfortunately that's where we seem to be right now.

Here's hoping they get the new service center completed and staffed soon! At least I have 15k miles to my next service appointment so I have time to wait! (Is that normal? I need to look it up!).

 

I didn't have David this time. The only other time that I've been there I waited for them to replace my glove box door, and they were pretty quick.

The problems they are having remind me of what HBL in tysons went thru in 2002-03. It was impossible to get an appointment, you had to wait weeks sometimes. But at least once they got your car, they worked on it quickly (they sucked, but that's a different issue). Once they split the dealer in to two buildings, and gave Audi their own service group, they were much better.

MoS seems to have the problem of taking to many cars at once (something they should have 95% control of as they set the appointments). Since you're always going to have more service customers, than sales customers, a dealership should shift their focus to servicing cars, instead of wasting so much effort on showing off cars in the show room. They need more service techs, and space if they are going to be a viable service center.

So, maybe the article that came across Autoblog a few weeks ago about MINI and BMW needing to separate their service bays and people because MINI customers were a very different demographic then BMW customers really has some truth.

I'd love to see the MINI service split off to a different location. Doubt it is going to happen. But it will be self regulating since if they are so impossible to get service at, people will stop going to them. I expect to get a MINI survey about the service. And I plan on giving them some constructive thoughts without getting to frustrated. Hopefully someone will listen.


EDIT:
Here is the link to the Autoblog article.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/25/m...w-dealerships/

 

You obviously haven't been reading up on the news here lately... MoS is building a new satellite service facility for MINIs. They should have it done within the next few months. Also, they are expanding the number of MINI techs from 6 to 10 at the same time (they actually only had 5 until recently, and added a 6th).

What's unclear though is whether we will take our MINIs directly to the new facility, or whether we will still drop them off at the main dealership, and they will be shuttled over to the new facility. I'm hoping for the latter, but the "rules" that BMW has set for BMW/MINI dealerships may not allow them to maintain a separate "appearance".

 

Nope, haven't had much access to NAM lately. However, that is good news. They really need it. I do have an inside contact at MoS, and that detail wasn't mentioned to me at all. Could you point me to the "news" that you're refering to? Is it an official thing or just the posts?

 

Check out this thread and this thread, and this particular post I made.

I am one of the dealerships biggest MINI customers (at least for a single MINI), and I'm in frequent contact with a variety of people there too... so to be honest I'm quite surprised that your contact hasn't said anything about this yet.

 

Reading those posts did remind me that it had been mentioned as a possiblility a year ago or so, but since I hadn't heard anything about it so I assumed that it had died on the vine. I also heard that they were going to get an Audi franchise as well, so rumors are rumors.

Glad to hear that this one seems to be the real deal, they need it. I don't plan on going back until they fix the problem (or something warranty and expensive happens) If it's non-warranty work I have an independent shop which I love. We are talking about an entirely customer service oriented product. If they can't make me walk away feeling good, then even FREE is to much to pay for it.

 

PS... I just heard the other day that the recent, not the supposed new SM from Towson,Service Manager at MoS was fired from another dealership because of poor performance.