Just brought my F56 in on Thursday to deal with an annoying rattle that sounded like it was in the driver's side door.

It turned out to be something loose in/with the airbag in the B pillar, driver's side.

They kept it until Friday because by the time they figured it out, it was too late to reassemble the headliner.

I get a call on Friday. They are keeping the car until Monday because (and I still cannot believe this) the lead technician is on vacation, he has the key to the tool cabinet and the special tool to rivet the airbag back into place is in the cabinet.

W The ever loving F. If I were running the place I'd have taken an angle grinder to the cabinet and made the tech pay for it.

In the meantime I'm driving a loaner CVT Corolla (basically one step up from mass transit).

 

theres worse things in life to be upset about, just think- while your car is at their facility, you arent putting miles on it and god-forbid something happened to it their insurance would cover it. at least theyre taking their time and doing it the correct way.

calm down.

 

I see your point. Maybe to prevent putting miles on my car I should park it and never drive it again.

This has completely wrecked my weekend as my son cannot drive the loaner and now I've had to cancel things so I can get him to where he needs to be for work/elite sports.

I'm sorry if I don't find it mildly inconvenient when a BMW dealership takes 5 days (and counting) to deal with a 1 day issue.

 

Your definition of doing something the correct way and mine differ considerably.

However, I'll agree that locking my tools away and walking off the job IS a form of taking my time.

Got any jobs you want done around the house? I can do a fantastic 3-day job of mowing your lawn. If course I won't actually be doing it most if the time.

 

I cant believe they couldn't think up a better excuse to feed you.

 

Nice of you to try to get him to look on the bright side, some guys just love their pity party to much to have it crashed...

 

I would dearly love to be running whatever garage you use for service. Customers with such low standards are hard to come by.

 

Where's the bright side? My (and my son's) ****ed up weekend? The fact that my local dealer is apparently staffed by oompa loompas with poor work ethic?

Please do send more sunshine up my nether regions.

 

Agree 100% with Ignoramist, dealership is poorly run to allow this and not having a second key on site is nuts. Reminds me of the time I couldn't get my motorcycle back from service because all the mechanics decided to go to the beach that day.

Customer service by old standards has changed over the years for the worse. Toyota loaner is odd.

 

...the guy who owns the dealership (and most of the other brands in town too) also has a car rental business. He rents cars out to his dealerships as loaners, apparently...

 

I have to agree with the op sounds like some good ol' fashioned bs to me. Toyota loaner is really strange for sure, I always get a nice MINI when I'm provided a loaner, why would they even have a Toyota?

 

Easy.. Took the wife's MCS in for brake replacement. They were very busy, all the Mini loaners were out, they rented me a Toyota from a car rental place nearby.

 

Guess I was lucky, when my dealer was out of loaners they peeled the plastic off a brand new one and handed me the keys.

 

I'd be cutting the lock off that cabinet instantly and have a stern conversation with the tech who chose to leave wit the keys in his pocket. Ummmm but why are the tools locked in the first place? Can't trust your own staff? If they will steal from you then they will also steal from your customers. Time to clean house eh!

 

Exactly. This is just part of the long conversation I'm not looking forward to having with the snooty fellow who runs the service desk when I pick it up.

 

To me, this sounds like an excuse they are using while they secretly repair some damage done to the car while under their care.

 

That crossed my mind. I'll also be doing a close inspection inside and out before I drive it away (it's only 2 weeks old so any damage will be obvious).

 

At work we lock our tools up to keep fellow employees from borrowing them and not putting them back. However is someone really needs a tool they have been known to rip my cabinet apart to get it.

 

It doesn't seem like your clever plan is working then.

Do technicians at dealerships really have to provide their own tools? I would have thought an upscale place like BMW would supply them with the proper tools...

 

In my experience most if not all mechanics have their own tools.

 

Even an ultrasonic riveter? Seems like a lot to expect.

 

In my experience and as Aviation tech, we would provide the general hand tools while the shop would provide the specialty tools (jigs, fixtures, rigging tools) that were unique to a specific aircraft or engine. Tools requiring calibration were usually owned by the shop and they tracked and maintained them for liability reasons. I still have a huge tool box and a vast quantity of tools however, probably 40k worth if I include the cost of the roll cabinet and top box.

 

Makes sense that an aviation tech would drive a MINI.

It's the toggle switches isn't it...

 

That was my thought as well.

It's common for mechanics to have their own tools. It's also normal for them to keep them locked. Touching another mans tool is a big deal. It's also normal for the shop to have the big and or specialty tools.

 

Yea, that what i was going to say, most MINI dealers I know loan out MINIs .