I recently went in for warranty repair. My repairs were less than well done, to say the least.

I got a customer satisfaction survey, and I want to detail the problem there.

Will writing it there, which will I assume get back to my service advisor, create problems later on?

I.e. you never want to say something to the waiter in hopes she doesn't spit on your food.

Thoughts?

 

Yes, your MINI will self-destruct

 

Well given they do the service, maybe they won't do the service, and say they did it

 

Do what you are comfortable with.

I am a firm believer in being straightforward and say what I mean.

 

the survey is confidential. however, they do know who gives them bad rep. i don't how but they do have ways. i would talk to the manager before doing so. and if you're still not satisfy and willing to go to another dealership, then do it.

 

Give them the rating they deserve, I complained about an SA they "stuck" me with I was NOT happy and told them so, in the end I got an apology from him!! And now the Dealership knows how particular I am about the Customer Service I get and the Service Molly deserves!!

 

He may see the report. Where I worked years ago we saw them.

Personally, I like to say things right to people's faces. I would call and tell him what I think, maybe his manager and go from there. If he has not been given a chance to make things right, it is less than fair in my book.

Once he is given and chance to make you happy, and then fails, you can go to the next step. It's the way I would like to be treated and not a bad approach for a lasting relationship.

 

Then it’s not confidential, then is it?



Mark

 

I'd say the best time to mention your dissatisfaction with service performed on your car is within 24 hours of picking it up. The service manager is the person you want to speak with, and you should be as specific as possible about why you're not happy.
It's NOT personal, and you shouldn't make it about 'a person,' even if you know it was lousy work by a specific individual that caused your problems.
Your gripe is with the DEALERSHIP, and they should bend over backwards to (A) fix your car right, and (B) make sure you're a happy customer.
Customer Satisfaction is a huge thing for car dealers these days (thank you J.D. Power!). It works to our advantage, if we know how to play the game.
Turning in a supposedly 'confidential survey' with negative ratings won't help you, I don't think.

 

well said.....


Mark

 

when I taught TQM total quality management techniques I'd relate a story of a fast food chain's annual meeting

They happily reported that they had not rec'd a SINGLE ONE complaint card in the past 12 months.

A wise guy in the back stood and asked, "are we THAT good? Or do the customers think there's NO HOPE?"

The chain's new goal was 100 comment cards per store per month.

MINI dealers have applied pressure to customers to only give consistent high marks following service .... corrupting the intention of a feed back system. To me this means two things - they don't "get it" and are using the feedback system in dealer evaluation which was NEVER the intention of Dr Deming.

A complaint is an opportunity for improvement . . .

 

In 2.5 years of ownership, I have provided less than high scores twice. Each time I was contacted by the head of service at my dealer to inquire how they could make my situation right and increase my satisfaction, and one of these times actually resulted in an email response--an actual response, not a form letter--from MINI USA detailing the situation.

If someone asks me for an evaluation, I'm going to evaluate them. I have never been 'pressured' by staff to rank my service or experience more highly than I otherwise would have. If I had been, I would have mentioned that in my evaluation, and I could nearly guarantee that I would have heard from someone higher up the corporate structure about this practice.

I like my dealer.

 

Thanks guys! Well I got an email as I left the dealership from SA asking to give him good marks on his survey.

I went home, parked the car, and went to airport for a trip. I got back this morning, and noticed the service wasn't done complete.

Thus I couldn't contact within 24 hours.

I will contact the Service Manager, to see if they will make it right. Will give them a chance.

Then will fill out the survey.

Appreciate the help.

 

Is the problem with the Service Advisor or the quality of work done? The Service Advisor is not the one doing the actual work. Be clear in your response to the survey.

My Service Advisor has always been top notch, even when the work done was not. My Service Advisor always gets high marks and Im sure that the guys working on my car got an **** chewing.... Just saying....direct your concerns in the right direction and everyone usually benefits.

 

Problem is with the work done. On the survey there is a place to mention the issue, I have no problem giving the SA 10 (though he insisted our cars are a 1.7L motor), but the work done, wasn't right.

 

Well said, Capt.

 

I'm new to MINI but I've serviced four BMWs and from what I'm hearing here it's a similar system. I think it's a a very good system for the customer but you do have to "play the game" a bit. The dealer not only wants top ratings from you, they NEED them. Car allocations, etc., depend on them. Therefore they are ultimately motivated to make you happy. However, I advise that you deal with the dealership directly before giving them bad marks. Tell the advisor or tell the service manager. If you don't get satisfaction THEN escalate higher. It's a good thing to have them afraid of you giving them bad marks but I also think it's fair to give them the opportunity to correct mistakes. And - over my years at BMW - they made plenty. Maybe I'm older and mellower now, but I've found it counter-productive to take a verbal flamethrower to idiots no matter how temporarily satisfying it may be. I've personally had better results working within their system, complaining calmly to the advisor and/or manager and complaining about the problem - as someone suggested above - rather than make it personal. I know that it seems indirect to not fill out the survey honestly, but if you wait to fill it out until they've taken care of you it will build a better relationship at the dealer. My 2 cents.

 

When I pick up my car from service, the SA has asked at the time, was there anything about the service that would prevent me from responding "excellent" to any follow-up survey. If I find something then or in the next 24 hrs, I feel obligated to give them a chance to make it right, before reporting back to the mother ship.

 

Huh, last time I was in for service (rotors replaced under warranty at only 6000miles) my SA told me I'd get a survey....3 weeks later, no survey.

I'd happily provide an honest response to one, whether satisfied or not, I believe in them.

 

The 1st mistake would be telling them "it was lousy work". Perhaps point out that "they missed something" or that there's still a problem.

 

On such surveys, I call it as I see it.

 

I got email from SA before I left the dealership. One hour later I got the survey. 4 more hours later, I got an another email from SA to remind to fill out the survey.

 

After getting Inspection I I got an email follow up asking how my experience was. I gave a glowing report because my SA had been extremely helpful every time I was in there, going out of her way to get me a free loaner and even to track down the only S loaner they had for me (It makes driving an auto tolerable for me.) on a few occasions. I also had good dealings with another SA when my regular was on vacation. I said that I had been wary of dealing with MINI/BMW after hearing horror stories but was always treated very well and that the environment was very friendly. The Service Manager replied thanking me for my positive feedback and promised to pass it on to the SA's, and mentioned that I would be receiving a survey from MINI. Unfortunately, I never got one. I would have been happy to give all 10's.

 

My regular SA is excellent. Services both of my MINI, no issues. She was out, that day (I would have come back when she was in, as I don't need to drive my cars, so service wasn't imminent), and the other guy, was less than perfect, not to say I called twice that day with another issue, he never called back, and the work they did, was substandard!

 

At my local dealer, they don't assign a service advisor to you, you get the first one who is available. The ones I've dealt with are all very helpful.

Dave