My situation is this. I had placed my order for an S back in December, full well knowing that it was going to be a minimum of 10 months before I would see the light. Unfortunately my 91' Buick daily beater isn't on the same time schedule as MINI. After having replaced a slurry of Delco defects in the past 3 months, it has become increasing clear that it's not in it for the long haul. Not to mention that it gets about 900 ft per gallon. Now I've been in touch with my rep. Nuthin but good vibes. In fact he called me a couple weekends ago with some availables, but the prices were way off the mark.
So, on the side I had been chatting up this dealership about 5 hours away. Turns out that they could take my order and have it for me by the end of the summer. That would be like 4 months earlier then expected. No brainer.
So last Friday (04/18) I call my original dealership. My rep is out on training. Once the receptionist knows my reason for calling she passes me off to the sales manager. His tone turns to less then thrilled when he hears that I am not only considering canceling my order, but going out of my way to get an S from another dealership. He then begins to school me about how his dealership deals with non-purchasing customers that need service/warrantee work. Basically stating the fact that I most likely will not be traveling 5 hours to my car's place of origin to receive service, but will most likely be going 10 minutes up the road to his dealership, where I will be treated like a second hand citizen for having not purchased there. I didn’t like this scare tactic of sales retention, and it caught me off guard. I let him shuffle me off the phone as he claimed he was extremely busy, and he suggested that I call back the next day to speak with my rep.
I pondered this conversation for about 30 minutes, as the taste in my mouth worsened. I couldn’t accomplish anything, so I called back, talked to the receptionist, and told her to cancel the order. She obliged, and I then requested to leave a voice mail for my rep, as a courtesy. Within seconds of the dial tone I was re-placing my order with my new long distance rep. At the end of the call, I had a faxed purchase agreement, and a production number. Within seconds of that dial tone I was in the Owner’s Lounge: Production date of 05/30/03.
Facts is facts. CompanyXYZ can’t fulfill your needs so CompanyABC gets your business. Do you deserve dodgy service when you need to return to CompanyXYZ? - Perhaps.
I understand the customer loyalty issue, especially around here where we are expected to wait close to a year for delivery.
I guess where I’m going with all this is, I’m wondering if anyone else has chosen a similar path. And do you get top-notch service form a dealership even though you didn't purchased there?

 

I have a similar situation. Placing an order with a dealer 2 hours from me because the one 15 minutes from me insists on marking it up. Do I expect to be treated poorly when I take my car in for service at the local dealer? No. I might not get exactly the same treatment had I bought the car there, but I would imagine they would like to earn my service business in the future and will honor their commitment to service the car.

I visited my local dealer several times to evaluate the MINI and test drive it. I have given the local dealer a chance for my business by telling them what the other dealer was offering and explaining I would prefer to do business with them because they are obviously more convenient. They are not willing to match what the other dealer is doing, so they will not get my business. They had their chance. No hard feelings either. My local dealer has every right to charge whatever they want and can get from customers. Supply and demand, right?

I assume the local service department will want me as a long term customer and will treat me the same no matter where the car is purchased. What if I bought a MINI six months ago, and relocated to a different city. Would the new dealer not want to honor my warranty and service my vehicle? If we were talking about any other car manufacturer would you have this worry? If I bought a Toyota in Los Angeles and brought it to a San Diego dealer for service I wouldn't think twice about it.

Some of the comments that I have read on thsi site regarding MINI dealers and their tatics are shocking. If your local dealer is making you wait 10 months for a car he must be selling plenty of them. There's is no need for the "arm twisting" tatics and "threats" to force you to buy from them. It's a free market economy, give them a chance at your business, if they can't deliver, move on.

 

I wouldn't worry about receiving poor service from the original dealer, the Service Manager could care less that your car was purchased elsewhere. As an Ex-Assistant Service Manager at a dealership, my job was on the line by pleasing all customers. I definately wouldn't give someone bad service because a salesmanager told me to. You are probably not the first that has cancelled an order and probably won't be the last. And chances are the Sales Manager will be gone in 6 months anyway.

 

minichrist,
Go in and make friends with the service dept people ... hopefully they will be great and they won't care where your MINI came from, just that it is a MINI.

Our local dealership MINI Peabody supports many MINIs purchased from elsewhere (partly because the other local dealership has a poor reputation).
Indeed, my first MINI was from the other guys, and I had perfect service treatment at Peabody (still do, of course, with my bought-from-them new MINI).

 

Thanks for the input. I think I was taken more by the way he said it rather then what he said. I completely understand that someone who waited a year to take delivery of their car, and then returns to the dealership for service should get top priority. It was just his insinuation that someone such as myself would not only take second chair to their "loyal" customers, but get the cold shoulder as well.
But, as you guys pointed out, he's a sales manager, not the service department.