>>Overdependence on dealers seems to be their weakness. I am aware that there are only 7 people on the "hotline" with other duties they must fulfill at MINI USA. I think when they staff up and redefine what service really is, they will improve. Response has been speedy. I have had to call when I get too pat an answer or dealer referral answer when I already have asked the dealer and they did not have any info.......Patience with a new car company, even though branch of BMW, thinking further, who was not so great on service or home office support anyway in my 13 years experience......with 4 cars from BMW......... :smile:

 

It helps to remember that the MINIUSA people are marketing folks. They don't design the cars, manufacture them, or fix them. On the other hand, since their sole job is to put a good face on the actual company they should do a better job of giving us satisfactory answers/service. I think the reason they don't is due somewhat to the inexperience of the reps, but largely to the BMW "attitude" mentioned earlier. Why should we need customer service when we're so damn lucky to have had the opportunity to purchase one of their products. Perhaps BMW will learn to change this image if they really want to culture a different market than that which buy "real" BMWs. I thought that was the whole strategy behind MINI (tapping into a different market).

I'd also note -- just in case MINI Division is shadowing this thread -- that a good first start would be better training for the MINIUSA people. I remember when I was calling before my car arrived...I'd get a different answer to any question if I called more than once. No one had an authoritative answer to anything...but they sure were cheerful (mostly). But the info was about as useful as if I'd placed the call to a college alumni fundraising call center. In other words, I often got the impression that the reps barely worked for MINI.

 

Isn't "regrettably" one of the worst words in the English language? Should be purged from the bot's vocab.

Or maybe we should all start using it ourselves...as in "Regrettably, we are no longer able to recommend the customer service afforded by MINI USA."

 

I can understand, at some level, that this company is a new one and that
some of the questions we ask may be difficult ones but an XXL T-shirt...
a technical issue??? :???: