Again, I get screwed by the dealership. I'm getting the shaft on the Power Steering recall, so I decided to tell the shop to kick rocks, and that I would do the repairs myself.

I go in to pick up my car, and I notice a few marks on my driver's door. I immediately go in and talk to the Service Manager to tell him that the peeling clear coat is brand new and that I DID NOT bring in the vehicle in that condition.

At this point, the service manager begins to get defensive and say that his technician noticed it, and that it's likely due to the fact that my car is 15 years old. He also states that they would not have touched the paint to replace the PSP, and that he would not be responsible for fixing it.

I begin to tell him that it doesn't matter what the car was brought in for. They need to make it right just with the fact that it happened while the car was in their possession.

I start to raise hell, and ask him to get his manager. The service director comes out, and again they try to deny any culpability. I notice that there's adhesive all over the door and body, and that there must have been some sort of sticker that when peeled off, also took off the clear coat.

"But there's no process or that we follow that has anything to do with adhesive".

At this point, I'm fuming. The director asks the manager who the technician was, and leaves to talk to the tech.

About 10 painful minutes later, the director comes back and says that the technician, when doing the PSP repair, disconnected the battery. Because the window was rolled down, and the battery was disconnected, he wasn't able to roll the window back up. Because he didn't want to get any debris in the car, he wrapped the door/window with body wrap. My suspicions were correct. No process with adhesives, my ***.

They are now going to repair my paint. MOTHERF**ERS. I'm so pissed.

 

What kind of adhesive did they use!? Jesus.

 

That's jacked.
Which dealership ?

 

That's why I will never let these "technicians" touch any of my cars. It is so sad that in this country, there is no pride in these professions and the trainings are so lacking. The smarter ones work in these dealerships for a while, get the "trained by BMW certificate", and then becomes an indy "specialist". Some are good, but most are still learning the trade on your cars.

 

Tom Bush Mini in Jacksonville, FL

 

when was your door repainted?

that's clearly the result of a repaint

you should thank the dealer for their mistake if they are going to repaint the door. You were going there soon anyway .....

you were months away from delamination .. typical of a repaint .... most clear/base repaints will delaminate in 5 years unless
'oven baked' and even that isn't a sure thing

seen it time and time again .....

 

I am not the original owner, so I wouldn't know if/when it was repainted. Yes, I am thankful that the technician did tell the truth (under pressure) about using the adhesive wrap, and that the dealership is doing the right thing by repairing it.

 

Whether it was going to fall off completely on its own the next week or not, those muthaforkers either were totally incompetent and somehow just ripped that off and drove it out not knowing (yeah....right) or unwrapped it and let it go out anyway....That is criminal.

 

Ooops, did anybody see what I just did? Like the nut job surgeon that used the laser to etch his initials in the persons liver he was working on.

Glad you getting the issue corrected, the dealer could have been a complete dirt bag and tell you to stuff it.

 

I would expect this from many dealers, not a Mini dealer! Then again I don't trust any new car dealers with any of my cars! So sad!
I am so sorry you were screwed by that bad nothing dealership! They should fail, as I am sure this is not an only problem there, as they tried to get away with it! Shameful to say the least.

Just so you know, it is very hard to get clearcoat to stick on old paint, so you may still have a problem. Document everything, in case you have to go after them n the future, as judging by this dealer, you will most likely get a schiester job done on your car!

 

Wow, despicable. Good on you for speaking up and being insistent about the issue. Do you have another Mini dealer to go to instead of them - after they make it right? What are the terms of them making it right? I would make sure it's done right, and not to low standards. Make them pay for it, and then make sure they lose your business. I would also post up all over social media as well to keep them in check. But that's me.

 

One tech made a blunder, dealership management said they will fix it and lots of people are willing to bury the dealership because of that.

Yikes, thats why I no longer have any desire to deal with the public as a business owner. I had employees that screwed up client projects and I fixed it and the customers didn't wish me death, usually.

 

I admit my response was a bit rash, but when the service manager's first reaction to the issue is to get defensive and lie to cover for the tech, that's a problem. That's not just one tech, it's at least one tech and the service manager. So at least two people in the chain. Who knows how many others have this mentality and attitude?

People make mistakes and should own up to them. Sure they're probably fearful of repercussions, but people need to start taking customers and their own work seriously and take responsibility for their mistakes.

I've worked in customer service/support for well over 15 years, and I always admit when I screw up something. I hate to do it, but I have to. And I always work to remedy the situation.

So regarding what I said earlier; I didn't mean to imply to take down the dealer by posting on social media, rather just be honest about the situation so others know about it, and the dealer can hopefully make process changes to avoid making this mistake or similar mistakes on others' cars in the future.

 

The dealer did not come forward as you suggest. It took the car owner to press them into the repair and that is despicable!
I am a business owner also and if it were my dealership, I would go all the way to make this awful blunder right! Not to try to cop out like they did!
Keeping customers is tough enough, without these types of incidents, not that they don't happen, as that is not realistic, but how they make good on it and please the customer, so that a wrong can be righted and keep a good customer and the good will it would bring!
Auto business owner

Sometimes, it is a bad customer, but this is clearly not one!

 

I didn't suggest that at all. I didn't say that the dealership employee volunteered to fix it, only that they are going to fix it. Show me where I said that.

You are comparing yourself, probably a sole proprietor to a large corporate business with multiple employees, none of them owners. It is a far different experience running your own business with the "Buck stops here" attitude. I've done both, nothing to hide behind when it is your business. I always went to the employee to find out what happened, but I didn't show the customer that side of it. As far as the customer knew I was 100% on their side. But then again I owned the business and it came out of my pocket.

 

I am sorry, if I took your meaning wrongly, but the fact that the dealer did not want to take responsibility at first, would be his first and last mistake with me. It was clear as glass to me, that somebody managing, was trying stick their head in the sand on this and pass it off on the car owner!
As a business owner if, you have employees and they are willing to hurt your reputation, you are not training (controlling) them and by default are guilty of the offense. It always comes down to the owner on what happens in his/their business practices!
Itsme Wayne former corporate owner and now an owner of an LLC