I took my Jet Black Mini in for its 25k service today and the guy that washed my car completely ruinied it. Everytime I have ever been to roadshow for anything, I have always told Todd, the head service tech, and the other techs that I do not want a car wash. The only people that I trust to wash my car is myself and my friend who showed me how to detail cars (he has a jet black 330ci and details professional at home). I do not trust my best friend or even my own father to give a jet black mini the tender-loving care that it deserves.

When I was at the dealer today, I came into the showroom after looking around and Todd said "your car is in the wash bay!" I said "NO" and then he said they also put a half can of oil in it too, jokingly. I figured that he was just messing with me because I thought he knew about my feelings towards someone else washing my car, but I was mistaken. When I found out they did in fact wash my car it was already too late.

Whoever did it used a old dirty rag and scratched the entire car and put many nicks in the paint. The solution they used also took all my wax off. I can tell just by running my finger over the car. All of that can be easily fixed by me, but I do not have the time to give the mini a three stage polish (I was able to wash it properly and put a coat of wax on it today though). My car has never looked so bad.

The real thing that ticked me off was the guy that did it didn't even do a good job. Many missed spots on the car and the wheels weren't even fully cleaned. He didn't even dry it. There was also some crap all over the passenger window inside and out and in places all over the rest of the car. It looked like grease or something but eventually came out. I'm worried that whatever it was will damage my tint. My roommate said he had never seen my car in this state.

The guy also raced through the service garage, put the brakes to full lock, flipped it into reverse to put it in place, put the brakes to full lock again, and ripped the ebrake before he even stopped. Then he slammed the door when he got out. You just don't treat anyones car like that, let alone a customers car. I was in such shock that when he handed my key to Todd that I couldn't say anything. I get upset over my job alot, but I don't start throwing customers packages off of airplanes to vent my anger. This just wasn't right.

I called Todd to tell him how I felt about the service. I know it wasn't his fault, but I called him because I knew he would do something. I understand that he has alot of customers and couldn't remember that I always request no car wash, but they would always ask me. For whatever reason, they didn't ask today. I'm very upset because I spent every saturday for a whole year keeping my car in "off the showroom floor" condition, no, BETTER that showroom floor condition, only to have some jerk-off ruin it in 20 minutes. I can fix it all but it will take time, and I hope that my tint is not damaged. I told Todd that if somethings happens to my tint roadshow is going to pay to fix it and he agreed to help as much as possible. He was also going to say something to the guy and his manager. He did offer to have me bring it back so one of the professional detailers could take care of it, but I politely turned him down.

This has nothing to do with the Mini dealer, but is the fault of the BMW dealer. It was their tech that washed my car, and their techs thats always treat me like crap when I go in there. The only person I can talk to is Todd becuase I know that he will help me, and I always request for the one of two techs to work on it becuase I know they are the only ones that will do the job right. I'm really upset over this, but it isn't anything that can't be fixed. At least I still have my baby.

I HAVE JUST BEEN VIOLATED

 

Wow, I have to say that is a very very bad experince. I hope all will be better with your car's condition.


Thats just wrong... I would have drop kicked the guy as soon as he came out of the car.

 

Wow, I feel for you. That is just plain disrepect. I make it a point to always tell them NOT to wash my car. My sister had that happen to her brand new Black Mercedes E500 last week because the her normal service tech wasn't there. Well, sorry it happened.

Bar10girl

 

Ouch!! That's is very, very sad. I hope you can get Darkness back in shape soon, but ya gotta be completely bewildered at the low...no, nonexistent... level of expertise at a professional dealership. Very scary tale...thanks for sharing. Perhaps this will serve as fair warning to everyone....trust no one!!!

 

That's HORRIBLE! I'm really sorry. I can't believe people disrespect cars like that when they work on them for a living. The dealership in my town has the most abrasive auto car wash I have ever seen. I watched them run a new Z8 through it. I just cringed! What dealership did you take your car to?

 

I was at my local MINI dealer recently (ALRIGHT! I admit it...test driving cabrios) and my perfectly clean Cooper was parked out front. I'm standing in the showroom chatting w/ an MA when these "car wash guys" come across the lot w/ their spray hose going full blast to "wash" the new MINIs. The MA saw the horror on my face as they doused my car walking past it. It was just water, but it meant extra work for me and these bozos had no clue...I mean, turn off the frickin' hose while you stroll across the lot, you moron!!

Geez, you'd think they'd know better at a MINI dealership...it's not like we're exactly "average."

 

"Geez, you'd think they'd know better at a MINI dealership...it's not like we're exactly "average."[/QUOTE]


EXACTLY! If we were average we would have bought boring cars. You would have thought they would know how to treat MINI fanatics. If I wanted my cars ruined I could use dish soap and old tee shirts and save the hundreds of dollars I spend on detailing products and equipment.

 

Dang, I feel for you!!!! I always make an obnoxious point of verifying (over and over again) that my MINI will NOT be washed when I take her in for service.

Sorry about your troubles. You are not alone and we totally understand your distress.


Clover

 

Your story is way too common at dealerships. They think they're doing you a big favor by washing your car.

Next time, you might consider taping messages to the steering wheel and the driver's side window asking very politely for them NOT to wash your car. Two languages might even be in order, depending on where you live.

 

Might I suggest that you call Todd and fully explain your complaint. You can indicate that you are not upset with him, but that the other guy should be let go. That is horrible customer service and should not be let to stand. As for washing my Mini... I'll be reading all the posts here... I get mine on Monday and I want it to be perfect too! From what I can tell, JB is the most labor intensive love affairs out there (from the detailing perspective), but I'll be putting in the hours on GrapeS as PH can not be far from easy.


Hope it all turns out well!

Great idea 911Fan (I'll be leaving a note for service techs when I take her in)

 

I had the exact same thing happen to me when I took my wife's 325I in for it's first service. I told them that they could clean out the inside, but they weren't supposed to wash it. When I picked up her car it looked as if it had been sitting out in a rain storm for three days. Stripped of all the wax and water spots all over the car. Luckily, it was on a Friday and I had the weekend free so that I could get it looking good again. When it's time for the Mini's first service, I'm going to sit there for the whole time and ensure that they don't try to wash it.

 

Sorry to hear this happened

At my dealer, the car wash guy is an older gent, very nice. They use a wand wash, and dry the cars with clean terry towels, laid on, not rubbed.
I only get them to wash it when we're in the dead of winter though, as sometimes its to cold to wash it otherwise.Even at a coinwash.

 

That makes me so mad
I admire your cool after witnessing somebody abusing your car like that, I think I would have lost it....
As far as the wash, I never trust them, so I always do what 911fan said, I put a big "please do not wash" sign on the dash and make sure it's in writing on the service form too.

 

First of all, I completely sympathize and wish your MINI a very speedy recovery to its previous state.

Second, someone obviously needs to dump that tech if he's whipping customer's cars all over the place.

But...

I do feel compelled to side with the dealership on the very minor issue that, if you're really that concerned about the condition of your car, you shouldn't have waited for them to ask you if you wanted a wash. At the point you realized they didn't ask, you should have specified. Now, sometimes we just forget things (like asking for no wash without prompting) and in that case let's just call a spade a spade and say that that particular mistake was mutual.

I would say that nothing excuses a dirty rag and incompetant wash/tech, except that my standards are very low and that's pretty much what I expect.

Good luck buffing up the MINI!!

 

I bought my 03 MC from Roadshow also. I've had it back three times since new. The first two times I asked they not wash it and they didn't. The third time the white wheels where very dirty and I asked that they be washed. Todd washed them himself.

If I had seen someone driving my car the way you described yours was driven I would have thrown a fit, to put it mildly.

My experience with the MINI techs at Roadshow has been very good. The one who worked on my car did a good job, was easy to talk to and seemed to care about my car.

My first shop visit to Roadshow was with a different SA.....Todd is a huge improvement and I actually enjoy taking my car to Roadshow...except for the Memphis traffic...I'm a small town kind of guy.

 

that is horrible!


My car got completely swirled up at the dealer after their 'detailing'
during purchase....first thing I did was scratchx the entire car when
I got him home. Only to find permanent light swirls on my side mirrors.
craps.

I hate how a lot of dealer porters don't respect our cars.

 

Sorry to hear about your car. I never had a problem w/ Tom Bush in Jacksonville until my last visit. They sprayed the car w/ wash or liquid wax or something and let it dry on the windows! The car looks fine and the wax job is still sweet but I can see crap out my windows and now after about 3 weeks it is just now coming off the windshield. I won't let them wash it ever again.


And yes I did try cleaning it myself, minieral spirits, paint thinner, windex, simple green, stoner's, and pure isopropal alchohol.

 

When I go to the dealer for service, I leave a big sign on the dash that says in BIG LETTERING: Please DO NOT wash or wax!

 

ok that really sucks - i did notice the last time that i went to roadshow that they did not dry my car - which kinda pi**ed me off because i would never to that - but i knew that i would wash it again when i got it home anyway so i got over it. don't you wish everyone cared about our cars as much as todd does! have you noticed the big turnover there? it really bothers me - just about the only person left that was there when i purchased my car is todd!

 

Definitly. Everytime I go in there someone new is there. And when I'm there sitting, no one bothers to help the customers that are IN THE SHOWROOM. It makes me sad. I miss Warren alot, but he wanted to take the dealership in one direction, what I thought to be the correct way, but the roadshow president wasn't having any of it. oh well.

 

I have always said do not wash when I take my car to the dealer. Even so, I was impressed that Otto's in West Chester, PA has a touchless carwash in their garage. That is the first time I ever saw one at a dealership!
-Dan

 

Sorry about what happened....BUT, if you are that serious about who details your car (and you are) then you should have TOLD them not to wash it. Don't ever assume people in the service industry are going to remember your every request from last time.

 

That may be true but they SHOULD have asked me. They've always ask me before. Sometimes 2 or 3 times while I'm there. Why wouldn't they ask this time?

 

Allan - I am sorry to hear about your experience. I know what it is like to get your MINI back in not the same shape you left it, talk to the President of Roadshow MINI as well as Todd - they are both good people and give good customer service. I recently had my MINI fixed at what was considered the "BEST body shop in the Mid-South area." That was not the case. But I went back and sat down with the management to get them to make it right - or it would have eaten me up inside for as long as I owned my MINI. Two weeks later and I have my MINI back and I am happy with the FINAL results. So please go back to Todd and see what he can do for you if you choose to repair it yourself (which I don't blame you).

 

Crown NEVER asks me. They just do it.

Last time i got the car back my "chrome" boot handle had a nick in it, and i have my one and only ding on the passender front fender. The washes look fine to me, but i wash my car EVERY weekend. I dont obsess over how clean it is. I cant, since i put on 80 miles a day. But whatever they do, comes right back off that weekend and i replace it with my stuff.

And since i bought it used FROM the dealership (courtesy car) i'm sure it's seen hundreds of their washes. If i bought it new, however, it would be a completely different story. Forget even taking it for maintenance unless i'm right there hacking down their necks the whole time. Just Joshin.

Sorry about what happened. I'm sure it'll be fine after a while, but it's a pain thinking about someone else messing with your beloved possessions.