Sorry I was not reading anything into what you said, it is clear we do not agree on this subject, you have your views and I have mine. I will not settle for less than quality service. It is your option to settle for what service you recieve and not to report less than 5's for fear retalliation by the dealer, no problem that is your choice.

 

Looks like the issue of "grade inflation" in the surveys is not just limited to BMW.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/28/c...u-will-listen/

I just about gave a less than 5 on my recent purchase, because they delivered the car with less than a full tank of gas. Seemed a bit chintzy to me, but at the end of the day it seemed like a rather petty thing to worry about.

 

I gave less than perfect scores on the Honda survey for the CR-V. I also commented about the rediculous prices for some of the dealer installed options. Come on, 1 hr of labor to install a cargo net!!! It only took me 15 seconds...

Shortly after the survey, I got a call from the Honda dealer asking me to justify my responses and change them over the phone. I thought it was very inappropriate.

-JL

 

Thanks for the insight everyone. I was venting in the original post; I wasn't trying to be whiney. I came from an Infiniti previously and had very good dealership experiences. It was unrealistic of me to expect the service level to be the same. Or for it to even match the Subaru I had also. Oh well. I think I will just decline the survey altogether. I would have thought that a dealership that puts so much merit in a survey, so much so to give me blatent written instructions on how to answer it, would be actully concerned about meeting the goals.

On a side note, I was referred by a guy that has spent a minumum of 10 grand in their parts dept this summer, and I have a bad modding habit as well. I think I will direct my part buying business elsewhere. Thats about the only things I can do that will actually make a difference.

Thanks again for the input!

 

So I have read the entire thread and here's how it works for the most part. I am an MA and I do the entire customer experience from end-to-end. Greeting to Delivery.

All of our surveys are averaged over the calendar year. We have to have 97% to achieve a bonus in a given month. Failure means a loss of about $800 CSI bonus in a month. A single flawed survey can affect that. As an MA, I've had many such surveys that just astonish me after a seemingly perfect delivery.

"The dealership is too far away and hard to find, plus the roads are awfull"

"My car was delayed at the port and my lease ran out"

"I had a bad experience there when it was a SAAB dealership"

This one from before when we were a SAAB dealership cost me nearly $1000 due to the question "would you recommend this dealership?"

The MINI survey is flawed because it isn't personal to the MA who does all the work and who forms the relationship with the client. When the questions are asked, there is no personalization to the MA, just to the dealership.

My CSI hovers around the 97% mark and I read every survey. MINI does not fix bad surveys. Once done, money lost. Either MINI keeps it or the Dealer, but we certainly did the work and delivered the car. Very rarely, under these extreme conditions of reward would an MA make a mistake.

So I'd say poor customer responses vis-a-vis judgement calls on the part of the customer cost the average MA 10% of their income. Maybe 2% of that is justified by failing to deliver 100% satisfaction, but none of us warrant a 10% slap in the face.

Someone tell me that we do.

 

It appears that you are obviously intent on doing a good job, but would you agree there are probably some out there who don't. You are clearly an enthusiast yourself but for some I would imagine it is just a job.

Would you rather have reviews that are elevated because someone told your customers to give good reviews or because you did a good job The system is not a very good one, because it is set up to collect bad data and even that data is skewed

I am not sure that everyone goes to as much trouble as you, to make sure that your service is getting better all the time. I respect that greatly!

 

If one takes the four examples you have showed at face value, then yes, they seem to be "unfair" reasons for a rating of less than a 5. I also agree the Mini survey is flawed, very much so to other automoblie companies surveys I have used over many years. But for me as the consumer, it is the system that BMW provides. My only choices are to use it or not, if I have what I consider legitimate reasons to give a lesser rating then I only have the rating system that is currently in place.
I would assume that the salary, benefit package, sales incentive program, bonuses and all were explained to you prior to your employment. Knowing that you wil be dealing with the public you have taken the chance of your CSI being effected at times by undeserved ratings. For the customer spending $20 - 35 thousand dollars of their hard earned salary should they not give less than a 5 rating when they have had less than a professional purchasing expierience at a Mini dealership. For me the answer is no, it should and will not. I have taken the time to send a 3 page detailed letter to BMW corporate explaning what, why, and whom I felt was less than professional. Also how it has effected me both in time and financially,perhaps it was a futilie exercise, but I felt the need to at least try and make someone aware that BMW has issues with customers relations.

Pehaps the MA's and Mini manager that handled my purchase live in a differant world than MA's like yourslef. My only expectation was for them to do their job. Once the order was placed I did not contact them for any questions, tracking info, or even when I knew the Mini was going to arrive 5 weeks before the delivery date they provided.
One week prior to delivery I did not recieve replies to my phone messages or emails, after a few days of waiting I resorted to making the 25 mile drive to the dealership. None of the paper work was completed, the approval for the lease/Mini select that had been prepared on order date was now being rejected by the finance officer, saying the numbers were not acceptable. I will not ramble on about other issues, point being it was very poor service, and I will not feel sorry for not giving a full 5 rating.
A I mentioned previously about you taking employment as a MINI MA, you are dealing with the public, and at times you may not be treated faily. Just as all new MINI owners will not have a flawless buying expierience. Just the facts of life, but I took time to make this reply because you don't feel a full 10% loss on your part is fair. The consumers had nothing to do with the BMW rating system, where as you are working at BMW and do have other options. For us consumers if we desire a new Mini we have but one option, buy from a Mini dealer.

As a side note....when I have a sales/service staff that "feel" the need to mention "we need all 5"s" that causes me to think if they feel they have reasons to be concerned reguarding my purchase.

 

MA's and SA's DO lose money for less than 5's. It's been that way from the beginning. Less than 5 treatment should result in less than 5's.period.If it results in the person(s) getting po'd enough to quit...........that's the Darwin principle in action. When I got my car, I got 3 keys, one with remote, one without and the wallet key. My wife wanted one with a remote so I inquired about the cost and was told it was $75. I balked, but agreed.When I was called a week later to pick it up, the parts dept. said" that'll be $125 plus tax." Needless to say I balked ............heavily , informing him that not only was I quoted $75 , but that if I had been quoted $125 we would not be having this discussion cause I NEVER would have ordered it at that price.The MA was called and proceeded to swear up and down that he had quoted me the higher price. I said, "then you people own it, because I won't pay the higher price". They relented and sold me the key at the quoted price. I found out later that the MA made up the difference out of his commission on the car. As it should be IMO.

 

Exactly. I felt the same way when I got the 5 star speech. I wouldn't say my experience was completely bad or terrible, but I wouldn't say it was a 5 either. So if they are that worried about it, then give me 5 star service.

 

+1

 

Picked up my MINI last night from MINI of the Main Line. Spent a while there signing papers, going over the car, and so forth, but they never once mentioned a survey or anything like that.

 

There is no doubt that the MINI survey does suck, in some ways. But not always. When I first contacted my dealer, after I informed the MA I spoke to that I am not yet prepared to place an order, he never returned a phone call. When I did place the order, I used another MA. She was completely cluelss and, despite seemingly away on training most of the time I called, still is. When I picked up my car not one person there knew how the voice recognition or comfort access worked. When I brought my car in to have the voice recognition fixed, the service manager didn't even know the car had it! Only one knew where to put the navigation dvd. My MA stuck it in the cd slot. While their brochure informs that they will pick your car up at your house and deliver it back when done, I was told that is only done after they really screw up. So, there is some validity to the generalized questions. Perhaps the theory is, if the MA does a great job, the customer will be euphoric about the whole experience. But if the MA isn't so great, the customer will remember that the complimnetary snack bin contained exactly 3 identical, stale doughnuts.

 

I guess I feel pretty fortunate that I can give my local dealership all 5s w/o clear conscience. Often they deserve 6s!!

 

I wish I could fill out a survey for the countless MINI dealerships where I visited to test drive and purchsae and ended up walking out.

I will give my MINI dealer all 5's that I am working with now... but it sucks that I have to do it 250 miles out of state because the fact that all the in state dealers suck *** and treat people like they are idiots.

 

I shopped at 3 dealers, all on LI. One was ok, one SUCKED bigtime, and the 3rd was perfect. Guess who I bought from?

That, is how dealers find out how they are doing. By looking at the #'s (or lack of) at the end of the month.

Mini of the Hamptons!!

 

I wish I had known about this survey and how it could potentially soil the relationship I have with my MA/dealership.

I was out of town when I got the survey call. I praised my MA for all the good she did, but mentioned that she could have been more knowledgeable on certain things--like the options/costs etc... I gave her a 4 out of 5.

When I returned home from my trip, I found in my snail mail, a letter from my MA that included a photocopied document of a report that had the ratings of previous customers (including their names, addresses, and telephone numbers!!). The MA had also handwritten a note that essentially said she doesn't get paid if I don't rate her with all 5s. This was great news since I had already given her a 4 out of 5.

The next day, I received an email from my MA stating she did not get paid because of my rating and that maybe we could work on what I complained about during my next visit (I am scheduled to be there in 2 days for some post-delivery items).

I feel like I have been a product of manipulation and coercion. I called Mini of North America and voiced a concern/complaint. The customer service guy was VERY nice but said even with all the complaints in the past year, no changes have been made.

I am all for the survey and providing feedback to the MAs and dealers, but I don't understand why Mini North America chooses to disclose the customers' names to the dealership. Wouldn't the information we give be just as useful without disclosing our names?

Has anyone else written to BMW N. America on this?

 

I bet your MA still got some pay - just possibly significantly less than she would have gotten.

yup, the MAs do get the results of the surveys along with the name of the customer.

 

I didn't know the MAs lose money based on the survey - although not getting a bonus and getting your pay docked are two totally different things.

I haven't gotten the call yet, but I have no reservations about giving my MA all 5s. He always got back to me, called me with updates, and most importantly, has been very responsive after the sale. However, if I felt ignored, played, or given the runaround, I wouldn't give 5s out of guilt or obligation. My MA earned his 5s. They all should.

 

Hum, wouldn't it be prudent as a MA to make sure you have those questions addressed ahead of time? By that I mean, while you're talking to the customer maybe ask the questions that will be in the survey ahead of time, but in a different manner. I have no idea what the questions are, but I would believe that if I was an MA I could come up with some creative questions while I was in the process of helping a customer that would directly relate to the survey. Especially if there was the extra money at the end of the month on the line. Maybe make sure that while you're handling the customer they're given the opportunity to voice a problem and perhaps you can come out the hero ahead of time by dealing with it?

 

Let's face it the survey is setup to fail. It's just another form of corporate greed. I doubt if 9 in 10 surveys come back with all 5s. Not only does the dealer want to get the most money out of the customer but he wants to take the money from the salesman who does most of the work selling the vehicle.

 

I don't remember getting any survey. Maybe they knew what marks I would give them and forged it...

Got to admit, that in the end they made everything right by me. But my initial experience was a little unpleasant.

 

If they gave you a full tank of gas, that's worth a fortune out there...

 

My local dealership used to have a third party customer service survey. I always gave the top score (they deserved it, usually).

It looks like my local dealership did away with the outsourced survey and now coordinates with MINIUSA.

I quit wasting my time with the MINIUSA surveys, after the second one in which MINIUSA failed to comment or contact me regarding my questions. MINIUSA never contacted we regarding questions I had from the first survey, either.

Customer service email is a wasteland.

 

Great thread and great discussion

My two cents on the survey. I did receive a survey by e-mail, but chose not to complete it in a timely manner. So.. MINI calls me and asks me about my experience. I gave a 4 on the sale/delivery and a 4 on recommending. Personally, I wish it was a 10 point scale so I could have given a 9). My biggest concern was with the amount of time it took to pick-up our car.

We were requested to be there at 5:30 (which we were) and wound up waiting a very long time. We had our credit union and down payment checks in hand and were eager to motor. The car was in the parking garage and had to be brought up to the delivery room. Then we decided we didn't want the OEM/POS seatbelt adjusters (waste of money). They did take off the charges for these items from the bill of sale, so we did anticipate a wait for saving the 30 bucks or so. But the wait continued. It was nearly 7:00 before we saw the finance person for the standard service policy talk. As it was we got out of the dealership at somewhere after 8 PM. Our last car took at most 45 minutes and we financed through dealer.

In my opinion the wait deserved the 4 rating.

However, I have seen no adverse feedback from the dealer. We had three issues after we took deliver (ipod tray install, satellite subscription (1 yr. vs. lifetime, and rear mud flaps [not properly seated]) and the service was indeed 5-stars. I met with the Sales Manager while I was waiting and he was very pleasant. One curious note was that our original MA was no longer working there. It almost tempted me to ask for his job!

 

I game my MA High marks where deserved, and 3's where they were deserved as well. Just as I benefit from honest feedback on my performance appraisal at work, Mini can benefit from honest feedback as well.

my two cents.