AudiWorld Forums - Do you want GOOD service at your dealership? Some tips

I posted this before but it bears repeating so I am re-posting so that some of you can learn a bit about how to get good service and be treated well at your dealership. Even if you have "done time" in the automotive industry ;) you may learn or be reminded of some things here. Some of this is just basic psychology that many of us learn during life and others by reading.

Ask yourself why I routinely get S4's and A8L's as loaner cars while some get no loaner car... Beyond that I usually get to choose what model I want based on my needs during the time my Avant is going to be in the shop. The TT convertible and A4 Cabriolet were fun but sometimes I want a Q7. How? Read on if you want to be treated like a "friend" of the dealership or even just a valued customer. There are times where I have watched people that had prearranged service appointments but get sent to Enterprise for a rental loaner because there are no more loaners at the dealership, while I wait patiently having just shown up and drive out in a 2012 A4 that gets pulled off the sales lot.

I've read so many negative comments about dealerships that I felt I should offer some advice that might help some of you when approaching your service department. Having worked for a number of high end European dealerships in years past, I have learned a thing or two about how things work and can work for or against a customer. I have had mostly good experiences dealing with dealerships over the years as a customer. Many of these tips will also apply to dealing with independent repair shops as well.

Dealerships label customers as good/normal/bad. When I worked at a Mercedes/Rolls Royce dealership, we had codes that were inserted in a customers file. These were specific to each dealership. It let service advisors and service managers know immediately if they were dealing with someone that deserved special/normal/no attention. You DO NO want to become labeled a bad customer as nothing you do will change that and you may as well find another dealership.

First, let me give you a basic definition for each of these classification of customer type.

A good customer is patient and willing to work with a dealership to resolve problems. This doesn't mean that you are a pushover. On the contrary. A good customer is quick to praise good work and behavior that is above and beyond what they expected as well as quick to report bad work and inappropriate behavior. It is important to note that WHOM you report these things to is important. Praise and good reports should be directed at that person AND the service manager. Criticism and bad reports should be handled discreetly with the service manager. He/she will appreciate your feedback and if its bad usually work with you to "make it right".

A normal customer drops their car off, picks it up after service and generally has little interaction with the dealership personnel beyond the cashier and service advisor.

A bad customer is someone who comes to a dealership expecting cheap service and will often complain about how they could have whatever work done cheaper at an independent shop. Then why did you go to the dealership if saving some money was your primary concern? That's all they will think. A bad customer complains vocally in front of other customers. You making service personnel look bad for those few minutes of a day just cost you good service for the rest of your ownership of your chosen marque for as long as you seek service at that dealership. A bad customer makes unreasonable demands on a dealership. Happens all the time and there are just way too many examples of this one. If you are EVER caught in a lie while dealing with a dealership, such as claiming they scratched your car and they pull up service notes made by the service writer that note the scratch on arrival, your credibility is toast and you will never receive any kind of "goodwill" accommodation ever.

Going to a service department with the attitude that you are going to get screwed will lead to you getting screwed more often than not. In psychology, they call that a self fulfilling prophecy. Go with good feelings about a dealership and a smile and you will have a better experience more often than not. That part about smiling bears repeating. Smiling while dealing with service personnel will go far in fostering good relations with your dealership. They are used to dealing with people that are grumpy... Smile and be remembered as the person they enjoyed dealing with and they will treat you more like a friend and less like the average normal customer.

Finally, it is important to develop a good relationship with your service manager. If you have not bought your car yet, make sure that you do it on a weekday and that your salesman introduces you to a "good" service writer AND the service manager. This will help you starting out in your partnership with your dealership. If you have already bought your car make a point of seeking out your service manager the next time you go in for service or even when you have a moment when passing the dealership. The point is that it is better to introduce yourself to the service manager when you have something nice to say about your car, its service, or some compliment about the service department. Better to start a relationship on a good note than when you are upset and have complaints....you will more often than not present yourself poorly when upset. If your service advisor is on your side, all your dealings with the service department will be much more smooth and when there are problems, he/she will be much more likely to want to help you find an agreeable solution.

Try to remember that service department personnel are like customer service reps. They USUALLY deal with frustrated/angry/intolerant people having problems with their car who take that out on them as if they did it personally. A service writer is an intermediary. He/she didn't/doesn't do the work on your car but with the right attitude, one that treats them as much as a human being as you might treat your friends, they will often go out of their way to find out how they can work to fix whatever problems have arisen. A little golden rule action when dealing with a dealership service department will help foster good relations that will make them happy to make YOU happy. Treat 'em the way you'd like to be treated.

I have seen the good/the bad/the ugly at dealerships as an employee many years ago and also as a customer.

It is always a good idea when taking a car in for repairs to keep it short and to the point when describing problems. Example: "I saw the light come on on the dash and thought I better have you guys check it out" is much better than going in saying "I saw the light come on and checked my battery voltage and alternator output and voltage drop and KNOW I just need a new cable so replace it and call me when you are done". If you pickup your car and the battery is dead the next morning, you have nobody to blame but yourself if it was a bad battery or alternator or voltage regulator. If you just said"The battery light came on" when you took it into the shop, the onus is on them to discern the problem and fix it. If you TOLD them what to do and anything else was an issue, well you can complain all you like but you are just be headed for the "bad" customer coding after all, they did what you told them to and just replaced what you had decided was the issue. Let them do their job. Everyone in life likes to feel that their job has meaning and purpose so don't take that away from them...you certainly won't make any friends that way.

I know this was long but I truly hope it helps at least one person out there to have a better experience. I know I always enjoy leaving my dealership. I know my car's in good hands (the service manager and advisor are now friends of mine and I trust them to look out for my baby).

I didn't know ANYONE in the Audi world before buying my Avant but I get the same great treatment at numerous dealerships of several manufacturers. Why would I share my tips with you? Heck you might just end up acing me out of that cool new S4 or A8L next time I'm in for service.... I care about the community and want you all to have a good experience. That is not to say that you can implement this advice and still get the shaft at dealerships. Sometimes you have to look around for the dealership where your individual personality and outlook is shared with the people that you will come to depend on.

Now get out there and take charge of your dealership service experience :) instead of letting it handle you ...and then complaining that you didn't get what you wanted.

All the best my friends. :D