grey67

I'm getting a little annoyed at my dealer, supposedly one of the top Audi dealers in the country. This is my first Audi, so I don't know if this is standard or not but aside from the intro to the car that my sales rep gave me, the dealership has not been in touch with me at all. I did not get a tour of the service department or meet the service manager, something that even my Hyundai dealer 10+ years ago made sure happened, and my Jeep and Mini dealers from less than 3 years ago made sure happened. On top of that, I got an email from Audi welcoming me to their brand and indicating I should call the service department to schedule a New Vehicle Orientation. When I called the service department, the person answering the phone knew nothing about this offer, and pawned me off on the "tech guy". I left a message for the "tech guy" to which I never got a response.

Unfortunately, there are only 3 Audi dealerships near me, and all of them are owned by the same chain. So while I want to complain about this bozo, I don't want to annoy them so much they never service my car.

Is this typical Audi service?

ormandj

No dealership I've dealt with in the last ten years has done anything but an occasional new car orientation which I've always turned down, including two Jeep dealerships, once three years ago. What are you expecting out of these things you mention missing? It is not at all my intent to call you out, I just don't understand the value proposition in any of the above.

I think what you may be seeing is a shift because many people don't want to waste time dealing with a dealership, they'd rather avoid talking to sales people, etc - unless there is an actual issue. The only reason I go near a dealership is I have no choice when purchasing a vehicle or enduring warranty work. The days of having knowledgeable service folks who have management that allows them to spend time showing customers things about their cars only they know, or sales people interested in long term customers (hence being pleasant to be around) are long over. You might find it here and there, my current dealership seems to be fairly nice, but it's quite rare and all the mechanical knowledge you want you can get with a subscription to the Audi technical info portal.

I'm normally one to enjoy the social aspects of these types of things, but not at dealerships which are forced sales encounters due to silly laws. I'd much rather avoid the middlemen, and I think many others are shifting that way, so dealerships are responding by removing the fluff to cut costs.

All that said, I would be upset if I got pawned off on someone and left a message to never be returned. That's bad business and you should definitely take it up with someone. Just walk in and do it in person with a manager. Kill him/her with smiles and a nice handshake and just let them know how disappointed you were as you were excited for the new car orientation. I don't see that negatively impacting your service in the future. Good luck!

plat27265

Just wait for the Audi customer Survey they conduct after a client has taken delivery of their vehicle. This is a very important survey for dealers and they want to ensure they get a perfect '10' survey. I believe the dealer won't get incentives if they receive a less than '10' rating from a customer. This is the perfect place and vehicle for you to write down your complaints and ideas on how to make the customer experience much better.

ormandj

Definitely agree with this suggestion if the manager doesn't make things right! I completely forgot about the survey, this is excellent advice. Hits them in the pocketbooks, which is the only way to affect change sometimes.

Can_Quattro

IMHO you are getting yourself worked up over nothing, something I have been known to do as well
Leave well enough alone until you have an actual service need.

Huey52

Me too; must be related to the enthusiast mentality. We expect more and are therefore more often disappointed.

Actually I had a very good buying experience with all of my Audi's to include vehicle walkthru's (which I didn't really need thanks to my usual pre-research) and service dept intro's. And this was at three different dealerships.

However I've had some very disappointing service, mostly at one dealership. So, just luck (or lack of same) of the draw and hope you fare better when it really counts.

Fun101

I would do a slight rewind and start again. It sounds like your salesman already did the new vehicle orientation during delivery. If so, check that box. However, if you have lingering questions or want someone to give you a more thorough orientation, I'm certain that if you call the service manager and introduce yourself as a new Audi owner looking for a more detailed walk through of your new car and a meet and greet at the service department, I would think the manager would be happy to accommodate you. Perhaps you can let him know that you are the type of customer that values a personal relationship with your service department.

There's nothing wrong with having that expectation but I would give the service manager the chance to make it right before taking it to the next level. A negative survey is a very big weapon a customer has over their dealer. I actually had a situation last week and stewed over the weekend about it. I had my survey almost filled out but deleted it. I decided to drop in and speak to the manager directly on Monday and I'm happy with his response. He was understanding, very apologetic and appreciative. In turn, if his promise goes as planned, I will get the service I expect and he will get a good survey review. I had actually written a rant on the seat thread and have since edited out the nasty bits because I too want a good relationship with my dealer. So I'm giving the manager an opportunity to fix it.

plat27265

I think for most of us especially those buying their Audi's or any car for the first time, there is a lot of enthusiasm. This is fine and nothing wrong with it. What car dealers forget is that life long customers are forged by embracing them as family and establishing goodwill and relationships. Close relationships are built over time and it is not a one time over-night kind of thing. Some dealers go the extra mile to make every customer that comes through their door welcome in a family kind of way. This includes introducing them to the rest of the team, from sales to service even to technicians. Sadly, a lot of dealers just look a customers as a one time kind of deal. They've made the sale and closed it. Move on to the next because it is most unlikely that they would be back for more any time soon. This is very short-sighted and not looking far ahead. I have purchased several new vehicles over the course of my life and I have not experienced any warm and fuzzy coming from any of the dealers I dealt with. Those that do go the extra mile for the customer is a cut above the rest and they've got one very good corporate culture. They're thinking outside the box and planning ahead for the next sale or word of mouth sale.

grey67

I think I actually filled this out already, unfortunately. They sent it pretty quickly after the sale. I'm pretty sure they only got around a 9 at best.

I think plat has it right. I just bought a relatively expensive car and from a brand known for service and from a top rated dealer of the brand. I kind of expected a lot more than a Jeep or a Hyundai or the like. Plus it really annoyed me that the email was specifically from the service manager yet the bozo at the desk acted like it was my fault for bothering them. If the future of work is a service economy, then there better be some good service.

It's not that I even needed anything but it was G chance for the dealershipto make a good first impression and they blew it.

drgrey

"and all the mechanical knowledge you want you can get with a subscription to the Audi technical info portal."

The above comment intrigues me. How do I find that portal? Thanks!