Dealer I approached recently about my next service reckoned that he knew about Snet, and understood from it why it was likely I wouldn't be going back to my local dealer.....what I find odd is, if dealers read this, and see what's said about them with regard to oil change concerns and poor customer service, why don't they defend themselves publicly.....or are they just too complacent to be arsed? It seems to me that they simply don't get a hard enough time from I.M., and this view is supported by I.M.s unconcerned response when you contact them with valid complaints about a specific dealer....I was told that the dealer I was having problems with ( rude, disinterested, quoting one price, charging another, unable to rectify simple problems which they themselves caused...the list goes on ) was their " dealer of the year " as if that made all the bollox the customers have to contend with, acceptable. Dealers....awaiting your response with untold enthusiasm and excitement!

 

Suppose, having a motor trade background in a previous life, and been lucky enough to work for that rare commodity, a main dealer with a conscience, I just get exceptionally p!ssed off with handing over extortionate amounts to uncaring to55ers, masquerading as experts, who are under little or no pressure to raise their standards to something approaching acceptable. This oil change business really gets on my t!ts....the dealers know about the potential problems of not doing it properly, yet time and again ,people post on here with tales of how their car has grenaded a few hundred miles after having its oil changed at the dealers....you're not only charged for the " privilage " of having them experiment with your car, it seems there's a good chance you'll end up filling their pockets a second time when it blows up! A cynic might say there was a vested interest buried in there somewhere. My immediate problem is that my local dealer is generally regarded as sh!te and have, on several occasions, seemingly gone out of their way to prove this accusation correct. It's an 80 mile or so round trip to the next nearest, with no guarantee that they'll be any less hopeless. In all honesty I think my problem is pretty clear, and I was hoping an influential employee of a south eastern Subaru dealership would a) be reading this, and b) have the nous to respond with something that could convince me I was being unreasonable. However, I think the phrase I'm looking for here is " farting against thunder ". Seems to me, at this rate, I'm going to end up with a make of car I don't really want, simply because I'm being offered decent customer service instead of what I get now.

 

well looks like you got two options then find another dealer or sell the car and go for a different franchise. and yes i do work for a dealer and no we have never had a customer back yet after a service with big end problems. in the early years we never did fill up the filters first and never had a problem. there is a bullitin from i.m which we all have to adhere to other wise we get a good shafting from i.m which we do and still never had a problem.

 

Do you think that your dealership is representative of the breed? Must say, I was hoping for something a little more constructive than this. Your dealership may well follow the I.M. procedure, and you yourself may well be interested enough in the cars and their owners to want to make an effort.....but it seems to me that a large proportion of people on here have had negative experiences at their dealer, and accordingly have to vote with their feet.... your suggestion that I do exactly that simply confirms my statement about dealer complacency. Sorry that this seems to be nothing other than an uncalled for rant to the people who have already responded, and I already know that there are dealers/employees working for Subaru who do understand the meaning of customer service, however it's pretty frustrating not to be able to trust the people locally who are charged with the responsibility of looking after one of the most considered purchases I'm likely to make for a while. Btw, how do you know you'll get a " good shafting " from I.M. if you've never had a comeback? Genuine question, not having a go! In my dealings with I.M., they've given me no indication that they give a toss one way or the other.

 

This has gone quiet a bit quicker than I'd hoped.
Any south east based Subaru main dealer employees in influential positions willing to represent the voice of reason? Perhaps I'm expecting too much.... don't seem to want to be accountable at £66 an hour.....why come on here and be accountable for free? Anyone who works for I.M. ever come on here? ....if so, tell me why I'm wrong. Alternatively, any Snetters having good service from Hampshires favourite dealer....please tell me how to get same!

 

Well, well, what a surprise, no takers.....Hampshire dealers take a bow.....you don't choose to defend yourselves and nobody else does either!

 

it seems to me that you have got exactly the same attitude as most people on here when it comes to dealers. it's old news just another person saying their local dealer is $hite.

p.s good shaftings come in the form of reduced cars to sell and reduced discount on the cars they are allowed to sell all of which reduce the turnover

 

Do you think I'm saying my local dealer is sh!te for no reason? Do you even know who my local dealer is? Have you had any experience of the work they're incapable of doing properly? I'd be interested to know what position you hold at your dealership. Defend your dealer, by all means, but don't fall into the trap of assuming they are all up to the same standard you seem to think yours is at. Is your dealership suffering from the sanctions you say affect below par performances. If so, you are part of the problem.....if not, how can you comment, given that you won't have any experience of that particular situation? Your attitude towards my grievance suggests that you don't believe I have any real reason to complain...my suggestion to that is that you take your head out of your ****, and re-read my previous posts.

 

1, don't care
2, probably
3, senior tech 9yrs
4,no and not part of the problem it seems to me that you are the problem if all you can do is moan about your dealership then do something about it your the only person who can nobody else can can they. what do you want i.m to do close them down? it's you i think that needs to pull his head out of his ar$e and look at what your trying to gain your getting no where with it how do you expect dealers to answer when all they can see is people having a go about them. the other problem is people take this board as gospel and because it's on here it has to be true. dealers get no end of people going in saying they have seen a similar problem on here and they need to do this and that and then kick off when the dealer won't do it just because the board might be wrong.
quotes can be wrong, simple problems might not be that simple, if it were me i would find another dealer it is that simple

 

I hear

Cotswolds Middletown, Hailey, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 9UF 01993 776622

are very good, try them

Ajax

 

If i was you i'd go down to the dealership and wander straight into the workshop and ask a couple of mechanics (seperatly) if they pre-fill the filters if you say something like "i've heard that some people pre-fill the filters but surely theres no need to is there? " should get you the respone you require ie: "yeah we never do" or "ooo no, we pre-fill 'em mate"

 

Don't forget that people can be quick to complain, especially when writing behind a PC , but slower to praise. How many times a day in your job do people call you and say what a great job you're doing? I bet it isn't often. However, if they have a problem, they'll be quick to call. It is exactly the same when posting on a BBS.

I'm sure there are people who have had problems with their dealers, but taken as a percentage of all owners - how big is it? What you see on here, or any other board for that matter may not be representative. In this kind of environment, I suspect you are also more likely to see extreme problems and reactions.

In 5 years of Scooby ownership, I've dealt with three main dealers and two specialist independents. I've had no cause to complain about the service at any of them. For the record, they are Cheam Motors, Lavender Hill (no longer a main agent) and Days of Chelmsford. The independents were Scoobysport and Xtreme Scoobies.

I'm sure some dealers would like to come on here and defend themselves because there are always two sides to every story. I'm sure they don't though for fear of inflaming things further and causing more bad feeling. They risk putting themselves into a position from which they can never win. This is why we police these things quite carefully and ask people to be considerate when they post.

Chris

 

Scoobyboy...your response...1/ don't care....sums up the Subaru dealer philosophy in the south...2/ probably....got anything good to say about them?...3/ the fact that you've been a senior tech for 9 years doesn't address my question, which you've clearly misunderstood, therefore I'll make the question easier for you to understand....have you ever had any work done on your car by the dealership in question?....4/ if you've never done anything wrong, how do you know that you'd get a " good shafting " as you put it earlier, from I.M? Yes, if a dealership is continually ****, I would expect, under normal circumstances, that it would be closed down....why should it continue to be allowed to provide poor service? This thread has nothing to do with other peoples posts....it's a reflection of the poor quality of service I've recieved personally, when spending money trying to get my car looked after. You ask me " how do I expect dealers to answer when all they can see is people having a go at them ". I'd expect them to ask themselves WHY people are always having a go at them... ffs, it's not for no reason. I have never been unreasonable with my local dealer, I used to be a customer facing member of staff myself with a Toyota dealer in the north, and know what the job entails....people are human and make mistakes, no problem with that, however, to compensate, I expect others to do what I do, namely, give 110% effort to make sure that the problem is rectified, with as little inconvenience to the paying customer as is humanly possible. Why is that wrong? Btw, with the attitude you display, ie, if you're not happy, go away, it really is you with his head up his ****. Love to know what dealer you work for, you're a great advert for them ... do my utmost to find out so I can avoid them like the plague!

 

It doesn't matter how many good reports you get about a dealer, it is your experiences that count, good or bad. I have a lot of time for my local dealer as a whole but not with some of the people who work there. Customers being called names when the phone isn't on hold is pretty bad....

 

Chris L, I posted at the same time as you, and consequently didn't address your points. Tbh, yes I see people praising dealers all the time...but not mine. The complaints thing, again, take your point, however, I think it was yesterday, if not, the day before, that I was on here singing the praises of a Lancashire based tyre supplier from whom I'd recieved excellent service....I will give credit, but only when it's due. I understand your concerns as a moderator, with regard to considerate posting, but am not convinced that a well worded post from a high ranking representative of I.M. or the offended dealerships would inflame an already annoying situation. I've had 16 months of Subaru ownership....in that period, I've been charged more than quoted for a gearbox rebuild which took the dealer 2 attempts to rectify, had aircon not only poorly fitted ( 4 collapsed pulley bearings, due to overtightened belts ), they also broke off the bonnet switch for the alarm whilst putting in the aircon rad, 4 visits to put this right ( insurance invalid because of this, 'til it was fixed ) and when they finally managed to source and fit a new switch, they scratched the slam panel to buggery whilst drilling it. Asked them to comment on what sounded like rear wheel bearing/diff noise, workshop foreman made it plainly obvious that he was being hugely inconvenienced by having to test drive it, the verdict?....tyre noise, nothing wrong with it....33 miles later, collapsed o/s rear wheel bearing. In 11,000 miles I've spent more than 2k with these idiots....and they're not even courteous unless they feel like it.

 

Micared:

Scoobyboy works for Cotswolds Middletown, Hailey, and that the garage I use and I am very happy with them.


I agree with Scooby boy, we don’t want problems take the some ware else, the further away the better.

And while you are about it use another forum M8, u are bad news.

Ajax

 

Ajax, I see that scoobyboy is posting from around the Witney area....so thanks, but no thanks, if it's your local dealer, and he works there, good luck, with his attitude, you'll need it.

 

The scooby garage in Ashburton down in devon is very very good, from personal experiances

 

so, am Im supposed to check he oil level on the assumption my local surrey dealership hasn't pre-filled the filter - aaarrgghh and I thought I was doing the right thing! i.e. going to subaru dealership

 

Like Scoobyboy said go away, u have to much attitude

I will not reply to anymore of your posts, matter closed

 

Ajax, I'm only bad news to people who have me over for money, when they haven't done the job right....therefore it follows that I'm no threat to anyone else. I'll use this forum for as long as I see fit, thanks....if you don't like my posts because it's giving your friend the hump, sod off and read something else.

 

How many main dealers are there in the S.East???????

 

R1916V, Ashburton is a little out of my way....I'm in Soton, Wrexy27, if you've never had issues with your dealer previously, probably no need to start worrying now....easyrider, not enough! Btw, Ajax, if you're still reading this, learn to read properly. I don't live anywhere near you, thank Christ...therefore it follows that my problems are already somewhere else. Try to keep up.

 

micared, from what you've described, I would be upset too! I speak from experience of being on this site for 4 years. In my personal view, the good dealers far outweigh the bad ones.

Everyone is human and mistakes can be made. All anyone asks for is that the mistakes be put right quickly. In your case, that doesn't appear to have happened and I'd be a bit fed up if I was in your position too.

Going back to the original point about dealers / IM posting. There may well be some potential legal issues here with posting info on a public BBS. I wouldn't expect IM to come on here and slate a dealer in public or even offer to investigate on your behalf. Perhaps these are issues they would prefer to deal with in private - have you approached IM directly with your complaint? It is well known, that most dealers, IM and Prodrive all read this board and many others like it - as to how many times they post up? I couldn't say.

As regards South East dealers, there are approx 15, depending on how you define the South East in terms of counties. There is a full list here

Chris

 

just to say that my comments have nothing to do with where i work it is my opinion not the dealership.

 

Chris L, thanks, all sensible comments and input appreciated. That's what I was aiming for when starting this thread. Sights seem to need adjusting slightly. I always try to assume / like to think I'll get good service with whoever I choose to use, until proven otherwise, unfortunately , in the instances I've related here, things couldn't have been worse. The reason I brought it up is that the car is now almost due its next service, and I resent the idea of not being able to trust a dealer who is local and therefore the most practical choice, but whose standards of customer service and lack of ability in other key areas leave me aghast. Take your point about the legal position, and I wouldn't expect I.M. to slate a dealer publicly - however, as I said in one of my earlier posts, approaching them directly gained nothing other than an indifferent response....if they'd read that I would have expected a response to that on here, if only to issue some corporate bluster about how seriously customer complaints are taken! Won't pursue this aspect on here, as I suspect, as a mod, you're getting a bit jumpy .
scoobyboy, if you have been upset by my earlier comments, regarding poor dealership experiences, you have no reason to be....it's been crystal clear from early on in this thread that my issues are with people well south of your location....I have no experience of your dealership, and draw no conclusions about it, other than that which i can glean from your responses.

 

Hmm interesting reading,

Mica let me tell you what happened where I used to work.I have always had high expectations about customer service and consequently always tried to treat people/cars as I would want to be treated so I hopefully tried to work to this ethos.

I am not going to name the dealer that I worked at as that is probably counter productive at the moment but lets just say that we had quite a good rep on here.I went from being a tech to foreman then moved into the office as workshop controller.In the end due to certain circumstances I was working on the service desk as well as controlling the workshop and troubleshooting problems with cars.I knew all about Snet and used to post advice on here and do the odd job outside of work (just 1 or 2 hehe).But it was quite productive as we used to gain a lot of business from here.

It was a massive struggle trying to keep 3 techs producing work to my standards and then coupled with the pressure from the managment I finally had enough one day and walked.

Anyway the point I am trying to make is that the management in most big companies see you as profit nothing else and the techs are usually under a lot of pressure to produce quantity not quality work(you probably knew this anyway if you worked in a dealer).This comment stands for all franchises/dealers its not just aimed at Subaru.

So if you want to get your car serviced repaired properly I would suggest taking it to a independant that you trust or even a small local garage and let them do the work.Or prehaps do it yourself if you are so concerned about the quality of work.With the lifting of Block Exemption now there is no real reason to use a franchised dealer unless its for warranty work.

I know from speaking to former co workers that IM have not really done anything at all about Block Exemption.If you want some more info an the subject I try and dig out some paperwork on it.

Regards

Steve

 

Steve, thanks for your input. Seems we have a similar background, although you appear to have pursued it further than I ever did. Certainly, having worked from behind the other side of the counter for a dealership noted for its willingness to go the extra mile, and having contributed to it having a good rep for a period of 6-7 years, I know what's possible.....if there's a willingness to achieve it. Take on board what you say about managements approach profit-wise, versus technicians being allowed to work up to a standard, rather than down to a price.....but I've always viewed reputation as being one of the most important aspects of running a successful business. Perhaps there's just not enough competition....if there were more dealers, closer together, perhaps that would force things to improve? At the moment, to go somewhere other than my local dealer, I'm forced to contemplate the merits of an 80 mile round trip....I already have to work almost 100 miles away every day, and making the time to accomodate servicing the car anywhere other than locally is difficult....certainly, when you are working around the parameters of when they can fit you in.
It seems some of the other contributors have taken this personally....ultimately, I'm not having a go at all dealerships, why would I , I haven't used all of them. My complaints are against specifics, nothing general.
Not against the idea of using a non-franchised specialist, but , again, 80 mile round trip to the nearest, at the mo, anyway.
Hope you're doing something employment wise that's a bit less grief now! Again, thanks for your insight.