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View Full Version : Who has the best & worst Service Department?



KenL
13th January 2007, 06:07 AM
As the title, post your comments on dealer's service departments. Factual stuff only, don't want any heat:eek:

KenL
13th January 2007, 06:15 AM
My comments are are from 3-5 years ago.

Eastern.

Generally decent and they tried hard, especially the really helpful service adviser. My car was in there about 10 times. Always provided a courtesy car but it often cost me in insurance costs. Something I was not happy with as the car was in for warranty work.

One poor thing though was when they were changing my steering column they scratched up the silver trim on the steering wheel, it was returned like this without a word. A stiff letter got them to fix it.

Dunedin

They gave the car it's second service. When it was returned the pollen filter was badly fitted, resulting in a whistle going over 40mph. Polite service and a car provided.

Scottie
13th January 2007, 06:52 AM
best service Mikethemini

worst service department ever ever ever Minisport Padiham.

euan
13th January 2007, 07:54 AM
Eastern looked after my Mini for the two years I had it (again, like Ken is the a few years ago now). I'd agree with everything he said, and would add that my car was there a similar amount of time and they never bothered - they knew the issues, fixed them, and were really helpful. I only had a car a few times from them and had to pay for it, however they did drop me off and collect me from work in the 7 series, which was very good (free Scotsman in the back seat - I was easily pleased).

euan
13th January 2007, 07:56 AM
I would add that since I moved to London, service varies wildly. My local (I mean local - the dealer is at the end of my road) is where I bought the car but the service department are so poor I take the car 5 miles up the road to a different dealer in the same group who are brilliant (and randomly, cheaper!!! It's the same parent company, but it's 50 quid cheaper for an inspection 1!)

minidriver#1
13th January 2007, 08:47 AM
Worst - Dundee. Just search for my posts.

sedgie
13th January 2007, 09:24 AM
Well i have always used Grassicks....i cannot complain about them...every prob we have had..."hubby has bmw"...has been booked in n fixed[:)

james f
13th January 2007, 10:19 AM
best ever lohen by miles then north oxford mini when i was living down south they may have been arrogant and not liked me but there work was always 100% only started using eastern recently but so far so good dunedin lets say im not going near there again

Gismo
13th January 2007, 03:22 PM
quote:Originally posted by ScottieCoop
best service MikeytheminiHave to agree with that :approve:
JC's in Dundee look after me well too :p

Moonshine
13th January 2007, 06:37 PM
I used to use Grassicks and they were always good. Nowadays I use Harry Fairbairns, and they have always been polite, helpful & efficeint. They come to my office in EK, pick up my car and return it.

Pretty happy all in all.

illegalhunter
13th January 2007, 07:48 PM
worst arnold crap anywhere feckin chancers

S7JGW
13th January 2007, 09:46 PM
Worst ive had is Arnold Crap Toyota in Aberdeen where i bought my car. Passed mot and sold me the car with wheelnut missing!!!! The manager boy tried to tell me its normal for wheelnuts to fall out going down the road!!!! This was a locknut that was missing and refused to replace with locknuts.. I had to sit and argue with him for about an hour before he would walk across the road to john clark to get lock nuts, then took about an hour to fit them. Had great service form my salesman but the manager was verry arogant and wouldnt listen. Wont be buying a car from their again.
Better stop now before i go off on a big rant
Jim

stoney
13th January 2007, 10:37 PM
worst well menzies as they did not show me the time of day where very aragent

best has to be lloyds in Carlisle allways willing 2 help and very frendly and they talk over what they have done 2 ur car with u before u take it away which no outher bmw service i have used have done this !!

johnsop1
13th January 2007, 11:27 PM
I often wonder if service levels depend on whether you are wearing a suit or not when you go in? Was at Seafield for 10 minutes (because there is now no longer a Garage locally in the Borders) trying to work out how to get back to work in Midlothian before I was offered a courtesy car. Would that have happened if (a) I was driving a BMW and (b) had been wearing a suit when I went in. Selkirk service was always good - though again was never offered a courtesy car.

ianking
14th January 2007, 05:03 AM
Best service dept for me is Eastern at Edinburgh although Selkirk branch of Dunedin (now RIP) was good as well.

Worst would have to be Menzies

CooperTrooper
14th January 2007, 07:02 AM
only ever used douglas park hamilton, nearly 3 years now and a few warranty claims and servicing, and no problems at all, good service and usually very quick! couldnt never bring myself to pay over 100quid an hour labour tho!

minidriver#1
14th January 2007, 07:30 AM
quote:Originally posted by Bonnie Scotland


quote:Originally posted by ScottieCoop
best service MikeytheminiHave to agree with that :approve:
JC's in Dundee look after me well too :p


Maybe they've learned a few things since i last went there, which must have been at least 5 months ago.

Mon the fish
15th January 2007, 05:33 AM
Always had great service from Harry Fairbairn, not dealt with the new place yet. Hopefully the same service.

Julz
15th January 2007, 05:21 PM
Best service I've had is probably from everyone except JC's in Dundee!! They were very good until the whole 'hmmm, we can makes loads of cash out of this one' incident!! I've only just paid off the loan I had to take out to cover their bill two years ago!:mad::mad:

sleepyrascal
15th January 2007, 07:32 PM
I have various bad experiences with John Clark in Aberdeen.... but the top two are...

number 1.. forgetting to insert the oil filler point plug on my brand new gearbox which led to the box being replaced within a week.

number 2.. car goes in to get steering problem and seat problem sorted on the friday, the day before the inverness run (2005). Picked the car up at 5:55pm. The steering wheel had been put on almost 45 degrees off centre. The drivers seat adjustment handles were all hanging off. The mechanic had forgotten to put them back on. Went straight back in to jc to be told the mechanics were all gone. haha. The head machanic ended up coming back in to fix everything the next morning before the run so at least they made the effort to sort out the issues. Still...

Oh they also have a habbit of fixing/replacing parts without asking permission even if you ask them to phone you before any work is carried out. I got stung for £120 for work carried out when all i wanted was a mechanics report to hand over with the car when i sold it. The also replaced a headlight bulb without asking which cost £22 (or something stupid like that) which annoyed me because i had 3 spare bulbs at home.

But JC are angels compared to Glenvaragill Honda. Clowns!

sleepyrascal
15th January 2007, 07:35 PM
quote:Originally posted by johnsop1

I often wonder if service levels depend on whether you are wearing a suit or not when you go in? Was at Seafield for 10 minutes (because there is now no longer a Garage locally in the Borders) trying to work out how to get back to work in Midlothian before I was offered a courtesy car. Would that have happened if (a) I was driving a BMW and (b) had been wearing a suit when I went in. Selkirk service was always good - though again was never offered a courtesy car.


Everyone knoes the guys in the suits are just pawns... its the guys in the casual clothes who have all the dough!! They have passed the stage where they need to impress anyone. I'm aiming to be there by the time i'm 30 :D:D

Mark R
15th January 2007, 09:41 PM
Worst I've had would be Victoria in Newcastle. Although they ultimatly fixed a few problems they also sold a car after an inspection that had numerous problems with it including steering rack, broken boot lock and when they did fit a new headlight they forgot to adjust it so they were level.

Best I've had would be Dunedin in Portobello. Have helped me out with problems without charging me for some of them even though they wouldn't normally be covered in the Cherished Warranty I have. Always received a lift into my work and home in various BMWs.

Julz
15th January 2007, 10:06 PM
quote:Originally posted by sleepyrascal

Went straight back in to jc to be told the mechanics were all gone. haha.

Sounds familiar, the 3rd time my car died, after having just picked it up from JC's, I took it straight back to be told all mechanics had gone home and it was my tough cheese basically and I had to find my own way home as their incompetence meant my car was going nowhere!! 3 weeks later and a huge courtesy car bill, they finally fixed it and charged me the world and wouldn't let me take my car without paying (I did have the spare keys in my pocket though!!), considering their track record on fixing the car I wasn't keen on handing over a 4 figure sum to get 5 miles along the road!! Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend them, which is a shame as they had been very helpful until then!! The guys in sales and parts are still very good, it was just behind the doors the problems lay methinks!!:disapprove::mad: