Dodged a Bullet Yesterday

[champignon]

My 2013 135is Convertible goes out of warranty the end of this month. I took it in for its last free maintenance service yesterday, actually, I dropped it off the night before. It was only 10 months and a couple of thousand miles since the last service, and the dealership did me a favor by getting it covered for the last free oil and filter change, plus brake fluid change. When I dropped it off I mentioned that the A/C didn't seem quite as cold as it had been in the past. It wasn't a major change and I almost forgot to even mention it.

Long and short of it, they found a leak in the evaporator, and had to pull the dash to replace that part. They told me that without the warranty it would have cost around $2800 to have that replacement done. 6 days before the end of the warranty, that's slick.

[iminhell1]

They like you. No question about that.

[Esteban]

You've got a good and honest dealer there. Give them a nice (expensive) bottle of wine or something to show your gratitude. I will be giving my service advisor a $100 gift certificate for Christmas this year to show my appreciation for how well she treats me.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Esteban

You've got a good and honest dealer there. Give them a nice (expensive) bottle of wine or something to show your gratitude. I will be giving my service advisor a $100 gift certificate for Christmas this year to show my appreciation for how well she treats me.

I've had 3 SAs in the last year, although this is not as bad as it sounds because this is a huge multi-line dealership network and individuals often get promoted or choose to move laterally among the brands. My last SA is now working in their Toyota dealership, which is the next one over and is contiguous on the enormous blacktop they occupy.

The whole dealership is very customer oriented. I'm a part owner of a restaurant chain and I'm thinking that maybe we could send them some sort of takeout lunch around the holidays. I wouldn't want to single out any one individual, as I think it might be taken the wrong way.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by champignon

I've had 3 SAs in the last year, although this is not as bad as it sounds because this is a huge multi-line dealership network and individuals often get promoted or choose to move laterally among the brands. My last SA is now working in their Toyota dealership, which is the next one over and is contiguous on the enormous blacktop they occupy.

The whole dealership is very customer oriented. I'm a part owner of a restaurant chain and I'm thinking that maybe we could send them some sort of takeout lunch around the holidays. I wouldn't want to single out any one individual, as I think it might be taken the wrong way.

My SA worked for Tischer BMW (getBMWparts.com) some years ago and then moved out here. She was highly recommended to me by a forum member and I've been with her ever since. Been with the same BMW dealer since 2008 and she's the most competent SA I've had there. I've asked her several times if she's staying there as a service advisor and she says yes, she's found a home and she's very happy. Needless to say I'm ecstatic!

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Esteban

You've got a good and honest dealer there. Give them a nice (expensive) bottle of wine or something to show your gratitude. I will be giving my service advisor a $100 gift certificate for Christmas this year to show my appreciation for how well she treats me.

Or give it to the tech that actually diagnosed it and did the work.

[YearOneOne]

Originally Posted by Esteban

You've got a good and honest dealer there. Give them a nice (expensive) bottle of wine or something to show your gratitude. I will be giving my service advisor a $100 gift certificate for Christmas this year to show my appreciation for how well she treats me.

I think you're just sweet on her

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Esteban

You've got a good and honest dealer there. Give them a nice (expensive) bottle of wine or something to show your gratitude. I will be giving my service advisor a $100 gift certificate for Christmas this year to show my appreciation for how well she treats me.

Give them gifts for doing the job they're required to do..?

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Or give it to the tech that actually diagnosed it and did the work.

Different techs; one tech didn't use a fender cover and put scratches on my fender (my detailer was able to buff them out). He also didn't wear gloves and took my car for a test drive, then pulled my car up front and left a greasy mess on the steering wheel, inside door handle and door panel, and gear selector and center console. Another tech inspected my DCT for leaks and didn't put the protective under panel back on correctly and when I got home I noticed the panel was sagging badly so I had to go back and have it put on properly. So no, I don't think those particular techs deserve any special gratuities.

I know you're a tech and you probably don't think techs get enough recognition for the good work they do and you're probably right, but I don't expect my car to be left with scratches on the fender, a greasy mess on the inside, and I don't think I should have to return to have the under panel put on correctly because the tech decided not to double check his work that day.

Originally Posted by YearOneOne

I think you're just sweet on her

Maybe a little.

Seriously, she's great. She always has a loaner for me, she's in constant contact with me either through email or by phone while my car is in for service. Always gives me very nice discounts, answers any questions I have regarding my car, especially when my car is not in for service, and I call frequently with questions. If she doesn't know the answer she asks the shop foreman and always gets back to me right away. Have never been left hanging like some other SAs have done to me. Another example; one time one of the techs scratched one of my 313 wheels and she ordered a new wheel for me and had it shipped the same day. No discussion of repairing it, just a brand new wheel. Honestly, she's very special. One of a kind.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by KNS

Give them gifts for doing the job they're required to do..?

Read my post above.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by Esteban

You've got a good and honest dealer there. Give them a nice (expensive) bottle of wine or something to show your gratitude. I will be giving my service advisor a $100 gift certificate for Christmas this year to show my appreciation for how well she treats me.

What's her age? Asking for a friend.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by swagon

What's her age? Asking for a friend.

Haha... she's married, with children. Mid thirties I think, to answer your question.

[swagon]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Haha... she's married, with children. Mid thirties I think, to answer your question.

But on a serious note, having a great relationship with the dealer/SA is a win-win situation. Gotta help and be nice to each other in this cruel world.

*goes over to F87post to bash the M4 and then to F80post to bash the M2*

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Read my post above.

Okay - sounds like you've got someone who's on the ball, a great SA indeed.

But everything you described about your dealer experiences (other than how your SA treats you) are just a few of the reasons I don't go to a dealer.

I've purchased two BMWs in my life, one new and one CPO. I've never taken them to the dealer for anything even while under warranty (except in the rare instance that I actually had a warranty claim and I had (1) with the 325i). I've done 99% of the work myself and oddly enough they've been amazingly trouble free. My 2004 325i is freakishly reliable with 215,000 miles on it. The CPO 128i is still fairly low mileage (39,000) but no issues yet.

I simply had one too many bad experiences with dealer techs (just like you) and said enough was enough. No one is going to give the care and attention to your car like you will. When doing your own work it certainly doesn't hurt that the cars are not at all hard to work on. In many cases pretty easy.

I know there are some talented guys in the service bay but I genuinely believe that my cars have done so well because they've been kept out of the hands of the dealership and the way I drive them - apologies to Mighty Mouse.

I avoid dealers like the plague and hated the fact that I had to take a car in for a recall item.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by swagon

But on a serious note, having a great relationship with the dealer/SA is a win-win situation. Gotta help and be nice to each other in this cruel world.

Agreed. It goes along way as far as I'm concerned. BTW, those positive things I had to say about my SA are just the things I could think of off the top of my head. There's many more...

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by swagon

*goes over to F87post to bash the M4 and then to F80post to bash the M2*

I'm a little slow, so finally read this part of your post.

[champignon]

My current SA worked for the BMW dealer for several years, about 10 years ago, when I didn't own a BMW, and more recently worked in the local Subaru dealership, when I owned a succession of various Subarus, mostly XT Outbacks, the turbo version they used to make when the Outback wasn't the size and shape of a houseboat. I saw him there and recognized him when I encountered him recently at the BMW place, but had never actually dealt with him when I owned Subarus.

I dealt with another guy at the Subaru dealership, who now works for their Honda dealership. Although the BMW dealership is owned by the same people as the Toyota and Lexus dealerships, plus a couple of others, the Subaru and Honda dealerships are owned by a different company and located elsewhere.

Sort of complicated, this SA stuff. They move around.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by champignon

Sort of complicated, this SA stuff. They move around.

Mine says she worked for Honda many years ago, then Tischer BMW, and now my dealer. Hope she sticks around for a while. Makes my experience there almost a pleasure. lol

Wanted to add that those things I said the techs did are just the things I know about. Who knows what really goes on with our cars after we drop them off.

We've all heard the stories. AAUGH!!

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Different techs; one tech didn't use a fender cover and put scratches on my fender (my detailer was able to buff them out). He also didn't wear gloves and took my car for a test drive, then pulled my car up front and left a greasy mess on the steering wheel, inside door handle and door panel, and gear selector and center console. Another tech inspected my DCT for leaks and didn't put the protective under panel back on correctly and when I got home I noticed the panel was sagging badly so I had to go back and have it put on properly. So no, I don't think those particular techs deserve any special gratuities.

I know you're a tech and you probably don't think techs get enough recognition for the good work they do and you're probably right, but I don't expect my car to be left with scratches on the fender, a greasy mess on the inside, and I don't think I should have to return to have the under panel put on correctly because the tech decided not to double check his work that day.
.

Damn. That sucks. Sorry to hear.

[bm996tt]

I have never taken my car in for any type of work including state inspections that it didn't come back with a scratch or scraped up interior piece etc. I cringe every time I drop it off or wait for work to be done. I do 99% of my own work also and agree no one is going to take the care that an owner will. I took my 135is in for complete quartz coating and full front-mirrors and rocker film a few weeks ago and I'm sure somewhere there's a new scratch lol. Will put pics of their work up= soon.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by bm996tt

I have never taken my car in for any type of work including state inspections that it didn't come back with a scratch or scraped up interior piece etc. I cringe every time I drop it off or wait for work to be done. I do 99% of my own work also and agree no one is going to take the care that an owner will. I took my 135is in for complete quartz coating and full front-mirrors and rocker film a few weeks ago and I'm sure somewhere there's a new scratch lol. Will put pics of their work up= soon.

Could we be demonstrating a touch of OCD?

[bm996tt]

Lol no OCD. The last straw was when they broke both taillights on my 996tt, they denied but I had close up photos taken the day of delivery to shop= they threw a fit but paid because they were caught red handed. To each their own= I hate having someone do anything that I can do myself.