[Broken1]

I don't know. His last email just struck a chord with me.

In your shoes, I would print the emails. ALL OF THEM, his and your replies...walk into the dealers manager's office...and show him the emails. Face to face. Ask him to not confront the sales person (as you were threatened, and feel it a threat to your safety - as the sales person knows all your details AND you don't want to cause direct harm) but to beware of this salesperson and carefully monitor his actions and outgoing emails in the future. Go with the "I want to protect YOUR delearship reputation" kind of attitude.


Personally, my sales lady is going to have me say 6+ to every survey question. I am also planning on giving her a really posh box of chocolates when I collect my car. She has bent over backwards for me, way beyond the call of duty. I will make a full post about my whole experience when I take delivery of my car...

[HRC]

Originally Posted by drfluid

You missed just one place in the Bay Area

Weatherford BMW. First name not Bruce?

Danny

[UncleWede]

Keep copies of the emails, printed and electronic if possible. Then in the (hopefully) unlikely event that your car mysteriously gets 4s or 5s scratched into the side of it . . . I feel sorry for you, nobody wants to be in that kind of a situation with that sort of tension.
Warranties are good at any BMW location, I would guess. The hassle of driving a few extra miles may be worth your peace of mind.

[deutschmann59]

drfluid, YIKES! This guy is a major jerk. Everyone here makes a good point...you didn't understand the system (5 is the only pass and the rest is fail). Maybe if that was explained to us, or BMW just used a scale of "pass/fail" it would make things a whole lot more simple.

But for crying out loud...you bought a brand new BMW. This guy's job is to sell you one, and that's it. A bonus is exactly what it means...a "BONUS" you know, like something in addition to. In order to get a bonus, one must first deserve it, which this guy clearly does not. You know, there's a way of doing things and a way not to do them (why do so many people do things the wrong way?) He should have asked what he could do to improve. I think someone mentioned, "what happened to the customer is always right?" and that's a good question.

Think about it this way, how do restaurants and hotels earn 5-star ratings? They really need to go above and beyond the average. Someone said they felt funny giving the dealer all 5s, and I would, too. I had an EXCELLENT experience with my dealer, and I felt funny giving them as many 5s as I did, because whenever I'm asked to rate something, I have it in my head that there is always room for improvement in some aspect, which the survey is trying to focus on in the first place. So how is giving all 5s fair and honest? Unless they give you the car for free plus a free balloon and an ice cream, I think there should always be room for improvement.

Finally, I'd just like to mention that I got the phone call about the survey at 8:30 in the morning. I was still half asleep at that time and was totally unprepared for the survey. I never even gave it any thought...I was still just too excited about the car itself. I still like the idea of sending a written survey back to BMW, but I guess realistically, how many people would actually take the time to fill it out and send it to them. I guess the phone call is the most practical way, but BMW should really explain how the system works, and they should inform you that your answers will be forwarded back to the dealer.

Sorry I've been kind of long-winded, but you're clearly not the only one annoyed by this guy (and the survey). Have you seen the number of responses and views to this message? This whole thing has me pretty angry and I have nothing to do with it. good luck, though, anyway.

[noflash]

Originally Posted by Broken1

I don't know. His last email just struck a chord with me.

In your shoes, I would print the emails. ALL OF THEM, his and your replies...walk into the dealers manager's office...and show him the emails. Face to face. Ask him to not confront the sales person (as you were threatened, and feel it a threat to your safety - as the sales person knows all your details AND you don't want to cause direct harm) but to beware of this salesperson and carefully monitor his actions and outgoing emails in the future. Go with the "I want to protect YOUR delearship reputation" kind of attitude.


Personally, my sales lady is going to have me say 6+ to every survey question. I am also planning on giving her a really posh box of chocolates when I collect my car. She has bent over backwards for me, way beyond the call of duty. I will make a full post about my whole experience when I take delivery of my car...

I agree. I understand that he was upset, but this is too far. The smart thing to do is to leave it alone -- no more contact. But, I would take this to the GM and BMWNA.

AND quit apologizing!!

[silverado]

Should I be happy that I didn't receive the call? It's been a month since I got my car!

[deutschmann59]

Originally Posted by silverado

Should I be happy that I didn't receive the call? It's been a month since I got my car!

If they do call, I think your best bet would be to say "no comment". You'll stay out of trouble that way

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by noflash

I agree. I understand that he was upset, but this is too far. The smart thing to do is to leave it alone -- no more contact. But, I would take this to the GM and BMWNA.

AND quit apologizing!!

Under no circumstances should he back off just because he is threatened by this salesperson. In fact, BECAUSE he has been threatened, he NEEDS to do something. Doing nothing just encourages this guy to do it again. BMW and this dealership should get rid of this salesperson immediately. If the salesperson tries to retailiate physically or by vandalizing drfluid's car or home, criminal charges should be brought up on this guy.

Drfluid is a BMW customer, and should feel comfortable going into any BMW dealership. I agree that perhaps the salesperson feels that drfluid may have been a little dishonest if he agreed to give all 5's and didn't, but that is not a reason to threaten someone, or to treat them with disrespect.

This sales guy does not know where I live, and if he is still at the dealership when I am up there next time, I will see how he likes all 6'3" of me giving him a very very hard time.

[coco]

Go CC330i!!!

Took me a while to read all the posts in this thread but this guy's second e-mail to drfluid was dispicable!! Afterall he still got a commission from the sale didn't he?!

[vivid]

OK I just got off the phone with BMW NA it find out about the grading scale here is how it is.

1 & 2 bad
3 is average,
4 good
5 outstanding

But BMW strives for outstanding so good is not really good. Bonuses are connected to your survey feedback... The guy I spoke to said that sales reps should not discuss the survey with you, never mind ask for all 5s. I did not want to go into drfluid situation too much so I did not ask anything else more.

If I owned a dealership I would want to know who is good and who is outstanding. So we should grade on the scale we believe and not just to get appease a sales rep.

[Dani]

I thought vivid's post with the information on the survey was very good. I work in an entirely different industry than sales but it involved a lot of customer relations and competition for business and I can tell you that trying to make things go away by ignoring them and moving on just causes more problems down the road - maybe it will be for you or maybe it will be for another customer.

I understand not wanting to cause a problem and maybe chosing another dealership for service because there seem to be plenty of choices in your area but trust me the problem with this salesman is not going to go away even if you are not the one to see it in the future. You probably had this problem in the first place because the last person in your shoes didn't want to get him in trouble or cause a fuss. If it were me he would absolutely be reported and I would be quite vocal about the whole thing - but thats just my personalitly. It doesn't bother me if you don't because I'm sure someone else will be pretty soon; you could just save someone else from your bad experience.


I thought it was interesting in the dealer's email that he basically told you he has been reading this forum. There was nothing to indicate outside influence in the second email. It simply sounded like the first email was a gut reaction and you took some time to sit back and think about the situation before the second one. So everyone else who posts keep in mind that the odds of that dealer reading each of these posts in pretty high....

[bmw330ipty]

Originally Posted by CC 330i

Under no circumstances should he back off just because he is threatened by this salesperson. In fact, BECAUSE he has been threatened, he NEEDS to do something. Doing nothing just encourages this guy to do it again. BMW and this dealership should get rid of this salesperson immediately. If the salesperson tries to retailiate physically or by vandalizing drfluid's car or home, criminal charges should be brought up on this guy.

Drfluid is a BMW customer, and should feel comfortable going into any BMW dealership. I agree that perhaps the salesperson feels that drfluid may have been a little dishonest if he agreed to give all 5's and didn't, but that is not a reason to threaten someone, or to treat them with disrespect.

I totally agree with this. Because he has threatened you, you should take action. Dont start WWIII but do something cuz this guy knows where you live and it would be unfortunate if things got so out of hand that he has intentions of physical harm etc...

besides- if things got that out of hand you, BMWNA and the dealership would bend down to apologize to you and compensate you. Maybe a E90 M3 at 50% off??

[Cloud9]

OK, the sales guy is totally psycho so I'd be careful on how I would proceed. My initial reation is obviously to report the son of biotch! But my main concern is that he has ALL your personal information. People like him make the news each night, if you know what I mean. There are so many wackos out there.

Best of luck to you and let us know how things turn out.

[swami]

As unfortunate as this may seem, this is the current norm for dealership evaluations. When I bought my Acura, my sales rep told me about the survey, and ask me for 5's. I was happy with everything pertaining to my purchase, so that's what I gave him. The sad part is, it affects the entire dealership, not just the salesperson. Dealership incentives and rebates can be reduced, or taken away completely. This could result in the cold shoulder from the service department also, if they know who you are. You would think the manufacturers would appreciate some constructive criticism, for the greater good, like improving the dealer network. The facts are, if a dealership gets too many non 5 surveys, he won't be selling that brand very long. By the way, the salesman was an a-hole for sending you that email.

[drfluid]

Originally Posted by Cloud9

OK, the sales guy is totally psycho so I'd be careful on how I would proceed. My initial reation is obviously to report the son of biotch! But my main concern is that he has ALL your personal information. People like him make the news each night, if you know what I mean. There are so many wackos out there.

Best of luck to you and let us know how things turn out.

yes.. I do know what you mean, that's why I still hesitate to proceed any further..

[vivid]

But we should not be bullied into give false surveys results. And I think that BMW should understand their clients, as BMW buys we expect more from our sales people so a 4 or even a 3 from us would be a 5 in a non luxury brand...

the scale should stand when you think that you have a higher demanding client.

[DrMooCow]

Something very similiar to this happened to me 3 years ago when I purchased a Maxima from a Nissan Dealer. It was also a scale from 1-5. Two days after picking up my car, the car broke down on the highway and had to be towed back to the dealer. I told my sales person what had happened and he did jack. So when the survey came from Nissan USA, I gave him mostly 3's and a few 5's.

A week after, I get this very nasty call on my voice mail on the cell from the guy that sold the car. "BECAUSE OF YOU, I GOT FIRED. YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME ALL 5'S AND I AM GOING TO HOLD YOU REPONSIBLE"

Before the message was over, I was already on my way to the dealer. I told them that I will not tolerate this type of behavior and this is out of line. I threatened with a law suit and demanded an apology.

After all of that, when it was time to go for the first free oil change, everyone in the service area ignored me. I have no clue how they would know what had happened but I just stood there for 20 minutes without any help.

Got so pissed and traded that car in after two years and will never buy any Nissan/Infiniti cars ever again.

So yeah, those "surveys" do get passed around. It seems like the initial survey of purchasing the car is a lot more important then all the others.

[LEDZEP]

Ok, you can only do what feels comfortable to you, but here is my $.02:

This guy is a car salesman. That means he is about 1/2 step above a personal injury lawyer. Don't tolerate any bullshit from this guy. We all understand that you feel bad, but get over that. This dude has a screw loose. Tell the GM about the threats and show him the email. Tell him you are not only reluctant to buy there again, but to even have your car serviced there would make you uncomfortable. Remember - act victimized, not aggressive (that comes later). If that approach doesn't work or give you satisfaction then pay a sleazy lawer $100 to send the dealership a threatening letter of lawsuit for harassment and threats. Remember, he works at the dealership and represents them, so anything he says to you is coming from the dealership. Once they see that letter from your lawyer, this guy's next sales pitch will be "would you like fries with that".

You seem pretty timid and sensitive. He has picked up on that and thinks he can abuse you. He probably belittles his kids when they make mistakes too. So, you have two choices:

1. Let it go
2. Show this dickhead you will not be intimidated

Oh, and post his email address. I'm sure we'd all love to send him a few love notes!

[Petercat]

Originally Posted by E90Mono

OK, this is absolutely rediculous...You can not take the blame for not knowing the ratings in their survey. All they tell you when they call is to rate the response from 1-5 with 5 being the very best. It is not your responsibility to know their system. It is their responsibility to explain it to you. If you didn't know 5 was the only acceptable rating, then that is their fault. My dealership never mentioned the survey at all. I gave all 5's because I was blown away by the treatment I received and how easy the entire process was. Another CA even played with my son for an hour while my CA went through the delivery process.

Your sales guy is now bordering on causing his dealer liability. This is not about you, it is about the bad CA and the dealer. What about the next client to get this treatment? You have an opportunity to stop this before it gets worse or something really bad happens. Please don't stand by and let this guy bully others. Report it to the dealer and BMWNA and be done with it.

I am all for being compassionate for my fellow man. We are all just trying to take care of our families and do the best we can, so I understand you don't intend any malice toward this person, but on the otherhand, he has crossed the line. I even think the dealer would
be disappointed he wasn't reported. Based on the CA's response, I would not be surprised if there have been other incidents. Your report may be all the dealer needs to finally resolve an ongoing situation.

In the end you have to do what you can live with. This obviously bothers you a lot. Again, this is a reflection of the CA, not you. IMO the only responses are walk away and forget it, or report to Dealer and/or BMW. Tough position to be in, so good luck.

E90Mono hit the nail on the head.

I would not back down from this. He is whining about how you altered his life. Well, you went in to make a simple purchase and now you are feeling threatened and uncertain. THAT'S MESSED UP! You are totally innocent, aside from not following through on the 5's you said you'd give when he confronted you at the time of purchase. You should be able to feel comfortable simply responding to a survey honestly.

From his last e-mail, I would feel incredibly threatened. Not only would I report him to his Manager and BMWNA, this is bordering on notifying the police. He outright threatened you in writing. I would seriously consider a restraining order if you go any further.

I'm sure BMW would be incredibly embarrassed by this experience and the fact that we are all talking about it. They will make it up to you, I have faith in that.

[swami]

That's what I was trying to say. The system is flawed to the point that anything less than perfect, will only result in grief from the dealership. I'm in sales and I know what the game is. The saddest part of all is, what their trying to accomplish is nothing. Answer the survey honestly and suffer the consequences, or give them what they want, perfection, whether it's deserved or not. This is the manufacturers way of sorting out the riff raff, so to speak. The problem is, this solves nothing as far as improving the dealer network.

[Delcis]

The first email from your rep was pretty bad, but the second one goes beyond the pale. I'd be wanting his head on a stick right about now. Maybe he wants to get out of the car-selling business - you could help him along.

In all seriousness, those are career-ending remarks. You just don't say that stuff to customers, no matter what they've done. I don't think it would be an over-reaction to contact the police, too - sounds like a threat to me.

[fusionnv]

Originally Posted by DrMooCow

Something very similiar to this happened to me 3 years ago when I purchased a Maxima from a Nissan Dealer. It was also a scale from 1-5. Two days after picking up my car, the car broke down on the highway and had to be towed back to the dealer. I told my sales person what had happened and he did jack. So when the survey came from Nissan USA, I gave him mostly 3's and a few 5's.

A week after, I get this very nasty call on my voice mail on the cell from the guy that sold the car. "BECAUSE OF YOU, I GOT FIRED. YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME ALL 5'S AND I AM GOING TO HOLD YOU REPONSIBLE"

Before the message was over, I was already on my way to the dealer. I told them that I will not tolerate this type of behavior and this is out of line. I threatened with a law suit and demanded an apology.

After all of that, when it was time to go for the first free oil change, everyone in the service area ignored me. I have no clue how they would know what had happened but I just stood there for 20 minutes without any help.

Got so pissed and traded that car in after two years and will never buy any Nissan/Infiniti cars ever again.

So yeah, those "surveys" do get passed around. It seems like the initial survey of purchasing the car is a lot more important then all the others.

OMG i would give 0 if it was possible because of that crap. Did you complain to Nissin headquarters or something. That is pure crap!!