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08-26-2017, 05:01 PM | #1 |
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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. |
08-26-2017, 06:12 PM | #3 |
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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.
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08-26-2017, 10:09 PM | #4 | |
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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. |
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08-26-2017, 10:51 PM | #5 | |
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Last edited by Esteban; 08-26-2017 at 11:37 PM.. |
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08-27-2017, 10:09 AM | #6 |
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Or give it to the tech that actually diagnosed it and did the work.
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08-27-2017, 10:55 AM | #7 |
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I think you're just sweet on her
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08-27-2017, 11:59 AM | #8 |
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Give them gifts for doing the job they're required to do..?
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08-27-2017, 12:08 PM | #9 | |
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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. 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. |
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08-27-2017, 01:08 PM | #11 |
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What's her age? Asking for a friend.
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08-27-2017, 01:22 PM | #12 |
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08-27-2017, 01:43 PM | #13 | |
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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*
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08-27-2017, 01:50 PM | #14 |
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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. |
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08-27-2017, 01:51 PM | #15 |
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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...
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08-27-2017, 04:23 PM | #16 |
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08-28-2017, 01:17 AM | #17 |
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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. |
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08-28-2017, 04:36 AM | #18 |
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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!! |
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08-28-2017, 07:12 AM | #19 | |
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08-28-2017, 03:33 PM | #20 |
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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.
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08-28-2017, 05:51 PM | #21 | |
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08-28-2017, 07:20 PM | #22 |
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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.
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