Drove a 335i coupe.....

[Looksfast]

I have to agree with just about everyones experiences...and i agree that the pool in which the techs and maintanence guys are hired is the same...the difference is in how they train, and how much freedom they give their crew.

My experiences with Infiniti are about the same as what you all have experienced.

Mercedes is by far the best. Once i had my SL in for an oil change, they ran over the given 30mins they said it would take and i was in a rush for an appt., they gave me a loaner and when i got home that night my SL was sitting in the garage. A note inside the car said to slip my loaner keys nder the mat and it would be gone tomorrow..and it was. That is service!

Lexus also does an amazing job, no matter if you have an IS or LS they treat you like gold.

BMW sucks...absolutely no better than infiniti.

Cadillac has been getting the top rating for the last 3 years, although i have no experience with their service.


Its not the people, its how much freedom they give their employees to make us happy.

[Zoomzoomers]

No experience with Lexus, but I hear only good things. MB is by far the best when it comes to service. I sometimes just enjoy going to the dealership just to sit at their waiting area. Try Penske for those in the LA area. I like to just sit back on a plush sofa, yes sofa recliners, and watch whichever of the 4 50+ inch plasma screens. All the while one of their employees comes around asking if I need a fresh cup of joe/biscut/donut/crack pipe or whatever you prefer every 5 minutes. They definitely are out to make you happy as you leave. MB is really trying to get back to #1 in service ever since Lexus hit the block. Which is a great thing for us.

[GZire]

Originally Posted by Zoomzoomers

Sure the dealership makes $ via volume, but it doesn't matter when the profti per car to the dealership is $1000k compared to $5 to $10k for the higher lines. Unless you personally are buying a fleet of cars, they look at you as either a $1k or $5 to $10k walking around their dealerships. Who would you like to please more? Get it?

I understand what you are getting at. However, IMHO and personal experience and experience of my friends just because the dealers are higher end doesn't equate to quality service. Please refer to my story about my friend and the random guy he met while both were getting screwed by the local dealer.

I realize what you are saying, but I've heard too many stories down here about crap service. Again we are in a captive market and some of what applies to you guys does not apply to us. We cannot just go over to the next zip code and buy a car (well we can, but eventually we need to go to the one and only dealer in Hawaii for servicing of the car).

[GZire]

Originally Posted by Zoomzoomers

No experience with Lexus, but I hear only good things. MB is by far the best when it comes to service............

All of Hawaii's Toyota dealers come under Servco including Lexus. I must say that my friend's experience with Lexus has been top notch. Pretty much never hear any bad stories about any Toyota dealers down here.

Haven't heard of bad stories about any Honda dealers either although they are all independent.

Acura however sucks. Acura is owned by Pfleuger, he's been in the news lately due to some environmental issues with his house construction on Kauai and the Koloko dam (on his property) which burst and killed some people.

All of BMW in Hawaii is owned by the same group. Service is questionable at best.

Nissan is all independent dealerships. Heard some bad stuff about one in particular. One of the Nissan guys with two other partners own the Infiniti dealership. They are all right and aren't anti-mod. I've had my car in there and so have others and they haven't freaked out about the mods and started saying "voided warranty."

Mercedes was purchased outright by a mainland outfit a couple of years ago. It used to be owned by Theo Davies Euromotors which owned some of the other high end dealerships.

Lambo is owned by JN, he also has a Chevy & motorcycle dealership out by the airport. I've heard of some bad shenanigans going on there. The typical volume dealer I'll screw you over attitude.

[AustinG35]

Originally Posted by Looksfast

I have to agree with just about everyones experiences...and i agree that the pool in which the techs and maintanence guys are hired is the same...the difference is in how they train, and how much freedom they give their crew.

My experiences with Infiniti are about the same as what you all have experienced.

Mercedes is by far the best. Once i had my SL in for an oil change, they ran over the given 30mins they said it would take and i was in a rush for an appt., they gave me a loaner and when i got home that night my SL was sitting in the garage. A note inside the car said to slip my loaner keys nder the mat and it would be gone tomorrow..and it was. That is service!

Lexus also does an amazing job, no matter if you have an IS or LS they treat you like gold.

BMW sucks...absolutely no better than infiniti.

Cadillac has been getting the top rating for the last 3 years, although i have no experience with their service.


Its not the people, its how much freedom they give their employees to make us happy.

Apologies, I should have clarified in regards to which segment of the service folks I was talking about. I was referring not to the service advisor (the PR guys that "bridge" the gap between the customer and the mechanic and then back to the customer sorta like off Tom Smykowski while he's being interviewed by the "Bobs" on OFFICE SPACE about what his job actually entails...."I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that?") but rather the actual mechanic who works on your car. The service advisors here in Austin have been really accomodating, very friendly, and people ergonomic, it's the actual mechanics that performs the work that I was specifically referring to.
I hate to be the squeeky wheel when I walk in to have my vehicle serviced, so how does one go about without sounding like a total dick, that they need to be careful when they get in and out of my vehicle and to not scratch the crap out of it?
Of course it doesn't help that I'm very meticulous about my car in the first place, but maybe that's because it was my first $40k vehicle. Does this obsession dissapate over time as you make future high ticket vehicle purchases?

[Zoomzoomers]

Originally Posted by AustinG35

Does this obsession dissapate over time as you make future high ticket vehicle purchases?

It sure does Austin, but having OCD unfortunatley doesn't.

[Looksfast]

Originally Posted by AustinG35

Apologies, I should have clarified in regards to which segment of the service folks I was talking about. I was referring not to the service advisor (the PR guys that "bridge" the gap between the customer and the mechanic and then back to the customer sorta like off Tom Smykowski while he's being interviewed by the "Bobs" on OFFICE SPACE about what his job actually entails...."I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that?") but rather the actual mechanic who works on your car. The service advisors here in Austin have been really accomodating, very friendly, and people ergonomic, it's the actual mechanics that performs the work that I was specifically referring to.
I hate to be the squeeky wheel when I walk in to have my vehicle serviced, so how does one go about without sounding like a total dick, that they need to be careful when they get in and out of my vehicle and to not scratch the crap out of it?
Of course it doesn't help that I'm very meticulous about my car in the first place, but maybe that's because it was my first $40k vehicle. Does this obsession dissapate over time as you make future high ticket vehicle purchases?

I dont think you will come off as a dick..more like a car freak to the service people.