paul

Am I uniquely unlucky in the poor quality of customer service at my nearest
Ford dealerships?
The smaller (and, when last used, competent!) Ford dealerships in my
immediate local area have closed or lost their Ford status, during the last
few years.
The 3 large dealerships in the 3 nearest large towns provide poor customer
service (on the basis of my experience over the last few years).
Two are owned by the same company. The last time I dealt with one of their
sites (about 3 months ago) was on a warranty matter (oil leak). They did the
job OK but left a tool in the engine compartment - wondered what the
rattling was! - and didn't even bother to wipe up the leaked oil (which I
did myself)! Doesn't inspire confidence (like the surgeon who leaves a swab
inside the patient and doesn't sew up the wound properly)!
Needing a 25,000 mile service for my Focus 1.6 TDi , I resolved to use the
other large Ford dealership and completed the on-line service booking form
on the Ford UK website, asking for a service appointment.
Nothing had been heard a week later - so I concluded they must be a 'shower'
as well, like the other big firm!
I decided finally to try out a surviving small family-owned Ford dealership
at a slightly greater distance - in the hope that, being a small firm, they
might at least have a decent customer service standard. (Some hopes, as it
turned out)!
Took car to this small firm by appointment at approx. 9am one day last week
and returned home by train (I live approx. 14 miles away and the firm knew
this). They said they'd ring me on my mobile when finished and mentioned
that they were closing at 5.30pm.
I was out and about with my wife in her car and, having heard nothing from
them by about 4.45pm assumed they must have forgotten to ring me - so and
asked her to drop me at the garage. On arrival the car was in the place
where I'd parked it 7+ hours previously, but I assumed the job must have
been done.
No such luck - the service, as they admitted, had not even commenced!
Receptionist reminded me that he was going to ring me when the service was
completed. (Pointed out that no way I could get there from home in under 1
hour - so I'd have been unable to collect that evening if he rang me when
the car was ready)!
Apologetically, they put two (very junior-looking) mechanics onto the job,
in an open-doored workshop.
I sat on a wall outside and watched them. The entire job took little more
than 1/2 hour. The bill for labour was £102 + VAT (+ another large amount
for over-priced oil, etc.) - a total bill of just under £170. Not bad for
about 1 man-hour of work?
Didn't see them open the boot, so they didn't check the spare wheel,
incidentally. They didn't do a test-drive on the road (isn't this supposed
to be done as a matter of course)?
Bill paid and keys handed over, I asked where the service record book was.
Was told it was in the car. Looked in the car and couldn't find it, so
returned to reception office. Frantic search .. service book finally
unearthed. Asked them to stamp it. Was given it and noticed that they had


lack of
professionalism. Yet another Ford dealership to be avoided!!!

Next time I'll be using my local highly-competent (they service my wife's
car and I've hired vans from them!) non-Ford garage, which tries very hard
to be helpul/efficient - despite the theoretical benefits of using a Ford
dealer for servicing.

Has anyone else suffered in this way? What's a fair price for a 25000
service on a Focus diesel?

Thanks.

--
Paul

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alan

In message <45e08885$0$16336$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>, Paul

Essex Ford by any chance?

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

paul

No. I'm in Yorkshire, but sounds as though you have similar problems down
there!?

Paul

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mike

This must be Polar of York.

They charge you a fortune, want the car for a full day to do the smallest of
jobs, are rude,
un-helpful, and basically think they are doing you a great favour.

On top of this they will take your car for a good high speed thrash down the
road,
everything in the boot will look as if the car has been on a rally, and it
will be returned with up to 26 extra miles on the clock.

You are also lucky if the car is not slightly damaged in any way, i.e. foot
scrapes over the sills, on the inner door panels etc.

Very Unimpressed.

bob minchin

What's a fair price for a 25000


two weeks ago. I was going to use a local independent but I needed some
warranty jobs doing.
I presume you know that your warranty is still valid even if a non
franchised garage does the work. They are supposed to use Ford parts.

Bob

gary

Similar problems over the years here in Northern Ireland with a Ford dealer
who have taken over almost all the small local dealers. This is despite them
winning the Ford Chairman's Award for Customer Service! I suspect they do
this by only surveying happy customers, as I've never had a follow up survey
any time I've had a problem. I certainly won't be buying another Ford, as
the after sales customer service simply isn't up to scratch.

Gary.

tony sutton

No problem for me with two different Ford garages in South Norfolk. (Bussey
and Abbeygate)

Left my car, they told me specific time to pick up (usually 1 to 2 hours or
so), came back and the car is ready for me.

If they made a mistake, they fix it immediately and doesn't charge me for
any additional labour time.

I'm happy with both of them.

--

- Tony Sutton
- http://www.fordst170.co.uk

paul giverin

In message <45e14e5f$0$8738$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net>, Tony
Sutton <Tony@hypertony.co.ukNOSPAM> writes


Busseys in Attleborough are very good but that's because they have
retained most of their staff after the buy out of Dingles.

--
Paul Giverin

British Jet Engine Website http://www.britjet.co.uk

paul.groves@gmail.com

It's just lax isn't it? You hear stories of diesels coming back from
service with no real power, popping the bonnet reveals vacuum hoses
left disconnected. A mate of mine took his Fiesta to be serviced to a
garage in south Manchester on his dinner break, first service, so no
real work needed to be done - it'd jusifiably be an hour of job.

He sat on the wall and watched them move a car off one of the the
ramps.. only to refill it with oil after they'd moved it :S

I mean, come on.

My first service for my 05 Focus went ok - as far as I could see. They
charged £140 at a garage in north Manchester. 4 quid of which was for
refilling the already full washer bottle. They muddied my driver side
footwell mat. Managed to get mud on the sill on the same side.. They
actually hosed the car down, kinda washing it, which was nice of them.

What I wanted to know was whether they did everything the service book
says. Did they check the pollen filter? Did they look at the
suspension geometry? Who knows.

All I do know is, that they've got you.

Buggers.

paul

Good guess Mike - Polar is the one which left a tool in my engine
compartment and didn't even wipe up the leaked oil from around the engine!
Not York however, but Barnsley. They also have the Wakefield franchise
(sadly)! I'm delighted to know that some people have a decent Ford dealer
within range - I did at one time but they've shut down!

Paul

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