swamplynx

How are people finding dealers with good service departments? I’m talking about ones that don’t look at you like you have a mental illiness and are driving a $15k Fiesta, when you show up complaining about rattles in your brand new $55k truck...

The sales department of my selling dealer was great, but the service department is a joke. I’ve visited them and two other DC/NoVA dealers attempting to get moonroof, trim, and door rattles resolved to little success. None are super convenient to me, so each trip is an effort.

Is it unreasonable to think that I should be able to drop the truck off with some concerns and they proactively chase them down instead of telling me the tech can’t find anything, have me take drives with him, rinse and repeat over and over?

Brettb19

I've been dealing with gene messer ford in Lubbock for 13+ years here in Lubbock, tx .... I've had several of their employees visit and conduct business at my place of employment.

After 4 trucks I've been treated very well, my minor bitches have been taken care of, the driver drop off/pickup service is beyond accomidating, I've had the last two main service managers cell phone numbers, and for the most part they seem to go above and beyond most stories I've read in this forum.

thrasherjosh

iTrader: (1)

That’s good to hear, I’m about 2.5 hours away from Lubbock, I might give them a try. I’ve been to Ine Ford Dealership close to where I live in eastern New Mexico and they’re not good at all. Long story short, I scheduled an oil change about 2 weeks ago, said to bring in when they opened up at 7am, so I did just that. I waited over 3 hours for a simple oil change and won’t bother going back. Got the truck bake after the service and the inside was dirtier then when I brought it in.. it’s sad when you can trust the service department at some dealerships.

McObra

I take my '15 S/crew to Sanderson Lincoln, which is owned by the same outfit that has a large Ford store here in Phoenix. While I don't get the same perks a Lincoln owner would get (loaner cars, etc) their service department is more geared toward customer service than most of the regular Ford stores I've dealt with. The truck gets washed and vacuumed after each service also. I have no complaints.

chiefdave

Maples Ford in Warsaw, MO is unique in that it is the only new car dealership in the county. You have to travel 30 miles in any direction to get to another small dealer and about a hundred miles to get to a high volume, low price mega dealer with a service department staffed by the rude and inept . Sales staff is one salesman and the owner. They depend on fair pricing and good service to keep their customer base.


The service department is well staffed with people who know how to do their job. I probably paid about $1K more for each of the 2 trucks I purchased from them than I would have at a larger dealer but having after sale service 10 minutes away is well worth it. I often run into the staff out in town and they know me by name and always ask if my truck is performing OK. Have never hear anyone complain about them.


That being said if you want to save a few bucks go with the big dealers who will forget you as soon as you drive off the lot. If you want good service after the sale don't overlook the small town dealers.

jp2012

For me it's just luck of the draw. My local dealer has an excellent service department. They're also the only Ford dealer in town, although they have big local competition from every other make of vehicle. I don't know what I'd do if their service department sucked. I might be looking at a different brand of truck.

I don't think it's unreasonable at all. Unfortunately, that's the way service businesses operated back when customer service and satisfaction were king... but now we're in a throw-away world, and good service is not easy to find. Stir in a little laziness and greed, and you have the recipe for an awful service business. Unfortunately, many awful service businesses still succeed, at least financially. Sad, but true.

tmcolegr

This is just my opinion but works very well at our dealership...

The Service Dept, Parts Dept, Sales Dept, etc. is in most cases a direct reflection of the GM, COO and ultimately Ownership. If any one of these depts. or most importantly all of these depts. are not a high priority to the GM, COO or Ownership, it won't be a high priority to the Dept. Managers, Service Writers, Techs and ultimately affects the quality of Team Members hired and/or retained. Unfortunately those dealerships that only place a high priority on one of these depts, (like Sales) creates silo behavior between the depts. and they don't work together to exceed (not meet) the customer's expectations.

Additionally how individuals at a dealership treat customers is in most cases a direct reflection of how their direct supervisor or manager treats them. Do all Team Members feel valued and appreciated? Do they understand how their individual role and performance affects the entire dealership? This is true at all levels and positions within the dealership.

The following statement will be very controversial - When companies stop putting customers first and start putting their employees first, the employees will start talking care of their customers at every level and with each interaction. This is how you create customer satisfaction, loyalty and a world class organization.

tmcolegr

My apologies to the OP I am not trying to highjack his thread but merely trying to offer insight into the dealership organization.

I think we can all relate to a dealership which is dysfunctional - no communication or cooperation between departments. Often times individuals at these dealers blame other Team Members, Depts. or the Manufacturer when problems arise. Did you enjoy your interaction with that dealership? How likely are you to recommend that dealership to others?

If you're still reading, take just a couple minutes to watch this video:


...and if you're wondering, I am an Asst GM for a very large dealership.

jp2012

Very true, IMO. I do think upper management needs to make very sure that employees understand that customers come first... but I agree that it's not likely to happen unless the employees get the same respect and the same treatment from management. A good manager will also find ways to reward employees who go beyond the usual or minimum. Often just an appreciative word or a pat on the back is all that's necessary, but bad managers or owners don't seem to get this.

PARIAH

This!