I was just thinking how often people have complaints about service departments, and it occurred to me that maybe nobody ever tells service departments what customers actually want.

So I thought it might be an idea, as a free service to any dealerships who read this, for us to present our opinions on what we, the "valued customer" actually do and don't expect.

I'll start off with a few of my own based on past experience (not just LR dealers), but please add your own. This is your chance to give the dealers the real feedback that you wanted to put on those survey forms, rather than just questions like "On a scale of 1-5, how likely would you be to recommend the coffee at your local dealership to your postman"

When I come to drop-off or collect my car, please don't keep my waiting 5 minutes while you finish your conversation with the parts manager about the football last night.

When I bring my car in for a service do kindly remember to stamp the book that I leave on the front passenger seat. The only reason I'm paying three times the price to bring the car to you is so I can have your lovely official stamp in my book. Come on, I'm sure you do hundreds of services every year, it isn't difficult.

If I book my car in for a known fault/tech bulletin/recall that invariably requires a specific part, please order the part in in advance rather than keep my car for the whole day and then tell me I've got to come back to have the part fitted.

Once you've finished with it, it would be nice to have a phone call from you to let me know when I can collect my car, and if there's anything outstanding that it might need to come back for.

I own a car out of necessity, and require it to get from A to B. Dropping of or collecting my car from you presents quite a logistical challenge. Please do not assume I have spent tens of thousands of pounds on a vehicle just for the sheer joy of it. Specifically, when I turn up at 16:55 to collect my car, please don't casually tell me out of the blue that it won't be ready till tomorrow, especially after I've just had to travel 20 miles to get to you.

When you change the oil in my gearbox, please remember to replace the stopper to prevent my gearbox running dry and the case cracking apart at a later date.

Try to actually be aware of the tech bulletins LR sends to you, rather than me have to print things off the Internet to show you.

When I bring my 4-week old car in to have the sunroof fixed and somehow the car completely dies in your hands (and subsequently takes 6 weeks to bring back to life), please don't be surprised when I ask for a courtesy car, and when I get a bit upset when you offer me a Ford Fiesta.

When fixing things onto my car, please use official fixing templates or even a ruler and spirit level where necessary. And remember - symmetry is a good thing.

I'm sure you have your own radio in your workshop, but if you really have to use my car one please return it back to my selected radio station and turn the volume back down from maximum when you're done with it.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.8::MG Montego Turbo::MGB GT::Rover Sterling::MGF::MG ZT 190+
Discovery Series II Td5 GS::Discovery 3 TDV6 S::Freelander 2 TD4 XS::Freelander 2 TD4 SE
Range Rover Sport TDV6 3.0

NightFox wrote:

I'm sure you have your own radio in your workshop, but if you really have to use my car one please return it back to my selected radio station and turn the volume back down from maximum when you're done with it.[/list]
So, any more we should add?

This last is the funniest.
Every mechanics I know did that but two : a Jaguar dealer and a Saab dealer.
The later also placed a Magnum of Moet Hennessy in the boot each time I bought a car from him.
Why don't you add this one to the list…  2010 TDV6 3.0 HSE Santorini Black Tan Full Leather

quantz wrote:

The later also placed a Magnum of Moet Hennessy in the boot each time I bought a car from him.
Why don't you add this one to the list…

Well I could add if you're going to put a beautiful bunch of flowers in the boot of the Mini I've just bought for my wife, please mention it so I don't find them 2 weeks later when we get back from our holidays.  Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.8::MG Montego Turbo::MGB GT::Rover Sterling::MGF::MG ZT 190+
Discovery Series II Td5 GS::Discovery 3 TDV6 S::Freelander 2 TD4 XS::Freelander 2 TD4 SE
Range Rover Sport TDV6 3.0

Was recently charged on a service of my wifes Freelander for filling the washer bottle. Thing is I filled it the night before it went in for service as it was empty Most they could have got in was a couple of sqirts worth. So my point, please don't charge me for something I don't need. Said RRS is now on order.

Please don't use my car for errands like going to the local church or Mosque, and please don't leave a prayer mat in the back of it....

NickM wrote:

Please don't use my car for errands like going to the local church or Mosque, and please don't leave a prayer mat in the back of it....

That sounds like something your wife would do if she didn't trust you!!

NickM wrote:

That sounds like something your wife would do if she didn't trust you!!

Except my wife wouldn't claim the unnecessary fuel burned by the stealer.  2010 TDV6 3.0 HSE Santorini Black Tan Full Leather

Spanish LR dealer:

And please don't wash my car as part of the service in a cheap ass car wash, leaving the car full with scratches.

And please, try to complete at least one item of the paper to do list i handed you when i turned my car in for a service.

And please, don't charge me for 500 euros for a service if you told me 350 euros the week before.

And please, try learn to type with more than one finger, since i don't have all freakin day to sit in your office, waiting till you filled out (again) all my details.

And please, don't hand me back my car after the completing test drive with my brand new 20' curbed.

And please, don't tell me that that screw is supposed to be loose.

And please, when i make a remark about all the above points, don't look at me like i am a difficult customer. SW

Sometimes it is not enough to do our best;
sometimes we must do what is required.

2005 RRS HSE 2.7 TDV6
Now: 2016 RRS HSE DYNAMIC 3.0 TDV6

SkyWalker wrote:

And please, when i make a remark about all the above points, don't look at me like i am a difficult customer.

(Following a recent visit to an independent Landrover specialist)..

Please don't leave the steering wheel covered with oily finger prints.

SpikeUK wrote:

(Following a recent visit to an independent Landrover specialist)..

Please don't leave the steering wheel covered with oily finger prints.

Pizza ? Burger ? Smell ?  2010 TDV6 3.0 HSE Santorini Black Tan Full Leather

I could go on for hours - but for a start.....

When I send my car in for a warranty repair please don't replace the affected part with a defective one and then swear that LR have changed the specification and that's the way they make them now - it IS obvious the new part is broken!

When I suggest that the switches in my car are different from the ones illustrated in the manual, don't waste a week replacing every ancillary part of the suspension without first ruling out that the wrong switch may have been fitted in the first place - I am not stupid! .... and you might save a lot of time by not assuming I am!

When I ring you to say the car has just locked my four month old daughter in it and it won't let me back in again, at least feign some concern and don't put me on hold for ten minutes waiting for the service manager. Another top tip is perhaps an apology would be nice when you then tell me this is a well known 'software fault' and the car has been recalled for a software update

Please do not overfill my vehicles engine with oil, (you know it's wrong), and then hope that I won't notice. ......If you must employ a plank to wash my car, (and I really wish you wouldn't bother TBH), please ensure that they do not drag the filthy gritty hose pipe across every panel of my vehicle, leaving it scratched to . .....If I come into your dealership with a problem with my in car entertainment,for instance, please don't firstly try to fob me off /direct me to an independent repairer, and then totally change your tune when you find out it is under warranty, and that you can in fact do something to help.  RRS TDV8 Buck Blue (no, not now in my dreams). ..........D3 TDclankety clankV6 ............BMW 318i

priceless post NightFox  
L 405 2013 FFRR 5.0 SC
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WINNER - 2009 �Best Avatar� Award
WINNER - 2009 Comedian Of The Year Award