Cheltenham Audi - Argh!

[Audi Aidan]

I'm just blowing off a bit of steam - What has everyone else experienced customer service wise?

A couple of months ago I was at Cheltenham Audi (it's fairly new) looking for a used A6/7 and the sales staff were absolutely painful, it was the biggest ask I the world to take cares out for a drive, they were obsessed with only taking out exact cars I was interested in (I was just trying to test the difference between the 2/3ltr variants) and was a total battle getting into a car to test them.

Add to that god forbid I wasn't looking at buying new car, it was like I wasn't worth their time as I was looking for a used vehicle.

I've been a lexus man until now and their server was nothing but exemplary.

I chalked this down to them all being fairly new and left it there.

As it turned out I found the right car at Blackburn audi which were very helpful and treated me very well (I can't be a bit particular) and gave me all the help and information I was looking for.
i had a very good experience with them and was very pleased.

I went to Cheltenham audi once I had my car to get them to address he MMI issues, HUD creeping etc, once I got past the front of house people and spoke to a chap in the workshop, wow, he was very helpful.
He worked through the problem with me and was very flexible and couldn't do enough for me, great guy.
Maybe they had redeemed themselves?

I go in this morning having booked in them putting on my new plates which Blackburn had transferred on the car, eventually he wondered out with his little card machine....
I thought no, he can't seriously be about to try and charge me for plates....
Yes, yes he was. (I've never been charged for plates before with Lexus / Toyota, they have even made me plates for other cares for me FOC).
I challenged him with this, he came back and forth with various excuses but I wasn't budging, it's a luxury brand and this is an official audi dealership representing audi.

In the end he just scrunches up the paperwork in front of my wife and I and walks off in a strop saying "oh forget it then, I don't have time for this".

We couldn't believe it, we expected the car to come back out wit he old plates but at least he didn't go that far, one of the workshop guys came back out with the car, obviously didn't want to do it himself.

Very disappointing, appalling customer service so far with the only redeeming feature being the very nice and helpful workshop chap we have been working with.

Agree with me or not on plate charging you don't treat customers like that, they need to wonder over to Lexus and see how customer servers really works.

There we go, vent over!

[Bash D Bishop]

Can't see why you would expect a dealer who you didn't buy the car from to provide you with plates free of charge.

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[Whippy53]

It's not just them though, just been talking to a A8 owner, formerly a Merc driver but Newbury Merc wouldn't even talk to him! Ended up buying the 8 instead. Some of these people should be weeded out and shown the door. Shocking behaviour.

[Audi Aidan]

Fair enough, I've had it before so expected the same from Audi, it's Audi on the sign at the end of the day, not something I expect to pay for and not how to ensure repeat business / servicing etc.

Regardless it's not how you treat customers IMHO.

[Whippy53]

I'm told Swindon Audi are good. Not a gazzilion miles from you.

[johnsimcox]

My experience was very different. When I was trading the previous A6 for my new one, the sales guy offered to make up the plates for the old car as soon as I had the details from the DVLA of the registration going on to it (it had only ever had my personal plate on it) and because it took longer than we had hoped to get the plate transferred to the new car it had to be registered with a normal plate, but they still made up the personal plates for the new car so they were ready as soon as the paperwork arrived. But there again I have been using the ams dealer for servicing my Audis over the past 18 years and I bought both my current and previous cars from them.

Back to you experience with Cheltenham Audi, yes it says Audi over the door but it is not owned by Audi it is a franchise (MB do own most of their dealers now having ripped up their dealer agreements a few years ago to get around the EU block agreement rules). That does not excuse bad customer service and from what you say they are could certainly do better but they do not know you, except for some warranty work, so why should someone they have little connection with receive free plates from them when you bought the car from another dealer and may never go near them again? I very much doubt if I phoned up my local Lexus dealer and asked then for new plates for a Lexus and that I expected then for free even though I had never bought anything from them they would be any more obliging. Why did you not ask Blackburn Audi for a set of plates when you bought the car as they were handling the transfer for you?

Back to your point about test driving the cars, did you call in advance and arrange a test drive? Dealers are plagued by people who just want to drive a car with no intention of buying it and they also do not have the staffing levels to take a sales guy off the floor for an hour or more without notice

[johnsimcox]

I'm told Swindon Audi are good. Not a gazzilion miles from you.
Weren't they one of the dealers that now departed "wuffles" had problems with?

[Audi Aidan]

I understand it's a franchise, so is lexus though.


Ive been there a few times so it's clear it's my local.
I'm new to audi so prime time to set themselves up a new loyal customer, no like I wondered in off the street.


Test drive wise I booked an appointment in advance (which was a task in itself for the same reason of not wanting to demo the engines)


Plate wise they could of met me half way or something, now I'm more inclined to go to Wocester Audi (which were very helpful pre-sales), they are Listers group like my local Lexus.

[Splash]

I don't think you can expect that level of goodwill until you have spent a reasonable amount of money and time with a dealer and a rapport has been built. Even if you were having Audi warranty work done on a new car (not the case I know), the dealer will be benefitting from your choice to take the car to them so even though it may not be costing anything you are still perceived as a customer.

I've used one of the above dealers for all my servicing and warranty work over the past 19 years, and have watched the young trainee on the service desk become the manager. He's dropped the odd bollock in his early days, but by the same token has come up trumps when it comes to seeing the commercial future - something that the sales side would do well to consider (my last 2 Audis came from different dealers).

As a professional buyer I value a long-term rapport far more than a win-lose-shaft next time scenario.

Expecting free plates is a bit like me expecting a free pint off you on holiday because I come from 'Nam.

[Audi Aidan]

I agree you build up that sort of thing over time, but I had already had warranty work done and bought a £240 key there.

An £8 or less bet on what could be a valuable long term customer I don't think is to much of an ask, considering their huge margins.

I have to accept I'm not going to get Lexus service but I don't think my expectations are massively over the top.

[Nemo78]

It's an interesting thread this one....firstly the biggest thing is customer service, it's really not hard to get it right.

I had a poor experience with Local BMW dealers back in 2006 when I was looking to but the then new 3 series. Asked for a test drive, sales guy took one look at me and said, it'll be at least two weeks before we can do that...was really poor service. Anyway on way home thought what the heck lets pop into Audi showroom and look at the A4. Completely different level of service.


What it's meant in the last 8yrs is that I've bought 3 audis from them, referred 5 friends and had all my servicing / warranty work with them. Got a great relationship built (now I know this can easily change as people move on) but they are really an immense team.


Re number plates (my guys did do me a novelty set for free :)) but even that set I didn't expect for free. It's great that Lexus etc do for free but I've never come across anyone doing that (but have only done so with Nissan, VW and Toyota)


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[chesterfield]

I've had plates made up for free from Ford before. Bought the Mrs a S-Max and had to take the V5 for the trade in car back a couple of weeks later after the dvla had sorted out the swap.

When I popped in the dealer asked if I has plates ready to go on the car we had bought. When I said no, the chap phoned the parts department and asked them to make a set up there and then. Two minute walk to the parts area and they were on the counter ready to take away. Its peanuts to a garage but helps the customer out.

In had however bought a car.

[Audi Aidan]

Exactly Chesterfield, peanuts to cultivate a lucrative relationship.

Its not really about the charge, more how it was handled that was the issue, they wanted £25 FYI.

I even asked if they would meet me half way during the conversation to which he said no and later escalated to the stropping off.

Its done now, hopefully they can start to redeem themselves fixing the HUD (very creaky I hot weather) and programming my key.

Its only really been problems with front of house staff, as stated previously the workshop guy I had been dealing with was exemplary.

[ukgroucho]

The attitude displayed is very poor from a customer service perspective - but I agree with others that your expectation of free plates from a dealer that you did not buy the car from is somewhat unrealistic. Yes if you a long relationship with the dealership you might expect a little give and take - and especially if you bought the car from them - but neither of those is true.

[Audi Aidan]

That appears to be the consensus, I shall rein in my expectations next time but still believe it's no way to cultivate return business.
Just all been dealt with poorly, no mention of cost when ordering which would of avoided any confusion, I suppose you know what they say about assumptions!

[ukgroucho]

Putting all that aside, how are you finding the car?

[Audi Aidan]

It's a wonderful bit of kit, finally sorted the iPhone / google maps thing this weekend as well as the other vcds tweaks so she's almost perfect now!

The only slight down side is being aware of the existence of the BiTDI which would be nice but she's been great fun so far, she gets some great looks.

I think add to what I have the BiTDI, LED headlights & the B&O sound system and we would be looking at an almost perfect car!

Much more to explore for now though & I can always add a DTUK kit at some point if I want a bit more power.

[rickerby]

Can't see why you would expect a dealer who you didn't buy the car from to provide you with plates free of charge.

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Yes I thought that - Surprised they didn't call security!

[Audi Aidan]

Ive not seen many (any) car dealerships with a security presence and they could of simply put the old plates back on if they wanted too.

The issue in this post was more about the attitude and customer service.

Regardless of if you agree or disagree with my exception regarding the plates is irrelevant (most people seem to agree it was an optimistic expectation) but its about how it was handled.

We can put this to bed now, time to move on, life's too short!