Thanks Ford dealership.....for nothing

[BENT_8]

So everything you've posted is heresay and with a little investigation you've discovered that they couldnt have sold it to your wife in the first place.

You claim they werent busy, there were lads doing nothing that could have done the job and that they refused to sell the fuse, and none of it you can confirm as you werent there.

So in actual fact, they couldnt do the job on the spot as they dont carry the part, they would need to book the car in at another time so they could order the part and have a job card to align the order with.
The only thing they did wrong was refrain from sending you to a competitor for the part and i would base that on not wanting to honour a warranty claim if the aftermarket fuse fried the unit without proper diagnosis of the problem.

[OzriderXR8]

I've had a similar experience when I had my Jeep, I stopped at large regional dealer on a trip.

Wanted a simple part, can't even remember what it was. 'Lady' behind the counter did the same thing, "you will have to book it in to get someone to look at it...". Nothing I said would change her mind, I went to my local dealer and asked for the same thing and was handed the part with no questions asked.

[Maka]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

So everything you've posted is heresay and with a little investigation you've discovered that they couldnt have sold it to your wife in the first place.

You claim they werent busy, there were lads doing nothing that could have done the job and that they refused to sell the fuse, and none of it you can confirm as you werent there.

So, why didn't the dealership just say we don't stock them anymore in the first instance & can you go somewhere else for the fuse? Could've save everyone alot of time & bs then.

Hope the little car is fine now Poppa!

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

So everything you've posted is heresay and with a little investigation you've discovered that they couldn't have sold it to your wife in the first place.


I think they have a couple of fuses laying around


You claim they weren't busy, there were lads doing nothing that could have done the job and that they refused to sell the fuse, and none of it you can confirm as you werent there.


no but my wife was she doesn't lie.....


So in actual fact, they couldnt do the job on the spot as they dont carry the part, they would need to book the car in at another time so they could order the part and have a job card to align the order with.
The only thing they did wrong was refrain from sending you to a competitor for the part and i would base that on not wanting to honour a warranty claim if the aftermarket fuse fried the unit without proper diagnosis of the problem.

so you're saying that they don't carry any fuses B/S.....Repco is right behind the sales yard, a 20 yard walk.

hardly hearsay when it was my wife that was involved......they could have easily did the job but they simply wanted more money to do so

if the unit "fried" then it would be an internal fault and of course under warranty, replacing a fuse won't void warranty.....thats what the fuse does

simply the dealership wanting to drum up work.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Maka

So, why didn't the dealership just say we don't stock them anymore in the first instance & can you go somewhere else for the fuse? Could've save everyone alot of time & bs then.

Hope the little car is fine now Poppa!

thanks mate, I agree, not necessary, the little car is back to being quite happy now.....dont know why the fuse blew in the first place but apparently they can do it occasionally for no reason.

it's a great little car and I like it a lot.....Ford boys and girls built a good one.....the trans seems to have settled in a bit better after the last update and behaving itself now, just the odd occasional hiccup

just that bloody door seal to repair to, hopefully, get it back in the good books with the wife

Ford are not the problem in most cases it appears to be the dealerships

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Maka

So, why didn't the dealership just say we don't stock them anymore in the first instance & can you go somewhere else for the fuse? Could've save everyone alot of time & bs then.

Hope the little car is fine now Poppa!

Because if the reason the first fuse blew wasnt diagnosed and the unit became damaged it would be Ford who were left with the bill for something they could have diagnosed inhouse and prevented.
If it fries it next week and they dont honour the warranty what do you think will happen, another thread perhaps.

This isnt 1983 anymore, cars are technical and a fuse is the first defence against further damage if there is an underlying issue.

And apart from that, not to question Poppa's Wife's integrity as im sure she is a lovely person, but we are only getting 3rd hand info, who knows what the service advisor actually said or how it was recieved.

Poppa said they refused to sell it based on what he was told, when he spoke to the horse he was told differently...

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

so you're saying that they don't carry any fuses B/S......

No, you said that in a previous post after talking with Northpoint direct.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Because if the reason the first fuse blew wasnt diagnosed and the unit became damaged it would be Ford who were left with the bill for something they could have diagnosed inhouse and prevented.
If it fries it next week and they dont honour the warranty what do you think will happen, another thread perhaps.

This isnt 1983 anymore, cars are technical and a fuse is the first defence against further damage if there is an underlying issue.

And apart from that, not to question Poppa's Wife's integrity as im sure she is a lovely person, but we are only getting 3rd hand info, who knows what the service advisor actually said or how it was recieved.

Poppa said they refused to sell it based on what he was told, when he spoke to the horse he was told differently...

not third hand, my wife told me, I'm telling you, so second hand at best.

wasn't told differently, first instance as stated in previous posts she was DENIED a fuse, when I rang I was told they don't carry any fuses big difference.

I don't know of any dealership who doesn't have fuses laying around.....

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

No, you said that in a previous post after talking with Northpoint direct.

no I didn't!

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

So everything you've posted is heresay and with a little investigation you've discovered that they couldnt have sold it to your wife in the first place.

You claim they werent busy, there were lads doing nothing that could have done the job and that they refused to sell the fuse, and none of it you can confirm as you werent there.

So in actual fact, they couldnt do the job on the spot as they dont carry the part, they would need to book the car in at another time so they could order the part and have a job card to align the order with.
The only thing they did wrong was refrain from sending you to a competitor for the part and i would base that on not wanting to honour a warranty claim if the aftermarket fuse fried the unit without proper diagnosis of the problem.

It's a fuse!
A Ford dealership with attached service department don't carry spare fuses?

That alone is bad service.

A lady (client of the business) comes in and asks for a simple fuse and nobody can spare 5 minutes to look at it? All they needed to do was replace it. If it blew again then they could fall back to their stance of needing to book it in to look at it.

I had a similar dealer that could never seem to help, took my business to another dealer when I bought a new car and couldn't be happier. They actually care about me being happy with my purchase.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

no I didn't!

Really, you didnt type this...


'just received an answer from northpoint regarding the purchase of fuses and I was told they don't keep them in stock......I'm to go to an auto electrician to buy them.'

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

It's a fuse!
A Ford dealership with attached service department don't carry spare fuses?

That alone is bad service.

Agreed, but if thats the way it is thats the way it is, Poppa thinks its cunning plan to make more money and it may just be because they dont carry the part.
Im sure they would carry important fuses but sat nav doesnt prevent use of the car, merely a temporary inconvenience.
We got by for years without them.

[PG2]

I worked for a large ford dealership for many years - one that has been mentioned in this thread.

I think some of you guys are missing the point from a customer satisfaction point of view.

Mr and Mrs Smurf are not happy with the service they received from a Ford dealership today. Whether they are right or wrong with their expectations is not the point - they are not happy.

Once Ford and dealerships start acknowledging the fact that they need to fulfil customer expectations and if they can't be fulfilled offer alternatives (not just trot out the ol' "You need to book it in for next week") people may start returning to Ford.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by PG2

I worked for a large ford dealership for many years - one that has been mentioned in this thread.

I think some of you guys are missing the point from a customer satisfaction point of view.

Mr and Mrs Smurf are not happy with the service they received from a Ford dealership today. Whether they are right or wrong with their expectations is not the point - they are not happy.

Once Ford and dealerships start acknowledging the fact that they need to fulfil customer expectations and if they can't be fulfilled offer alternatives (not just trot out the ol' "You need to book it in for next week") people may start returning to Ford.

were you there when Kent Perry owned the place and Michael was the "goto"......different times then, good place to go......not now I'm afraid.

this is just the icing on the cake from this new mob......my wife has purchased 2 new vehicles with a lot of accessories and had these vehicles regularly serviced at this dealership.

she was 150 Km's from home with a minor problem which, I thought, could be solved with a simple trip to a regular well established relationship over quite a few years.

she was given no explanation, just a simple "you will have to book it in".....if she had been told that no fuses are available (which I find VERY hard to believe still) from there and that she would have to seek them elsewhere then I can understand sorta.

just out of interest I rang 3 other dealerships (another Ford dealer, Toyota dealer and a Mazda dealer) and put forward a question for them

my statement to each service manager were simple,

relationship established with their business in well excess of 5 years with the purchase and subsequent service of 2 new vehicles with accessories

then I put forward the following scenario... if my wife has a minor problem such as a blown fuse, needed it quickly and came to you to replace it what would you do

in ALL cases they stated they would replace the fuse with no charge.

the only one that said they wouldn't was my long term mechanic who told me to replace the bloody thing myself and don't be so lazy.....when I explained it was my wife with a blown fuse he said well thats different, I'd do anything for her, I would have made her a cuppa and gave her a biscuit while I replaced the fuse.....nice bugger!

[PG2]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

were you there when Kent Perry owned the place and Michael was the "goto"......different times then, good place to go......not now I'm afraid.

this is just the icing on the cake from this new mob......my wife has purchased 2 new vehicles with a lot of accessories and had these vehicles regularly serviced at this dealership.

she was 150 Km's from home with a minor problem which, I thought, could be solved with a simple trip to a regular well established relationship over quite a few years.

she was given no explanation, just a simple "you will have to book it in".....if she had been told that no fuses are available (which I find VERY hard to believe still) from there and that she would have to seek them elsewhere then I can understand sorta.

just out of interest I rang 3 other dealerships (another Ford dealer, Toyota dealer and a Mazda dealer) and put forward a question for them

my statement to each service manager were simple,

relationship established with their business in well excess of 5 years with the purchase and subsequent service of 2 new vehicles with accessories

then I put forward the following scenario... if my wife has a minor problem such as a blown fuse, needed it quickly and came to you to replace it what would you do

in ALL cases they stated they would replace the fuse with no charge.

the only one that said they wouldn't was my long term mechanic who told me to replace the bloody thing myself and don't be so lazy.....when I explained it was my wife with a blown fuse he said well thats different, I'd do anything for her, I would have made her a cuppa and gave her a biscuit while I replaced the fuse.....nice bugger!

Sorry Poppa, it was another dealership mentioned by someone else. The member who mentioned it, him and I have discussed the dealership before (very amicably - as all discussion should be).

I don't go to a dealership for servicing at all - even when I worked there. For my Falcon and my wife's Focus, I go to a private mechanic who is actually a Hyundai specialist. Great service, while you generally need to book it in for a service, break-downs are to attended asap.

My mechanic is not like a Ford 'service' centre, they work around my wants and needs - not me working around theirs.

[gcg2503]

Let me pose a question

You self diagnosed it as a simple fuse...which was correct, great.

Your expectation was that they drop tools and get onto your car asap.

Lets say it was more time was involved than a fuse...diagnosis time needed, scan the ECU, test nav unit etc

What happens to the pre booked cars? Those jobs aren't as important?

What happens to the cars with customers waiting in the service lounge? They wait longer so your car gets looked at.

It is all about expectation management.

Was it a Vehicle Off Road (VOR) situation critical?

Blow ins are part of the deal for service departments but the customer needs to have reasonable expectations in my opinion.

But no, the customer is always right.

''this is just the icing on the cake from this new mob......my wife has purchased 2 new vehicles with a lot of accessories and had these vehicles regularly serviced at this dealership''

The other customers that you wanted pushed aside so your car could get looked at, obviously aren't as important

The fact that you even posted this makes me shake my head.

[poppa smurf]

yeah! look some folks just like to argue to give their tongues something to do........

but this exercise has done this dealership a large mischief where my wife and I are concerned and created another headache for me, she refuses to take it anywhere near them ever again and certainly will not be purchasing a future vehicle from them

so now I have to take the little car in for the next service at a Ford dealership that just happens to be an extra 100 K's or so away........wifey hasn't the time to go "chasing around"

I wish her luck running the BT50 manual Hi-Rider around town, she can barely get into it, (backside too close to the ground, but I didn't say that and will deny it profusely if ever it comes up in conversation) must buy those running boards one day

her next vehicle will be something with a service centre a bit closer to home

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by gcg2503

Let me pose a question

You self diagnosed it as a simple fuse...which was correct, great.

Your expectation was that they drop tools and get onto your car asap.

Lets say it was more time was involved than a fuse...diagnosis time needed, scan the ECU, test nav unit etc

What happens to the pre booked cars? Those jobs aren't as important?

What happens to the cars with customers waiting in the service lounge? They wait longer so your car gets looked at.

It is all about expectation management.

Was it a Vehicle Off Road (VOR) situation critical?

Blow ins are part of the deal for service departments but the customer needs to have reasonable expectations in my opinion.

But no, the customer is always right.

''this is just the icing on the cake from this new mob......my wife has purchased 2 new vehicles with a lot of accessories and had these vehicles regularly serviced at this dealership''

The other customers that you wanted pushed aside so your car could get looked at, obviously aren't as important

The fact that you even posted this makes me shake my head.

I already stated that if the fuse blew again then it would have to be escalated and be booked in.......read the bloody posts before throwing dribble around, no-one would have been put aside.

[MrEL]

You would think travelling so many km in rural areas you would keep a couple of packets of mixed fuses in the glovebox.
They are under $5 a pack at supercheap.
I have spares in the car along with a couple of globes if heading out of town................
Cheap insurance.

[Hally]

Poppa,

Agree with you in respect to the dealership. They had two choices;

1. Sell you missus a fuse
2. Tell your missus they don't have them in stock

My question to you is basically why do you service at a dealer? What is wrong with your local mechanic? Warranty would not be effected, doubt resale would be on a Fiesta.

Just curious.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by MrEL

You would think travelling so many km in rural areas you would keep a couple of packets of mixed fuses in the glovebox.
They are under $5 a pack at supercheap.
I have spares in the car along with a couple of globes if heading out of town................
Cheap insurance.

will be now......haven't blown fuses for years.....tried to get a box of brand name mixed micros.....that's another story unto itself

the ones from super cheap auto.....are they any good, are they same same or cheap and nasty, unreliable.....I don't trust unknown products too much, prefer to go to the original manufacturer where possible

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Hally

Poppa,

Agree with you in respect to the dealership. They had two choices;

1. Sell you missus a fuse
2. Tell your missus they don't have them in stock

My question to you is basically why do you service at a dealer? What is wrong with your local mechanic? Warranty would not be effected, doubt resale would be on a Fiesta.

Just curious.

couldn't agree more, however this is not my car, what madam states is what happens......she is in charge of around 15 workers and used to getting her own way.

my BA goes to our long suffering mechanic for everything.

my BT50 goes to the mazda dealer for service and updates.....we tow quite a bit and often well interstate so it has to be super reliable with everything up to spec.

my wifes fiesta goes to Ford for service and updates because thats what she wants.

the problem we have struck is that in most cases the correct tools aren't available to do the job and the computer software, owned by ford and Mazda, aren't available to an everyday mechanic or are astronomically expensive.

usually the local mechanic is a one horse affair working on a limited budget and lowish (in comparison) income, for instance my local mechanic is second generation, owns the shed, $65 per hour, one employee.

[TRAU BLAU]

It's all about money isn't it.They all give you plenty of respect when you're handing over heaps of cash.Ford charged me $9 for a small "o ring"then I found a whole packet for $3.50 in Supercheap.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by TRAU BLAU

It's all about money isn't it.They all give you plenty of respect when you're handing over heaps of cash.Ford charged me $9 for a small "o ring"then I found a whole packet for $3.50 in Supercheap.

never used to be, when Kent owned the dealership we had a cuppa and a good old chinwag together as the car was getting serviced or whatever, the boys out the back were always friendly, happy and accommodating, nothing too much trouble.

however we still paid for the privilege even then.

but now its just "hand over the cash and knick off.......you're annoying me"

[Express]

I’m with poppa smurf.

It wouldn’t have hurt for someone from Service to walk out and look at the fuse and say that’s the problem or no you’ll need to book her in as it’s going to take a little bit of fault finding.

There is customer service and there is customer service and companies that have to compete with others to survive in business know the serious worth of what real service is.

[Mercury Bullet]

One thing you do get with Ford servicing is free roadside assist from your version of RAC.

Is that a viable option out your way?
It's not for me, they would have to come up from Perth and take all day.

I would give the Ford customer service line a call if you have a spare few minutes. I find they are listening more these days, trying to fix up a few of these bad dealerships.

You want to try my Volvo dealer, he wants to charge $200 to park in the forecourt practically. They will not look at the car until you hand over $200 and will refund it IF they find a fault under warranty - disgraceful!
But he looked at my phone slot when the SIM card got stuck for free, cos it only took 5 minutes.

[poppa smurf]

never thought about the RAA (which we are longtime members) but it was such a small thing we thought it would be easily dealt with....

wouldnt want to call them out to such a trifling thing anyway.....only ever used them twice, once I locked the keys in my car and another I left the fridge switched on in the caravan at Victor Harbor and flattened the battery.

[Fairlane 500]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

never thought about the RAA (which we are longtime members) but it was such a small thing we thought it would be easily dealt with....

wouldnt want to call them out to such a trifling thing anyway.....only ever used them twice, once I locked the keys in my car and another I left the fridge switched on in the caravan at Victor Harbor and flattened the battery.

RAA Roadside service wouldn't come out just for a sat nav not working.
They only come out for breakdowns & will only do very basic things to get the vehicle moving.

Sadly the services have been cut in recent years by all these Motoring Clubs as I found recently when
(after even having a Gold Card for over 30 years membership)
they wanted to charge me around $200 to tow my car home about 25kms away.
(I have 3 cars fully comp with RAA & this one was a small engine bay fire which I put out only because I know what I am doing
& if most other people with less knowledge than me had been driving at the time it would have been a fully burnt out car that
RAA would have been legitimately paying an insurance claim for!)

People pay their membership & never use it year after year but it's worth reading
what you are actually covered for these days with the levels of membership.

[FTE217]

As much as I could disagree with Poppa on some things read over my time here this one is worth making some noise about.
The good ol no worries drop everything to help out and check a minor issue at hand has gone AWOL - once you could notice someone was pulled over near a dealer with their car overheating and a jnr would be able to get over and help - to check a fuse takes 5mins.
Sign of the times.
Only other issue I notice is Poppa worked out being a yes man for the sake of marriage bliss - what wifey wants she gets lol.....

[Fairlane 500]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

never used to be, when Kent owned the dealership we had a cuppa and a good old chinwag together as the car was getting serviced or whatever, the boys out the back were always friendly, happy and accommodating, nothing too much trouble.


but now its just "hand over the cash and knick off.......you're annoying me"

Yeah, Kent Perry was a real decent bloke, he cared about his reputation, the town, his staff & his customers.
He would chat & get along well with everyone.
I used to do a bit of business with him.

I can't imagine the good old fashioned country service being quite the same these days.