Unhappy with the service you are getting at your dealer? Find a new one!

SouthArk370Z

I've been seeing a lot of complaints about "bad" dealers on here. Apparently, a lot of people are unaware that their warranty is from Nissan, not the dealer. If you don't like the service you are getting from your dealer, go find one to your liking. If they won't fix something under warranty (and it's a valid claim), find another dealer.
If you don't like the service manager's haircut, go to another dealer. You get to choose who works on your car.

I put up with the BS* at the local dealer for about a year and then took my business elsewhere. I have to drive ~150 miles round-trip (hence the year's delay in changing), but the hassles have disappeared. I <3 my new Nissan dealer. I have even removed the local dealer's decal from the rear bumper cover and put one from the new dealer on the "vent" window.
My biggest "problem" with the new dealer is that they switched to a name-brand syn-blend for my oil change and didn't tell me. Since the oil change was gratis, I'm happy - no harm, no foul. If I had paid for the high-dollar, Nissan-branded ester oil, it would be different.
When it comes time to get a new Z, guess which dealer is going to get my business?


*Eg, found some discoloration on my front wheels. Local dealer was giving me the runaround - "must have sprayed harsh cleaner on them when hot" (car is hand-washed with mild soap & water), &c. Went to the new dealer and within 15 minutes (including waiting room time - the actual inspection took less than two), I had an appointment to have my new wheels installed under warranty.

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Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

Cmike2780

Not directed at you, but customers are just as bad sometimes. For the most part though, the stigma around crappy dealership service is something that I've personally come across. A new dealership is not a guarantee of better service and usually my last resort. I would personally rather build a better rapport with the guys there, so they see you as a person instead of a customer. As with anything, every person is different. I've had really good experiences and really bad experiences at the same dealership. It all came down to the rep taking care of you. I prefer to speak to one specific rep every time I go. Knowing their first name and some donuts goes a long way. If they can get it fixed under warranty without getting in trouble from thier manager, they'll fix it. The problem comes down to some reps that flat out don't care and just want your money. They're easy enough to spot and its easier to talk to someone else than go to another dealership. I agree with most of what you say though....a good dealership that treats you like a human being is very hard to come by these days.

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SouthArk370Z

You make some excellent points. Thanks for the comments.

LOL I know what you mean. I worked retail sales when I was a lot younger and know that a few customers can be unreasonable PITAs.

I agree.
I try to work things out in a reasonable way. I understand that the ppl I'm dealing with have a boss to answer to and are just trying to feed their families. I don't expect every situation to go my way - as long as they are being reasonable about things, I'm an easy-going guy. But I don't mind being a real jackass if I think the situation calls for it.

Yep.
I've only dealt with two service reps at my current dealer, but both have been extremely helpful when they could. I always ask for one of them when I call.
I haven't done the donut thing with them (yet, thanks for reminding me), but I did have BBQ lunches delivered to the body shop when they were working on my car. Food bribes work almost as well as monetary ones and are a lot cheaper.

Unless it's something really bad, I do not "fire" a business over one problem.
When my TPMS light came on the second day I had my car, I didn't get upset that they didn't do the pre-delivery check properly and then told me that if I had bothered to check the pressure I wouldn't be bothering them. I just mentally gave them a strike and went on. Edit: I had checked the pressure and knew it was low; that's how I knew they didn't do the pre-delivery checks or I had a leak.
I didn't fire them when they spent an hour-and-a-half monkeying with the rear hatch latch when I told them about the hatch spring TSB - it worked (for a while), but they obviously didn't know what they were doing and weren't even listening to me. Strike two.
Hatch messed up again two months later. Strike two-and-a-half (thinking maybe that they would fix it right the next time and we could go back to strike two).
Won't replace discolored wheel under warranty and another dealer will. Strike 3.5; you're outta here!
There were other minor incidents that I'll not go into.

In my case, the service supervisor (or was the title manager?) was the problem. It was a small shop and the supervisor/manager had to OK just about everything.


I'm not trying to argue with you - I agree with everything you said - we are just presenting two different perspectives of the same landscape. Most dealers are pretty good or better, but there are a few bad apples.

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Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma