[Pinarello Rider]

I've been hounding my local dealership for MONTHS now about an open house for the new 3-series. You know, the type of event where you invite your customers in for a first look, first drive - have some drinks, dress it up, and generally try to get your EXISTING customers into the showroom to see the new car, and SHOW them how much they mean to you.

Repeatedly, I have tried to get information. So end of last week, I email them asking about an open-house. Get a call today and he tells me "oh, we had that a couple of weeks ago..." I had 3 people lined up to go look at the car, and they missed ALL of us. What is the matter with these people?

SERIOUSLY? I'm your perfect freakin' customer!!!! My car is an 08 and about to come off of warranty. Invite me in and tell me how much more I'll like the new model, and how much nicer it will be to have that new car warranty!!!

Any sales people out there? Take a lesson from this. The cost of connecting with your existing customers is ALWAYS cheaper than getting new ones.

Bunch of idiots, I swear. If only I were in charge of the zoo...

[Z4MLover2012]

Customer service has gone to hell these days. What passes for World Class Customer Service is really people doing the bare minimum. Sorry to hear they missed you but maybe another dealership will have one you and your friends can attend.

[Pinarello Rider]

Just got an email extolling the virtues of their Preferred Customer Pricing. I responded...

"Thanks Sam,
Please let your people at the dealership know how disappointed I am in not receiving any notification about an open house for the 3-series. Not only am I a PERFECT target (my 08 is about to run out of warranty), but I also have minimum 3 people who were going to come as well, and they are your type of customers. I might just take it personally - I've been hounding you folks for MONTHS and routinely checking in on the website for information. How did you miss me? You have my email, my phone number, and my mailing address from my service appointments. Someone needs to take a lesson from this. Who else did you miss? How many potential sales lost?

Darin"

[az34]

each and every time theres a new model coming up i always get an invitation from my dealership, your dealer is an idiot.

[rfx45]

Agreed, customer service has been terrible. When I bought my Z4 last month, I contacted about 6 dealerships and only one took me seriously so I ended up buying from them.

It’s not limited to BMW dealerships though; I also inquired about the Porsche Cayman and was also ignored for the most part.

It’s like they want me to work hard to give them my money.

[Pinarello Rider]

Originally Posted by rfx45

It’s like they want me to work hard to give them my money.

This is what amazes me the most. There have been so many times in the past where I have asked myself "why am I giving these people my money?" I won't do business with those people. I might have to just ignore them and tell them to pound sand. Sadly, the only other dealership in my area lost my business because they failed to actually certify the CPO that I had a downpayment in hand for. I ended up buying my car from Fairfax.

How hard is it to be in the BMW selling/service business?

[S1000RR Drag Racer]

I'm at a BMW dealership in New Jersey and those guys must be complete jerks. My dealership gets an email addresss and the current home address on every customer we have whether if it is in service, sales, or parts. Whenever we have a new model coming out we send them an email and a letter to their home inviting them to see it. It is always easier to keep a client than wasting time and money trying to earn a new one. Some dealers think because they don't have any competition in their area that people will suck it up and come back to them anyway. As long as they keep that attitude, they will continually loose local business because they forgot the most important part of sales and loyalty. They are not paying for the services that they are supposed to provide, but you the customer is paying for it and you have the right to take your money somewhere else.

[Pinarello Rider]

My email made it to the general manager who wrote back to apologize, and said an email blast was sent out, and that it must have gotten caught in my spam folder. Possible, but not likely, as I monitor my spam folder for JUST THIS REASON. I would have seen it and read it.

This is the second time this group of BMW dealerships (the richmond dealers are one ownership team) has lost me on sales. Business must be good. I certainly won't be buying a BMW from them, that's for sure. I had to go to Fairfax for the one I have, after they lost me on the first sale.

[US///M3]

Originally Posted by Pinarello Rider

My email made it to the general manager who wrote back to apologize, and said an email blast was sent out, and that it must have gotten caught in my spam folder. Possible, but not likely, as I monitor my spam folder for JUST THIS REASON. I would have seen it and read it.

This is the second time this group of BMW dealerships (the richmond dealers are one ownership team) has lost me on sales. Business must be good. I certainly won't be buying a BMW from them, that's for sure. I had to go to Fairfax for the one I have, after they lost me on the first sale.

I think they'll be just fine without your business and Yes business is good. Not all customers are so needy and high maintenance.

[Pinarello Rider]

Fair point...

Originally Posted by US///M3

I think they'll be just fine without your business and Yes business is good. Not all customers are so needy and high maintenance.

[KingOfJericho]

At the end of the day... who cares? You should buy the car based on the test drive, not some dog and pony show. You sound like a 16yr old girl who didn't get invited to the popular girl's party. There are people out there with real customer service issues.

[Pinarello Rider]

And this is why there's no customer service left. And the whole point WAS the test drive. Missed out on it because they couldn't get their act together enough to notify their existing customers when there is something new in the showroom. If I hadn't been asking them about it for months, you MAY have a point...

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

At the end of the day... who cares? You should buy the car based on the test drive, not some dog and pony show. You sound like a 16yr old girl who didn't get invited to the popular girl's party. There are people out there with real customer service issues.

[KingOfJericho]

Test drive the car on your own time, rather than in a rushed fashion as anyone at the event would have had to. I don't know why you would even *want* to see it under those circumstances. It just doesn't make sense. It's like trying to get a good look at a new model at the NYIAS vs one-on-one with a sales rep. I would take the one-on-one any day of the week! That is where the REAL customer service takes place... not this fluff that you're so upset about missing.

[Pinarello Rider]

Of course you're right, but that's not the point. I had been asking them about when they were getting the new model in for test drives. They told me they would have an "open house" where they would have a bunch available, and they could have a proper "dog and pony" show (nice touch by the way). I waited. Nothing. I called. Nothing. I asked. Nothing. No new cars, nothing scheduled. Checked the website, nothing. That's where the first post pics up.

Its about showing your customers your value them. This is not how to do it. BMW is routinely criticized for poor customer relations - this site and others are PACKED with people who buy into a customer experience (it's part of the sales pitch) and fail to receive it. Talk to 10 other BMW owners who use the dealer for anything, and you will get 20 stories about how the dealer dropped the ball. Whether it's service or sales. Here is an example of sales.

Now, you could tell me to run off to GM or Ford, and I just might. But lets look at the attitude GM had in the 80's, and see how that worked out or them. Think BMW is different because of their growing worth and market share? GM was the same way - on top of the world.

Yes, first world problems.

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Test drive the car on your own time, rather than in a rushed fashion as anyone at the event would have had to. I don't know why you would even *want* to see it under those circumstances. It just doesn't make sense. It's like trying to get a good look at a new model at the NYIAS vs one-on-one with a sales rep. I would take the one-on-one any day of the week! That is where the REAL customer service takes place... not this fluff that you're so upset about missing.

[mshanno1]

This thread is a little over dramatic

[KingOfJericho]

just a little...

[Cdnrockies]

I always get invited to all of the events and get treated like gold by my dealership. Best service ever at Calgary BMW.

Your dealership clearly doesn't like you.

[US///M3]

Originally Posted by Cdnrockies

I always get invited to all of the events and get treated like gold by my dealership. Best service ever at Calgary BMW.

Your dealership clearly doesn't like you.

He's on their $hit list,haha he didn't buy his last BMW from them and this thread wont help...
I think those events with drinks and hors d'oeuvres are reserved for their customers.

[ptack]

The perpetual problem with BMW is that they make some really nice cars and so the sales people tend to not have to work very hard to sell them. You end up buying the car almost despite them.

[terrapen73]

Any of you folks that are looking for a solid dealer should check out Sale BMW in Kinston, NC. I have been going there for 12 years now and have always been very happy with them. Service department goes above and beyond to make things right if you have an issue under warranty, regardless of where you bought the car. I am a BMWCCA member and they are active with our local chapters. The staff have been there a long time and know their business in all the departments.

Not trying to play them up too hard, but having been buying cars for 20+ years now and spending some of that time in car sales, I know how important a good relationship between dealership and customer can be for both sides. They would be worth a little extra drive time if your local dealers are sucking that bad. Also pretty close to I-95.

[jtuds]

I got my invitation to an event like that yesterday and I'm not even an owner....I just went in for test drives and got to know the salesman.

[YolkyPalky]

Originally Posted by US///M3

I think they'll be just fine without your business and Yes business is good. Not all customers are so needy and high maintenance.

+1

Good grief OP, if how you talk in person is the same as you type, shouting random words in your sentences with your all-caps turned on, I'm not surprised you were "inadvertently" left off the invite list.