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Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Non BMW X-Series related discussion
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jonnyivy
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Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by jonnyivy » Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:13 pm

What a differance in quality and customer service !!
I'm trying to come to terms with selling the X5 and buying a small Citroen C3 for the wife to learn to drive.
Other factors considered too was that my work was drying up too.
Last week I was sitting in the BMW dealers getting a last service done on the X5 to sell the car with. Very pleasant atmosphere, plush showroom,pleasant staff, free WiFi and lots of coffee/coke/buscuits etc.
Today, I went to Citroen Dealers in same town to get the big sunroof fixed under the Citroen warranty that came with the car. Was told to be there for 10am.  Arrived early and car was taken round the back ready for the mechanics. After sitting on a hard seat for and hour and a half and a coffee I decide to nip out for Ciggy.
Wandered round the back and car was still sitting waiting. Another hour passes and I pop back out,... car still sitting there. Went back in and asked why ? Its just going in now,...so I waited another hour, but this time I could see my car from the window veiwing area. It just sat there with no-one at it at all. Again I asked what was happening, got the answer that its had the wiring checked and there's no break in the wires or anything,..there's power getting to the switch. Wow,....I could have told you that , I can hear it clicking and showed you that when it came in!
It could be another 2 hours to take the roof lining off, are you wanting to wait ?. Yup,..just drove 50 miles for this and after 3 hours I'm not going home empty handed.
Went for a walk round the shops, came back another hour and a half later and car still sitting in the same spot with no-one around it. Started to get blazing mad,...whats going on ?.... Its a big job to remove the roofing sir. How long is it going to sit there with no-one working on it ? Could be another 2 hours sir. Just put it back on and let me get it out of here, I'm going home ! Very surprisingly the car arrived at the front door within 5 mins ??.. How did the mechanic manage to get it back together so quickly then ? Oh,..its a lot easier to put it back on was the answer ! Aye right !!! Must think I'm an idiot ! Dont think the roof lining was ever taken off at all.
I left blazing and somewhat very dissapointed and told them so,...didn't look a bit bothered when I told them.
Citroen !!!!,...huh,...roll on next year when I can maybe become the owner of another tastefull X5 !!
Rant over !!!

Jonny
Virgin owner of X5 3.0 D 2003 ( getting to know her better now )(thinking of a long-term relationship now )( sadly  now divorced !! )( 4 years later...met the newer model and happy again )

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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by pvr » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:30 pm

Know what you mean ... I have the annual joy having to go to an Abarth dealer for my wife's car service. You have to play it hard with them as otherwise you sit there all day with the car not moving.

Smaller brands service levels are shocking :(
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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by X5Sport » Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:57 pm

It's not always the smaller brands.  The first year I had the winter rubber fitted to the X6 they told me it was a 15 min job.......so I opted for 'while you wait' which turned into an hour before the car went into the workshop and then they did this 90 min 'safety check' (that had not been mentioned) before then coming out and asking me if  I wanted the car cleaning!!  >:D >:D :rant:

Strangely enough, they've always had it straight in the workshop every time since then!.. ;)

At least when I booked it in (for Weds) the service drone had the decency to warn me it now takes two hours but that includes the 90 min safety check, and was I sure I wanted a 'while you wait' appt.  It's a drop-off job now!!

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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by Raj » Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:36 pm

I'd have been fuming after the first hour of nothing happening. That is ridiculous service tbh.
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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by snipez999 » Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:53 pm

Customer service is very very important to me.  I am quite dogged in adhering to self-imposed changes of venue, brand etc solely on the back of that.  I have walked out of many a shop/showroom accordingly. 
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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by jonnyivy » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:46 am

Apparently most of the mechanics were off work with a local bug that is very rife at the moment. If only they had phoned and told me. I dragged myself out of bed and drove the 50 miles in the frost and ice to get there 20 mins early,...and I too have not been feeling great lately !!
However, I got it booked into another dealership, 50 miles in the opposite direction, (Scotland).
Does have its benefits living in a rural town, but looking for main dealer garages is not one of them !!

Jonny
Virgin owner of X5 3.0 D 2003 ( getting to know her better now )(thinking of a long-term relationship now )( sadly  now divorced !! )( 4 years later...met the newer model and happy again )

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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by Don Coffey » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:08 pm

[quote="jonnyivy"]
Apparently most of the mechanics were off work with a local bug that is very rife at the moment. If only they had phoned and told me. I dragged myself out of bed and drove the 50 miles in the frost and ice to get there 20 mins early,...and I too have not been feeling great lately !!
However, I got it booked into another dealership, 50 miles in the opposite direction, (Scotland).
Does have its benefits living in a rural town, but looking for main dealer garages is not one of them !!

Jonny
[/quote]

Maybe this dealer will go some way to restore your faith in non BMW dealerships......but I'll not hold my breath!

Don
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Re: Last week BMW, this week Citroen....

Post by jaynana » Sat Dec 01, 2012 2:46 pm

nothing more annoying that having to waste hrs and hrs of productive time. even more annoying when you don't have options, like after a long drive what options do you have half way down.. cancel and go back? then the job's not done and time is already wasted! get on with the job? not even sure how much longer it would take..
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