VW Australia need to change

[brimway]

When it comes to love for the product, I would venture to say that most VW drivers/owners are passionate about their car and truly love their cars. They are, after all, an excellent product and the brand seems to nurture a loyalty which is fairly rare these days.

Problem is, when it comes to having to deal with either VWA or a VW dealer, it all turns sour for many owners.

From my own experience of owning, and loving, a MKV Golf GTI and now a Golf R, the thought of having to set foot in a dealer is a worrying prospect and one which I expect and anticipate conflict arising from the nonchalant stance adopted by my dealer (and many others from what I read on this and other VW forums.


My experience in buying my R was very disappointing and now I am bracing for conflict with my dealer regarding a DSG warranty issue. I am yet to respond to the VWA survey and doubt that I will for fear that my dealer will punish me for telling it how it is. As I said, my experience in buying a Golf R was a less than pleasant experience, see post #4 of this thread

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f97/vw-australia-survey-69426.html

The corporate image of VW with the fancy shop fronts and their clever advertising campaigns, seems to fall apart when it comes to actually looking after their customers and delivering quality after sales service / customer care.

Countless posts on this forum alone, confirm my assertion. Most of us love our cars and generally the VW product, so VWA need to listen to their customers and demand a higher level of professionalism from their dealers.

[Mk3 AAA]

This is an area where Lexus bury V-AG.

[SMOK3Y]

Problem is, when it comes to having to deal with either VWA or a VW dealer, it all turns sour for many owners.

this is true of most manuafacturers & dealers

[FSI 220]

IMHO VWA are arn't as good as my recent experiences with Customer Service at Toyota and Subaru... Both of them were on the ball with correspondence and care. Cars are much more interesting at VW, but VWA aint too flash.

The dealer experience in Sydney was hit and miss... My fleet manager (for work vehicles) took care of me , as it was multi dealer and she managed all the brands "fleet" she is probably more grounded, I went to my local VW "exclusive" type dealer to show my wife however, and we were fobbed a bit. Enough with the attitude, this aint Merc or BMW... (not that their customers deserve attitude either.)

Having said all that, the purchase dealer is a multifranchise so this may normalise them somewhat. When the obligatory delivery VW defects (which we never had with the last two subarus (mine) and two toyotas (wife's)) were brought up, these guys behaved impeccably (although I had to wait because VWA in their wisdom keep spares in Singapore). With the next purchase, if it is a Vee Wee , I will be going back to Liverpool, even though it is a PITA to get to.

[brimway]

This is an area where Lexus bury V-AG.

True

this is true of most manuafacturers & dealers

You maybe right, and maybe dealers run their business based on this being their ethic. Either way, its not the way to represent the brand nor is it the way to treat their customers.

[gecko2k]

Same here:

We checked out a couple of brands and honestly most sales people made a bigger effort and were friendlier then the VW staff. As soon as you talk to VW it feels like it's all about the sale and nothing else.

Particular our sales person didn't know **** about the cars he sold. He knew the colour and model names of the cars he sold, for anything else he had to 'look it up'. I mean he didn't even know that you can move the back bench back- and forwards in the Tig by 4cm. Glad I did my research before we we went there....

Before the test drive we were told 'not to drive too far' as 'they don't want to put too many kms on the car' and that 'once around the block should be enough' for a test drive.

A couple of days later his attitude turned even worse, when we declined his initial over the top offer. I mean who ever agrees to the first offer made by a salesperson? Dah???

At the end of the day, we didn't have much choice of where we could buy a new VW and we went through that dealership, but I'll make sure that they won't ever see us again for servicing or spare parts for any of our dubs....

I love VW, but the brand deserves to be represented better then it is happening at the moment.

[AdamD]

My experience in buying my R was very disappointing and now I am bracing for conflict with my dealer regarding a DSG warranty issue. I am yet to respond to the VWA survey and doubt that I will for fear that my dealer will punish me for telling it how it is.

There is a certain degree of anonymity provided with the surveys as far as I'm aware. When I filled out mine, VWA specifically asked my permission to discuss the specifics of the survey with my dealer, and I'd be surprised if that's changed. So if you were concerned about potential reprisals (as bad a situation as that would be), you could always choose to keep the info with VWA. Then be open and honest in the survey, and hopefully VWA will address the general situation with your dealer over time.

It's certainly true that many people are receiving poor service from VW dealers at the moment. But there is a huge amount of variation between dealerships, and even between salespeople and service staff within a single dealership. If it's at all possible, I say vote with your feet and deal with another dealership.

[brimway]

There is a certain degree of anonymity provided with the surveys as far as I'm aware. When I filled out mine, VWA specifically asked my permission to discuss the specifics of the survey with my dealer, and I'd be surprised if that's changed. So if you were concerned about potential reprisals (as bad a situation as that would be), you could always choose to keep the info with VWA. Then be open and honest in the survey, and hopefully VWA will address the general situation with your dealer over time.

It's certainly true that many people are receiving poor service from VW dealers at the moment. But there is a huge amount of variation between dealerships, and even between salespeople and service staff within a single dealership. If it's at all possible, I say vote with your feet and deal with another dealership.

Not too sure about anonymity, to respond to the survey, you are given a username and password. Yes you are right about variation among dealerships, but there are 3 on the northside of Brisbane and I think I picked the best of the bunch.

Good advice re voting with your feet. My choice of dealers would be Gold Coast VW, they have an excellent reputation, but are over 100ks from me.

VWA are enjoying sales and review success in spite of themselves.

[Transporter]

In the not so distant past I visited MB and BMW dealer in Adelaide and IMHO I think that Solitaire people are nice to deal with compared to them. I also ventured into Hyundai showroom before we bought the Tiguan and the dealer there was acting like they were selling the Aston Martins.

[Shepp]

I took delivery of my FSI 3.6 pearl white MY 12.5 three weeks ago. (tailgate, sports pack, sat nav, visibility pack, tow pack) I had it for a week and it failed to start... lots of warning lights, no action. It was towed away on a flat bed to local dealer. Sat there a whole day with no one looking at it. The next day I had lots of phone calls from Dealer Principal.... blaming the tow bar wiring. Then that afternoon from the service manager enquiring if NRMA tried to jump start it as they think it may have had an electrical spike, but really uncertain what the issue was. The next few days more calls pointing fingers - but no resolution.

This went on for a week. Issue blamed on Patricks Autocare (the guys who ship the cars from Germany and to the dealers) who delivered the car on behalf of another dealer as local dealer would not serve me when I went in to buy.

It was then obvious they couldn't fix it (service manager could not tell me if it would be a week or a month before it would be back on the road), so the dealer I purchased it from and Patricks started arranging to have it go to a dealer with more knowledge and experience. Basically as the problem was being blamed on Patricks and dealer was billing them direct as they claimed it was not a warranty issue (yet it went OK for two weeks???). Two weeks later, it is still waiting to go to the other dealer (I live in regional NSW and next dealer is 3 hours away). Then I find out that local dealer will not release my car until Patricks pay the bill. Not certain under what law it is legal to hold one person's car for another's debt?

I emailed the dealer and copied Anke Koekler and VW Assist in. Dealer responded stating that all he was trying to do was the right thing by me, not wanting to incovenience me. What planet is this guy on? This means it has now missed the truck for a week.

20 hours later I have no response from VW - VERY DISSAPOINTING. Patricks have in good faith now paid the bill and this afternoon hired me a car (a crappy Mitsubishi Outlander - but at least I can get around). It could be another two to three weeks before I get it back... Why is it that Patricks are the only ones that have financially assisted me in this? Do VW not care that a customer has a $70k car, one week old, 200km on the clock and it cannot seem to be fixed and will be off the road for over a month - at best.

I took a really long time to buy this car, it is the most expensive I have owned. Now I have nothing but a bad experience and no car.

Worst decision of my life. VW should come clean with a new car or at least financial compensation. Fantastic car for the one week I had it in my possession!

Update - Since I originally posted this.... VW Assist had the email for two days, when I phoned on Friday (two weeks and two days after my VW failed to come to life) they just happened to be talking to the dealer who could not fix it. Friday Noon it was on a truck to Port Macquarie to a dealer to another attempt to repair. I have now been advised it is being managed by VW Customer Care. How come it took so long to "Care" care about my situation, and what is going to be done about my two (soon to be three) weeks of juggling cars? When I phone VW Assist when it first failed, and they contacted NRMA - why did it not stay in the system and they track it then?

Not good enough VW Australia. The car has failed, VW Assist has failed to Assist, VW has failed to ensure dealers are properly trained.

I will keep you all posted. In the mean time I have a jet ski in the garage I cannot tow to the water (and winter is coming fast) and a kayak I cannot transport to the water either....

[craig_the_german]

In the last couple of years I have bought a new MKVI Golf and recently a new Korean built Holden. The experience I had with the VW purchase left my wife in tears at the dealership and was just simply the most awful experience. The purchase of the "cheapest" Holden was one of the most pleasant buying experience I have had when dealing with Car Dealers.
VWA could take a leaf out of the "mainstream" dealers when it comes to customer service,
You don't need to buy an expensive car to get great service.

[Buller_Scott]

Particular our sales person didn't know **** about the cars he sold. He knew the colour and model names of the cars he sold, for anything else he had to 'look it up'. I mean he didn't even know that you can move the back bench back- and forwards in the Tig by 4cm. Glad I did my research before we we went there....

Before the test drive we were told 'not to drive too far' as 'they don't want to put too many kms on the car' and that 'once around the block should be enough' for a test drive.

that is just effing pathetic - to not know something as simple as the seat functionality, on a car you spend 40 hours a week around... no doubt all you need to get a job there, though, is to look good in a suit and to have the kind of lack of dignity befitting of people who chase sales. as for the test drive - i would have laughed and asked if they're trying to sell cars or not.

I took a really long time to buy this car, it is the most expensive I have owned. Now I have nothing but a bad experience and no car.

Worst decision of my life. VW should come clean with a new car or at least financial compensation. Fantastic car for the one week I had it in my possession!

i feel sorry for you. it would be nice, just like with tv's and mobile phones and computers, etc, if you could demand a replacement item under the "early life failure" policy/ laws, or if you could use the good ole ACCC thing of "had i known that it would have this major defect, i would not have purchased in the first place", in which case you can demand a new item or a full refund.

You don't need to buy an expensive car to get great service.

no, you dont. VWA stropping around with a complacent "pfffft, mate, if you dont buy this car from us, someone else will, so fck off, okay buddy?" attitude, not to mention the seemingly huge number of issues that they've got with their cars these days, is precisely why i'll not be buying VW for a long time. i've loved VW's ever since i first saw a VR6 when i was 14, i've had two so far, and luckily my little diesel pog has a bulletproof engine. i'll be hanging onto it for as long as it runs. but i think, as i like reliability and good service, my next car will be japanese (good service as in, i know where i'll be buying my next car, and they're good to deal with).

[samSC1192]

I went into a VW dealer the other week to get some cv bolts and when i went in there i got stared at like i shouldn't be there as if say whats this teenager doing in a place where expensive, nice cars are sold and when i did ask them for the part i wanted they didn't seem thrilled to take 5 mins out of their day and order the part for me.

[brimway]

Gone are the days when dealer staff "know" their product. When I went to get a pair of wiper blades for my MKV Golf,the parts guy wanted the VIN,WTF?

[thepowercosmic]

Gone are the days when dealer staff "know" their product. When I went to get a pair of wiper blades for my MKV Golf,the parts guy wanted the VIN,WTF?

Being asked for a VIN is not out of the ordinary when buying parts from a dealer, though for wiper blades does seem strange.

Reading this thread re-enforces the things that I have say when I get asked about what I think of the VW brand.

"With the dealership experience, it's really a wonder that they are able to sell as many cars as they do here in Australia"