In May of 2021 I called Porsche Audi Grand Rapids (Fox... - Mroffshore
In May of 2021 I called Porsche Audi Grand Rapids (Fox Motors) to inquire about a pre-owned Mercedes Benz they had listed on their website. I asked the sales associate (Margaret) if she could verify that the car was on the lot as I was driving 2-1/2 hours to see it. I didn’t want to make the trip to see this specific vehicle and have it already be sold. She put me on hold and a few minutes later returned and told me it was on the lot and did I want to make an appointment to see the car…I asked if that was necessary and she stated it would make it easier that way and I wouldn’t have to sit around waiting for her and that the car would be pulled around and ready. I told her I would confirm with my wife and call her right back. Five minutes later I called back and told her we could leave right then and be there in 2-1/2 hours, she confirmed that it would be fine and we set the appointment.
I arrived at the dealership on time and was greeted at the door by several people including the sales manager. One of the associates went and told Margaret that we were there; she came over and explained she would be a few minutes as she was just finishing up with someone else. I told her we would be milling around the showroom or sitting in the waiting area.
Forty-five minutes later she came over to us in the waiting area and asked us to join her at her desk. I was really just eager to get on with seeing the vehicle, but I went along with her plan and we sat at her desk. She explained that the car was still available, BUT it was not at the dealership. She had walked the entire lot and could not find it, she thought maybe the service department loaned it out to someone having service, but that she just wasn’t sure.
You can only imagine how disappointed I was to wait 45 minutes, when I was told this wouldn’t be the case with my “appointment” and then be told that the car wasn’t there…the car I called to make certain was there before wasting my time to drive 2-1/2 hours up, wait 45 minutes and then drive 2-1/2 hours back on a Saturday afternoon. She apologized, but I couldn’t help but continue to ask her if she had even bothered to checked to make certain the car was there and pull it around like she said it would be when we arrived…she had no real answer, she just kept apologizing for it.
She did offer to have someone drive it our home for us to see, but at this point, I was too disappointed in the poor service to have any desire to purchase a vehicle from the dealership. I felt like she told me whatever she had to do to get me into the dealership, without respecting my time and fuel costs. This just wasn’t the right start to a business relationship and I didn’t want them driving a vehicle to my home that I didn’t even know was the right vehicle for me. The purpose of my visit and the investment in my day was to see the vehicle and make that determination without the added pressure of it sitting in my driveway. I’m really not sure I want to purchase a pre-owned car from a dealership that’s lending them out to service customers in the first place. My wife and I remained calm, but seriously disappointed, I even went so far as to tell Margaret that I was actually angry at the situation and felt that she had shown no respect for my personal time.
My wife and I said goodbye and got up and left the dealership. As we walked across the showroom floor the sales manager cheerfully asked us how things went in an upbeat positive manner, assuming everything was just great. I told him I was not happy and was actually very disappointed. He followed me outside and asked what the problem was and I filled him in on the situation. At this point, I honestly believed that he was well aware of what was going on, I believe Margaret likely spoke to him to determine why the car wasn’t anywhere to be seen and that she was probably nervous to come back over and tell us we had just wasted our day visiting their dealership. The sales manager kept stating he understood why I was angry and he would be angry too…but there was no solution to the problem and he made no effort to appease us in any way…at least Margaret had offered to have the car driven down to our home, even though at this point I wasn’t interested in doing business with this dealership. My wife commented that she felt like he was actually patronizing us with his comments. We left the dealership disgusted in the lack of service we had received and the lackadaisical attitude they had toward our wasted day.
I guess I expected at the very least that they would do their best to locate the car and if it was being used as a loaner car, possibly contact that person and see if it was possible to swap it out and bring it back to the dealership. They didn’t even offer to cover my fuel expenses for the trip, even after they saw me climbing into a gas guzzling Audi A8L, the flagship automobile of one of the two brands they carry.
A few days later I began receiving automated emails from the dealership asking if there was anything else we needed. They went ignored and I unsubscribed from the emails. Then I received an email from Carl Moore (Customer Experience Manager), his email (likely automated) asked if my inquiry regarding that specific car had been met and handled to my satisfaction. If I had any problems I could contact him. I emailed him back with the same story I explained above and even told him I would appreciate the owner of the dealership being informed as to this experience. I never received any kind of call or email back. I wasn’t surprised…todays automated emails with no level of personal touch are a waste of time, they’re there for show and nothing more.
The dealership itself is VERY impressive…the building and showroom is top notch and make a bold statement. The problem is, that building isn’t the one trying to sell me a car or making certain that I had a reasonable or even good customer experience. It’s very apparent that at every, the sales representative, sales manager and the so-called “Customer Experience Manager” all lack in any kind of real customer service or follow through. Possibly this was a perfect storm of one bad thing after another…but after what I experienced, it’s not a dealership I’ll be visiting again. Sorry I’m just not a fan. A week later I located a vehicle in Illinois, confirmed it was on the lot before driving the distance and guess what…it was actually there, moved into the building where it would be shown or sold waiting for me to see it. I purchased that vehicle that same day.
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