I was getting ready to get hacked off about a recent service visit for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz R500 at Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach (Calif.). We took it in for the "B-Service" scheduled maintenance visit and the estimate was $300. I went in there picturing maybe a pricey oil change and tire rotation running about a hundred bucks. So when I got the $300-estimate I asked my service advisor what the heck they were going to do...
Have you ever noticed that dealership service departments are great at justifying their expensive maintenance visits? They do this by providing long lists of impressive looking actions. But if you look closely, nearly everything on the list begins with either "check" "adjust" or "inspect." That's the way the list was for the R500 but, to be fair, it's a high tech piece of machinery and I guess it needs a lot of service.
When I got back to the office I checked the "Maintenance Costs" section of our site and it estimated the "B Service" to be $271. When I read this I cooled down quite a lot. I guess there's a lesson in all this. People don't mind paying a lot but they hate the feeling that they were ripped off. So, when I got verification from my own web site that the charges were in line with our estimate, I got down off my high horse.
While I was at the dealership I had fun watching the service advisors interacting with the clients. I've been to a lot of domestic car dealership service bays and gotten the "base" treatment. Here I got to see service advisors in shirts and ties with foreign accents and higher levels of attention to customer service.
While waiting for my service guy, an older woman, dripping with jewelry, appeared beside me. "Are you waiting to see Russ?" she asked me. I nodded, even though I didn't know his name. "I just need to tell him one quick little thing," she said. I let her go ahead. She went to his desk and animatedly related all sorts of information and impressions about her car. Everything she said assumed he had a high level of intimate knowledge of her life, her schedule and her personal automobile. He nodded and smiled and assured her it would all be taken care of. She walked away completely satisfied. I bet that woman would never be a cad and ask what was included in Service B.
Philip Reed, Edmunds consumer advice editor
SubyTrojan says:
12:23 PM, 06/15/07
I think you will love the story below, Phil.
Customer Calls Out Service Rep on Bogus $6,500 Estimate:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/15/video-customer-calls-out-mercedes-service-rep-on-bogus-6-500/
comp386 says:
08:12 AM, 06/18/07
This is pretty rediculous even if it is standard. I got the maintenance package with my Focus for about $270 and that was 3 years of service. What the hell are they really checking with the car that could possibly be worth that much. I think Mercades just thinks their customers are too rich to care. I doubt that story posted by SubyTrojan is even rare for a company like Mercades.
blueguydotcom says:
09:27 AM, 06/18/07
Another reason to stick with BMW...
SubyTrojan says:
09:30 AM, 06/18/07
comp386, it's not Mercedes-Benz Canada that's at fault in the case above. It's the service department of the dealership (maybe only that particular service advisor) and its technician(s?).
actualsize says:
01:32 PM, 06/18/07
Re the video link: I particularly like the part where the Service Writer never looks up from what can only be a particularly troublesome Sudoku puzzle. That's REAL customer service right there.
afontanelle says:
08:29 PM, 07/11/07
That sounds bad, pretty disappointing from Mercedes Benz dealers. So, I guess I’m still lucky for having a fair dealer, which I actually trust with repairs, for I don’t trust myself on that matter, although I’ve tried once with Mercedes Benz Air Filter replacement. I just wish they won’t increase their charge this year like those others do.
surfwagon56 says:
06:30 PM, 12/31/07
For $300, I could get an oil change for an R-class, or I could pay my lease payment on my 2006 Accord V6 for a month.