We've all been critical of car showrooms and dealerships being transformed in to glass and chrome palaces these past few years - palaces that are presumably funded by charging us punters more money. But are they all bad?
I visited 2 such places this week for 2 different servicing issues for 2 different cars. The personal service I received makes me bear little ill-will towards the invoice which might ultimately be inflated a few notches. Call me old-fashioned, but I still enjoy being dealt with by smartly-dressed staff (shirts & ties all round), where I can sit at a desk and spend the necessary 10 minutes sorting out my requirements. Booking made for next Tuesday and a free ride back in to town will be provided. Can I bring the car in the night before? Of course, no problem. Yes I won't see much change from 500 quid next week, but maybe there's hope that the world won't need to descend to Ryanair levels of product and service all round.
Took the wife's 6-year old X3 to the BMW main dealer a day later, for an MOT and a possible loose wiring investigation. All smiles and politeness, knowledgeable staff, a total bill of 60 quid and the car very thoroughly cleaned too. See you in a few months for the 60k service? Yes, most likely! Will I be back to buy a 40-grand car from them? I very much doubt it!
I assume that most of us have something that we are prepared to pay out a little more for... fine dining, clothes, shoes, latest gadgets, fishing gear, booze,... etc. Maybe the glass palaces are providing a similar service for those who want that kind of reassured pleasure?
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I don't mind paying a premium for quality, provided of course that's what I've ended up buying.
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I guess it depends if it's worth it to you as a customer. What value the people visiting said glass palaces put on all that sort of stuff is what matters I suppose. I'm sure many do a good trade in people getting their cars repaired there. Probably a bit of retail kidology as well, it looks expensive so the service is bound to be top notch and they are sure to know what they are doing. When they don't though said customer is no doubt going to be a tad more upset than if they taken it to back street garage.
What do they charge at said glass palaces £100+ an hour ?
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GP's mean nothing at all to me.
Unless they offer exceptional value for money and a good quality product, whether servicing or sales, in which case i'm quite happy to use the spotless loos, drink their hot chocolate and scoff the rather tasty bikkies on offer and enjoy the passing tottering views.
Do i want my backside kissing by a plastic smile, no, and i want to talk to the organ grinder doing the work, not the recently left college service receptionist.
My MB indy's place of business looks like a scrap yard, his office has piles of old manuals, parts and dust going back 40 years, all in soft focus opaqued by the heavy cobwebs...but there i find skill and knowledge and an intention to save the customer money whilst maintaining his chosen marque to the highest standard.
No coffee, no knee deep carpets...do i miss or wish for any of it, not particularly especially when i haven't paid three or four times my eventual bill for it.
I love going there, want a squidgit for a 1963 280SE?, he'll know exactly where it is under which pile of junk.
I have to force money upon my indy, he knows and trusts us implicitly (mutual trust) but i have to throw some at him now and again in case anything happened to me out on the road cos he never does me a bill, he's too much of a gentleman to approach SWMBO for any outstanding if the worse happened...won't see his like again.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Fri 23 Nov 12 at 20:46
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>> he never does me a bill
And as far as HMRC are concerned his annual earnings just squeeze under the VAT threshold each year...
I used to use an Indy that would give me a receipt at the start of the year, and by the end of the year it would be written on a single sheet of paper with no sign of a carbon copy.
He retired to the Med before his 50th birthday ;-)
Last edited by: Lygonos on Fri 23 Nov 12 at 21:03
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>> He retired to the Med before his 50th birthday ;-)
Wriggled out from under... every citizen's dream...
:o}
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Nicely put Gordon a true story.Conned with a smile in the glass palaces.
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Anyone who knows of Smith Knights Fay as a VW/Audi/etc dealer might not know the person(s) who who was behind it and then sold it (to Inchcape) kept hold of the actual buildings and charges the current franchise for renting the building. In fact has a business to build glass palace dealerships.
Or so I was once told in recent years.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 23 Nov 12 at 22:32
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Glass palace near my home had 2 x differently owned VW franchises and both departed. taken over by another franchise - the palace would hold at least 12 x new cars and is about the height of a 3 x story block of flats - the heating bill!!!
The "new tenant" left a showroom for 6 cars at a push and had 4/5 work bays..........the new place was 5 x this size + a few acres of grass and block paving. Business on the up?
I do not know but the overall volumes of that manufacturer are down considerably..........the overheads of such a palace must put a strain on sales and service to keep the figures positive...........sales and showroom staff are down to a couple, phone calls slow to respond..........IMHO they might have been better in the "old premises" (brand new but compact) instead of supporting British Gas/High Council rates bills /High Rent of premises.
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>> ...IMHO they might have been better in the "old premises" (brand new but compact) instead of supporting British Gas/High Council rates bills /High Rent of premises.
I dare say the dealer would agree with you.
The facts are, the manufacturer gives the dealer standards they must abide by, if they wish to keep the franchise.
They include parts stock, (some parts includes that may never sell), special tools (again some will never get used) colour schemes (often changed every few years, and often includes staff only areas) they type of floor....
In MB dealers, that silly dark blue on light blue brush mark scheme has to be done by approved painters, of which I believe there are about six.... painters not companies!
If as a dealer you do not abode by these 'standards' then its goodbye to the franchise...
I know of one dealer who were told to move their premises nearer London.
They said no.
There is now a new dealer nearer London... the old one is no longer a dealer.
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My dealer has very good customer service. Part of Sytners group.
They come out and greet you by Mr Surname as you approach the door, they are wearing ear peices and I presume a spotter on the roof with binoculars clocks you turning-in and taps your reg no. into a PDA and then tells the door staff your name.
They introduce you to the showroom forman who already know any booking you have made or asks you if you haven't. He takes you to a free service receptionist or if they are all busy, seats you and offers snacks and drinks and then returns and invites you over when they are free. It all works like clockwork and stops queues and crowding at the service desks at rush hour.
They always ask if you mind if they clean and vacuum the car rather than assuming and give a tin of travel sweets. They also bring the car to the door/porch while you are paying.
It all works very nicely, but at £130 per hour, it is a premium-priced luxury I'd rather do without.
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I'm greeted by my forename at the local Cit/Pug specialist but then again I've been going there for best part of twenty years.
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>>My dealer has very good customer service. Part of Sytners group.
There's a large number of motor sport fans who wouldn't go anywhere near anything with that man's name on it, particularly those that have met him personally. One marshal who helped pull him from a burning car commented on what a disservice he'd done to the public.
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Yeah, well loved in his BTCC and sports car days was ole Fearless Frank.
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Visiting these places is so last century.
My local BMW dealer collects the car from my front door, and returns it later that day with the work completed, and the car gleaming inside and out. I did call in there on one occasion to get a headlamp bulb changed, which they did in 10 minutes, while the very pretty receptionist made me a (decent) coffee and chatted about nothing in particular.
If I were paying the bill, I'd question the value of it, but I'm not so I don't. I just enjoy it while it lasts :-)
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>> If I were paying the bill, I'd question the value of it, but I'm not
>> so I don't. I just enjoy it while it lasts :-)
>>
Another example of the impact of the UK's fleet car culture.
Look at the deals and offers available on cars which are over three years old. Of course by then, these are overwhelmingly privately owned. I've had quotes for stuff which are less than half of what would be charged if the car were still within the fleet network.
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Under three years old, the fleets are the prime market, and the market gets what it wants.
Over three years old, private owners are the prime market, and we (generally) won't pay glass palace prices, so the market has responded.
One dealership near me sought the best of both worlds by maintaining its (small) glass palace showroom, but relocating the service department to a nearby industrial park. If collect-and-return becomes more popular, I imagine we'll see more of this - or possibly even main dealers subcontracting out part of their service work?
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>> One dealership near me sought the best of both worlds by maintaining its (small) glass
>> palace showroom, but relocating the service department to a nearby industrial park.
Northampton's long standing Cit dealer Moto Baldet did that in the nineties. Car sales from a conventional showroom, commercials and workshop on an industrial estate near the station. Worked very well if you worked in town or used station as it was a short walk/bus ride.
Unfortunately they then bought a full size glass palace on the opposite outskirts and combined everything on one site. Soon taken over by a bigger group - Halshaw - then closed down.
Now an Aldi superstore.
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>> One dealership near me sought the best of both worlds by maintaining its (small) glass
>> palace showroom, but relocating the service department to a nearby industrial park. If collect-and-return becomes
>> more popular, I imagine we'll see more of this - or possibly even main dealers
>> subcontracting out part of their service work?
Yup, this BMW dealer has its service department on a small industrial estate, over a mile away from the showroom.
There is no way I would pay main dealer prices for servicing if it were my own money.
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>> I did
>> call in there on one occasion to get a headlamp bulb changed, which they did
>> in 10 minutes, while the very pretty receptionist made me a (decent) coffee and chatted
>> about nothing in particular.
>>
>> I just enjoy it while it lasts :-)
>>
I bet if you still had the Scenic it would take longer than 10 mins to change a bulb and you could then enjoy the 'coffee' for more than 10 mins. ;-)
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>> I bet if you still had the Scenic it would take longer than 10 mins
>> to change a bulb and you could then enjoy the 'coffee' for more than 10
>> mins. ;-)
That would have been a REAL hardship! :-)
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We popped in to our nearest MB dealership yesterday, needed an easily fitted part for the seat belt presenter for the old girl, the end piece where the belt slides wears through eventually.
Haven't been into the dealership before, the local one in our town shut down about 3 years ago, as you might expect ours was the oldest car by a country mile in the entire massive parking area, indeed there appeared to be nothing but current models anywhere to be seen, maybe i should have parked round the back.
Its a lovely place, sky high ceilings, quality tiles comfortable chairs and acres of glass an air of cold effeciency, one of the two stunning ladies sitting at reception helpfully pointed us to the parts desk hidden at the side and rear of the showroom.
Pressed the bell, twice, eventually a chap came out armed with his laptop we sat at a conference desk, no counter here, and very quickly had our part in his sights, he seemed to think it came as part of a kit, but when i appeared surprised checked further and found that it was indeed an individual part, so its ordered and should be there Fri am, a not unreasonable £16 and should it last the 16 years the previous one did i have no complaint.
Paid for the part and left, we were probably there 20 mins, no coffee offered to ease the pain of the bill either..:-)
The sales team appeared to be continually in conference in one of the many offices we passed, and the odd admin floating about.
Not a customer in sight, the one presumably sales lady sitting down the Smart end of the showroom engrossed in something was still there engrossed as we left.
It got me thinking just how much dealers have to extract from their seemingly few customers in pure profit just to run palaces and pay the staff the bare minimum, indeed how long can they continue in business.
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>> It got me thinking just how much dealers have to extract from their seemingly few
>> customers in pure profit just to run palaces and pay the staff the bare minimum,
>> indeed how long can they continue in business.
£100-£120 p/h labour rates in the service department help.
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It got me thinking just how much dealers have to extract from their seemingly few customers in pure profit just to run palaces and pay the staff the bare minimum, indeed how long can they continue in business.
GB I know your car is serviced by an indie.. You really ought to catch up on modern Mercedes servicing costs. The word "horrendous" seems accurate.. I looked at buying a new Merc several years ago and £1k bills did not seem uncommon..
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>> GB I know your car is serviced by an indie.. You really ought to catch
>> up on modern Mercedes servicing costs. The word "horrendous" seems accurate.. I looked at buying
>> a new Merc several years ago and £1k bills did not seem uncommon..
My old boss bought a 2002 C270 CDi new, and ran it for 120,000 miles. He reckons he only ever had two service bills under £1,000 in the car's life.
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''£100-£120 p/h labour rates in the service department help.''
I daren't ask, wouldn't be able to stifle the laughter, once really upset a workshop manager with some comments i'm glad i made when i delivered a lorry load of courtesy cars and collected the old fleet.
''You really ought to catch up on modern Mercedes servicing costs.''
Hmm, we owned 3 x W124 MB's at one point, the '95 E320 estate had a one owner full MB history with a massive folder with every bill from new, not one service came to less than £500 and many were eye watering.
What stuck in my mind was that on a bill for say £1200 the dealer in question even totalled up the cost of the screenwash additive and the pence that washers and the like came to, couldn't even cross out £3.50's worth of sundries on a bill of that size.
No i don't want to find out thanks, reckon on similar fantastic costs plus inflation plus increased VAT.
edit..DP's gaffers 02 car would seem to confirm this, i wonder how shocked customers who buy into the marque at the reasonably priced A B even C class must be.
My indy has customers from far and wide cos he knows how to look after the really old Benz's and he's discreetly well known, a few years ago he told me one of his customers had just had his current Bentley serviced at £2k, i'm sure he said current labour rate he paid was £254 an hour.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Thu 29 Nov 12 at 12:00
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Glass palaces - a positive spin? - Runfer D'Hills
