Glad to hear there are still good places to shop. Of the handful of dealers I've gone to, thus far the best is probably Warnock Lexus. Once I had gone in for the LS430 transmission reflashing because I felt it was slugish at low speeds and during turns on startup. Anyway, got it reflashed for free (there was a TSB for it) and they adjusted my driver's side headlight too because I mentioned if they could look at it.

So, all said and done, went in, got a loander for a few hours, enjoyed a bottle of water and a doughnut, even got my car cleaned. All for $0.

 

CS is much different there than stateside. No matter the shop, even me as a foreigner with the language barrier, treatment is good. From the Casio store to the Lexus dealer in Kagoshima. The Nissan dealer in Kokobu though not high end, we were given drinks and tea snacks and all I went in there for was brochures.

 

Great thing about this thread is that we have those with good experience and those with bad. I have had both bad and good experiences but, have learned from the bad. Glad to see and read comments of good dealerships and feel bad for those like me who encountered bad experiences.

Can admit one time I did have a great thing done for me at a repair(battery went dead) I had to get done! I was given a free battery by the local dealer. This was the only time this was done for me! The rest of my experiences are average in service visits. My issues were always in the sales department and I have had several issues with them in sales.


Only one thing I can say happened in service was when I had suspension work done and paid for it. I left the dealer and the problem was still there. They never replaced the parts I paid for and charged me for it. I luckily kept my invoice for what I paid along with the receipt! When I tried to tell the guy in service I paid for the item he said I didnt and it wasnt what he wrote up for me to have done. Not until I brought in the invoice/receipt did he admit he was wrong. Had a noise when I would turn my steering wheel and the sound would pop and was why the suspension was detected as bad(going bad)!

All in all the members are right. Some dealers and employees are good and some are bad. Though I had a small issue like I mentioned above they werent rude. Service is never rude to me. Just had issues mainly in sales and like one member said"were just in the way of there next potential sale in their minds" so I heed that info.

My next experience will be better because now I know as I matured its business and not true like for me or my business, just business. And you know what, nothings wrong with that, just would like more polite folks to make the money I spend but, thats asking to much, is it?!!! HAHAHA!!! L.G.N.M

 

To slclexus I'll say this! Like Tee stated its business. Go in for your services and whatever you need from them and dont take it personal. I hate gioing to my local dealer because how I was treated but, it business, not personal. I just need my service done every 5,000 miles and wear and tear items replaced and fixed. Thats how I handle it with htem. I'll buy from another dealer though. The dispute I had with them was mainly because of car purchases and not giving me a discount(never was given a price break after 4 Lexus' I purchased, none of them did I pay less than sticker)!

They saw me as a mark and I'll admit at 23/24 I was when I got my 1st Lexus. That said, when I asked for a discount and the only time I did and again never asked for one before or was given one in four Lexus', they declined to give me a price break. Heres the kicker I never mentioned. A friend who owned a GS was messing with a girl who worked at Lexus at the time when I was buying cars and mentioned after my 4th purchase they laughed at me and joked I was a sucker and how they over charged me for the 1st four Lexus'!

Thank GOD my friend knew the girl and she admitted it was true how they laughed at me. My friend was given several free items from them like free paint protection and other items. I was shocked. I was never given a break and this is why we fell out. I never told them I knew they joked about overcharging me and its been 9 years now since the last time the did, I was 27! I grew up poor and had no knowledge of car buying especially high end luxury. I thought the price was the price, bottomline. That said, a man named Rex after he left Lexus told me things I learned from. He told me what to do and not to. He never spoke bad about Lexus and always spoke highly but, helped me anyway being he knew I was new money!

I forgive them for what they did but, I warn fellow members you could be a victim of this as well as I was. Were just money to them and if were ignorant as I was 10 years ago and back to 14 years ago when I got my 1st Lexus, they will take advantage of you like they did me.

Never will I buy from them again. Those who spoke ill of me still work there and never speak to me. They dont know I know, but I'll be WISE and hold my tongue, its not worth it! L.G.N.M

 

I would say this about Lexus dealers. Their quality of service is nowhere near the level that Lexus sets for itself.

Yes you hear about good experiences but you also hear about shocking experiences. I have had only one or two good experiences, several shocking experiences, and a lot of incompetence. I've gone to multiple dealers at multiple times of the day on different days of the week so I have a statistically significant experience overall and overall it's really poor.

It's frankly amazing that they don't have better quality control over dealerships and that they allow them to be so inconsistent from one to the next.

I think it's a result of Lexus having done such a good job building cars that people wanted, that the dealership experience didn't really matter. Plus of course everyone at the dealership is on commission so they judge everybody as soon as they see them on what profit they think they can make. And that determines your customer experience.

Because the cars do sell themselves, I think Lexus should have experimented with a different dealership model. Take away the individual commission structure and reward everyone who works there collectively on overall customer satisfaction and sales. You see excellent customer service and resulting brand loyalty at several companies these days. Marriott hotels, In n Out burger are places I go to without hesitation.

Customer experience plays a huge part in where anybody chooses to spend their money. I know that a Lexus dealer will do my oil change for $50 if I get a coupon, but I still go to an independent to get it done for $40. Not because I am cheap and want to save $10 but because I actually get a better experience at my local independent dealer. Because I'm not going to the Lexus dealer and forming a relationship, I'm not forming any brand loyalty that would make me consider them for my next car.

Enough people go to the Lexus dealer because it's just one of those things that people do. The psychological pull is very strong. For many adults its probably a grown up version of getting a kids meal at McDonalds (or is that Starbucks).

For that reason, it would take a long time or something else quite disruptive in the marketplace before the dealership experience shows up on the radar screen of Lexus in Japan as an issue. If the likes of BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes, Audi, Hyundai etc all make big strides in the dealership area as they already have with their cars, then you may see something change.

But at the end of the day, dealerships are run by and reflect A type personality sales guys who are trusted to bring in the most revenue. For that reason they'll always end up not being the best place to buy your car or get your car serviced. Like others have said, buy your cars privately (which is better than getting it from a dealer who got it at auction), and find a good honest mechanic to look after your car.

 

Dude, you got taken for a ride, but you got to get your own back on them for their attitude. For your own self esteem you need to put one over on them.

Pick the sales guy you like the least and enter into a long period of negotiations about buying a car. Get him running around after you. Ask him to get you a firm offer on a trade in. Ask him for an offer on someone elses car. Then contact another of the sales persons another time and tell him you want to deal with him instead.

Really really mess them around, get to the stage of buying the car, and then walk away. Remember, you now have information and information is power.

Firstly, you know they think you are stupid and will pay full price. Secondly, they have seen you have enough money to pay full price several times in the past. You should really string them along and waste time. Get him to figure out a lease for you, get him to figure out a loan for you. Get him to find out if another dealer has the color you want. Ask to have a car for a couple of days. Just keep on bringing up excuse after excuse for your uncertainty or make up a money situation. Don't ever volunteer information. Let him follow up with you and then return his calls late. Do things at the end of the month or quarter when he needs to make his numbers and then back out of a purchase.

I am really serious, you should really screw them back. The fact that you've kept quiet means you're in the perfect situation to do that.

And you'll have some fun doing it.

 

Here's to all those that had bad to terrible experiences... what did you do about it? Did you write to the dealer manager, did you write to corporate, or did nothing? When there is an issue, and it's not resolved, then it needs to be excalated to the point where someone can resolve it and if it means going to corporate, then that's what has to be done.

If you don't complain, then to corporate it's all fine. Dealers really don't want corporate to know they're not following guidelines or procedures, so if there's threat of this, they'll be more responsive. Don't of course use the corporate card for every little things that goes wrong or you'll end up being a beeyocher customer.

 

AlexusAnja - excellent point. It is absolutely critical that people getting bad service from a company escalate their complaints to a manager and if that doesn't work escalate to corporate management or the business owner (in the case of a small business).

If I get bad service at a business I care about and use on a regular basis, I politely ask to speak to a manager immediately.

I am polite, and businesslike with the manager, but if they don't listen and act in good faith, I will calmly warn them that I have no problem escalating my request up the corporate management chain until I speak with someone that does care about my issue.

I have no problems dealing with VPs, and C level and above executives and do so on a regular basis in my job. The first line manager, or store manager is usually smart enough to sense pretty quickly that based on our conversation, they need to help resolve my issue post haste, and that I am absolutely, 100% the wrong person to mess with.

Anyone that gives you bad service or is rude and not helpful is just poorly trained - this may not be the individual's fault so don't waste energy getting mad at them, just escalate - at a large company you will usually find someone with adequate customer management skills and training as you move up the management ladder.

 

Love them, or hate them... but Disney is all about cust. svc. You go into their parks, everyone is knowledgable and none will give you a face. On our trip there, we had one little issue at the park that we thought could be "improved" and so we wrote to their cust. svc. center in GA. Little less than two weeks later, we get this nice certificate for 20% off our complete purchase of any merchandise at any Disney store and a very nice letter.

It's little things that most people in the "service" sector don't understand that make the most difference. Do you look engaged? Did you say "I don't know, but I'm going to find out" rather than "oh, I don't know" or "that's not my job..."

 

Great points Alexusanja and Jabberwock. Very funny comments by rjacket also appreciate the support fellow member, they did me wrong. Alexusanja made great point that was followed by Jabberwock. Alexusanja stated what did I(any member) do when done wrong. Did we write any letters? Speak to a manager etc.! I actually always dealt with the manager when I purchased my cars(all of them including the Benzes I got) due to what I was involved in at the time(Entertainment Industry)!

Still in the industry but, no longer visual and I was when I purchased those cars. This I think lead them to take advantage of me early on being I could afford it I paid no attention to the fact I can ask for money of or anything extra if I buy. This was due to my ignorance and upbringing. I was the 1st in almost all areas of my LIFE in MY FAMILY! 1st new car owned outright and 1st to make over $50,000 in a year as well as first to build a home from the ground up!

That said, I was new to all I encountered! I didnt think of calling or writing corporate because I had no WISDOM nor Knowledge to do so at the time. Now, Im different after 10 years and 14 years of owning these cars(high end luxury)! Had these things happened to me now I would be prepared for what to say and how to. I was very immature then and young and biz and being poor and lacking education is a dangerous combination. I'll admit this, I reacted very street like being I was from there and came into money overnight!

No excuse for how I was treated before I blew up at all. I didnt act crazy until he(Co-Owner of the local dealer I went/go to) made the statement" I wont feel comfortable doing service on your car if you buy from another dealer"! This was said after I asked for only $1000 of my next purchase with my checkbook in hand and this after 4 paid for Lexus' and more. Your talking all sticker price purchases I made on 4 Lexus' all over $40,000!

Didnt want $3000 or more off, just wanted it out of owner loyalty and was told they dont do that anymore as well. Long and short I went to Maryland 2 years later and got the LS 430 I have now. By this time I learned a bit more about finance and car buying and other monetary business dealings and there true value. This lead me to buy used. Very wise purchase and up to that point I never considered a used car.

Sometimes the things we think hurt us, actually help us. Had he not did me wrong and the dealership as much as they had over the years I purchased the 4 Lexus' I would have never went looking out of state(Maryland) and found the more dealers the better the price. Got $4,000 of the price of this LS, or was it $5,000. Anyway, worked out for the best and now I see if I dont like the price, I move on.

Rjacket, loved the support and was a funny post. I can imagine that whole post of your happening in a movie. HAHAHA! Thats said, if I do them like they did me, makes me just like them. I learned from a WISEMAN to never allow people to change you. I go by that. You know and we all know how cruel and mean people can be. Some of our greatest people were treated worse than me. Wont get into that because people get offended when you mention certain people and events but, anyway thanks.

Your support means alot and is valued by me, I just can never subject another human to the pain I suffered mentally. Two wrongs dont make 1 right! And The One has a way of getting people back for bad behavior. Heck, Im not perfect and have paid for bad things I did in the past so I know e all get what Karma has coming. I just am older now, and WISER and have no time to waste with that dealer. They just wont get me to buy another Lexus from them, thats all!

Thats enough for me to let them know how I feel. Also, this Lexus has been great after I got it has been a dream. The right size and not to flashy. My next car will not be local and they will see it and know I didnt buy from them. Can they make up for what they did? Yes, I doubt they will though! They so far only gave me a free battery and that was in the service department, not sales and was from a gent that wasnt working there when I was treated wrong. He's the only one nice to me all the time!

L.G.N.M