Lexus of Concord Dealer Experience
02-23-09, 11:39 AM
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Lexus of Concord Dealer Experience
What do you think of this for a dealer experience at Lexus of Concord?
I walked in and nobody greeted me. When I found a service advisor, I introduced myself and extended my hand for a handshake.
I wanted to get a feel for how diligently they would look at some quality issues. I eventually got the answer I was looking for (in terms of helping me make a decision whether to use them) namely that a Lexus like any other car will get rattles and squeaks and that is normal and might not even be fixed.
I thanked the advisor and left, taking his business card of my own initiative rather than being offered it.
I returned remembering that I also needed a car wash. When I went back in I didn't want to talk to the same person, so went to the service window where a couple of people were engaged in a nice conversation that went on for a while even though they looked me straight in the eye and saw I was waiting. The answer came back that I needed to talk to a service advisor.
So reluctantly I went back to the service advisor area where there was another group of people engaged in a nice conversation. Eventually they got round to me and the same service advisor who thinks rattles and squeaks are acceptable in a Lexus, said to me that the car wash is not automatic (duh!) but done by hand and it would take 2 hours, in which time they would be closed. He didn't actually check whether there was any huge queue for a car wash, so I am pretty certain this was BS.
I am certain that some of you out there are familiar with quality control concepts so I can't help thinking that for everything that Lexus says, your Wal-Mart and McDonalds probably have a harder job than Lexus to achieve customer satisfaction given the far higher number of transactions they do, and I can't help conclude that they are probably better achievers than Lexus.
I walked in and nobody greeted me. When I found a service advisor, I introduced myself and extended my hand for a handshake.
I wanted to get a feel for how diligently they would look at some quality issues. I eventually got the answer I was looking for (in terms of helping me make a decision whether to use them) namely that a Lexus like any other car will get rattles and squeaks and that is normal and might not even be fixed.
I thanked the advisor and left, taking his business card of my own initiative rather than being offered it.
I returned remembering that I also needed a car wash. When I went back in I didn't want to talk to the same person, so went to the service window where a couple of people were engaged in a nice conversation that went on for a while even though they looked me straight in the eye and saw I was waiting. The answer came back that I needed to talk to a service advisor.
So reluctantly I went back to the service advisor area where there was another group of people engaged in a nice conversation. Eventually they got round to me and the same service advisor who thinks rattles and squeaks are acceptable in a Lexus, said to me that the car wash is not automatic (duh!) but done by hand and it would take 2 hours, in which time they would be closed. He didn't actually check whether there was any huge queue for a car wash, so I am pretty certain this was BS.
I am certain that some of you out there are familiar with quality control concepts so I can't help thinking that for everything that Lexus says, your Wal-Mart and McDonalds probably have a harder job than Lexus to achieve customer satisfaction given the far higher number of transactions they do, and I can't help conclude that they are probably better achievers than Lexus.
02-23-09, 12:40 PM
#5
Magnussen's in Fremont is good. Ask for Summer Macool.
I also had a great experience at Pleasanton Lexus. I forgot the service advisor's name, but they were very friendly. Dealership is not as "posh" as Magnussen's though. But they had free Pastries... hehe, which Fremont did not.
I also had a great experience at Pleasanton Lexus. I forgot the service advisor's name, but they were very friendly. Dealership is not as "posh" as Magnussen's though. But they had free Pastries... hehe, which Fremont did not.
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02-23-09, 04:10 PM
#8
I bought two of my cars at Lexus of Pleasanton and haven't had any issues with them whatsoever. They are very good and respectful. Excellent service. My service advisor's name is Ken Pletcher, he's a good guy. As for the car wash 2 hours!?! The longest I had to wait was 20min. Anyway hope this helps!
02-23-09, 05:21 PM
#9
ALL
I have been reading feedback threads and moderating on NORCAL Section for 7+ years now and I can tell you that almost EVERY dealer in the Bay Area has had a complaint at one time or another. Once in a while a dealership will have good feedback, but what tends to happen 99% of the time, is that only the 1 person out of ten people who ARE NOT happy, will be the ones to post on the forum.
So as usual, people will then respond to a complaint thread by posting positive recommendations of other places to go. That in itself is not bad, but it may or may not be a fair shake to the business being complained about. Now the opposite thing happens, where everyone will give positive props to other places and you will see little if any positive props defending the other dealership. It's human nature "for some of us" not to argue or become confrontational, so primarily positive recommendations will ensue.
This is not a gripe or a flame on anyone posting. Again, it's just human nature and EVERYONE has to understand how to digest such opinions.
I have personally known the managers and operators of several Lexus dealerships. I've also known employees (who are CL members) of some of these dealerships and I've seen what goes on behind the scenes that people don't usually know.
The bottom line is ownership changes, management changes, employees and ESPECIALLY salespeople change. These are some key factors why a dealership's performance will vary over time.
When you have a "bad" experience with a dealer or for that matter ANY Business, it would serve the ClubLexus community much better if the FIRST thing you did was NOT complain on the forums until you have approached the manager of the business and voiced your dis-satisfaction with them and given them the OPPORTUNITY to correct it.
If after an attempt to do that, you cannot reconcile your issue, then it makes sense to post your story.
There are bad-apples in every company, but in my opinion THE WORST thing you can do is NOT provide negative feedback to management so that they can correct the issue and instead just post on the forums first without any provocation. This does very little to get the problem fixed. Everyone is human and deserves an opportunity to correct their mistake. In this current economy, does ANYONE really think that it's not every businesses intent is to do all they can to stay in business?
Here's some suggestions I have when viewing positive and negative feedback.
1. Use common sense and your own best judgement.
2. When viewing negative feedback, keep in mind that in some cases you may be dealing with someone who is irate or frustrated and who just wants to use the forums to lash out. I have PERSONALLY looked into some complaints about some of our local vendors and there are two key issues I've found:
a. One issue is that the readers are ONLY hearing ONE SIDE of the Story. When I've checked into the situation with the vendor, I found that the poster was leaving out key bits of information and that lack information basically biased everyone's opinion who responded. In some ways a dis-satisfied poster just wants to blame someone else for what is often their own fault. By posting their one-sided story, and having people support them, it just becomes a false way of making themselves feel better.
b. The other issue I often see is the poster DOES NOT have a technical understanding of the circumstances of the problem. They may not be mechanical or technical, but somehow "THEY THINK" they know what's wrong and it's obviously the vendors fault. To me the term "The customer is Always Right" has exceptions. I'd re-phrase it to say "The customer is Always Right, but ONLY if they know what they're talking about".
3. When viewing positive feedback, keep in mind that you may be dealing with someone who has a vested interest in giving props. Any time I read a positive recommendation, followed by the phrase " tell em "Joe" sent you", it can have either a positive or negative connotation.
a. A person may be looking to get discounts or freebies, once he can gain enough points with referrals to hit up the shop for "A PERSONAL DEAL".
b. The person may either have a close friend who works there or is related to the shop in some business manner. Either way, a kick back is in their agenda. So when they tell you "This shop is Da Bomb" or that they'll give you "a deal" one should really think twice.
c. One positive side of providing a referral name is it may entitle you to discounts or special attention, but I feel most legitimate businesses should not follow that rationale. If they are priced fairly and treat you well, it should be consistent no matter who you talk to. On the flip side, it may be just a lure to grab some initial business to "break into the forums", but in the long term they cannot keep giving out the discounts, as they will eventually have to start "making money" off of someone. So I'm not trying to knock all people who give out names for recommendations, but when someone does give a name out, read item #4.
4. Credibility & Character - The next time you read a Prop / Dis thread, start to look at the qualifications of the poster. Are they well known on the forum from their past posts? Have they demonstrated a track record of good post comments? Do you or others personally know them; or does it appear others know them well? Have they been on the forums long? What is their post count?
There may be good recommendations from people with low post count, etc. it's just that it is difficult to judge posters when there is little else to base it on. One thing you "CAN" do is read item #1, then identify if the poster has been analytical with their post, have they spoken clearly and concisely, are they fair and balanced with their information, written calmly and without excessive emotion, etc.
5. Last item. See #1 plus do your homework and DO A SEARCH !!!!
There are 7 years of posts about dealerships, shops, etc. in NorCal section. You should not base your decision on one person's most recent post alone. Go back to history and see if there is supporting evidence in favor or against the business in question.
Lastly, my post is not a direct comment to the Original Poster or to any of those who have replied, but just a good thread for me to post this advice. I'll probably cut and paste it to a sticky one day, but for now it's here.
And you thought only CThruIS350 was good at doing essays huh? NOT !
I have been reading feedback threads and moderating on NORCAL Section for 7+ years now and I can tell you that almost EVERY dealer in the Bay Area has had a complaint at one time or another. Once in a while a dealership will have good feedback, but what tends to happen 99% of the time, is that only the 1 person out of ten people who ARE NOT happy, will be the ones to post on the forum.
So as usual, people will then respond to a complaint thread by posting positive recommendations of other places to go. That in itself is not bad, but it may or may not be a fair shake to the business being complained about. Now the opposite thing happens, where everyone will give positive props to other places and you will see little if any positive props defending the other dealership. It's human nature "for some of us" not to argue or become confrontational, so primarily positive recommendations will ensue.
This is not a gripe or a flame on anyone posting. Again, it's just human nature and EVERYONE has to understand how to digest such opinions.
I have personally known the managers and operators of several Lexus dealerships. I've also known employees (who are CL members) of some of these dealerships and I've seen what goes on behind the scenes that people don't usually know.
The bottom line is ownership changes, management changes, employees and ESPECIALLY salespeople change. These are some key factors why a dealership's performance will vary over time.
When you have a "bad" experience with a dealer or for that matter ANY Business, it would serve the ClubLexus community much better if the FIRST thing you did was NOT complain on the forums until you have approached the manager of the business and voiced your dis-satisfaction with them and given them the OPPORTUNITY to correct it.
If after an attempt to do that, you cannot reconcile your issue, then it makes sense to post your story.
There are bad-apples in every company, but in my opinion THE WORST thing you can do is NOT provide negative feedback to management so that they can correct the issue and instead just post on the forums first without any provocation. This does very little to get the problem fixed. Everyone is human and deserves an opportunity to correct their mistake. In this current economy, does ANYONE really think that it's not every businesses intent is to do all they can to stay in business?
Here's some suggestions I have when viewing positive and negative feedback.
1. Use common sense and your own best judgement.
2. When viewing negative feedback, keep in mind that in some cases you may be dealing with someone who is irate or frustrated and who just wants to use the forums to lash out. I have PERSONALLY looked into some complaints about some of our local vendors and there are two key issues I've found:
a. One issue is that the readers are ONLY hearing ONE SIDE of the Story. When I've checked into the situation with the vendor, I found that the poster was leaving out key bits of information and that lack information basically biased everyone's opinion who responded. In some ways a dis-satisfied poster just wants to blame someone else for what is often their own fault. By posting their one-sided story, and having people support them, it just becomes a false way of making themselves feel better.
b. The other issue I often see is the poster DOES NOT have a technical understanding of the circumstances of the problem. They may not be mechanical or technical, but somehow "THEY THINK" they know what's wrong and it's obviously the vendors fault. To me the term "The customer is Always Right" has exceptions. I'd re-phrase it to say "The customer is Always Right, but ONLY if they know what they're talking about".
3. When viewing positive feedback, keep in mind that you may be dealing with someone who has a vested interest in giving props. Any time I read a positive recommendation, followed by the phrase " tell em "Joe" sent you", it can have either a positive or negative connotation.
a. A person may be looking to get discounts or freebies, once he can gain enough points with referrals to hit up the shop for "A PERSONAL DEAL".
b. The person may either have a close friend who works there or is related to the shop in some business manner. Either way, a kick back is in their agenda. So when they tell you "This shop is Da Bomb" or that they'll give you "a deal" one should really think twice.
c. One positive side of providing a referral name is it may entitle you to discounts or special attention, but I feel most legitimate businesses should not follow that rationale. If they are priced fairly and treat you well, it should be consistent no matter who you talk to. On the flip side, it may be just a lure to grab some initial business to "break into the forums", but in the long term they cannot keep giving out the discounts, as they will eventually have to start "making money" off of someone. So I'm not trying to knock all people who give out names for recommendations, but when someone does give a name out, read item #4.
4. Credibility & Character - The next time you read a Prop / Dis thread, start to look at the qualifications of the poster. Are they well known on the forum from their past posts? Have they demonstrated a track record of good post comments? Do you or others personally know them; or does it appear others know them well? Have they been on the forums long? What is their post count?
There may be good recommendations from people with low post count, etc. it's just that it is difficult to judge posters when there is little else to base it on. One thing you "CAN" do is read item #1, then identify if the poster has been analytical with their post, have they spoken clearly and concisely, are they fair and balanced with their information, written calmly and without excessive emotion, etc.
5. Last item. See #1 plus do your homework and DO A SEARCH !!!!
There are 7 years of posts about dealerships, shops, etc. in NorCal section. You should not base your decision on one person's most recent post alone. Go back to history and see if there is supporting evidence in favor or against the business in question.
Lastly, my post is not a direct comment to the Original Poster or to any of those who have replied, but just a good thread for me to post this advice. I'll probably cut and paste it to a sticky one day, but for now it's here.
And you thought only CThruIS350 was good at doing essays huh? NOT !
Last edited by RMMGS4; 02-24-09 at 02:16 AM.
02-23-09, 06:15 PM
#10
Lexus Connoisseur
Summer at Magnussen is my old adviser, she is awesome, and so is her team.
02-23-09, 06:58 PM
#13
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eh.. i write 3 paragraphed 2-3 sentence each pargaphy essyas and RMMGS4 busts out with this.... i double spaced it in word and it was around 4 pages @ 1152 words, enough for a mid level high school essay.
damn!
but i totally agree with RMMGS4!
damn!
but i totally agree with RMMGS4!
02-24-09, 12:05 AM
#15
A poll wouldn't be a bad idea. It's worth a data point or two, but the feedback comments do provide additional insight. As I pointed out, if a business goes under new management, everything may change and the poll would not reflect a significant improvement in service. It would be better to chart a customer satisfaction level versus date. This way people could see if the business is trending toward improvement or decline.