Your Lexus Dealer Experience

[Linas.P]

11 minutes ago, 999101999 said:

Mikeyb999, that mirrors pretty much my experience.  Unfortunate that this is how we as customers are left feeling. Sure there must be very satisfied clients but equally there network and Lexus themselves appear to be failing to address the clients that are having issues and could be bought back to the fold if addressed !

That is what I call "disjointed" experience... Lexus doesn't have control over dealers nor vice versa... If nice dealer tries to solve anything for you "bottom-up" they are likely to fail at Lexus HO level, if Lexus tries to solve it "top-down" they will fail at dealer level. This lack of transparency, shared goals and values are really not great. Lexus cars are great, but in EU after sales support just doesn't match the quality of vehicles. I cannot say they are worse than other brands, but definitely not better.

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, 999101999 said:

Mikeyb999, that mirrors pretty much my experience.  Unfortunate that this is how we as customers are left feeling. Sure there must be very satisfied clients but equally there network and Lexus themselves appear to be failing to address the clients that are having issues and could be bought back to the fold if addressed !

I'd get in touch with Lexus GB as a non responsive dealer is bad.

I agree with Mikey999 about Lexus Cheltenham. Their prep is poor and sales is average at best. They also have a Porsche selling strategy i.e thr cars sell themselves at their advertised price or slightly less. They also offer the worst p/x prices out offer all premium brands and lowest discounts.

I'm a die hard Lexus guy but some offered the dealers are shocking. I'm glad my local dealer, Lexus Bradford are top notch, and tbh, the experience at Leeds has been positive as well. 

[colin79666]

16 hours ago, PaulWhitt20 said:

I think dealers are missing a trick with curtesy cars. When you go in for service, treat it as a potential test drive. If you take an IS in for service and book a curtesy car they should give you the option of a GS or similar, the car they would hope to sell you next rather than a CT.

 

 

My dealer did that with me. Took my CT in for recall work and got a NX in exchange. Was very nice to cruise around like lord of the manor for the day but I'll stick with my CT for now 

Interesting comment about the Porsche experience. I got that from another dealer when looking to change last time (so I promptly walked out) but Lexus were completely different. Despite not looking like the average Lexus owner (under 30, jeans and trainers) I was treated the same as someone going in to buy new GS. When I indicated that I would be looking at preowned CTs there was no trying to pass me off, the same salesperson stuck with it and there was no hard sell on finance when I said I was paying cash.

[olliesgrandad]

23 hours ago, rayaans said:

I'd get in touch with Lexus GB as a non responsive dealer is bad.

I agree with Mikey999 about Lexus Cheltenham. Their prep is poor and sales is average at best. They also have a Porsche selling strategy i.e thr cars sell themselves at their advertised price or slightly less. They also offer the worst p/x prices out offer all premium brands and lowest discounts.

I'm a die hard Lexus guy but some offered the dealers are shocking. I'm glad my local dealer, Lexus Bradford are top notch, and tbh, the experience at Leeds has been positive as well. 

My problem is that I am pushed to find time to get my car serviced other than locally. In 42 days of owning my GS it's done 3477 miles. Listers Cheltenham seem okay for servicing, but I understand the views about them. Mind you I have had negative experiences with both BMW locally and Mercedes. 

The good thing about Lexus is the fantastic build quality and reliability of the product compared to the German offerings. 

[Odysseus]

I had a so-so experience buying my GS450h from Lexus Edgware Road.

 

The sales guy didn't know the product, never replied to my emailed questions in writing, and generally was a bit slippery.

 

On a matter of what should have been included with the car from what we agreed, I had to escalate to the sales manager then threaten to involve Lexus UK. It got sorted then.

 

I would not be in a hurry to deal with them again.

 

That said, the 'structural' aspects of Lexus dealers tick the right boxes. You're greeted professionally when you walk in, the coffee is excellent, and clearly effort is spent on making everything look slick. I'm shallow enough to like that sort of thing.

 

I'll be using Lexus Cambridge when the GS needs a service. I already take my Prius to their sister Toyota dealer so comparing the two will be interesting.

 

 

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

[999101999]

My feeling are experiences are similar, be it on a shorter timescale with my local dealer.  They have made a mediocre impression mainly down to lack of care and attention to detail regarding vehicle prep. Sales and reception are pleasant.  Senior management don't respond to calls or emails !  Agee with great product though :-)

[rich1068]

From the moment I pulled up in the car park to when I drove away in my (new to me) IS300, Lexus Sheffield have been astonishingly good. The car was the cheapest on the lot by quite a margin but I'd have been just as happy with that level of service if I'd been buying a £50k whatever. 

[999101999]

Its refreshing to hear LOC members experience's with positive dealer engagement as well as poor service.  I wonder is this club blog ever read by anyone significant within LEXUS UK ?   Sadly we will never know!     If we have been treated unfairly or in a less than professional manner perhaps we should complain directly to customer services at Lexus and see if they take a grip of those dealers that fall short of required standards for what is a great brand and product!

[dutchie01]

27 minutes ago, 999101999 said:

Its refreshing to hear LOC members experience's with positive dealer engagement as well as poor service.  I wonder is this club blog ever read by anyone significant within LEXUS UK ?   Sadly we will never know!     If we have been treated unfairly or in a less than professional manner perhaps we should complain directly to customer services at Lexus and see if they take a grip of those dealers that fall short of required standards for what is a great brand and product!

Couldnt agree more Ian,

We all drive a Lexus AND are motoring enthusiasts one way or the other as we are interested in the LOC and spend time here debating our cars. It will be our common interest to lift the Lexus brand and increase the Lexus service. Brand loyalty seems bigger with us than with other brands. SO, Lexus, are you listening? We are here to help if wanted!

Having said that, i do think that any manufacturer that takes itself serious and has a group of customers organised in a club open for all will listen in as this will provide tons of information that will enhance customer service and marketing efforts. Lexus UK will no doubt have a highly trained Customer Service Department that you can contact on facebook, twitter and by mail and you will get a reply within the hour?  The M/D s of the dealers and all sales directors and managers will follow the LOC activities out of professional interest?

Will they? Anyone working for Lexus amongst the members?    

[Rabbers]

Because they tend to be based on single negative episodes and generally consist of extremes of blame or praise, or even over-praise when

individual staff members are mentioned, I take opinions about dealerships with a pinch of salt.   Not surprisingly, dealers whose staff do their

jobs properly and for the most part anonymously and invisibly (with generously-endowed receptionists with prominent name-badges being a

justifiable exception) inspire little or no comment.   With specific regard to Lexus dealerships, I have over the years used eight or nine in

different countries and, except for rare encounters with people were obviously having a bad day (as I probably was too), I would give them

all similarly high marks for conscientiousness, helpfulness and courtesy, punctuality and, above all, an ability to quickly solve whatever

problem I had, the only jumps in blood pressure I have experienced (and continue to experience) being normal reactions to the size of the

bills for major services and/or parts - not that the need for replacements has been frequent given the good quality of the originals.  And

although I can't say to what extent overall reliability is dependent on good scheduled servicing by honest dealers, my own experience

certainly tells me that Lexus' traditional high scores in independent reliability surveys are deserved.

 

Of course, having been a Lexus owner for the better part of two decades I am no longer in a position to offer opinions about other

dealerships, but I must say that the days when new customers were almost startled by the far higher visible levels of enthusiasm and

motivation displayed by Lexus staff compared to their counterparts at, say, BMW or Audi (which were the marques I previously drove)

are long gone.  This does not mean that the quality of work has necessarily declined.  It means that the pressure of work has increased.

What appears to be happening is that staff numbers, especially in the workshop, are lagging behind the volume of service needs

being generated by the cumulative totals of Lexus models on the road in the sales area covered by individual dealerships.   And

although a forced increase in staff productivity irrespective of whether current sales targets are being met might be good news for

the owners of a dealership, it is probably not for customers who remember getting a smile along with their service needs. 

 

[Malc]

On 11/08/2017 at 10:54 AM, colin79666 said:

Despite not looking like the average Lexus owner (under 30, jeans and trainers) I was treated the same as someone going in to buy new GS.

excuse me ...  isn't the average Lexus owner 60+ and also wearing jeans and trainers  

and also I quote from  the following too

" That said, the 'structural' aspects of Lexus dealers tick the right boxes. You're greeted professionally when you walk in, the coffee is excellent, and clearly effort is spent on making everything look slick."

When taking my Honda Legend to the Main Dealer .  Barrett's in Canterbury .....  using their free courtesy bus to the City Centre and to their Jaguar Land Rover showroom there, via their other main dealer showrooms en route ........ for Mini and BMW.. .  it is quite clear that it is the dealer offering a tremendous service with coffee, newspapers etc and that is down to the ethos of the BRAND of Barrett's . a long standing family business ...  not just the marque requirements

 

My dealings at the Mazda main dealer in Canterbury were not of a similar quality, where the sales staff couldn't care a monkey's if one wished to view a new car or not ( my 1994 car was in for a free re-call earlier this year )  ...........  clearly not owned by Barrett's and it shows 

hahahahaha ............  maybe it was the jeans and trainers and a 23 year old Mazda that made them think I was broke and not worth bothering with eh ! 

Malc

[Mikeyb999]

I'm finding some of these comments really interestingly - I was almost under the impression that my negative experience was the exception, and I don't know anyone else who owns a Lexus to compare.  Colleagues have asked me if the dealership experience is as good as they assume it is so Lexus have done a good job of selling the dream.

My last other dealership experiences were with Citroen, Volvo, VW and Audi.  Despite the VAG bashing they were consistently as good as my best Lexus experiences.  Volvo were Ok, but only used them for my first interim service before the car went back to the lease co.  Citroen were flakey.

[Ian J. Parsley]

To throw in my tuppennies' - about all it is worth as Northern Ireland is a small place so you cannot just drive 100 miles to another city for another dealer. 

I found Volvo through the years quite good, though not exceptional. Costs were a bit on the high side for servicing. The showroom was a little cramped and courtesy car arrangements were complex and impractical. But very little really to worry about. 

I have found Audi very disappointing. They tried to mess us around at point of sale (for the trade-in); they failed to communicate properly when the car was in for a fix; in general, I do get the impression you are treated better further up the scale. Audi UK did little to help. Was left feeling they've become too successful too quickly and are taking customers for granted. One thing I would say against all that is that the showroom is magnificent. 

I have found Lexus the best, though I may just knock it down to four stars rather than five, as it were. They've been very good on a recent aftersales problem (much better than Lexus UK, who really haven't done much other than refer me back); the showroom is generally a pleasant place to visit; the front desk service is by far the best (they remember names, state a determination to sort problems, and do it all with a smile). As noted elsewhere, they do seem to treat everyone the same and I like the unhurried and unpressurised feel. One constant failing which maybe knocks the star off is the length servicing can take (maybe where the "unhurried" bit isn't so good) - it is not at all unusual to be casually called at 3pm and asked if they can keep the car, no doubt banking that it doesn't matter much since you have a courtesy. But actually sometimes it does matter, so I'd love them to sort that. 

[rayaans]

17 hours ago, Mikeyb999 said:

I'm finding some of these comments really interestingly - I was almost under the impression that my negative experience was the exception, and I don't know anyone else who owns a Lexus to compare.  Colleagues have asked me if the dealership experience is as good as they assume it is so Lexus have done a good job of selling the dream.

My last other dealership experiences were with Citroen, Volvo, VW and Audi.  Despite the VAG bashing they were consistently as good as my best Lexus experiences.  Volvo were Ok, but only used them for my first interim service before the car went back to the lease co.  Citroen were flakey.

To be fair, the majority of Lexus customers get good service and Lexus are consistently better than most dealers but the bad experiences do occur. However, it can be argued that its all subjective and possibly dependent on what service you've had before. 

When you get pampered by your local dealer and go to another Lexus dealer to find that their service isn't up there, it makes you feel that the service is bad - however, it was probably still much better than a Merc/BMW dealer. Having said that, it also depends on the buyer. Some buyers are naturally fussy and want everything to be perfect - therefore, more likely to be unhappy about something that didn't go quite as well as it should have. For others, they just want another car and aren't overly fussed with its condition etc.

[paulrnx]

Lexus Cheltenham - always had good servicing on all 5 Lexus I've had serviced there. Also purchased one brand new Lexus from them and prep & handover was good, no problems. Less good imo are their part-ex prices and willingness to do a deal on their approved used vehicles. The deal I got for a new IS300h was good but I've purchased 3 approved used Lexus and each time this dealership was poor in comparison with others in terms of price and part-ex values so I bought from other Lexus dealerships. One of the sales guys was a little less than honest when I was shopping round for an NX so this dealership would never be my first choice when buying an approved used Lexus. Happy with all servicing here though and it is my closest.

Lexus Derby - bought an approved used IS250 F-Sport unseen from this dealership. Asked all the right questions on phone and via email and all replies were accurate. Turned up to collect the car and it was exactly as advertised except for a slight scrape on one of the wheels. They agreed to repair this free of charge after delivery and did so with no problems. Got a good deal on this car - price and trade-in - well pleased. Too far away for me to use for regular servicing though.

Lexus Wolverhapmton - bought two approved used Lexus from here, an IS200t Sport and my current NX. Both experiences were first class. Quickly got to a deal I was happy with on both occasions and the prep and handover on both occasions was faultless. After-sales care was spot on for both cars too because I had to take each car back for minor work soon after taking delivery. NX went back for a wheel alignment adjustment. Can't remember exactly what the IS200t went back for but it was minor. The reason for going back was to ensure any work was done foc because, for example, wheel alignment is not covered under warranty for obvious reasons.

Visited Lexus Birmingham to get something checked out on one of my Lexus. Can't remember what though. I was promised a call back and never received a call. I could have chased but I got it sorted elsewhere. Can't for the life of me remember exactly what it was though.

Just wish Lexus cars went a bit longer between services though. Probably ok for owners doing 10-12k miles per year but less good for me because I do 20k miles per year which is two services.

[Adrian28]

Over the years I have visited many Lexus dealers throughout the country in my capacity as a transporter driver. On the whole I would rather deliver to Lexus dealers than many of the others as they seem to employ a higher standard of staff, this in turn is reflected in the way I am treated as a delivery driver. I am always greeted politely, usually by the host, I'm not usually kept waiting, and when the delivery is completed I am usually offered a drink and the use of any facilities I might need.

Thankfully this level of service has not changed since I have become a Lexus customer. I have nothing but praise for Lexus in Cardiff. When ever I walk through the door I am made to feel special, and nothing is too much trouble for them. I am very impressed with the whole Lexus experience, and as a result I cannot see me changing brand loyalty, any time soon.

[Spacewagon52]

I think the level of service also depends if you are a regular customer - i.e. someone who is buying a new car at least every three years. My very small interaction with Lexus Canterbury was very good - I only bought a Battery. Fitted free - coffee offered and a lift to town and A PICK-UP! Well worth the £80 odd pounds. I know a member on here who has an older LS400 and is very impressed with the service he has received from them. I have not had the courage, yet, to try them for parts or service.

[steveledzep]

2 hours ago, Adrian28 said:

I have nothing but praise for Lexus in Cardiff.

Me too, been dealing with them for the last three years and I cannot fault them.  I'll be calling Natalie soon to arrange my next service in October.

[rich1068]

On 8/12/2017 at 8:31 AM, rich1068 said:

From the moment I pulled up in the car park to when I drove away in my (new to me) IS300, Lexus Sheffield have been astonishingly good. The car was the cheapest on the lot by quite a margin but I'd have been just as happy with that level of service if I'd been buying a £50k whatever. 

Just to add, mine went in for a couple of hours today for a warranty niggle. When I picked it up I asked if they had any keyrings. The one I got from them when they sold the car while very nice taps against the dashboard on bumpy roads (I know). Yes of course they said and gave me one of their very nice Lexus IS leather and chrome jobbies. It's the little things...

[Shahpor]

I know what you mean about the little things.

The first time I went to a dealer, Lexus Edgware Road gave me two of these without me asking for anything:

[rich1068]

You showed me yours...

[Shahpor]

That is rather nice.

Ok, you win.

[C Mclean]

All I got was a poxy leatherette one from Lexus, but I managed to snaffle a nice Mercedes USB stick from my daughter.

[rich1068]

 

3 hours ago, Shahpor said:

That is rather nice.

Ok, you win.

It says Lexus on one side and IS on the other don't you know 

3 hours ago, C Mclean said:

All I got was a poxy leatherette one from Lexus, but I managed to snaffle a nice Mercedes USB stick from my daughter.

To be honest that's what I was after. Or rather that's what I thought they'd give me.

The things dealers do that we get excited about. I think there's a whole thread there. I remember the first time I got BMW branded mints and water after a service at Sytner. 

"Do you think he noticed we charged him over 300 quid to change the oil, kick the tyres and give it a wipe over with a mucky rag?"

"Nah, he was as happy as a pig in **** with those mints. Wouldn't stop going on about them."

 

[Maxz]

If this thread is still going my two pence worth below...

Lexus Sidcup

They managed to end their relationship with me before it even had a chance to start, first time buying a Lexus last year. This is based on my experience with one of the most highly decorated salespersons if you go by Google reviews. Key points that resulted in me losing all trust with the dealership:

1) There was not a car on site to match my specs. Instead one was located on list at Edgware and a price was quoted. There was no negotiating on this price but instead two of the extra products/services were "thrown in" after the salesperson left the room to reportedly secure this with the manager over the phone. After returning home to check out photos of the vehicle on the Edgware website, it's advertised price was actually lower, by exactly the value of the two products that were purportedly "free". All blamed on a system error...

2) Sold and charged for Supagard even though per point 1 it was mis-sold due to the vehicle pricing "discrepancy". Was not refunded as the product had to quote "already been applied to the vehicle". This was technically true, in that Supagard had been applied already (and original customer charged) when the vehicle was first sold in 2015 and has a lifetime guarantee. In summary a lifetime product already on the vehicle, was charged for. Further to this, it then took over a month for the Supargard cleaning kit, guarantee card and then interior guarantee card to be located and provided by the dealership. At one point an invalid card for a fabric interior was passed to me for my leather interior car!? So if the product had just been applied in 2019 just shortly after I paid for the vehicle (and not 2015 per the service history), why would it take a month to locate the kit and (correct) cards? Surely they would be right there with the newly applied product? Not to infer anything here...

3) The vehicle had failed it's previous MOT, conducted by Edgware Lexus, due to severe and dangerous tyre wear/failure. Tyres wear out so not a deal breaker for me. Nice of them to replace the tyres, however leaving nothing to chance had the alignments checked and three wheels were all well out. So Lexus replaced the tyres and left the tracking off, so they new tyres were more likely to meet the same fate. Manager offered to refund me the cost of the tracking alignment, refund never arrived.

I'm not what you typify as a fussy customer or complainer. The issue I have is with what looks like dishonesty and disrespect for the customer, assuming we do not have the intellect to identify or the nerve to call out this type of behavior (mainly point 1). I'm aware others have had a great time with this dealer, I'm hoping it was just my bad luck.

PS. Just to also note, I used to work for Toyoyta engineering, got trained in all the principles of the firm and how it does business the "Toyota Way". This is also influenced to an extent by the Japanese culture of respect for others too. My experience of the firm diligently building these quality cars versus the sales at the end of the chain, two very different things. I didn't complain to the top (Toyota Tsusho a subsidiary of Toyota who run the sales and supplies chains) but doubt the aforementioned fits with their organisational ethics. I appreciate organisations need to turn profits but I believe there are limits to what is acceptable behavior.  Off to Toyota Bromley when then service is due 👍