Waiting time when ringing dealer

[KentColin]

I spent 25 minutes this morning  on the phone waiting to get through to the service department at my Lexus  dealer.  I wonder if this is common or did I just pick  a  busy time ?

[Rabbers]

Hopefully it was a busy time, because if it wasn’t, they (and you) have a serious problem.

[Mr_Groundhog]

I have also noticed lately that now they put you through a call centrer, whereas just a few months ago i was able to ring the local dealership and.... lo and behold, talk to the local dealership.

If anyone in marketing is reading this: lexus, please beat it already. Calling any company these days is knowing they're gonna waste 45 min of your time on the phone, please don't be one more

[dutchie01]

Not only Lexus but common practice everywhere. You are suppose to use the internet to book an appointment and trying to get someone on the phone is complicated to say the least. I tried to book a service for my wifes Audi last month, took me 4 efforts and a week. I wanted to discuss something technical but i better stop doing that now. Only friendly girls available that have to ask and will call back type of thing. With margins melting away like snow the dealer organisations are flattening their organisation. ( business speak for sacking as much people as possible).

[NemesisUK]

Well, it's not universal within Lexus as my dealership answers within 3-4 rings and only on a couple of occasions was I told they would ring back as the service desk was busy. They always do, usually within 10 minutes.

[DavidCM]

A few months ago I phoned a few local dealers for service costs.One (Reading) didn't answer their phone within a reasonable time.It happened to be my nearest but if a company doesn't answer - they don't get my business.

I eventually went with the third dealer (Hedge End) who were excellent.Incidentally the service costs were identical,but Hedge End were happy to offer the LOC discount and in any case their attitude on that initial call was head and shoulders above those who could be bothered to answer the phone.

It's no wonder businesses are failing if they can't do something as simple as picking up a phone .......

[Rabbers]

I make it a rule not to remain on hold for more than five minutes unless credibly messaged that I’ll soon be put through, preferring, if I so choose, to try again later.

Incidentally, I remember once being told by someone in the hold-music business that the worst possible tune in terms of potential customer alienation risk is Ravel’s Bolero.  The effect of the crescendo is to create a feeling of frustration which, if prolonged to excess, is likely to generate anger and loss of customer goodwill.
 

 

[DavidCM]

1 hour ago, Rabbers said:

The effect of the crescendo is to create a feeling of frustration which, if prolonged to excess, is likely to generate anger and loss of customer goodwill.

 

 

...and  increased sales of replacement telephone handsets for the phones slammed down in frustration.

[steve2006]

“Your call is not important to us and won’t be answered shortly”

”We are experiencing a high volume of calls at the moment and don’t have enough staff to answer them in a reasonable time”

”Your call will be answered shortly…you are number 172 in the queue”

😀

[wivenhoe]

I’ve just switched from a 2 year old Range Rover Velar to a RZ. The RR dealer was a Lookers franchise and they used a central booking centre which were rubbish, offered appointments weeks ahead for the inevitable warranty work and needed at least 2 months notice of a standard service. BUT they had an option ‘if your car is with us’ and this took you to an available service individual - always worked. I can’t see how a call centre 200 miles away can tell you what time you can collect your car or for it to be delivered.

It was just as well that the RR dealer were very helpful and contactable as in the 2 years from new, the car was with them 8 times !

[DavidCM]

23 minutes ago, wivenhoe said:

 

It was just as well that the RR dealer were very helpful and contactable as in the 2 years from new, the car was with them 8 times !

They say "practice makes perfect".

[Mr Vlad]

Well I never. My is250 service and MOT due mid August. I've just received an email stating my service due soon and can be done online. If I'm not ready to book online then they'll phone me sometime nearer the time.

Last year I got a call that the service and MOT were due. 

The only time I've had to phone my dealer was when the alternator packed up. I got through in seconds. 

Just goes to show Not all dealers are what you'd expect a Lexus dealer to be.

[Mr_Groundhog]

I had Lexus Maidstone (or the call centre 200 km away on their behalf) say they'll call me back in 10 minutes, a couple of times

I'm still waiting for the callback

I think we'll call you back is code for get lost

Canterbury lexus on the other hand has been brilliant the one time i had to deal with them

[dutchie01]

15 hours ago, steve2006 said:

“Your call is not important to us and won’t be answered shortly”

”We are experiencing a high volume of calls at the moment and don’t have enough staff to answer them in a reasonable time”

”Your call will be answered shortly…you are number 172 in the queue”

😀

Sometimes companies only spend money if they think it will create more so not cost money. Service, maintenance and complaints all cost money in their infinite wisdom. Fine example was my internet provider, new router and of course nothing works. Calling them meant 30 mins hold at least. After 2 times I was fed up and dialed number 1 on the menu, the salesdept and within 3 rings i had someone on the phone! I apologized and asked if they could connect me which they could! You see always a backdoor somewhere.. Another time with an airline after 20 mins waiting i got the message " it is very busy your call will be ended please try again later". Now THAT is enough to buy a can of petrol.

[Scotlex]

Not that long ago I tried to phone Emirates. I was on hold for over an hour 🙄 and then got cut off when someone eventually answered. 🙈🙈

I was NOT happy.

[Mincey]

38 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

Another time with an airline after 20 mins waiting i got the message " it is very busy your call will be ended please try again later". Now THAT is enough to buy a can of petrol.

I needed a doctor's appointment this week. I called at 8.30 when the lines opened and was told "the number of calls has exceeded the system's capacity. Please hang up and call again later". Ludicrious, absolutely ludicrous.

[Mr Vlad]

Yes trying to get through to the doctors is one helluva topic on its own. My wife's pet hate is the receptionist asking for health details. My wife tells them You're Not the doctor and Not qualified so I'm Not telling you. She gets put through rapidly. 

[Gary H]

I don’t remember there being any major issues when contacting the service side at my local dealer to be honest. I have to give credit where credit is due, there... I think on all but one occasion I’ve got through first time (within a few minutes my call is dealt with and finished) and the one time I recall having to leave a message for a call back, they did so about an hour later. Maybe slightly less. If there has been anything more major than that, I certainly can’t remember.

The sales side, however, is a different story unfortunately. I’ve moaned and groaned about them often enough elsewhere in our forum but getting through first time is a miracle and it often involves two or three requests for a callback. All I’ll say is I’m hoping when I collect my new car in another two and a half/three months, I’ll never have to deal with them again.

[dutchie01]

My daughters Nissan is in service with the local village garage. I do meet Theo the owner every now and then in the village pub and he always asks me how my daughter is and then is the Nissan still ok?

These are the shops that will survive for sure. 

[PRT68]

6 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Yes trying to get through to the doctors is one helluva topic on its own. My wife's pet hate is the receptionist asking for health details. My wife tells them You're Not the doctor and Not qualified so I'm Not telling you. She gets put through rapidly. 

A joke from Pistonheads. 

Use doctors receptionists as Border Police. 

No one would get in....

[Mr_Groundhog]

On 6/20/2023 at 8:38 PM, PRT68 said:

A joke from Pistonheads. 

Use doctors receptionists as Border Police. 

No one would get in....

As it is, there is already a massive decline in French and German tourists visiting the UK.

[Rabbers]

Not only them.  I used to enter the U.K. with an Italian ID card. Post-Brexit I need a passport, which,  it so happens, I have always had mainly for travel outside Europe, but I know few people who will bother to get one for the U.K. alone.

[BarneyTT]

I have used Lexus Bristol for years and since Marshalls took over this has been a real annoyance at times, I was told calls get transferred to the main call centre when the dealership is busy...............er, perhaps more staff required?

I hope the Steven Eagell Group taking over from Marshalls are better and they return to a more personal approach, one of the things that made Lexus stand out for me.