http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 49
22001199
DIDYOUKNOW?Courtesy-caravailabilityprovedtheleastpleasingaspect
ofyourownershipexperienceatdealers,witha75.28percentsatisfactionrating.
LOOKINGatthesescores,it’sclearthat
Audidealersaregettingsomethingsright.
Coming10thforthefacilitiesonofferisa
goodresult,withcleanlinessandwaiting-
roomamenitieshighlights.Courtesycars
arealsoprettyeasytocomeby,whichwill
makeservicingvisitsmoreconvenient.
Butthesebenefitsareundonebythefact
thatourreadersrateAudifranchises
asprovidingthesecond-worstvaluefor
moneyofanyofthedealersinourannual
survey;youalsosaythey’rebelow-average
whenitcomestofinishingworkontime.
Staffcourtesyatthebrand’sgaragesis
anotherareathatneedstobeimproved,
ifthesescoresareanythingtogoby.
YOUsayMINIdealershipsareniceplaces,
withcomfortablewaitingareasandclean
facilities.Despitethebrand’spremium
image,MINIworkshopsofferreasonable
valueformoney.Elsewhere,however,the
resultsareeitherbelow-averageorpoor.
Thescarcityofcourtesycarsremainsthe
biggestthorninthesideofMINI’sowners,
whileyoualsocomplainworktakestoo
longtocomplete,andyoudon’tratestaff
courtesyhighly,either.Communication
couldbebetter,withareasonablescore
forhowclearlyworkisexplainedbystaff,
butalessermarkawardedforhowwell
theykeepyouinformedoftheprogress
whenservicingorrepairsarecarriedout.
ANOTHERhigh-volumesellerwithabelow-
averagescore,Volkswagendealersfallfrom
the18thplace(outof28)theymanagedin
2018,andwereunabletoriseintothetop
halfofthetablethisyear.VWshowrooms
havereasonablynicefacilities,andowners
saywaitingareasareprettycomfortable,
whiledealershipsarecleanandtidy.Bills
andotherpaperworkarealsoclearly
explained,butimprovementscouldbe
made.Youwishthestaffatdealerswere
morecourteous,anddon’tthinkmuchof
thevalueformoneyonofferinworkshops.
Withcourtesycarsalsoscarceandon-site
parkingatapremium,theareasinwhich
VWfranchisesneedtoimproveareclear.
JUST0.07percentseparatesFordfrom
archrivalVauxhall,withtheBlueOval
laggingbehindinafewkeyareas,most
noticeablystaffcourtesy.You’renottoo
soldonthedealerfacilitiesFordhas,
either,andsaycommunicationneeds
toimprove,particularlywhenitcomesto
keepingyouinformed.Still,atleastthe
brand’sfranchisesarefelttoofferbetter
valueformoneythanVauxhall’sgarages,
whilerespondentsalsosayworkiscarried
outinamoretimelymannerwithFord.
Yetgiventhesizeofbothdealernetworks,
itseemstoomanyofyouarenotgetting
theserviceyououghttowhenbuyingcars
thatcostthousandsofpounds.
84.42%
84.22%
84.06%
83.75%
- Audi
21. MINI
- Volkswagen
- Ford
RATINGS
RATINGS
RATINGS
RATINGS
CATEGORIES
CATEGORIES
CATEGORIES
CATEGORIES
“Servicestaffwereadamantnothingwaswrongwithmycar;
Ihadtogetmanagementinvolvedtogettheworkcompleted.”
“Idroppedmycaroffattheagreedtimeof8am,butwastold
thecourtesycarIhadpre-bookedwouldn’tbereadyuntil9am.”
“Chargedmaindealerpricesforarepair,butfoundakeyfobfrom
anindependentgarageinmycar,suggestingworkwasoutsourced.”
“IneededanewtyrefittedtomyEdge,butstaffsaidtheydid
notknowhowtochangeitasithadneverbeendonebefore.”
%OFOWNERS WHOHAD APROBLEM...
%OFOWNERS WHOHAD APROBLEM...
%OFOWNERS WHOHAD APROBLEM...
%OFOWNERS WHOHAD APROBLEM...
31 1
31 1
31 1
31 1
Workcostingmorethanexpected
generatedmostcomplaints,and
unansweredcallsareaproblem
Lowproportionofproblems.Overa
quarterwereforcarsnotbeingready;
afifthrelatingtodiscourteousstaff
Complaintsevenacrossthenine
areaswestudied.Carsnotready
andfault-findingweremaingripes
Slightlyabove-averageproportion
reportissues;late,dirtycarsand
unexplainedbillsaremainissues
15.9%
9.6%
11.8%
13.8%
OWNER’S
VIEW
OWNER’S
VIEW
OWNER’S
VIEW
OWNER’S
VIEW
Dealer facilities
Availability of courtesycar
Staff courtesy
Communication
Standardofwork
Speed to completework
Value formoney
Dealer facilities
Availability of courtesycar
Staff courtesy
Communication
Standardofwork
Speed to completework
Value formoney
Dealer facilities
Availability of courtesycar
Staff courtesy
Communication
Standardofwork
Speed to completework
Value formoney
Dealer facilities
Availability of courtesycar
Staff courtesy
Communication
Standardofwork
Speed to completework
Value formoney