Auto Express – July 30, 2019

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%

20. Audi

21. MINI

22. Volkswagen


23. 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...

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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