Am I uniquely unlucky in the poor quality of customer service at my nearest Ford dealerships? The smaller (and, when last used, competent!) Ford dealerships in my immediate local area have closed or lost their Ford status, during the last few years. The 3 large dealerships in the 3 nearest large towns provide poor customer service (on the basis of my experience over the last few years). Two are owned by the same company. The last time I dealt with one of their sites (about 3 months ago) was on a warranty matter (oil leak). They did the job OK but left a tool in the engine compartment - wondered what the rattling was! - and didn't even bother to wipe up the leaked oil (which I did myself)! Doesn't inspire confidence (like the surgeon who leaves a swab inside the patient and doesn't sew up the wound properly)! Needing a 25,000 mile service for my Focus 1.6 TDi , I resolved to use the other large Ford dealership and completed the on-line service booking form on the Ford UK website, asking for a service appointment. Nothing had been heard a week later - so I concluded they must be a 'shower' as well, like the other big firm! I decided finally to try out a surviving small family-owned Ford dealership at a slightly greater distance - in the hope that, being a small firm, they might at least have a decent customer service standard. (Some hopes, as it turned out)! Took car to this small firm by appointment at approx. 9am one day last week and returned home by train (I live approx. 14 miles away and the firm knew this). They said they'd ring me on my mobile when finished and mentioned that they were closing at 5.30pm. I was out and about with my wife in her car and, having heard nothing from them by about 4.45pm assumed they must have forgotten to ring me - so and asked her to drop me at the garage. On arrival the car was in the place where I'd parked it 7+ hours previously, but I assumed the job must have been done. No such luck - the service, as they admitted, had not even commenced! Receptionist reminded me that he was going to ring me when the service was completed. (Pointed out that no way I could get there from home in under 1 hour - so I'd have been unable to collect that evening if he rang me when the car was ready)! Apologetically, they put two (very junior-looking) mechanics onto the job, in an open-doored workshop. I sat on a wall outside and watched them. The entire job took little more than 1/2 hour. The bill for labour was £102 + VAT (+ another large amount for over-priced oil, etc.) - a total bill of just under £170. Not bad for about 1 man-hour of work? Didn't see them open the boot, so they didn't check the spare wheel, incidentally. They didn't do a test-drive on the road (isn't this supposed to be done as a matter of course)? Bill paid and keys handed over, I asked where the service record book was. Was told it was in the car. Looked in the car and couldn't find it, so returned to reception office. Frantic search .. service book finally unearthed. Asked them to stamp it. Was given it and noticed that they had written in 23,000 miles - not 25,000 miles. They apologised and amended the mileage figure. The whole exercise smacked of slackness, inefficiency and lack of professionalism. Yet another Ford dealership to be avoided!!!
Next time I'll be using my local highly-competent (they service my wife's car and I've hired vans from them!) non-Ford garage, which tries very hard to be helpul/efficient - despite the theoretical benefits of using a Ford dealer for servicing.
Has anyone else suffered in this way? What's a fair price for a 25000 service on a Focus diesel?
Thanks.