Conlan’s strikes again!

As Dergside pointed out, it can be 6 of one and half a dozen of the other when it comes to dealing with dealers/indies.  However, being billed for obviously undone work is unacceptable.

Kin Mak wrote: I once had my XK in Jaguar Ireland before the NCT. Had a full service done and I told them to check for everything that the NCT will test. Went to do the NCT and it failed on "light intensity". Went back to Jaguar Ireland to kick up a stink, to be fair to them their service was great, they brought me to the back to show me how it was all tested and all.

OT (sorry), but an Irish mechanic just won the Jaguar Worldwide Mechanics Competition in England!

Reminds me stopping for a young lad with a '97 'maxed out' Ibiza with his bonnet open a few years ago at the Skee bridge in Allenwood

Had a quick look, there was oil everywhere and no oil filter, seemingly he had done the service himself 20min beforehand and when it got spluttery he thought dropping gears that it might drive what ever was wrong with it out of it !! ( bottom end in this case) Anyway I traced the oil spill back to a t-junction 4 miles up the road and retrived his oil filter in a fine pool of oil.....  Chances are he's probably an apprentice in Conlans now !!!

67% imbalance is a bloody disgrace and should have being picked up  in Conlans. Wouldn't mind the NCT 50% fail on a handbrake makes it one of the easier parts of the test to pass.  Makes you wonder

Thomas

autofix wrote: How many cars are serviced by apprentices in dealerships.

On the occassion that I had a problem with my main dealer this was the reason, but as I said, when it was pointed out to the service manager the issues were sorted with no fuss.  It shouldn't have happened, but in any service problems will occur from time to time, by its nature, humans are involved and we are inconsistent creatures.

There is a theme developing here that worries me a bit.  The "all main dealer servicing folks are dimwits" and "all indies are nobel prize winning candidates" is a dodgy one.  This is a huge generalization on both ends.

SOME indies are great (some have been highlighted through this forum) but there are probably far more out there that I wouldn't let near my car because they haven't knowledge, experience or access to information relevant to my cars, or because their service or attitude leaves much to be desired.  Even indies get rogue staff (in reality there may even be more likelihood because they probably pay less than a main dealer) and the indie typically doesn't do all the work himself.

I use both an indie and a main dealer and am more than happy with the service of both.  Each has their particular strength's and weaknesses and that is why I don't use just one or the other.  I have also used main dealers and indies that won't see my business again (not necessarily BMW related) because their service has been poor.  Poor service is the issue, not whether its from a main dealer or an indie.  Poor service is unacceptable. 

If its not challenged when it happens then effectively there is contributory negligence on the part of the customer and no sympathy is due.

Everyone should challenge poor service, from any supplier.  If its a genuine issue and the supplier doesn't deal with it effectively, then spread the word.  Any supplier does, though, deserve the opportunity to put the problem right before they get poor feedback.

Guys

HTF can angel eyes fail your NCT??????  They aren't directional are they?  They are just effectively parking lights!!

Mick

Hi,

I am not a fan of main dealers in general and BMW dealers in particular. But to be fair, while your car in in with one of them the work is done by one staff member. It's just not possible for any one dealership to manage to employ nothing but top notch people. I guess it's a bit of a lottery as regards if you get a good man on your car or not. If the quality of the dealership is to be judged by the abilities of the worst staff member then they all must be judged to be poor. How many cars are serviced by apprentices in dealerships.

Alan