Guess whose back... Yep, I've had my two months off and (homework forbidding), will be back in the ...
Guess whose back... Yep, I've had my two months off and (homework forbidding), will be back in the writing mood. I have plenty of new things to talk about...
Member since:03.11.2001
Reviews:115
Members who trust:67
I know this is a car op but what I have to say is very useful because believe me I really know what I am talking about…
My Dad has a company car. Now he isn’t a big car buff, unlike me. So when we get a new list, I set about to find the best car for my Dad. It as to be good because he covers on average 45,000 miles every year. Luckily, he trusts me and usually follows my advice even though I am only 15 years old.
My Dad has been quite faithful to the Ford brand and we have owned 3 Sierras and 3 Mondeos. However, in 1997, he received the list and I jumped for joy at the increased choice. One of the models was the Audi A4. Wow, finally a decent car – and it was a very good car.
We were very happy with it and we took it for the normal services at our local Audi garage Northgate, Audi, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. We had no problems. The staff were excellent,
helpful and very quick. Everything was done up to scratch and everything was in order. We even got a free in and out wash.
2 years passed on the Audi and it continued to go without missing a beat but it was time to go – sniff, sniff! The new list was out and thanks to new job requirements, my Dad needed a bigger car and the Audi didn’t fulfil the objective. It wasn’t on the list anyway.
Instead, after much consideration we went for the Audi A4 derivative, the VW Passat. Long before we got the car, my Dad always marvelled at it as we passed by. We got the car – albeit very late – and from the start it was great.
You are probably thinking this op is very long-winded but trust me its all part of it. Like all cars, they went for a service but unlike the Audi and even the Ford – which is renowned for poor service – experience, we were left very, very disappointed.
Our local dealer is Northgate, Volkswagen, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Yes, that’s right. It is the same dealer as the Audi network – indeed they are owned by VW. After the excellent work by Audi, the VW experience was bitterly lacking in everything, which made the Audi garage special.
THE FACILITIES * * * * *
The dealership itself is excellent. The facilities are great. It recently went in for modifications and came out with flashy, moving lighting, a kid’s facility, magazines, brochures and of course loads of cars to browse over. Everything is bright and shiny and all well placed. It really feels like a modern showroom. Audi too is good but not as big. I can compare this to the local Mazda garage, which is small, dull, and the staff aren’t too helpful. I do enjoy going each time but I have to say that everything goes downhill from there.
THE COURTESY CAR * *
When we had the Audi, we were given the A3 as a courtesy car and we liked it a lot although it was too small for our needs. However, at VW we get given an old Polo which is a low spec. This isn’t great as it is. It is also diesel, which my Dad can’t stand and they don’t bother to fill up the tank. The last time we had the car, we had to fill it up and pay the fee!!!
THE SERVICING *
So I marvel at the facilities but what about the important thing. The servicing. We leave our car in the trusting hands of the dealership and expect it to be ready when we want. Wrong!!! Very wrong!!! My dad needs the car quite vitally so he needs it when he needs it. However, our dealer can’t be bothered to get back to us. For instance my Dad took me to school and dropped the car off. When I got home, still no car. After 8 hours! Another 2 hours and we went down ourselves and confronted them just before they closed. Explanation? There wasn’t one and they didn’t seem too bothered either. We took the car and hoped it’d never happen again. It’s happened each time ever since. Numerous complaints later, my Dad has decided to stay there next time and take the car when he wants. This is needless, as all they had to do was pick the phone up!! They don’t do a great job either. The interior is never cleaned anymore and in the last service the lights were cracked and the badge off the engine had ‘mysteriously’ disappeared. Even more complaints in order I think…
EFFICIENCY
As you can see I haven’t even given this one a rating out of 5. They are awful at achieving their objective. As you have heard from me already, they can’t get back to us when the car is ready but another notable feature is the seat fraca. The Passat developed a rather random tear in the seat – that shouldn’t happen on a Volkswagen – and so he asked the dealership to place an order and get back to him. 3 weeks later and no one had got back – not that surprising! But when my Dad phoned up, they told him no order had even been made. Outrageous after 3 weeks. After being blasted by my Dad they did their job right this time…
OVERALL *
Just a measly one star rating then for this dealership. Lots of money has been spent on getting the cars and the showrooms right but more attention needs to be taken over the staff and efficiency of the servicing. The annual JD Power survey ironically said that the VW dealerships are the worst in Britain. If I say my Dad is taking purchase of a new VW next year you may say I’m a hypocrite, but the car is just so good. However, we will be checking other dealers first…
Thanks for reading and once again MERRY XMAS…
SOLEX/OLLIE
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
My dad's also got a Passat as a company car, his is a perk though rather than a tool for his job and he does under 6K miles a year. The local servicing outlet in Hayes is awful. They never meet the terms of the leasing company and the car comes back dirtier than it goes! They're supposed to valet it. I'm trying to convince him to get an Audi or a Saab next - that way when the option comes to buy it I can get in there! Good op, Julie
Dec 15th, 2001
very helpful by (90%):
helpful by (6%):
somewhat helpful by (3%):
