Dear Mr. Clark; I find this reply TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Your lazy response has done more to turn me, a loyal Volvo driver, off your fine cars then almost anything else could! Volvo retailers MUST uphold the standards of Volvo, or lose their franchise! There MUST BE national standards for Volvo service, high standards. Volvo USA MUST provide timely and excellent customer service, nothing less. Quite frankly for the price of a S60 folks can be in a Lexus ES350, for the price of a S40 folks could be in an Acura TSX, for the price of a XC90 folks could be in any number of SUV's, including models from Lexus, and Mercedes Benz. While Acura and Lexus are known for unquestionable service quality, in general folks I know are usually very happy with Mercedes Benz service as well. Mercedes has come a long way from their previous hit or miss service quality, and Volvo must emulate the success of Mercedes. There are many tools that Volvo can use to enforce compliance such as vehicle and parts allocations, bonus monies paid with a caveat that a given level of service must be maintained, and even yanking their franchise. The treatment that Mr. Rawson received from Borton Volvo in Minneapolis MN was totally unacceptable, and from a dealer organization that scored 3 tens, one five and one zero I would think that the majority of clearly very fine dealers would be glad to see a rapacious and poorly operated dealer, such as Borton Volvo in Minneapolis MN either undergo drastic corrective action or be stripped of their franchise. Neftin Westlake Volvo in Thousand Oak, CA clearly has some work to do as well, and I am sure that under the considerable pressure that the zone could bring to bear such corrective action could be rapid and soon Neftin Westlake could approach the level of service that Bill Pearce Motors in Reno, NV, Smothers Volvo in Santa Rosa, CA, and Fields Jaguar/Land Rover/Volvo in Madison, WI have all achieved. Kudos to the high fliers, and you better do something, else Volvo might well go the way of Jaguar. Naturally I shall post your unhelpful reply to the usenet Volvo group so thousands of Volvo owners both in the United States, and all over the world will learn how concerned Volvo is about the unacceptable level of care that some dealers provide, and does not even acknowledge the superb care other dealers provide. Sincerely yours; Steven Kaess -------------- Original message -------------- From: Dear Mr. Kaess, Thank you for contacting Volvo Cars of North America. Volvo retailers are responsible to conduct their operations according to their own policies, and while responsible for the quality and integrity of the services they provide, we do take such comments seriously. Their integrity and dependability as well as that of our organization are factors in preserving owner loyalty and commitment to our product. We appreciate your sharing these comments with us. We have forwarded your correspondence to the appropriate department for internal review. Sincerely, Bill Clark Volvo Cars of North America ---- Original Message ---- From : To : Subject : [INTR:115636] Date : Sat, 02 Sep 2006, 10:14:34 PM EDT From the volvo board in usenet: My wife and I just completed two months of driving around the US in our '05 XC90 V8. We put over 12K on the car with absolutely no problems at all --- fantastic road car. Highway mileage ran 23-24 MPG. We visited 5 Volvo dealers (4 for oil changes --- we change every 3750 miles --- and one to check out an "open gas cap" trouble msg). FWIW, here's our report on those five dealers' service operations --- this report is being sent to each dealer, to Volvo USA (if they care), as well as to this Volvo newsgroup. 1) Bill Pearce Motors in Reno, NV. OUTSTANDING! En route, we drove in unannounced on a Saturday morning to have the 15K complimentary service. They took us right in, did everything that was needed, including synthetic oil, at no charge whatsoever (our local dealer, Mooer's Volvo in Richmond, VA, charges extra for the synthetic oil).& ;nb! sp; In addition, they washed the car, removing the heavy coating of dead bugs that had accumulated. All this in just a little over an hour. If you're in Reno, this is where you want to go --- very accommodating and friendly. We'd give them a 12 on a 10-point scale. (6/24/06. Service Advisor 277 Jeffrey Maciel) 2) Neftin Westlake Volvo in Thousand Oak, CA. FAIR. We had an early morning appointment here for a mid-service oil change. They took several others ahead of us, even though we were the first ones there when they opened.. Consequently, we waited around for over 2 hours for the oil change. They didn't wash the car. Total charge was $82.67. We'd give them a 5 on a 10-point scale, and next time might try the dealer in nearby Calabassas. (7/26/06 Service Advisor 6057 Robert Muzio) 3) Smothers Volvo in Santa Rosa, CA. EXCELLENT. Again, en route and unannounce d, we stopped! in ear ly morning because we were getting a trouble msg that the gas cap was not secure (although it certainly seemed to be). They took us right in, did a variety of checks and found nothing amiss, so reprogrammed the computer and that took care of the trouble msg. It took about an hour. Very friendly and accommodating. No charge (warranty).. We'd give this dealer a 10. (8/2/06 Service Advisor 37 Alex Ruiz) 4) Borton Volvo in Minneapolis (Lyndale Ave), MN. UNACCEPTABLE. Before leaving Bismarck for Minneapolis, we made an appointment for the following day for the 22.5K service. When we arrived we were told that this was a major service and that they couldn't do it for about two weeks. We suspect that since this was a complimentary service (and in fact not a major one), they just didn't want to be bothered with it. They were not at all accommodating, and as a result we had to do some re-routi! ng to m ake an appointment with a dealer who would handle this service (in Madison, WI). We would give this dealer a 0 on a 10-point scale and strongly advise you tpo stay clear. (8/10/06 Service Advisor UNK --- 30's something female) 5) Fields Jaguar/Land Rover/Volvo in Madison, WI. OUTSTANDING! We arrived for a mid-morning appointment and they took us right in and did the 22.5K service with no problem or delay. We were there a little over an hour. They washed the car, and there was no charge at all. Very friendly and accommodating. This dealer had just bought the local Volvo franchise from a nearby dealer (SMart Volvo) about 10 days previously, and now handles Ford's Premier line (Jag/LR/Volvo). Good clean operation. If you're in Madison, go there. They get a 12 on the 10-point scale. (8/11/06 Service Advisor Michelle Gratz). Dave Rawson
Put simply I find your posting to be pretty much unacceptable as well. Comments inserted. Really. Are you in a position to enforce this regulation? Possibly you have taken over Volvo USA or at least taken a supervisory position there? I thought dealers provided the service. But maybe they have installed bays at Volvo USA headquarters. What's your point, or are you just giving us a summary of market pricing. The car manufacturers are generally not thought of as outlets for service. Individual cars dealerships are thought of as being service providers. And there are crappy Mercedes, Lexus and Volvo dealers as there are excellent ones. Just what are you demanding that Volvo (USA, Sweden or dealers? ) enforce compliance with. What is all this scoring crap..... Who's tall tale is this anyway... My my, you are one busy fellow aren't you. I'll bet that was a fun vacation travelling from dealer to dealer. Maybe you should consider a new career as a contract service department evaluator. Which high fliers. I think he said he would look into your whining, er I mean complaints. If you wanted the car washed why didn't you do it yourself. 1.5 to 2 hours is about right since they do look the car over. There may have been some cars left off the night before for early pickup. You are indeed a whiner. Good. I've dropped in with simple problems and gotten them attended to as well. Whether they can get to you sooner or later is entirely a function of how busy they are. Somehting is missing from this story...like what you really told the dealer when you first set up the appointment. Why should they go out of their way to accomodate you. Whether a dealer can get you in with no appointment is entirely a function of what business is on the board. It has nothing to do with whether they are nice people deserving of 12 points on a 10 point scale. My sense is that you have taken whining and complaining to an all time new level. Fortunately for those dealers you will not be back through any time soon.
Too late. Both marques have been taken over by a failing American car company, an organization without an automotive clue. Have you driven a Fjord lately? A damn shame, really. roll dem bones
Thank you for your feedback, I will answer your unfounded points, and hope that you are greatful for the eduction I shall provide. School is now in session: My comment is from a Volvo owner and enthusiast, myself. I like the cars enough to be here. I work in the auto industry (although i do not mention that) and I directly influence dozens of automotive purchases a year. My opinion should matter to Volvo, it does to car buyers who know me. Your reading comprhension is on par with the service that some Volvo dealers provide. I am sure that with remedial assistance you could soon read usenet groups and understand what is written. First lesson: I suggest you read the entire post. Move your lips should you feel the need. Volvo MUST set a very high bar, and they have many tools to do that just, both carrots and sticks. They must use them. The point is that if Volvo offers sub par service and general dealer experences there are others out the who will gladly eat their lunch (and dinner too) This link will give a lot of data about current sales in the US http://www.businessweek.com/autos/c...7_930659.htm?chan=autos_autos+index+page_news GEE...Volvo sales are DOWN... Car manufacturers have many tools to control dealer behavior. If the manufacturers do not use these tools they will suffer or gain in the marketplace. The number of poor Mercedes dealers is much lower then it was. I challenge you to find substantiated, reasonable complaints about the service department at any Lexus dealer in the United States. Dealers get money for selling some cars to target levels, dealers get (or don't) allocations of hot cars, dealers get (or don't) get price breaks if the sell enough parts volume. These all can be linked to CSI. I suggest you read the entire post. Move your lips should you feel the need. I suggest you read the entire post. Move your lips should you feel the need. 'Volvo retailers are responsible to conduct their operations according to their own policies, and while responsible for the quality and integrity of the services they provide, we do take such comments seriously' Sorry sounds like corporate BS to me.
Nonsense. That kind of preachy statement would only make sense from an inside manager lecturing the troops. It would in my experience be of little effect other than to make the manager feel as though he was managing. Coming from an outsider like you it is little more than pompous yammering. More bombastic pronouncements from someone who appears to be quite full of himself. Volvo does set a high bar...I've owned their cars for 25 years. Volvo Dealers (repeat that phrase) are the ones who provide service. And service can very between dealers no matter the brand. But overall the quality of service from Volvo dealers is quite high. Just ask around. But all you will find are creative anecdotes like yours. Given the high opinion you have of your automotive industry knowlege I suggest that you put yourself out as a consultant to manufacturers and possible dealer associations. In short order you will find out how valuable your pronouncements really are. Turns out there are at least two tall tales. In all it is a poorly written message. I hope you sent something more coherent, but I suspect otherwise. My guess is that the guy from Volvo USA has passed your missive around the office and they've all gotten a chuckle from your overblown rhetoric. You really need to tone yourself down if you expect to be taken seriously by the Volvo importer. Stick with facts, don't ramble, avoid preachy pronouncements about how Volvo should run their business and most importantly try bring the other person to your side. It's simple and it works. Your letter was designed to make you feel self-important and it had the unfortunate consequence of turning the Volvo rep against you.
You are worse then the dealer you found UNACCEPTABLE. He did nothing wrong, he just did nothing. You are a ROYAL INSULTING PAIN IN THE BOOT. Do you go around your entire life judging people? I am sure you must be frequently disappointed. No wonder they didn't cooperate. If you don't like the car, complain to the manufacturer. If you don't like the service writer, then complain to the dealer. Then if you don't like the dealer, then complain to Volvo America. Some dealers only service their own customers because they are short on mechanics. Their viewpoint is understandable. Whenever I had a specific complaint about Volvo service, Volvo of America always responded very quickly and got things straightened out. When you get a specific complaint they may help you also. But as long as you are complaining about a single service writer to Volvo of America, they justifiably should ignore you. Those of us that find good dealers and stick with them hope that you don't visit our dealers and pi** them off. Volvo of Amerca stated: 'Volvo retailers are responsible to conduct their operations according to their own policies, and while responsible for the quality and integrity of the services they provide, we do take such comments seriously' And you replied: "Sorry sounds like corporate BS to me." What do you not understand? They took your comments seriously. Why can't you reciprocate.
Why would anybody change their oil at 4000 miles? Its a given the V8 would be running synthetic, and on the type of journey described, engine running nice and hot etc etc. Unless so sandy you would be in sandstorms in middle east, I see no reason to changes oil as described (although, happy to be corrected!) Smells of BS to me!
I know of one retailer who lost a Volvo franchise due to a high incidence of customer complaints about service quality. The retailer provided terrible service, and it took a long time for this to occur, but it did. Rick
