[richhamer]

Had a problem which you can read about in another thread. Took the car to my local dealer who basically did nothing with it and handed it back saying it was fixed and then told me they couldn't fix it.

Well, I was pretty hacked off and emailed MINI UK. Still waiting for their reply but I also contacted my supplying dealer back in Huddersfield who asked for pictures of the fault.

The attitude of my local dealer really got me thinking about the car. I've had a couple of little niggles which my supplying dealer always sorted. If my new dealer were going to be poor, could I live with a couple of faults? So I found myself on the RenaultSport website. Clio 182 gives Cooper S performance, much higher spec and with a deal, for less than Cooper money...

Then, while I was about to book the test drive, my old dealer rang me back. "No problem, we can fix that. I can't believe your local dealer can't do it. When can you bring it in?"

So, MINI stays!! The fault gets fixed, and I have a great car again. Its going in when I go to a wedding up north and they've said as its a wedding they'll lend me a nice, high spec BMW while the MINI is in!!

So, crap dealers. I assume their attitude costs sales of the product. But how many existing customers are lost because they can't put up with poor service? I'd say its at least 50% certain I'd have gone if my old dealer hadn't helped me out.

With a decent dealer, a couple of minor faults aren't so bad!

[Paul]

Have to agree with the sentiment of this post.

I've said it before but a friend of mine used to work for VAG Group, a manager at their HQ and they learned that customers who had problems and had them resolved very well were far more loyal than those who never had a problem at all!