| VG. |
I'm tired of bending over and taking up the rear from my local service departments... just received a survey for my last visit, so I am including the following letter for Nissan to review and dropping a Cc in the mail for the manager of the dealership...
Research Department
Nissan North America Inc
PO Box 10089
Toledo, OH 43682-4172
RE: Service at Jenkins Nissan (Lakeland, FL)
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter to fully explain my previous and current service experiences with Nissan dealerships.
I would like to preface this letter by saying I truly enjoy my Nissan Murano. The car has had only a few issues. The handling of these issues and the performance of my local Nissan dealerships is extremely lacking, however.
In my previous visits to Nissan of Brandon, I have been treated as a number, told I would receive a loaner (only to find out a “loaner” was a ride to Enterprise Rental Car to wait in line for an hour there and complete additional paperwork for a vehicle) and been told a problem (with a TSB issued for it) did not really exist. I gave up on that dealership to try my local Nissan dealership in the hopes I would be treated fairly.
In recent trips, however, I have been completely forgotten as a customer. Earlier in the year, I took my car in with the promise it would take a couple of hours to complete the work. Seven and a half hours later, I was finally given my keys back with the “request” by the service associate to throw out any survey I received regarding the visit. Unfortunately, I never received a survey.
My more recent visits have not gone very well either. The visit this survey refers to included the following: check engine light correction, gas door sticking and not unlocking, replace rear wiper blade, oil change, and a tire rotation and balance. When I called a week in advance to get an appointment, I was told by the person on the phone “Why don’t you just come in and tell them what you want fixed on Saturday. I didn’t write any of that down”. I simply ignored this comment and went to the dealership as planned. After waiting in line for 15 minutes, the service associate began taking down my requests. When I finished giving him the information he made the comment of: “I’m glad you stopped there, because I’ve only got three techs working today. You’re going to need to leave it with us to do everything”. I gave him my number to contact me when the car was ready and left, noticing three mechanics standing outside in the parking lot smoking and talking, while a line of people waited inside for their cars. I never received a call regarding the work being done. When I called back, the gentleman on the phone claimed he called, but I did not receive a single call all afternoon. I ended up having to pay over the phone and requesting them to leave the keys in the car on the lot so I could pick it up after they closed the shop.
The oil change and tire balance/rotation were performed as requested. The wiper blade was ordered with the promise it would be completed later. My engine light was off and the gas door appeared to work fine. Unfortunately, less than three weeks later, my engine light came back on.
I took the car back in this past weekend (September 17th) to have the engine light turned off and the wiper blade installed as promised. Once again, the service department was running a skeleton crew and told me my car would take a pretty unreasonable hour and a half to repair. I walked to a local store to pass some time and returned an hour later. Upon arriving, the service associate pulled me to the side to tell me he had looked up my VIN number and my Murano was part of the alternator recall. He promised the car would still be ready in the original time frame, as the mechanic was already replacing it. Over an hour later, the service associate came in to tell me they had just completed the review of my engine light problem and had to order another part and the work on my alternator had not started yet. Another 2 hours later, my car was finally completed, for a total of about four and a half hours of waiting time. A week after this visit, my gas door got stuck again at the gas station. I will return a third time now to get work completed that should have been completed the first time.
My problem with my September 17th visit is two-fold. First off, I never received a letter from Nissan of North America notifying me of my Murano being part of the recall. Secondly, when I took my car in three weeks ago, why did the service associate not check my car against the recall? His negligence to verify my alternator could have lead to a serious accident or something much worse. When I questioned the service associate from my most recent visit about this, he gave me a simply “I don’t know why he didn’t check it”. This is unacceptable because “Not knowing” goes hand-in-hand with “Not caring” in my book. It seems to me, Nissan simply does not care about me as a customer anymore. I spent my hard earned money on their car, so they don’t really consider my needs when it comes to service now. Also, Nissan dealerships are employing careless associates who make one feel like they constantly owe them something afterwards. Normally I get a scripted comment on how turning in anything but “Excellent” on these surveys keeps the service associate from getting a bonus. I will not fall for these ploys… and Nissan should be ashamed their associates are making customers constantly feel obligated to lie for them.
At the same time, my wife drives a vehicle from another carmaker and is treated like royalty when getting her car serviced. There are always loaner cars on hand for her to use and there are mobile techs to help her if she runs into trouble away from the dealership… I’m lucky if I get coffee in a Nissan waiting room. There is no reason I should not be given these same services by Nissan. The fact I am not makes me feel like I am considered second rate.
Well I’m tired of being ignored and treated unfairly. Despite my love for my Murano, I will no longer own a Nissan vehicle by the end of this year. I am tired of driving away from dealerships fuming mad and insulted. I will purchase a vehicle from a carmaker who realizes experiences with service are just as important as the initial sale experience.
I want to make sure I am perfectly clear; the vehicle is not the problem here, the service department is to blame. I realize most cars will have a small flaw or a recall, but I do not understand why I cannot be treated as an asset when I step into a Nissan service department. I get resistance when I ask for fair treatment, or I get dumped in a waiting room for hours at a time while people ignore from me.
Never again. As much as I love my Murano, it is the first and last Nissan I will ever own.
Sincerely,
VG. |
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| Murano_driver |
| Wow that is great and very upsetting. I can not find the better way to describe the feeling when I am going back from service department than in your letter. That might sound crazy, but I was screaming on my way back from the service department just to get the tension off. :o That’s sad because you can take a look at the post I put couple hours before ( http://www.nissanmurano.org/forums/...=&threadid=5379 ) and I understand you completely. Couple more visits to the service department and I will start putting my money away to get the Lexus or any other car company who cares about the customers… :( |
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| VG. |
right there with ya man... there is nothing more aggrivating than sitting at the dealership for HOURS waiting for a car that was due ages ago. I had 4 people from sales try to speed service up on my 7 and 1/2 hour visit... None of them could get a thing done.
I thought it was just me until the last time I was there. Some lady came in with her husband and started *****ing to him and mentioned, literally, how she would like a bomb to be dropped on the dealership.
Over the top? Yes.
Do I understand her frustration? Absolutely. |
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| lawbroker |
| What kind of car does your wife drive? |
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| VG. |
RX 330...
sad thing is... it was only a little more than our Mo was because we negotiated the price hard... If I knew the difference we would get for that little $$$, I would've never looked at Nissan. |
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| Murano_driver |
quote:
Originally posted by VG.
RX 330...
sad thing is... it was only a little more than our Mo was because we negotiated the price hard... If I knew the difference we would get for that little $$$, I would've never looked at Nissan.
:1pat: |
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| GMTURBO43 |
| Our service has started to get better as we've complained/given unsatisfactory comments before. It is all you can do. I hope Nissan gets the message and realizes even though they are making some great cars - the service bites. |
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| njjoe |
VG-
Great letter!!
I am one of those people who beleive that a well worded letter to the right persons in an organization can have a lot of impact. If I were you I would send the letter to several people at various levels at Nissan. I can't hurt; it can only help.
Keep us posted if you get any replies from Nissan.
Good Luck!!
-njjoe |
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| TheGymKid |
When I bought my Nissan Maxima in 2003... I had nothing but problems with the car driving straight and after EIGHT TRIPS back to Nissan and losing three days of work with no loaner car and then getting the run around from managers and the main office that there is nothing they can do... I wrote a 2 page letter and sent it to the dealers managers, Nissan CEO and everyone who signed anything that I received in the mail from Nissan with the words 100% satisfaction from Nissan on it. I received NO RESPONSES from anyone. 8 letters sent out in total and no responses... i had my Maxima for 2 years and only put about 10,500 miles on it. I hated to drive it, and a new car should always want to be driven. Anyway... my point... I tried writing letters to everyone and it did nothing.
When I bought my Murano, I knew I was gambling with service and Nissan. They just don't car about the customer once the car is sold. (I'm sure there are a few out there that do care, I just never found them.) |
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| lawbroker |
| Which makes me wonder . . . if you had such a bad experience with your Maxima why would you chance in with another Nissan? |
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| mgthe3 |
I'll never forget my 7500 mile service.
Greasy, nasty, slob mechanic gets in Mo and slaps it in L and takes it full throttle down to the end of their looooong lot and then comes screaming back up to the service bays--right in front of me--just grinning away! Walked around the side to witness him putting in several CDs and cranking my sub to clipping. Then witness him rubbing off the display with his greasy hand.
I get it home and notice these things:
Oil is running in a thick line from the oil cap, across the radiator cover, across my grill and dripping from the front bumper.
There is a large (2 inch wide, 1/4 inch deep) noticable dent on the top, obviously from the end of a 1/2 inch ratchet.
4 out of 5 lug holes in the wheels have been zizzed by an air ratchet, clean to the aluminum.
Grease on my head liner.
I immediately took it back and raised immortal hell.
They got the lot paintless dent guy to fix the dent--but only after I raised more hell when they tried to say I couldn't prove they did it.
I had already cleaned up the oil mess.
But---the smart ass looks I got when I brought it in, I actually had one adviser grin and say "prove it".
I repeat this story each time to the adviser who I check my Mo in with, I tell them that I will NOT have it happen again. I MAKE them tour the outside and inside of the Mo to see that there is not one scratch anywhere and note it on the inspection sheet.
The last service I couldn't even tell they touched it, except for dust missing. |
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| Murano_driver |
| I have an idea. We write a nice letter describing all major problems with Nissan services and dealerships we had. Than we all sign the letter (name and the VIN #). May be we can get people singing from Maxima, Xterra etc Nissan forums. Than we mail it to Nissan North America CEOs, dealerships and may be to some newspapers. I am personally willing to spend $50 for envelops and post marks, and I hope it will make the difference. If 20-50 people across America will sing it they just might listen, but I am not sure what exactly they can do about unprofessional Nissan service techs or dealers. Just the thought. |
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| ekaxel |
Alternator replacement 3 weeks ago. Very unsatisfactory experience. I have not received a survey yet. I can't wait.
How long does it usually take for the survey to be sent? |
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| Murano_driver |
| I've been in Nissan service 4 times and I never received a single survey.:confused: |
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| TheGymKid |
quote:
Originally posted by lawbroker
Which makes me wonder . . . if you had such a bad experience with your Maxima why would you chance in with another Nissan?
Great question... I wasn't planning on it. I knew I wanted an SUV and shopped around.. my research lead to me to the Murano as the best bang for my buck that drives like a car and not a truck. I finally went to test drive it and the dealer swore up and down he would take personal care of me if i were to buy from him. I have to admit, he has kept his word so far for the few little things I've called him about. It's the product that sold me even though I hate the servive providers. Like I said before... I took a chance. |
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| VG. |
| About the survey... I took my car in for service on August 20th... Letter was dated August 30th. I think I received it on September 5th or 6th. I have received surveys for maybe 25%-40% of my visits. |
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| rjardine |
| I didn't receive a survey per se, but I did get a follow-up call from Nissan Canada. |
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| Krzydmnd |
that really sucks to hear so many bad experiences w/ Nissan Service departments. My dealer here in Central PA, Brenner Nissan, has provided me w/ excellent service w/ the two vehicles that I've purchased from them in the past 2 years and with my prior Nissan that was serviced by them but not purchased from them.
I know the techs names, they know mine. My car is always clean when I get it back, and if I'm there when the tech that worked on it is still there he usually comes out and goes over with me any work he has done on it.
The only thing that bothers me is that I do get the "anything less than 100% on the eval form" speech. I don't feel as though they should be saying that to their customers. Their actual service dictates their marks, which I would give 100% on, but since I DO get the speech I do NOT fill out the surveys.
it's a minor insult to otherwise exceptional service. |
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| Murano_driver |
Some inetresting thing I found. I guess we can put the equal mark between car salesman and servise departmnet reps, at least for Nissan... :(
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...life_honesty_dc
Most Honest? Least Honest? the Envelope, Please...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nurses get top marks when it comes to honesty and ethics, and car salesmen are the least trusted people, according to Gallup's annual U.S. survey of professions released on Tuesday.
Nurses were given a "very high" or "high rating" by 79 percent of those surveyed nationwide in telephone interviews with 1,015 adults, aged 18 or older, conducted Nov. 19-21.
Grade school teachers were next highest on the chart of 21 professions at 73 percent, one point higher than pharmacists and military officers.
Car salesmen brought up the rear with only 9 percent rating their honesty and ethics as high. That was one point lower than for people in advertising.
Journalists did not fare much better in public approval. TV reporters (23 percent) and newspaper reporters (21) ranked below auto mechanics (26) and nursing home operators (24) on the list.
The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, Gallup said. |
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| mackdaddie12 |
You hit it right on the money! Nissan makes great cars, but their service sucks! It's almost worth it to spend a few extra thousand to guarantee top-notch service.
I love my Murano, but boy do I miss my Lexus! |
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| jaak |
My Dealer used to provide excellent service. Then the Service Advisor that took care of me, went to another brand. Ever since, the service has been confused and incorrect.
Same mechanics. Same dealership. Different Service Advisor.
If I can't find a better place for service, I hate to say, I won't buy Nissan again either. It's a shame, because I love the product! |
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| senza |
| Jaak...I wonder how many of our American friends will recognize your avatar? |
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| GripperDon |
quote:
Originally posted by senza
Jaak...I wonder how many of our American friends will recognize your avatar?
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| mgthe3 |
I didn't recognize it, but I thoroughly researched it when I saw it.
Scrapped the whole thing....damn. Then all of the jobs that were ruined....sad story really.
Then the ruskies came out with the mig 25 to go after valkyries...that also hit the scrap floor.
They were both very cool jets. |
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| Flip |
ME
quote:
Originally posted by GripperDon
They were way ahead of their time at the time. Gripper would probably know ... |
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| GripperDon |
| Which in this case is how I feel. :2: |
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| jaak |
As a Canadian or even as an aircraft fan, you look at the following list and it either makes you very mad, or upset, yet incredibly proud of their achievements. I live about a 10 minute drive from where it all happened.
http://www.avroarrow.org/AvroArrow/arrowfirsts.html
I don't remember all the details of the politics, but I seem to remember that the aircraft, in the cold war, actually frightened the American military, as it was not controlled by them, as to where it would have been sold.
The aircraft was an outstanding success. And that's what killed it. Because it wasn't made by a superpower. In a time of political paranoia it must have frightened them.
From http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/eq.../arrowlst_e.asp
"During the test flights, the Arrow had flown at mach 1.96 and up to 50,000 feet, results that are still impressive by today's standard of fighter Aircraft design."
Funny thing, it fits in this thread, as it was an excellent product, that was hindered by the lack of excellent support due to political forces.;) |
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| senza |
| The primary reason the "Arrow" was cancelled was the military experts of the day predicted manned aircraft would soon become obsolete and North American defence would consist of guided missles carrying nuclear warheads.....I'm sure there were political considerations re US aircraft manufacturers etc. |
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| jaak |
I find that mentioned, yet I believe that was a convenient excuse.
There's interesting comments abound and considering how it effectively obsoleted fleets of aircraft in service and would be able outrun and outgun them, I tend to agree that is was a threat to other manufacturers products.
From http://www.avroarrow.org/AvroArrow/...rrow3.html#canc
quote:
The Consequences
John L Orr,P.Eng.,then director of engineering research with the federal Defence Research Board, now retired, Victoria,B.C.
The cancellation of the Avro Arrow airccraft and its challenging development program had a profound impact on technological innovation in Canada, the adverse effects of which persist to present day.
The obvious solution to the funding dilemma was to seek U.S. support for the Arrow program, based on our common concern with the air defence of North America. This was a realistic possibility, since in 1955 the U.S. Air Force had established a requirement for a 'long range interceptor" aircraft (LRI) having similar characteristics to the RCAF specification for the Arrow issued in 1953. The LRI program was never implemented; the proponents of ballistic missiles wrongly insisted that manned fighter aircraft were obsolete.
Nevertheless, when the capabilities of the Arrow aircraft became apparent, strong interest developed in both the operational and technical echelons of USAF. This interest was tangibly demonstrated by the provision of access to USAF technology and testing facilities. Unfortunately, this interest was not consummated contractually before Prime Minister Diefenbaker prematurely terminated the Arrow development.
At the same time, the U.S. aircraft industry had become alarmed by the prospect that they might lose a major USAF procurement contract to Avro Canada. U.S. aircraft firms lobbied against procurement of the Arrow for the USAF in hopes that the LRI project would be revived.
Finally, when the Canadian government became concerned about the rising development costs of the Arrow, a confidential evaluation by USAF of its technical and operational capabilities was requested. It is my understanding the that this task was assigned to a junior officer based in California and subject to influence from U.S. aircraft rnanufacturers having a potential interest in the the outcome. Consequently, his report was highly negative, but nevertheless was accepted unquestioningly by the Diefenbaker government without providing either Avro or the RCAF any opportunity to refute its criticisms.
The demise of the Arrow had a traumatic impact on government policies and public support for research and development. In particular, the possibility of Canada undertaking any major technological initiative (especially in the defence field) was foreclosed due to loss of confidence in Canadian capabilities. Moreover, the government apparatus was unable to comprehend the key role of technological innovation in economic development and therefore incapable of providing the necessary leadership and stimulus.
In the course of the abortive negotiations to solicit USAF funding for the Arrow, the U.S. Department of Defense offered to allow Canadian industry to bid on U.S. military procurement contracts in compensation for the industrial dislocation caused by cancellation of the Arrow program. As a result, the Canada-U.S. Defence Production Sharing Agreement was instituted in 1959 with the objective of achieving reciprocity in military equipment trade between the two countries. This arrangement locked Canada into the U.S. defence system and guaranteed that the Canadian Armed Forces would henceforth be equipped mainly with U.S.-developed hardware.
The fundamental error in the Canadian government's handling of the Arrow affair was its failure to pursue the development program through to feasibility demonstration, given that a major portion of the development costs had already been incurred by February 1959. Only on the basis of such proof could the USAF be expected to make any serious commitment to participate. In retrospect, the decision to proceed with production concurrently with development substantially increased initial program costs and was evidently ill-advised. Finally, the destruction of all prototype aircraft and records was a vindictive act of vandalism which precluded all possibility of salvaging anything from our heavy investment in advanced aeronautical technology.
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| mgthe3 |
| I'm snickering.... |
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| Dethpickle |
I recognize the Arrow... and I'm a youngin.
It always looked to me like the USAF was having a falling out with the delta wing concept in the late 50's, early 60's. We only really had the F-102 and B-58. There was the F108 which was probably competition for the same role as the Arrow (though it was earlier) but it was also canceled... Plus there was the delta conversion of the Super Sabre (F-107?) which also didn't go anywhere.
As was mentioned, we had soured on the super high speed need with the change in emphasis to ballistic missiles. I don't think it was specifically because the Arrow was Canadian.
Besides, it probably had a little compartment for your toque. Whereas, our deltas had ski's. :)
D! |
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| VG. |
riiiight
:2: |
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| Ohio Murano |
| Well back to the Nissan service issue. When I bought my MO I had them put in writing that I get a loaner anytime I have to leave mine for service. Sure enough the two times I have had to leave it I had to argue with them to get a loaner even though I have it in writing. That's really standing behind their word. I did get a survey this past time for the alternator fix and I did let them know I wasn't to happy about the loaner car issue. Other than that service was pretty good. But I will not by another vehicle from them because I figure if they won't stand behind their word on the loaner issue then I will give another dealer a shot. Just my 2 cents. :cool: |
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| TheGymKid |
quote:
Originally posted by Ohio Murano
Well back to the Nissan service issue. When I bought my MO I had them put in writing that I get a loaner anytime I have to leave mine for service. Sure enough the two times I have had to leave it I had to argue with them to get a loaner even though I have it in writing. That's really standing behind their word. I did get a survey this past time for the alternator fix and I did let them know I wasn't to happy about the loaner car issue. Other than that service was pretty good. But I will not by another vehicle from them because I figure if they won't stand behind their word on the loaner issue then I will give another dealer a shot. Just my 2 cents. :cool:
Like I said above... sometimes, you buy a car because you love the car, even though you hate the service. |
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| ekka |
quote:
Originally posted by TheGymKid
Like I said above... sometimes, you buy a car because you love the car, even though you hate the service.
Wow ! service sounds bad. most of the Nissan Dealers in Oz mix their business with a few other carmakers, in my case Europeans such as BMW.
This usually drives higher standards in service but I have not had any failures yet to check this out. Service has been good so far if anything it is overdone with all the SMS and phone call checks to see if everything is OK. |
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| neo |
It really just depends on the dealership. The nissan dealer near me has always been pretty good, not great but good. Everything done on time, never had to take it back for the same problem, etc.. I think any of the luxury nameplates Lexus, Infinity, Acura and the Germans would have better customer service. That's not saying Nissan, Chrysler, Ford, etc shouldn't it's just expected/demanded in the high-end segment.
This really goes for anything you buy. In the age of Walmarts and discount clubs many people are willing to pay more for good service. If you take care of your customers you will have brand loyalty and repeat business. |
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| VG. |
Follow up:
Revised the letter I originally posted to fix some grammar issues and create a clearer message. I sent it off earlier this week.
A few weeks back, I scheduled another visit for this morning to fix the gas door and engine light problems. As I pulled up, the service manager walked out to greet me at the car and handed me his card. He introduced himself and apologized for the poor service experiences I had in the past. Then he told me the work should take about 2-3 hours since they had to remove the gas tank and offered me a loaner.
When he gave me the keys to the loaner, he also gave me a ten dollar bill because someone forgot to fill the tank on it. Then he walked me out and apologized again, saying my experiences in the future will be much better.
Guess they got my letter!:D
Seriously though, I am happy he is bending over backwards for me, but why do I have to do something like this in order to be treated nicely? I don't need a loaner car 95% of the time, but I just want people to be honest and up front and stick to the times they estimate.
Still going to get rid of the Mo sometime this year... No amount of butt-kissing at this point is going to make me change my mind. |
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| GripperDon |
quote:
Originally posted by VG.
Follow up:
Revised the letter I originally posted to fix some grammar issues and create a clearer message. I sent it off earlier this week.
A few weeks back, I scheduled another visit for this morning to fix the gas door and engine light problems. As I pulled up, the service manager walked out to greet me at the car and handed me his card. He introduced himself and apologized for the poor service experiences I had in the past. Then he told me the work should take about 2-3 hours since they had to remove the gas tank and offered me a loaner.
When he gave me the keys to the loaner, he also gave me a ten dollar bill because someone forgot to fill the tank on it. Then he walked me out and apologized again, saying my experiences in the future will be much better.
Guess they got my letter!:D
Seriously though, I am happy he is bending over backwards for me, but why do I have to do something like this in order to be treated nicely? I don't need a loaner car 95% of the time, but I just want people to be honest and up front and stick to the times they estimate.
Still going to get rid of the Mo sometime this year... No amount of butt-kissing at this point is going to make me change my mind.
G |
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| VG. |
exactly, Don!
After he told me the car would take 3 hours, I finally got a call around 3:30PM... 7 hours total.
While it was nice to have a loaner, the thing was a real beater... 04 Sentra with A/C and auto... yeah, that's it. Reeked of cigarette smoke and was dinged, scraped and just overall abused. Not too happy with that, but at least I could get from point A to point B for the day instead of sitting in the waiting room again.
A note about the Sentra... I realized on the way back to the dealership that this little stripper of a car features a radio with an AUX input... why can Nissan drop one of those in the $10,000 Sentra, but not the $30,000 Murano?! weird... |
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