Scirocco Central

After recent experiences that I've had with VW Dealerships, I thought I'd ask for the opinions of a wider audience, in relation to experiences either, buying, after care or just general thoughts on VW Dealerships.

Personally, I have found every experience to be very poor compared to Audi. Nobody even seems bothered that I want to hand them 23k for a car.

I have 2 branches of the same dealer group close to me. One lives right around the corner, so I use them for warranty work. I don't buy my cars from there as they don't seem to be as receptive to negotiated discount as the other one a bit further away.

Service/Warranty wise, I never have the greatest confidence in them - "technicians" rarely know about faults listed as common on furums such as this, don't seem to know how to fix stuff either. They replace a part or module and hope that the problem is solved, more often that not it isn't though.

All the warranty work I had on the MK5 was sorted because of my diagnosis (generally as a result of looking up the faults/symptoms on forums).

They replaced CV boot joints when a new steering rack was needed.

They replaced the cylinder head when the DPF was playing up because of an EMU mapping error making the car run rich.

etc etc.

My local dealer wouldn't replace corroded Imola alloys from my MK5 GT. It was a common issue that was well documented, no scuffs on mine, nor chips in the lacquer, and I showed them that all of their used car stock with imolas on were affected. They insisted that stonechips were to blame, even though they couldn't point out any compromised lacquer on my wheels.

A localish VW dealer group replaced them straight away and said they'd had a load in to do.

Not 1 of my 4 localish dealers suits me for all my needs.

This is a massive can of worms that you have opened!!

I must say it unusal for Audi dealers to be spoken about as actually being good, if you look on audi/evo/pistonheads etc they all comment on how bad they are.

Unfortunately due to the fact you are on here means you are interested in your car and hence you want to know whats wrong with your car and not have to use the dealer knowledge. Its a new car and more than likely the Scirocco community will in most cases now about the common issues first and what the fix is, but this knowledge must come from at least one dealer diagnosing the problem.

We are all different and wish to be treated in different ways, unfortunately alot in the trade don't know how to change to suit the customers needs hence the bad press. If you have a good dealer let them know you appreciate there help as with all things no matter how much you pay for something it can go wrong and its how its handled to rectify this that gives you confidence or lack of in the end.

PS I know bad dealers as I currently drive a Seat but its a lease so I don't pay much attention and let them get on with repairing, the other car a loop gti I know the ins ad outs and I tell them whats wrong!!!

my dealer who supplied both our cars last year has been excellant, indeed in the last two weeks has really gone the extra mile, i can't fault the service of the parts department (who supplied kev's car) either

Everyone loves a can of worms!

I have only just ordered my Rocco, but as with any person handing over a chunk of money you want to be certain what you're buying yourself into, both in terms of the car and the after care it comes with.

I've made 3 separate trips to my local dealership, a huge building it is too. The first time, I was unsure about the boot of the Scirocco and wondered whether or not my golf clubs would fit in the back. So I took them into the dealership, hoping they'd let me try, thus putting my mind at ease. I and a friend stood at the front desk for around 10 minutes, everyone was 'busy' behind their desks, no customers to speak of. Next to a Scirocco GT was a sales guy at his desk, busy on his computer, near him was another guy on his computer too. They didn't even look up to say 'Need any help'. So i got in and had a look around, popped the bonnet, still no movement. Went and got the golf clubs, popped them in after a struggle. No one cared. I'd answered my own question, so we left (we were suited and booted too - if that makes any difference)

The second time I went in with my girlfriend, as she'd be driving it too. 15 minutes passed before someone asked if we were being seen, again it wasn't busy, I asked a few questions like 'whats included with the GT spec' and have you got any cars with Dynaudio, he didn't know what GT spec was, nor had he seen any cars ever come through with Dynaudio, though it 'must be good' in his words.

Third and final time was going to pick up a demo car, after being screwed over by VW Demo centre themselves. Asked for a GT, got a base model, they swore blind it was a GT because the paperwork said so, when it clearly wasn't. Finally after being ignored by the ever present sales team again, I asked the dreaded question about the roof lining. 'All Scirocos have the black lining' apparently. I pointed out the 'GT' they gave me didn't and he said 'we don'l sell many Sciroccos'

Now obviously each dealership is different, and through the luck of the draw just happened to be located near a very poor one (as first, second and third impressions anyway) but surely it's basic etiquette to make your customers feel welcomed, and to have decent knowledge of all the products you're selling. I've never seen any dealership been so ignorant towards it's customers in my life, which is a shame considering the Scirocco is a really nice car!

I had no issues with my dealer and couldnt recommend them enough. They text me weekly with an update as to the satus of the car being delivered, (November last year) and 2 days before I picked her up, they confirmed through a phone call and a text exactly what paperwork I needed to bring with me on the day. I was given a thorough show of the cars bits and bobs and even had 10 minutes with the Dealer Manager and given his card if I had any further questions or issues at a later date. I have had a few issues with the wipers and a major issue with my stereo, however, I had a new Mk6 Golf for 2 days while they sorted it. I have named them on here and I am happy to do so again. The dealer is Trust in Stourbridge. Lets praise those that are good just as much as the bad dealers.

ridgeway wantage, andre in sales and james/phil in service

My local dealership were very friendly (the car selling one) when ordering the car, but the sales team did seem to take a while to approach you to ask if you needed help - but some people like that.

I don't want to be pestered by someone while i'm just having a look, but when you do decide to tey and make eye contact with a salesperson to let them know you've finished looking and now want to talk spec/money/info/test drive, it's nice if they actually acknowledge you as a paying customer who ultimately pays their wages.

I had no such problems at my dealer, but the saleswoman was going on holiday while the car was coming and I had to wait 9 days after the car had arrived to pick it up, because that saleswoman insisted on being the person to hand over the car. Those were the longest 9 days of my life! Not sure why only the salesperson who initiated the sale had to be the one to hand over, was she worried about someone else doing her out of her sales commission?

I saw the car the day it arrived (handing over the insurance docs for tax disc), it was immaculate, could've had it that day, dealer willing.

My dealer's sales team seemed very knowledgeable, they gave me a normal Scirocco TDI to test-drive, as they didn't have any TDI GTs as demos, but were quick to point out the equipment differences between the 2 (I knew them anyway) - it's nice to see that they'd done their homework on all the cars they sell. They also showed me all the GT stuff on a 2.0TSI they had in.

MKAndy wrote:After recent experiences that I've had with VW Dealerships, I thought I'd ask for the opinions of a wider audience, in relation to experiences either, buying, after care or just general thoughts on VW Dealerships.

Personally, I have found every experience to be very poor compared to Audi. Nobody even seems bothered that I want to hand them 23k for a car.

I have to agree. When I picked up a brand new A3 in september, it was parked in he showroom with a cover on that they got me to pull off, and the whole experience was a little bit special. When it came to the roc, it was just parked outside, plus there was all the problems we'd had with the order, and the spec not being right when it came

Peterowl:

Did they let you keep the cover? They try a bit harder at Audi - had one as a courtesy car once and there was a Golf sized Audi umbrella in the car. The handover guy said that he wasn't expecting the umbrella back with the car - score!

Seriously though, how special do you want the handover to be? Town mayor cutting through a red ribbon to release your car from it's designated space?

A mate of mine got one of the first new shape TT's in Newcastle, it was the first one they'd had at the showroom, and the dealership had it on display for a week before they would hand it over, even though it had been ordered for him and not a stock car. Imagine how many sweaty arses and greasy hands had made contact with his "new" car in the showroom before he was allowed it?

I got to drive my new Roc through the sliding glass doors from the large non-public room where the car had been stored inside for the 9 days I wasn't allowed it.

Having the new car should be special enough whether they've parked it up outside prior to your arrival, or whether it's sat inside the dealership. No one leaves the dealership without a massive cheesy smile as they pull away (except from a KIA dealership maybe, they might have that "oh crap, i've just bought a 'baccy tin on wheels" look.

maisbitt wrote:Peterowl:

Did they let you keep the cover? They try a bit harder at Audi - had one as a courtesy car once and there was a Golf sized Audi umbrella in the car. The handover guy said that he wasn't expecting the umbrella back with the car - score!

Seriously though, how special do you want the handover to be? Town mayor cutting through a red ribbon to release your car from it's designated space?

A mate of mine got one of the first new shape TT's in Newcastle, it was the first one they'd had at the showroom, and the dealership had it on display for a week before they would hand it over, even though it had been ordered for him and not a stock car. Imagine how many sweaty arses and greasy hands had made contact with his "new" car in the showroom before he was allowed it?

I got to drive my new Roc through the sliding glass doors from the large non-public room where the car had been stored inside for the 9 days I wasn't allowed it.

Having the new car should be special enough whether they've parked it up outside prior to your arrival, or whether it's sat inside the dealership. No one leaves the dealership without a massive cheesy smile as they pull away (except from a KIA dealership maybe, they might have that "oh crap, i've just bought a 'baccy tin on wheels" look.

I know what your saying, and I'm not saying it was a big deal, it just felt like audi cared that little bit more. Plus the whole experience with vw was pretty dreadful. I don't think I kept the cover, I don't know what they'd have said if I'd asked though.

It's so much different to VW in Germany - they couldn't care more.

Across the Vag group in the UK, Audi try to please more because you're buying what is perceived to be a premium product (why else would anyone buy an A3 over a Golf? It's the badge, and the ever so slightly nicer interior plastics, the Golf looks much better on the outside).

VW are complacent (VW UK customer service aren't good mediators when there is a problem between you and the dealer).

Seat are also complacent, they aren't grateful you went for a Seat over a VW, they know you did it for the price differential. My local Seat dealer is terrible, they wanted me to commit to buying before they'd give me a Cupra test drive - no way!

Skoda are grateful for the sales, they're glad you see past their old image of being crap on a par with Lada.

You can see this reflected in the breakdown cover you get:-

Audi and Skoda give you 3 years, Seat gets 2, and VW gets 1!!! That is such a con. I expect to get charged if I fill my TDI with petrol or run out of fuel, but other than that, you should get breakdown for the length of the warranty. The terms of the "VW mobility pledge" are very murky - has anyone ever got any clearly defined terms of this service? I think it's meant to provide basic recovery cover for as long as you get the car services by a VW dealer.

peterowl wrote:

MKAndy wrote:After recent experiences that I've had with VW Dealerships, I thought I'd ask for the opinions of a wider audience, in relation to experiences either, buying, after care or just general thoughts on VW Dealerships.

Personally, I have found every experience to be very poor compared to Audi. Nobody even seems bothered that I want to hand them 23k for a car.

I have to agree. When I picked up a brand new A3 in september, it was parked in he showroom with a cover on that they got me to pull off, and the whole experience was a little bit special. When it came to the roc, it was just parked outside, plus there was all the problems we'd had with the order, and the spec not being right when it came

My A3 was delivered inside an Audi lorry, only a small one but it was awesome. I was up early waiting for it to be delivered and heard a lorry reversing down my street, when I went outside you could see all the curtain twitching going on, then out popped a gleaming little A3. Happiest day for ages!

Also the local dealership had an R8 under a cover a few weeks before the launch, I asked one of the girls if I could see it (was picking my car up from a service), she waited for some other people who'd walked in off the street to leave, before locking the door behind them and quickly whipping the cover off, and letting me sit inside it, felt really privileged!

Saying that, the last time I took the car for it's service, they asked if I would be ok with an A4 as a courtesy car, to which I agreed. When it came around it was a new shape TDI 170 with the S Line pack, bluetooth and something similar to the RNS510. I thought they were messing about, but obviously not!

As these posts are showing all dealers are different and what we expect is different. My new cars usually come on the back of a truck and some hairy arse chucks me the key that's it.

Would you want the pomp and ceremony if a cost was put against it and you could opt out of it for the saving??

I agree everyone should have the best experiance from the dealers from a Fox buyer all the way to the topline Toureg. The best way to ensure you are satisfied is to spell out what you expect, updates etc if it's all agreed then you can you can call the dealer an arse for not doing as agreed.

PS I still think audi dealers are the worse out there!!

.

I think the point I'm really trying to make here is that we should all be getting the same level of service when buying into a brand. I would consider VW to be a premium brand compared to their Korean counterparts, as well as the likes of Ford and Vauxhall. They have big shiny dealerships, and sell well equipped cars, and make a lot of money.

If I walk into one dealership, realistically it should be no different (albeit aesthetically) to any other VW dealership. Management should be making sure of that, and I'm sure they have guide lines/standards to which they have to operate. Granted, some staff will be useless, and some will be excellent, but this should be managed effectively.

Maybe it's something you get if you buy super premium cars like Bentley etc. Saying that, someone I know walked into a Porsche dealership to buy a 911, and was politely asked to leave, so he went and bought a Ferrari 355 instead, so maybe I'm wrong!