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[feeutfo]

My vx dealer is... Good/Bad,
because... of what they did/didnt do or say. You get the idea. Dont hold back now...

Or has this been done already?

[SteveD]

My local one is totally unhelpful if they can't book you in to remove your shirt. Not interested if you want to give them part #s.

On the other hand.... the next nearest (Perrys at Preston) have been fantastic. The lads on the part counter really know their stuff and seem to know most Omega part #s off the top of their head. They really went out of their way to locate an odd-ball switch I had on my pre-facelift, going as far as getting a production line bin check in Germany!

[psychnurse]

My vx dealer is a con man because they want to charge rediculous prices for rediculos tasks.... that are not what they say they are!  

Have had it with them over the years.... tis no more... I am making a stand to try and learn for myself... with the help and upport of OOF  

[Andy B]

Parts dept are very good, 1 knows his stuff better than the other though. Service dept is not even as good as useless & try to convey the image that they're all knowing, when they don't! :-?  

[Mr Skrunts]

My Vx Dealer wont quote Trade Club prices over the phone (which is fairy snuff, as I could be anyone), so that he can try and charge full retail when you get there.

Then when you complain to the assistant on the desk, the manager like's to remain a smart ass coz you cant get to speak to him.

[platty]

Andy at "Drive" Bury St.Edmunds - the best.

Member of the forum - so knows his Omegas, can do payment over phone and send goods in post (or on van if you live close  )

Highly recommended.

PS. Trade prices too  

[Jimbob]

Mine are Very good.

Know my voice, so automatically give trade / tradeclub prices

Like the fact I normally give them part numbers

make a fuss of the little fella whenever I take him

generally have a good stock, and soon get what they havent.

This is a small trade place on an industrial unit, do servicing, repairs, parts, but no sales.  Maybe that is why they are good to deal with

[Marks DTM Calib]

My local dealer is the single most incompetent, useless waste of space about (belongs to a certain large group whose name relates to a Biro and the symbol of wales).

E.g.

A good friend had her Corsa serviced there (at large cost) and they told her she needed new brake fluid and a load of other bits. This I then sorted for her, however....

.....when doing the work I found play in the steering column (excessive) due to a loose pinch bolt, coolant filler cap not, both rear hand brake cables corroded (MOT failure corroded!) and a host of other bits!

....to top it off, her friend popped round last night with her Corsa which had been for a service as well, she was told the disc's and pads needed changing (16K miles!) so I measured them and they are not warped and have 3mm wear left so only need new pads!. They also said the front tires were illegal yet they have 3mm minimum tread (on the edges, more in the centre) plus they wanted 60 quid a tyre.....for a Corsa!

.....and don't even get me started on the parts department.

The alternative dealer in a local town is totally different, still would not take my car for any repair work there....but the parts department are pretty efficient.

[albitz]

i have 3 vx dealers within a 10 mile radius and consider all 3 of them fairly useless.

[Jay w]

My local one is totally unhelpful if they can't book you in to remove your shirt. Not interested if you want to give them part #s.

On the other hand.... the next nearest (Perrys at Preston) have been fantastic. The lads on the part counter really know their stuff and seem to know most Omega part #s off the top of their head. They really went out of their way to locate an odd-ball switch I had on my pre-facelift, going as far as getting a production line bin check in Germany!

Your nearest would be Moorland motors, i used to work there in the late 90's, which one do you go to Ansdell road or Garstang rd?

[Jay w]

With the exception of one guy my lot are useless, again they are a large company who have outlets all over the UK and they have no interest in customer service at all.

Me and the parts manager have had 'words' in the past, this was due to me going in there with a list of part numbers, his issue was i had a copy of EPC, so the next time i went in there i did the ususal customer thing and asked fro the thing that connects to the whatjamacallit....he went even more ballistic  

The parts dept is the whore of the dealership, it gets screwed from all directions and the people who work in there are condsidered to be uneducated and at the bottom of the food chain (certainly that's the perception i got when i worked in the dealers) however a really good parts person will have a multitude of skills that include mechanical knowledge, product knowledge and the ability to communicate with some customers who clearly shouldn't be under the bonnet, let alone driving the bloody car.
And for all this the dealers pay peanuts, when i finished my time in the trade i was working in the parts dept due to an accident i had a few years earlier, i loved it but the conditions and pay was crap.

[Kevin Wood]

I don't take my car to main dealers. The only time I ever have, years ago when I was concerned about a warranty, they failed to replace the dipstick after an oil change and sprayed my engine bay in oil. Lucky I had a quick peek under the bonnet when I got home to make sure all was well.  

However, in my brief Vauxhall ownership I have been amazed that I can go into my local parts department and ask for a specific part (usually a common one prone to failure!, eg crank sensor, HBV, door locking motor), I can specify the registration number, VIN, engine number, etc. and they still can't find the right part.   I am starting to realise why people quote so many part numbers here.

In a previous life I used to go into Ford garages and ask for obscure parts. When they asked for VINs, etc. I'd tell them "er.. I'm building a kit car - try a mid to late 80's Sierra, etc.". They'd roll their eyes, tap on their PC for 10 seconds and then show me a diagram of exactly the part I was after. They'd then go out the back and get it. It was normally in stock, too, even parts going back to the Escort Mk. II / Cortina era. I don't think I ever got a single part that was incorrect, either.

Kevin

[dbug]

My local stealer parts dept helpful & good.  Dont know about workshop - dont use them.

[Entwood]

Skurray's Swindon - parts dept at both outlets very helpful, take ABS TC without hesitation and give "normal" trade discount on non-TC items. I've always had good advice from them , and they've pointed out "specials" I'm not aware of.....  

Never used the workshops, so can't comment.

[FRE07962128]

My local Caffyns Vx dealer is all modern and plush, surrounded by other main dealerships, but with staff who are all too busy to even greet you when you first make eye contact with them.  

Two months ago I went there to ask for a second opinon on what was wrong (electrically) with my dash as I had lost all power to it after removing the unit for bulb replacement.  After waiting a good 10 minutes (no other customer in front of me) to be acknowledged, I explained fully my problem, but they told me, in a very dismissive manner, that there was no one to help me and I would have to book the car in for the next available appointment (7 days away!).  It was then added that it would cost the standard rate of £75 per hour to investigate the problem.

Typically I thought sod (I'm being polite here!) that, and just drove home to investigate further myself.  That is when I learnt all that was needed was a new fuse 14, which I already possessed in my stock of spares!

Over thirty years of extensively using main dealerships for servicing my company cars, and for parts for my private vehicles, I have witnessed a serious deteriation of customer service levels (I have considerable professional training, experience and knowledge  of this skill to be able to assess) and a growth in what I would call 'just a job' staff!  The committed, highly skilled, proud and efficient staff that I used to see regularly in many of these dealerships has declined dramatically and now you are very lucky indeed to find even one.

So often I have found that my understanding of general mechanics and the parts I require to sort a particular problem out, are way beyond far too many of these staff who serve me with stupid waffle as they think I as a women know nothing!  All they seem to now understand is what is on the system, with you explaining and detailing the exact part you need, or the "complete unit" to be removed and replaced.  So often of course the manufacturer has stopped selling single, simple, replacement parts prefering to sell these "complete units".  An example recently of this was I need a single nylon bearing cap (value 25p?) for a wiper system on my old Toyata; "oh no madam we don't sell those separately and you will have to buy the whole unit at £126"! **x!!= bollards!

That's another rant over!