Lets talk about tipping
12-19-2015, 09:46 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Lets talk about tipping
I'm in the USA so answers might be different where you live, so state your location.
If you bring the Benz in for warranted work do you tip the same as yearly scheduled maintenance?
Better yet do you tip at all?
If you bring the Benz in for warranted work do you tip the same as yearly scheduled maintenance?
Better yet do you tip at all?
12-19-2015, 01:02 PM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
US - Tampa, FL
I have never, nor will I tip for service I'm paying for. That said, my dealer does offer free car washes, 7 days a week. When I get my car back from the guy who brings my car up after washing, I do give him or her a tip. Typically $5.
I have never, nor will I tip for service I'm paying for. That said, my dealer does offer free car washes, 7 days a week. When I get my car back from the guy who brings my car up after washing, I do give him or her a tip. Typically $5.
12-19-2015, 02:05 PM
#7
Member
I have always sent a Christmas card with a check enclosed to my independent MB mechanic that services my SL. No "tip" for the dealer though.
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12-19-2015, 02:06 PM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
If you want an outstanding customer service experience, pick a SA, stay with the same guy/girl and when the corporate MB survey comes in your email, rate your service a 10 across the board. If anything positive stood out...they stayed late so you could pick up that night, etc. note it in the comments section. Those get read aloud at staff meetings. Huge deal to the SA, his boss, the GM and corporate.
Also, the question "did anyone at the dealership tell you to expect a survey" is no.
Once the SA associates you and your car with good scores, you're golden and they will bend over backwards to take care of you. They live and die and are bonused by the survey, and for overall satisfaction anything below a 10 is considered a fail, so no "9" nonsense because your seat position was reset. That one question is the only one that's scored for your SA, so 10s everywhere else are useless.
That said, if you're unhappy, deal with it at the dealership directly. Don't act like everything is fine and then wait until you're behind your computer to grow a pair. SA's loathe those customers who burn them on a survey without ever giving them a chance to fix whatever it is you're unhappy about.
You don't want to be that customer. Trust me.
One last thing. If you stop by the service lane for a free wash and your SA is swamped and tearing his hair out
wash your own car. If you want to be a real hero, tell them not to bother with the wash/vac after a service visit either. It creates a little cushion in the schedule that's very much appreciated.
Also, the question "did anyone at the dealership tell you to expect a survey" is no.
Once the SA associates you and your car with good scores, you're golden and they will bend over backwards to take care of you. They live and die and are bonused by the survey, and for overall satisfaction anything below a 10 is considered a fail, so no "9" nonsense because your seat position was reset. That one question is the only one that's scored for your SA, so 10s everywhere else are useless.
That said, if you're unhappy, deal with it at the dealership directly. Don't act like everything is fine and then wait until you're behind your computer to grow a pair. SA's loathe those customers who burn them on a survey without ever giving them a chance to fix whatever it is you're unhappy about.
You don't want to be that customer. Trust me.
One last thing. If you stop by the service lane for a free wash and your SA is swamped and tearing his hair out
wash your own car. If you want to be a real hero, tell them not to bother with the wash/vac after a service visit either. It creates a little cushion in the schedule that's very much appreciated.
12-19-2015, 02:20 PM
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Great advice...
If you want an outstanding customer service experience, pick a SA, stay with the same guy/girl and when the corporate MB survey comes in your email, rate your service a 10 across the board. If anything positive stood out...they stayed late so you could pick up that night, etc. note it in the comments section. Those get read aloud at staff meetings. Huge deal to the SA, his boss, the GM and corporate.
Also, the question "did anyone at the dealership tell you to expect a survey" is no.
Once the SA associates you and your car with good scores, you're golden and they will bend over backwards to take care of you. They live and die and are bonused by the survey, and for overall satisfaction anything below a 10 is considered a fail, so no "9" nonsense because your seat position was reset. That one question is the only one that's scored for your SA, so 10s everywhere else are useless.
That said, if you're unhappy, deal with it at the dealership directly. Don't act like everything is fine and then wait until you're behind your computer to grow a pair. SA's loathe those customers who burn them on a survey without ever giving them a chance to fix whatever it is you're unhappy about.
You don't want to be that customer. Trust me.
One last thing. If you stop by the service lane for a free wash and your SA is swamped and tearing his hair out
wash your own car. If you want to be a real hero, tell them not to bother with the wash/vac after a service visit either. It creates a little cushion in the schedule that's very much appreciated.
Also, the question "did anyone at the dealership tell you to expect a survey" is no.
Once the SA associates you and your car with good scores, you're golden and they will bend over backwards to take care of you. They live and die and are bonused by the survey, and for overall satisfaction anything below a 10 is considered a fail, so no "9" nonsense because your seat position was reset. That one question is the only one that's scored for your SA, so 10s everywhere else are useless.
That said, if you're unhappy, deal with it at the dealership directly. Don't act like everything is fine and then wait until you're behind your computer to grow a pair. SA's loathe those customers who burn them on a survey without ever giving them a chance to fix whatever it is you're unhappy about.
You don't want to be that customer. Trust me.
One last thing. If you stop by the service lane for a free wash and your SA is swamped and tearing his hair out
wash your own car. If you want to be a real hero, tell them not to bother with the wash/vac after a service visit either. It creates a little cushion in the schedule that's very much appreciated.
12-19-2015, 03:25 PM
#11
MBWorld Fanatic!
If you want an outstanding customer service experience, pick a SA, stay with the same guy/girl and when the corporate MB survey comes in your email, rate your service a 10 across the board. If anything positive stood out...they stayed late so you could pick up that night, etc. note it in the comments section. Those get read aloud at staff meetings. Huge deal to the SA, his boss, the GM and corporate.
Also, the question "did anyone at the dealership tell you to expect a survey" is no.
Once the SA associates you and your car with good scores, you're golden and they will bend over backwards to take care of you. They live and die and are bonused by the survey, and for overall satisfaction anything below a 10 is considered a fail, so no "9" nonsense because your seat position was reset. That one question is the only one that's scored for your SA, so 10s everywhere else are useless.
That said, if you're unhappy, deal with it at the dealership directly. Don't act like everything is fine and then wait until you're behind your computer to grow a pair. SA's loathe those customers who burn them on a survey without ever giving them a chance to fix whatever it is you're unhappy about.
You don't want to be that customer. Trust me.
One last thing. If you stop by the service lane for a free wash and your SA is swamped and tearing his hair out
wash your own car. If you want to be a real hero, tell them not to bother with the wash/vac after a service visit either. It creates a little cushion in the schedule that's very much appreciated.
Also, the question "did anyone at the dealership tell you to expect a survey" is no.
Once the SA associates you and your car with good scores, you're golden and they will bend over backwards to take care of you. They live and die and are bonused by the survey, and for overall satisfaction anything below a 10 is considered a fail, so no "9" nonsense because your seat position was reset. That one question is the only one that's scored for your SA, so 10s everywhere else are useless.
That said, if you're unhappy, deal with it at the dealership directly. Don't act like everything is fine and then wait until you're behind your computer to grow a pair. SA's loathe those customers who burn them on a survey without ever giving them a chance to fix whatever it is you're unhappy about.
You don't want to be that customer. Trust me.
One last thing. If you stop by the service lane for a free wash and your SA is swamped and tearing his hair out
wash your own car. If you want to be a real hero, tell them not to bother with the wash/vac after a service visit either. It creates a little cushion in the schedule that's very much appreciated.
In summary:
a) address your grievances directly to them in the usual course of business
b) tell everyone it was great. if you did a) it was, because they addressed your needs.
c) don't be a passive aggressive back biting spineless bish that says one thing to someones' face and something else behind their back.
Excellent advice EVERYONE should follow EVERY DAY, and not just at the MB Dealer.
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mdeloat (07-17-2024)
12-19-2015, 05:01 PM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
I tipped the guy that washed the car or brought it to me in the past at the same rate as carwash $5-10. I don't do that anymore.
12-20-2015, 08:19 AM
#13
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2012 CLS63
when I got my first MB, I sent my SA an Edible Arrangement to try and butter her up for the future........but I still got CRAP service, there were a couple of guys I liked in the shop, but for the most part everyone looks down their nose at you........seemingly no matter how many cars you buy from them..........
NO ONE at a dealer ship (IMO) deserves a tip, despite whatever disguise they have on.....they are a dealership and are TRAINED to screw you over
NO ONE at a dealer ship (IMO) deserves a tip, despite whatever disguise they have on.....they are a dealership and are TRAINED to screw you over
12-20-2015, 11:04 AM
#14
MBWorld Fanatic!
when I got my first MB, I sent my SA an Edible Arrangement to try and butter her up for the future........but I still got CRAP service, there were a couple of guys I liked in the shop, but for the most part everyone looks down their nose at you........seemingly no matter how many cars you buy from them..........
NO ONE at a dealer ship (IMO) deserves a tip, despite whatever disguise they have on.....they are a dealership and are TRAINED to screw you over
NO ONE at a dealer ship (IMO) deserves a tip, despite whatever disguise they have on.....they are a dealership and are TRAINED to screw you over
The business wants maximized revenue. The customer wants maximum coddling. In a Ven diagram there would be a thin sliver of commonality.
This is true of any business that serves the public.
I'm just suggesting ways you can be in that sliver. But if your local franchise is run by a bunch of dicks, I do see your point. I'm fortunate in that my SA and his family became friends with me and my family, which is why I probably have more insight from the SA side than most owners.
12-20-2015, 11:45 AM
#15
MBWorld Fanatic!
when I got my first MB, I sent my SA an Edible Arrangement to try and butter her up for the future........but I still got CRAP service, there were a couple of guys I liked in the shop, but for the most part everyone looks down their nose at you........seemingly no matter how many cars you buy from them..........
NO ONE at a dealer ship (IMO) deserves a tip, despite whatever disguise they have on.....they are a dealership and are TRAINED to screw you over
NO ONE at a dealer ship (IMO) deserves a tip, despite whatever disguise they have on.....they are a dealership and are TRAINED to screw you over
12-20-2015, 05:00 PM
#16
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Join Date: Feb 2015
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2015 C300, 2015 F-350 Platinum, 1969 Mach 1 428cj, 2007 Roadking
I tipped once and that was at a Ford dealer. I was in for some warranty work and wanted some up grades added in the engine area. Mechanic told me if I went and got the parts he'd install them no charge which would have meant me tearing the turbo out. Gave him a $50. We were both happy.
12-20-2015, 05:43 PM
#17
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yeah, I think it's a little hard to truly appreciate the can't win position the mechanics are in.
Do the job "right" and the customer complains about being gouged on hours. Cut corners, and the customer complains when it fails prematurely due to those cut corners.
MOST mechanics genuinely want to make the car right. Most. Want. Some aren't really free to do so, and some aren't really competent, and some jsut don't care. But most really do want to. But cars tend not to behave rationally. They break. And they really aren't supposed to. And that just pisses people off. It pisses off the customers, of course, but it also pisses off the mfr and the dealer who has to fix it out of pocket.
And then it can be hard to tell if a car was abused, or if it just broke on it's own. And it can be hard to tell if 60 hours for an oil pump is because the engine has to come out to get to it, or if the service manager has braces to pay for. So there's a lot of distrust. Going BOTH ways.
And for every jackass in the car business, there's at least 10 jackass customers they have to deal with every single week.
The problem is just that the entire car business is just unpleasant to deal with. It really does just bring out the worst in people. On both sides of the desk.
Do the job "right" and the customer complains about being gouged on hours. Cut corners, and the customer complains when it fails prematurely due to those cut corners.
MOST mechanics genuinely want to make the car right. Most. Want. Some aren't really free to do so, and some aren't really competent, and some jsut don't care. But most really do want to. But cars tend not to behave rationally. They break. And they really aren't supposed to. And that just pisses people off. It pisses off the customers, of course, but it also pisses off the mfr and the dealer who has to fix it out of pocket.
And then it can be hard to tell if a car was abused, or if it just broke on it's own. And it can be hard to tell if 60 hours for an oil pump is because the engine has to come out to get to it, or if the service manager has braces to pay for. So there's a lot of distrust. Going BOTH ways.
And for every jackass in the car business, there's at least 10 jackass customers they have to deal with every single week.
The problem is just that the entire car business is just unpleasant to deal with. It really does just bring out the worst in people. On both sides of the desk.
Last edited by nycphotography; 12-20-2015 at 05:47 PM.
12-20-2015, 07:15 PM
#18
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yeah, car sales pre-internet were massively shady operations. Buyers had almost no info at their disposal, and there was no end to the kind of slimy stuff sales guys did to extract your money.
My uncle Dave was a car salesman in the 60's. His first job was at a Buick dealership. His first week, at the daily morning staff meeting, the GM singled him out. "I just got off the phone with one of Dave's customers, and the guy was pissed. He said he left with the new car and didn't know how much he'd paid for it, what his payments would be, how much he got for his trade..."
My uncle held his breath... "Nice job Dave. Everyone else, try to be like Dave."
That sort of attitude permanently soured the relationship between the dealerships and the customers and it lingers today.
There's a great insider book on car sales called "Don't Get Taken Every Time" by Remar Sutton. Everybody should read and memorize that book before their next deal.
My uncle Dave was a car salesman in the 60's. His first job was at a Buick dealership. His first week, at the daily morning staff meeting, the GM singled him out. "I just got off the phone with one of Dave's customers, and the guy was pissed. He said he left with the new car and didn't know how much he'd paid for it, what his payments would be, how much he got for his trade..."
My uncle held his breath... "Nice job Dave. Everyone else, try to be like Dave."
That sort of attitude permanently soured the relationship between the dealerships and the customers and it lingers today.
There's a great insider book on car sales called "Don't Get Taken Every Time" by Remar Sutton. Everybody should read and memorize that book before their next deal.
