principle

I tried ASC, but they are taking two days to do a tire alignment. Makes one wonder why you would even bother scheduling an appointment. Although I bought the car there, I am confident I will not be going there again for service. Naturally, MB loaners were not available for several weeks, so I am the proud driver of a Ford Taurus with 1000 miles. Very similar to my car, except no major alignment issues.

Anyone have a recommendation?

Tom

drb

Make sure they perform the work actually needed because it sometimes does not happen, but they will return the car as if fixed. Also, make sure parts are not missing. My last trip, the cup holder, dip stick and rear mats were missing, and I had an oil change performed. The company's expansion, they admit, has stretched thier ability to provide adequate service. I understand it is no better at the other local MB dealerships. I have concluded, I will leave the car for twice as long as they claim the work will require. I have noticed the tempers flair frequently among the management and sales staff, and they have high turnover among the sales staff. All of this was not true prior to the mid 90s. After 1995 it seems every fifth car in the area was an MB, and I noticed a corresponding decline in service.

monakh

ASC sucks. I got my car from MB of Alexandria and they are just--to quip President Bush--an evil offshoot of the ASC.

I would recommend that you go to EuroMotorCars. If Bethesda is too far for you, then you can also try HBL. While HBL has a ****ty dealership in general, their service dept. is not bad. And the usual turnaround is one day.

EuroMotorCars is so cool, though, that if you got your car from there, they will have it picked up from your home, and leave you with a loaner, and then return it when it is ready. And it is totally cool, because all their loaners are Benzes. HBL stinks in comparison since they have Enterprise, but it is still a high-end Enterprise. The two times I have used them for service, I got a Jag X-type and a C240. There were older Es in their fleet too.

The one time I used ASC for service, I got a Sable.

I swear, sometimes I think we are dealing with Hyundais.

mb-in-dc

Well at least you got a sable. Every time I service my E at ASC, I usually end up with an Enterprise rental like a GEO tracker or Dodge Neon. Aside from the lame loaner cars, I'm pretty happy with ASC. My service tech is more **** than I am (when I pick up my car from servicing, he'll actually come out and explain what he did). As for EuroMotor Cars - that dealership truly exemplifies the meaning "Stealer" (as opposed to "dealer"). They may have the aesthetics of a quality establishment, but I've had nothing but the worst experience with their service reps. Just to give one example, I asked Euro to replace all four tires on my previous R129 with new michelins -- the tires needed to be precision road-force balanced b/c I was riding on 18 inch AMG 5 spoke rims. When I picked up the car and drove it home, the ride quality was terrible - bumpy all the way. I took the car back to Euro, asked them to check the tires and wheels for balancing, and they told me everything was "in spec". Given that my car didn't wobble or bounce before I had Euro change the tires, I took it to NTB to have a simple balancing check performed. Guess what I learned? Euro had mounted manufacture-rejected Michelin Pilots on my SL. Even worse, they didn't even add balancing weights. When I raised the matter with Euro, the Service Manager simply said, "your car was in spec at the time we changed the tires. As for the quality of the tires on your car, I should tell you that we are not an authorized Michelin dealer, so I cannot guaranty that they are not defective." Can you believe that? I was so pissed off that I contacted the area MB rep (Gary Williams) and alerted them of what happened. Unfortunately, Gary was completely useless - he just apologized over and over again and told me that the service department at Euro was under a lot of pressure to maximize revenue due to the capital requirements imposed on the dealership by virtue of their physical expansion. Total bull****. I could care less if Euro built the next Taj Mahal. All I wanted was fair service.

Sorry for the rant -- I just really despise Euro.

principle

You were dead on - I had to call them at 4:00PM on Friday after they had my car for two days and demand it back. They claimed to have done the alignment, but had never gotten to the soggy acceleration or the buzzing brakes (I had given them the service bulletin numbers for both of these issues, but took them two days to simply acknowledge that the issues really existed). As I drove the car away - you guessed it - it still veered to the right. My guess is they never got to it, despite what the receipt said. Thus, it took them two days to add my license plates, put some all weather floor mats in my trunk, and add wheel locks. I bet they're chalking that up as a job well done...

To top it all off, the Enterprise guys wanted to charge me $16.99 for one day of insurance which I never remember being asked or warned about. They let me out of it... 'this time' (I consider myself warned!)

I left a message with my sales guy indicating I was on my way to HBL and unlikely to use ASC at any time in the future. I think I let them off to easy, however, so tomorrow I will add a call to the service manager (That'll show'em)

As a final note, I will say that no one there ever gave me any attitude - they were all nice as can be. So I suppose things could have been worse.

All of these thoughts running through my head as I look over the customer survey ASC just sent me....

Tom

drb

What is so strange about ASC is how pleasant they act to the customers, openly acknowledge they have poor service, and smile when they fail to deliver. It seems they decided they can do no better. This has gone on for several years. It does not appear they have any intention of improving. They always claim MBUSA never talks to them about anything. They could care less if anyone takes their business elsewhere probably because they know the bar is even lower at the other area dealerships. I suggested several times my sales guy read this forum. He claims he cannot figure out how to use the internet even though there is usually a web page on his computer when I visit. He has never responded to an email, yet he has an email address on his business card. It is like visiting an alternate universe. On their web site there is a section for inventory of new and used cars that has been under construction since 1999. Good grief!

omasterq

i did buy my car from HBL. have not had an opportunity to use the service department yet. the sales experience was good. the owner orientation thing that they did was good. the chocolate that they sent was good but way too small. they claim they do courtesy car wash with or without a service but i have never tried. not too impressive with thier part department and cashier with my limited interaction with them - kind of the attitude thing. one way or another, you can tell the dealership is trying to please. i wonder why HBL has such a bad reputation in the area. i have heard so many people saying they are terrible but don't have much specific.

i always though EuroMotor Cars is one of the better MB dealership in the area and have heard good things about them. they sure do have an impressive facility and the malaysian restaurant across the street is good.

with so many MBs in the area, can't imagine how the 4 or 5 MB dealerships in the area can manage to serve all of them well ...

etenn

I'm not sure if you meant that to be as humorous as it seemed to me. It sounded like a bit by a standup comic..:p :p

These things are never funny when we are dealing with them, but can provoke a pretty good laugh in hindsight.

drb

My intent was not to be funny. ASC has come to represent the downside of owning MB over the last five years. They are about the level HBL was when I did my business there, however, HBL seems to have further deteriorated according to a friend who takes his car there. EMC is too far away. When I take my car there I always swear I will never do it again. I am dreading what they may do to my car if and when the navigation installation comes true. This situation is pathetic.

etenn

The events you described were not funny, as a matter of fact they were pathetic...your manner of description was the humorous part

Ed

jdhoang

My e320 one day had an electrical problem where the remote would not open the car, turn signal and hazard lights did not work, and trunk and fuel gas cap would not open. Called HBL (where I brought it) and they told me the earliest they could see me was in two weeks. I asked service rep if they could see me earlier as this is somewhat of an emergency since the fuel cap was not accessible. His response was everyone (and his brother) has an emergency. To be fair, he did sayto take car by so they could open the fuel cap for me. I was a little put off by his response, so I called MB of Alexandria (part of ASC). They were able to take and fix my car the next day. I got a Toyota Solara as a loaner, but since I didn't buy the car there I couldn't quible.

drb

Either ASC had a slow day, or they have finally turned the corner....

monakh

ASC will never turn the corner....we will all turn over a new leaf and buy different cars.


jdhoang, the fact that you did not buy your car at HBL should have NO bearing on how they treat you. Sure, you may be treated a bit different (better), but it doesn't mean you should not demand service that is not up to par.

When I went there the first time, they sent me a survey asking me to tell them what I thought of my very first service experience. Mine was so-so, and I really felt like saying it, but I got lazy. I guess it is all relative. HBL has been able to help me out when MB of Alexandria tells me 'we just don't have the manpower'. Whatever. Honestly, I had better 'service' at the service department with VW (and they were terrible) AND Honda.

I guess people who want to buy Benzes, don't really have a choice. Kinda like 'you can have any color you like...as long as it is black'....

monakh

If anyone wants to see how lame Mercedes of Alexandria is (I should know, I live less than a mile from there), just call their service department at 7 or 8am in the morning. Try to make an appointment, and see the BAD attitude you get when you say you would like to bring your car in the same morning.

'No, right now we got tons of cars, and we really can't take any more--why don't you try back in two weeks' and in the worst of tones and rudely too.

Not, '"We are sorry sir, we would LOVE to help, and we are here to serve our customers, but we just don't have enough people. Tell you what, why don't you leave me your name and number, and I will call you as soon as I feel I can nudge in an opening...Oh Mr. X is this you? I am so sorry, you know we are a new facility...just trying to get up to speed here..." Blah, blah, blah..

Is that too much to ask? I will deal with lame response times or even incompetence as long as the person I am dealing with is professional and appears to care for his clients. I am sure you get the drift.

drb

ASC's poor service and long waits existed before they opened a second dealership. I can see the bank reviewing their business plan prior to loan approval for their dealership expansion....

AMERICAN SERVICE CENTER DEALERSHIP EXPANSION PROPOSAL

ASC has outgrown its existing location, and needs to proliferate its presence in the metropolitan area. ASC is well known as a progressive dealership where the customer comes first, and the MB experience is unlike any other. ASC's commitment is embodied in its' time honored motto Mercedes....Just Mercedes.

1. ASC Workforce. Although ASC has a 75% annual sales staff turnover, the new staff are well meaning, smile a lot, and all know to tell the story to new customers (even those who have shopped ASC for many years) of the airline pilot who just bought 3 MBs because he has great respect for the cars' build quality and reliability. The sales staff know this story plants the seed of confidence in prospective customers. The sales staff are allowed to substitute different professions such as doctor or lawyer in thier presentations. This method serves to reduce stale sales presentations (and lost sale opportunities), and allows the new staff time to learn facts about the composition and performance of the MB, thereby maintaining customer confidence and closure of the sale.

2. Vehicle Service Standards. We enjoy a 50% return rate on vehicle service (better than other MB dealerships in the area and based on recent regional and national polls). Our service bays have state of the art equipment. Our technicians have basic 8th grade reading comprehension skills (compared to the 5th grade scores of our competition), and advanced technicians will have mastered basic arithmetic skills. ASC runs monthly service refresher training that ensures the technicians easily discriminate between wrenches and screwdrivers, remember to return removed car parts to the cars from which they were removed, and practice personal hygeine by removing at least 50 % of the grease from hands, clothes and shoes after completing each car. This level of training is usually overlooked at most MB dealerships and few competitors ever consider this level of training.

3. Headquarters Communication. ASC will strive to contact MBUSA at least annually to ensure the service technicians have the latest service bulletins. Computer monitors on all sales staffs' desks will have their web pages tuned to MBUSA's website. This will provide a sense of connection for potential customers viewing these screens. Each sales member will be trained not later than six months after hire to effectively operate the website, and each will be provided an email address with which to communicate on the web site. The sales staff director routinely spends eight weeks annually in Germany for the purpose of collecting MB intelligence, and shares this information only with senior ASC management.

4. Customer-centric Service Goal. ASC requires rapid approval of this loan request so that ASC may better serve the rapidly growing metropolitan population. From this exploding South American, Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian derived population we will select sales and service technician staff and provide an annual course of remedial english language skill training to optimize customer-centric communication. Our dedicated inhouse management staff are incentivized to provide their best to translate customer requirements provided to our sales staff into actionable transactions. We are proud to report a 65% translation success rate (well above the industry standard) based on customer complaints and surveys, and will continue to improve. Our ASC workforce charged with interfacing with the well known post sale, difficult, arbitrary, and crass customer base (especially chronic complainers), are specially trained in all current tactics and methods to ensure post sale customers are handled through the best communication they deserve.


ASC is proud to hold the reputation of the premier Mercedes Benz Dealership in the metropolitan area. We want to honor the public with our ability to meet their demand for the Mercedes Benz automobile. There is no higher calling, in our estimation, and we look forward to hearing of your loan approval at your earliest convenience.

principle

Not sure how I did not notice this before, but in examining the tires while checking tire pressure, I realized that I had the 245 Michelins on there instead of the 225's. Keeping in mind that I did not order the sports package, I was mildly pleased at this discovery. I quickly checked all four tires to make sure they were the same (certainly would have explained the pulling to the right) and found they were. The tire pressures (circa the dealer) were all over the map - alas, when I corrected them, I got less road noise but the car continued to pull to the right.

ASC claims to have done the alignment on my receipt. I am taking the car to HBL next week, but I may not mention ASC's efforts. I have this suspicion that they never got to my car - they held it for two days because of great demand for alignment (so they claim) and only 'got to it' after numerous reminders/calls from me on both days. I wonder if my pressure resulted in a 'we got to it' answer without ever really 'getting to it'. In any case, I was quite clear when I walked in - I stated that I had a problem - the car pulls right - and wanted that problem solved. After 48 hours, ASC had made effectively zero progress. I find myself longing for the good 'ole Honda service. Yeah they treated you like crap, but they fixed things and did it pretty quickly.

Tom

etenn

Did you check to see if you got the 17" wheels along with the 245's?

principle

They are, in fact, the 17" tires.

A quick update to my service situation: the service manager called me regarding the message I had left for my saleperson (basically, I said I thought Honda had done a better job in keeping appointment times and solving car problems, and that it was unlikely I would do business with ASC again). Rather than explain why things had happened like they did, he said he wanted to make it right. He is sending someone out to my house this Friday to pick up the car and leave me with a Mercedes loaner. He then assured me he is having his 25-yr suspension expert at the dealership look at the problem. They will work on it that day and get the car back to me if at all possible. They are also very focused on solving the pulling rather than performing some specified maintenance. As good as I could have expected. I will post if they continue this very positive trend.

Perhaps they have turned a corner....

Tom

drb

Tom, please call back and ask if you are speaking with ASC. I am floored by this response.

Carnaught

....reading all of the above, I'm appalled at the level of service you're getting (or not getting). By the sound of it, I've had better service in the past at Ford and Pontiac dealers. Fortunately my Benz service unlike the above is top notch.

principle

I was appalled as well. The most recent steps have assuaged my concerns somewhat, although it is unfortunate it took this long to get a good response. I think the DC area is simply saturated with cars. This leads to good deals in negotiating, but less than stellar service. It does not help that Mercedes is not the best in reliability. This amplifies the strain on the service bays of these dealers. One would think MB would authorize an independent service location to perform repairs if the need arose, but no...

Tom

principle

Got the car back today after a week at the dealers. They corrected the pulling problem by replacing the tires. After realizing that 17" Michelins are not stock on the car, they had said they were going to switch them to 16" Contis. I balked at this and so they switched to 17" contis - I know not as good as Michelin, but this did fix the problem and I keep my free upgrade tires (I never requested not paid extra for these tires, not do I have the sport package). Incidentally, I checked the tire pressures and all were on the money - I had read an old post on this issue from someone in Texas who said the dealer had inflated one side of the car by an additional 12PSI to 'solve' the drifting problem.

They also addressed the flash update to the engine and brake buzzing problem - both service bulletins for MB. Lastly, they installed the MB phone (I had requested this) - the work is good and they gave me a decent discount.

As a last thought, my loaner was a ML350 inspiration edition with 100 miles on it. I was surprised by just how much I liked that car - very solid feel with decent acceleration. Made me wonder if I should have gone with the ML500 after all (I had considered this as an alternative to the E). I could have even had a navigation system, albeit not as good as COMMAND II.

I think ASC has turned a corner of some kind. Now I will see if I can find that darn MB survey somewhere on my desk. I am storing it in a special acid-free picture holder since I had thought I would have to hold onto it for some time.

Tom

monakh

On having a decent experience with ASC and getting your car back in one piece. Now you can go back to doing what you should be doing: Enjoying your new E as you deserve.

levelr123g

hmmm,
ive always had good service with asc. the alignment tech they are speaking about is cecil. he corrected a pulling problem on my c230 the first time. he installed camber correction bolts and the prob went away.

Incendiary

Yeah, HBL is pretty terrible. Sales, parts, don't know about service, but almost everyone is pretty rude. Wagner in the Finance department is pretty chill, but Bert (Burt?) who is one of the sales managers is a big a-hole. He was extremely rude and obnoxious today when I went to ask for a Netstar invoice on a car I just bought. Oh well, won't keep me from buying from them again if I get a kickass price, but they better be able to beat ASC, EMC, etc. by a whole heck of a lot for me to consider them again after buying a couple cars from them.

Anyone else think it's weird that places that need to and should suck up to customers sometimes seem like they're trying to purposely drive them away instead?