R
RKZ234
Guest
Boeing777 said:Well if its so bad being a Holden dealer I'm surprised there are any at all! The fact of the matter is whenever I've had a problem the dealer can't solve to my satisfaction, I've taken it up with Holden in writing, and have always had a great response, they even paid for a new timing kit for my old Vectra that was 18 months out of warranty, simply because the dealer told me 'those parts shouldn't fail'. I also addressed a problem with the seals on the VY Headlights discolouring to which the dealer said they won't do anything, Holden authorised the replacement of the headlights after a quick phone call, and then called me back 3 months later to make sure the problem hadn't re-occured!
Your respect for Holden as a company also surprises me, considering you're on a Holden-oriented forum and appear to drive 2 Commodores! Maybe you should invest in a Falcon??
As for the profit margin in the cars, I'm sure they didn't lose money on the deal despite the haggling, and in highly competitive market that they're in, any profit is good profit.
It shouldn't matter if they're getting paid $20 or $60 an hour, if they're in business they should be providing quality service, and have respect for customers and all that jazz, its the only way you get ahead in business. Even tho on paper a loan car may seem like a loss, in terms of customer satisfaction, personal recommendations, and return business, its worth its weight in gold, at very least as important as advertising.QUOTE]
I was simply pointing out that the dealer bashing sentiment sneaking into this thread was a little mis-directed. I knew this was the case from experience. I've always developed and maintained good relationships with Service Managers wherever I've been. They are prisoner to the whims of the manufacturer.
I've driven every model Commodore, and had VL's onwards through work and have driven Falcon XA's onwards, expereincing XF's onwards through work. I've also had the misfortune to own an EF Futura and an EF XR-6, both from new, which is why I changed brands after 2 consecutive Lemons and Ford quite disgracefully refusing to honour their own new vehicle warranty!
One of the reasons you and I pay $60ish p/h for non warranty work is that we are subsidising the shortfall in the Holden reimbursement for dealers performing warranty work!!
As you mentioned, when dealer service has fallen below your expectations, you've gone direct to Holden to have the probelm fixed. I've done the same a few times and had fixes conducted by Holden, that the dealer had been refused permission to do by Holden. I've also had a fix done by Holden where, when I discussed it, after the work was done with my service manager, the dealership was unaware of the fix.
I've currently got a Warranty Issue that I'm dealing direct with Holden on that has remained unable to be rectified since we bought the car brand new. It has been to dealerships more than 12 times over the same issue, the vehicle is now over 3 years old and now Holden is attempting to fob us off and avoid fixing the problem and the damage the fault has caused!
So, yes I'm a little critical of Holden as a company. Based based on my experience it is perfectly justified criticism. We have never treated people the way Holden treats us.
As for your comment regarding my respect for Holden, my grandfather (whom I now realise was an extremely wise man) had a saying that has stuck with me since I first heard it as an 8 year old. "Respect is something you must earn on a daily basis, should never be taken for granted, neither should it be given away frivolously. One should never expect it, nor should it be demanded. You shall command and receive respect by your deeds."
So if Holden (or anybody else for that matter) wants my respect, then they need to EARN it and not take it for granted.
I hope you aren't suggesting or advocating that just because this is a Holden forum, that either negative opinions or honest reporting of facts is frowned upon and that only pro Holden content is permitted to be posted. If you are, then this site shall be much the poorer if it is the case and the site will ultimately become insignificant, even superfluous as a result.
My experience of dealerships has been excellent to date. Dealerships are the meat in the sandwich, expected to run whilst at the same time Holden ties their shoelaces together!
But let me assure you Ford is far worse, so currently, we're driving 2 Commodores in a case of siding with the lesser of the two evils!!
Yes, warranty work is done cost free etc, but you have to book the car in days in advance and reschedule your life around loosing the car for a day or even more to get the work done and you have to drive to the dealership wherever it happens to be. This isn't such an issue in Metro areas, but in the country, they're often a fair way apart. I have plenty of friends and family driving, several BMW's, VW Golfs and a Bora, Hondas, a Mercedes, A Lexus 470 (rebadged top of the line Landcruiser) and a Rangie and Landcruisers. They all report on only minor issues that are addressed swiftly the FIRST TIME without fuss, which is why I'm now more likely than ever to purchase an imported vehicle this year in lieu of a Holden. (which actually goes against my grain as I'm a HUGE supporter of buy Australian, but how many chances do you give anyone to fix a fault? 12 goes and now Holden is trying to shirk responsibility is NOT GOOD ENOUGH!) I'm just so sick of being taken for granted and not receiving what I paid for. A new car is a significant purchase and we both work very hard to afford ourselves the luxury of a new vehicle each, every three years, and we expect to enjoy our purchase, not contend with an aloof, combattive manufacturer who treats private buyers as insignificant. I specifically make this last point, as I've not encountered the same attitude in relation to work vehicles, from Ford or Holden.
I'll NEVER buy a Ford ever again and sadly the only other Aussie option has nearly used up its' nine lives too.
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