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My FORD dealer closing
- Thread starter 51mavhatter
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- Will
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This is why the current dealership network is good for the customer. Brick and mortar location for sales and warranty work. Online banking mostly works, but online auto sales and service is a pipedream. Ask any Tesla owner about their warranty work experience.
your example is fatally flawed by numbers alone. tesla has 276 dealerships in the USA and 210 are service centers. it turns out that people are willing to travel distances if necessary, and often buy used at non-tesla dealerships, but they fail to realize that they'll have to do the same to service them.
meanwhile, Ford has more than 10x that amount of dealerships. if Ford were to buy those dealerships (which they can't in almost every state as it's prohibited by law to protect 'local' businesses despite many dealerships being mid/large franchises themselves), Ford would probably close a few but keep most of these locations open.
I can confirm the Tesla experience. The pipe dream of them coming to you to fix your vehicle is limited and once you are out of warranty then you will get to pay for that pleasure. If the problem is relatively minor they can have a mobile tech try to fix it. If the problem is significant they will tell you to bring it to a service center. If you don't live close to a service center that is on you to sort that out. I had problems with cameras and phantom braking that Tesla tried to diagnose remotely and deemed it needed a service center visit. My closest service center was 159 miles one way. The handwriting was on the wall pretty fast after that and the Tesla had to go to another home. The dealer network is a fantastic resource that they are trying to convince everyone it is a boat anchor and no longer needed...
No, most people don't know that they will have to take their Tesla to a service center. They are sold on the mobile service. Few consider how far those service centers might be or that it would be needed. It is flawed. Tesla needs more service centers or contracts with certified local repair shops that can do the work. Oh and all that mobile service is on your dollar once that warranty is up. I learned the hard way. This is why I am a former Tesla owner among other things like excessive battery degradation. 13% battery loss in one year is not acceptable. This is the other fight club meme no one is allowed to speak of. At least Out of Spec youtube channel has been keeping it real and actually talking about the degradation issues and lots of people are feeling uncomfortable about what we are seeing with the batteries. But back to the main topic at hand. The Tesla service centers are in fact a problem unless you live close to one.
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The Tesla Experiment
is what it should be called.
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I've always lived near a Ford dealership, just thought they were everywhere Currently 1 mile to the nearest, and the furthest I've lived from one was just under 10 miles.
Tesla is smart. They are putting their resources where their customers are. High density population centers where they have some reach. But this PR campaign attacking OEMs dealer networks when internally Tesla only wishes they had that kind of reach. After my experience I recognize this non-ad ad campaign for what it is and they are capitalizing on the sour sentiment people have because of a few bad apple dealers giving everyone a black eye. Sadly most won't understand the pitfalls until they experience it themselves like I did.
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I do believe that there are honest car dealers that would not have lied. I believe that the one I deal with now would have done that. Just think that dealer lost the earnings of selling 4 F150s and a Maverick, plus all the bad press I have given them and all those who listened and bought from Champion. Don't have to worry anymore about ads in the paper as the paper does not really exist in reality any more for me. And I trust my dealer.
There are good dealers out there. A few bad apples make the entire industry seem shady and I know for a fact that isn't the way it is. Having a local dealer is a big deal. Having a good local dealer is an even bigger deal.
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I’ve lived in a rural, now semi-rural area for forty years. It was always a toss up if I drove 35 miles NW or E for service. When I drove east after a twelve hour shift, I could curl up on a couch and catch some sleep.. Small dealership, mostly trucks. Skilled diagnosticians - the mechanics there were like “old time doctors” or rural veterinarians - they saw the whole truck - not just a wire here, an axle there.
When I go to the larger dealership in the city to the NW the people there always seem to be different. The service has always been pretty good, but no more “mechanics”, all specialized techs. They have several locations, a little “cafe’ with great pastries and sandwiches, free fresh coffee and water all day. The owner has a long history of giving back to the community (as a few other brand dealerships also do).
Meanwhile, people moving out here complain when they have to drive ten minutes for anything.
When I go to the larger dealership in the city to the NW the people there always seem to be different. The service has always been pretty good, but no more “mechanics”, all specialized techs. They have several locations, a little “cafe’ with great pastries and sandwiches, free fresh coffee and water all day. The owner has a long history of giving back to the community (as a few other brand dealerships also do).
Meanwhile, people moving out here complain when they have to drive ten minutes for anything.
I believe you, and yet I also know as a zero-time Tesla buyer that this should be very obvious. how someone would not realize that is pretty strange, at the least. perhaps just kind of wrapped up in how 'special' buying a Tesla is/was and not thinking through the details?
why are you so confident they knew about the promo?
the car salespersons job is to sell. today. a rank-and-file salesperson may not be told about upcoming promotions and might hear about it at the same time customers do.
The big selling point is mobile service. And at one point, apparently some time ago Tesla would actually come and get the vehicle and bring it back if it required service they couldn't handle with a mobile visit. Those days are gone. When that warranty is up it is all on your dime. Oh, scheduling an appointment is a treat. The delays in getting an appointment can be brutal. 2 months for one service appointment in my case. You will never talk to a person. Everything is done via the app.
Also the next huge selling point you hear is no service required. No oil changes, and services needed. Tire rotations and refill the window washer fluid they will tell you. It's fiction. If you are inclined to believe the marketing by those repeating this mantra then you will overlook the obvious long term ramifications. The potential buyer is left with the impression that the old rules don't matter. I am here to tell you they do.
