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The Colonel November 6, 2007 4:13 PM

Blimey, I wish we had that kind of luck.

My wife bought an A3 in April 2006.  A few weeks later a passenger in the rear couldn't drop down the rear armrest.  Had a look and discovered the plastic clip that holds the storage box lid in place was broken, forcing itself into the seat back.

Called up Harold Wood Audi service department.  They told me that, before booking it in, I had to take the car to them to "asses it".  Fair enough, did that and then tried to book it in.

"Can I book it in for the nearest available Saturday"

"No"

"Why"

"Because it takes three hours"

"and?"

"We're only open from 8:00 until 1:00 on a Saturday and we don't have that many technicians"

"OK, but that is five hours, you've just told me it takes three hours"

"Yes, but it takes another three hours to fit the seat back in"

"Are you absolutely sure it takes six hours to remove the seat, replace the clip and refit the seat"

"Yes."

I decided to leave it for the moment and give the Sales Manager who sold the car to us a call because he did say "any probs don't hesitate to give me a call".  Did that, he didn't seem very happy about it, but agreed to intervene.  Called me back about ten minutes later.  He had the same story repeated to him.  He got them to agree to take the car in on a Saturday and sort out a courtesy car in case the job over-ran to the following Monday.  I'm still suspicious, but fair enough.

The following Saturday, drop the car off, pick up courtesy car.  Drive off.  Less than half an hour later I get a call from the technician doing the job.  He'd REMOVED the seat, and discovered that the part ordered was the wrong colour (OK, annoying but these things happen, and at least he was upfront about it and very apologetic).  By the time I got back, twenty-five minutes max, the car was sitting in the yard ready to go.  Booked in for the following Saturday.  The job was done in less that 90 minutes.

I don't like being lied to.  I had a suspicion that they just didn't want to bother with a silly little job (I see it for what it is too!) on a Saturday and decided to try to fob me off.  I took it up with Audi UK who confirmed that, for warranty purposes, the job should only take 70 minutes.  They also said that service centres should never resist taking a job in on a Saturday, except for diagnostic work which can be very time consuming.  They promised to take it up with the service manager and for him to contact me with an explanation.

Sure enough the Service Manager called, said he would investigate and promised to get back to me.

I never heard from him again.

pitfield November 14, 2007 9:01 AM

Perhaps if you have a more expensive Audi you get better service. It's certainly true with BMW.

The Colonel November 15, 2007 12:31 PM

"Perhaps if you have a more expensive Audi you get better service. It's certainly true with BMW."

Heh!  Well, it is a 3.2 Sport Quattro, top-of-the-range at the time (or are we talking in excess of $40k?!?!?!).  Besides, I can handle indifferent service, even when based around value snobbery, it's the lying that does my head in.