So I get an email from my Mercedes dealer, one of those “throw a bunch of marketing stuff together and call it a newsletter” deals. Fair enough. Times are tough, even for the upmarket marque. And like many a pistonhead, I like to treat my vee hickle to something nice every now and then. Hmmm. Rubber floor mats. Mercedes-branded, tailored to my GL. As this will be the Guzzler’s first New England winter, yes, please! I know they’ll cost a fortune. But I don’t want to buy them from you-know-who and support Car and Driver more than I have to (which is not at all). And I’m too busy ethical to sleaze some for a review (which I would have to write). So I make the 25-minute trip to Inskip. The parts department’s Mercedes-branded product area is a mess. The shelves are mostly empty and thoroughly uninteresting. There’s a whole case of M-B caps—obscured by their plastic wrappers. The parts guy is on the phone. No eye contact. And I wait. And I wait. And I wonder why a car dealer can treat people like shit and neglect a potential profit center and then blame the economy for lousy business.
When it’s clear that nothing’s going to happen, I ask him if there’s someone else who can help me. He looks like I asked him to make me dinner. Another guy comes out, all smiles. “Mats for my GL, please.” He disappears into the back room. And I wait. And I wait.
“They’re not in stock,” he says, later that same day. “Give me your phone number.”
“Don’t you want my name?” I ask, looking at the scrap of paper in his hand.
“Just the phone number will do. I’ll call you when they’re in.”
Consider my gears finely ground.
I know many unhappy Inskip customers. That dealership proves that even the sainted Roger Penske is capable of running a crap organization.
My GTI came with optional “Monster” floor mats (Monster Cables no doubt fired off one of their infamous lawsuits). Huge rubber jobs with a VW logo.
They were great keeping the cars for the winters, but utterly impossible to get clean, even with a garden hose.
Gotta love the Internet!
I’m more than 700 miles away, but now I know Inskip Mercedes-Benz, 1557 Bald Hill Road, Warwick, RI 02886 has lousy customer care. Though it’s unlikely I’ll ever have occasion to do business there, betcha lots of folks who live close by will avoid ’em.
Gardiner – You could try Viti in Tiverton, RI. They deliver loaners to customers in NYC – 200 miles or so – and then deliver the serviced car back…
Not sure you’d get a price break from them if you purchase, and I’d bet that stunt is great publicity, but 700 miles would be a tad too far.
RF – now on my fourth set of WeatherTechs – two A4s, an A6 and now a Cayman S. The latter is the thin wall exact fit kind like the commercial example. I think you could pour gallons of crap in them with no overflow. However, I had to cut the wall away to fit around the Bose subwoofer wart in the passenger’s side so that’s not any better than the old mats. The rubber ones in the 10 year old A4 are still holding up fine.
This is exactly how Lexus cut right into the Mercedes market. If you were in the parts dept. at a Lexus store, you would have been helped immediately with the mats in stock. Free coffee and bagels at your disposal. A friendly courteous advisor, that would offer any other assistance that you might need that day, a very nice thank you for stopping in, and a please come back.
Which begs the question of why they think I should pay dealer markup for items. I can sit in the comfort of my home, order off the internet and have it shipped to my door for less money. Contrast that with having to make 2 trips to the dealer. One to pay and order another to pick up. (and I bet that RF never gets a call from the dealer)
I know stocking items carries a certain cost, but if you expect me to pay a premium for shopping at your store you damn well better stock items.
I haven’t been to a dealer parts counter *anywhere* lately and gotten any sort of service.
Seems the folks behind the counter are there to service the techs, not end user customers.
At the Mazda parts counter a few months back. I had to hunt down a counterperson, after waiting 20 minutes.
I bought OEM rubber mats for my GTI and C30 from various sellers on ebay. Shipping isn’t cheap, but the discount from a volume dealer usually makes up for it.
If you don’t see the exact one you need, you can usually contact a dealer that has mats for other models of the same marque to get what you need.
What eggsalad said. The parts department is a revenue source, but not because of end users. That is what Pep Boys et al are for.
OK not really that interesting, but I had the choice of 2 online Volvo parts places that would send me my mats w/ free delivery. And after vacuuming my Golf’s carpet for hours trying to get the dog hair out when I sold it, I feel like the eighty bucks on rubber floormats was well worth it.
RF – this week you’ve been full of rant. Glad to have it back.
“Mats for my GL, please.”
So you don’t want to support a C&D advertiser. Fine. But you’ll beg to give your money to a stealership’s parts department whose employees couldn’t care less about you and the value of your time?
Google: “genuine Mercedes floormats”
EDIT: Whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s this WeatherTech ad doing on TTAC? Now it’s a quandary! Do you support both TTAC and C&D or not!?
I’ve had good luck with the parts counter at my local Chrysler Jeep stealership in Reno.
BMW dealership parts departments are also horrible. I’ve been to quite a few and they are without fail staffed by utter retards, no offense meant to the mentally challenged. I rarely get the right part, they are frequently busy hanging out in the back, and similar to the Merc dealer the parts area is usually a mess of poorly organized, random items. Even the shop I most often visit, where I am on a first name basis with most of the workers, puts me through this. As I type this I am getting ready to make my second trip for a valve cover stud. Getting hardware from them is particularly impossible. There is nothing I hate more than making several trips over the course of weeks to get a part. So frustrating!!!
Floor Mat Nazi says ‘No mats for you!”
CyCarConsulting :
This is exactly how Lexus cut right into the Mercedes market. If you were in the parts dept. at a Lexus store…
+1.
The real management miracle (that I’d like to read about) is how Lexus developed such a positive customer service experience. (Given that states’ laws give the many degenerate dealers near immunity from traditions corporate quality control metrics). Did Lexus screen potential franchisees?
Seriously, short of throwing bodies in a trunk, how does Toyota prevent a “Bill Heard” type Lexus dealer from shi**ing all over the brand?
As Jeff above said, there is a Weathertech ad not 3 inches from where I’m typing this response. I have a 26″ monitor.
RF, just click here>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lexus’ service dept treated me better than any BMW or MB sales dept. So my preference (and where my cash goes) is clearly tilted in their favor.
The real management miracle (that I’d like to read about) is how Lexus developed such a positive customer service experience. (Given that states’ laws give the many degenerate dealers near immunity from traditions corporate quality control metrics). Did Lexus screen potential franchisees?
ihatetrees asked a great question. Every manufacturer is subject to the same state dealer franchise laws, bought and paid for by the dealers. Lexus’s greatest advantage (other than perfect cars) was that they appointed their dealer network in the ’90s rather than the ’60s. Being a new “line make,” they had no obligation to any existing dealer. Their dealer screening was indeed first rate, and they were free to choose only the best — dealers who were then in the right locations and who had excellent customer service reputations. The competition was stuck with the dealers they had, half of whom were by definition substandard. Combine this with how profitable selling Lexus became, and very few of those dealers could be stupid enough to rock the boat and fight the factory. Given enough time, the franchise laws will force Lexus to take some scum through buy-sells (which many franchise laws say the factory has to approve), but that will be a slow process — what Lexus dealer would want to sell out?
First car I ever bought from Mercedes was a S550 from Mercedes Benz in Freeport, LONG ISLAND, NY.
I honestly can’t understand why people claim MB has bad service cause my deal went SMOOTHLY and PERFECTLY.
The manager of the location himself came out and sat in the car with me (cool guy) and he helped set up the deal.
I never had a single problem with my parts or missing pieces.
Let’s be fair though. Customer service lacks in more than a few retail arenas. Big box stores like Home Depot for example. You’re on your own accord for the most part. Customer service support telephones numbers? I called Dell computer and was told by the person on the other end she was “Britney Spears” before she hung up on me. It’s not a problem limited strictly to the dealership environment.
Accessories IMO and IME are present in the dealership experience largely to meet brand standards. When the rep from the respective mfg comes around and notices a lacking display he/she contacts dealer mgmt and lays down the kvetch about missed sales opportunities and profit left on the table yadda yadda. Ownership or dealer mgmt redirects that sentiment to parts mgmt and on to the $10/hr guy that doesn’t make eye contact with the task of figuring out what to order and how to display it. You know while the $10/hr guy was supposed to be working on other things which are profitable like providing the parts to the technicians or answering the phone and taking orders (profitable tasks).
Accessory profitability is not so much to the dealership as it is to the mfg. That crap (a lot of it is just that, crap) is usually low cost kit and kaboodle that IMO the mfg only provides so that they feel they (somebody on the mfg side, probably due to some corporate memo or executive order) have a place in the aftermarket.
Somewhere the concern for having your mats on hand gets lost. It might be in that crack created by the mfg between pushed shipments of accessory product the dealership didn’t ask for (usually on model launch) but will have to pay for anyways then use buyback credit to return, back ordered items that are desirable like floor mats which may also have a cross ship block (just because one warehouse has it doesn’t mean YOU can have it, no no those mats are for somebody else) and the usual mess of other parts department concerns about keeping inventory on products without which the service department grinds to a noisy and annoying halt.
In short accessories are largely a task of tertiary importance in operating a parts department.
Never arrive at a parts counter smoking a pipe, or dressed in a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches. This screams “TTAC reader”, and the parts guys will treat you accordingly.
My local Toyota store has a very well stocked and appealing parts department. The other side of the dealership has a Chevy parts department that is truly amazing. Beautifully done and filled with high performance crate engines and a myriad of accessories. There isn’t a speck of dust or dirt on anything and the counter people are outstanding.
Some dealers do “get it”.
Flashpoint :
First car I ever bought from Mercedes was a S550 from Mercedes Benz in Freeport, LONG ISLAND, NY.
Do you mean Lakeview in Rockville Centre? If so, I can attest that they are very nice.
But all dealerships should treat you like platinum for buying such an expensive car.
The real test is how they treat their volume C-Class customers, who are mostly leasing and will switch dealers for a savings of $20/month.
@ Justin Berkowitz
Same deal with my GTI’s monster mats.
I resorted to using my Karcher power washer.
That worked.
-ted
I remember seeing the original “Weathertech Girl” in a bunch of ads with the owner and his dogs.
Now I only see the owner, a new girl, and the dogs.
I wonder – did the old girl get half of the Weathertech empire – and was the new girl the reason?
-ted
A shout out to the service department (I know….this is a parts issue, but it is a factor of my experience) at Knopf Mercedes in Allentown, Pa. They are excellent, and I should know: My 2002 ML320 has been back there 28 times for various issues. I have the service records to prove it. 5 other visits went to a local MB mechanic. He’s good too.
Paid a premium price for genuine Infinti slush mats for our FX. Peeled off the Infiniti box label; said WeatherTech underneath.
They are very good mats. If they ever wear out or get grungy I’ll order the next set direct from WeatherTech and save mucho dinero. Besides, the WeatherTech bunny is much better looking than the parts guy at my Infiniti store.
If you don’t want to buy WeatherTech, I’ve also used the Husky winter mats. They make them for most trucks and SUVs (including the GL), and they hold up well. I’ve used them in my trucks for ages.
I try not to buy too much from the parts counter, as the internet sellers are usually cheaper, but sometimes you just have to for last minute stuff.
Interestingly I usually have a good experience dealing with the local parts counters. Maybe it is living in upstate NH that does it.
WeatherTech is US made and a good value. They are vertically integrated – metrology for exact measurements, CAD/CAM for design and molds, rapid prototypes for a final check – not everybody in the US has forgotten how to make things. A set of molds can’t be cheap to produce for low volume cars like mine – I’m glad they have done so.
zerofoo – I hope the first Weathertech Lady just decided to retire as the spokesface.
I sincerely appreciate the Weather Tech floor mats in my Jeep, just seems to make since to have a fitted, high quality rubber mat in any decent car. Cheers to them for making a good product at a reasonable price. What do I care that they advertise in CD, a magazine that I pay less then 50 cents an issue for, the pictures are pretty :)
RF I’m also seeing a weather tech advertisement on the site right now…just take the free mats and give an honest review. as long as its honest who cares that you get to keep them so long as you disclose this.
Wow. You hate Car and Driver/ WeatherTech SO MUCH that you’re willing to drive an hour round trip to the dealer, maybe several times; wait around at the dealership; search the web for random other mats; and write an entire article about it. That is some serious hatred.
I read with much interest the many negative comments from Mercedes customer’s experience at the dealer parts department. As a 23 year (now retired) parts employee at the dealer level and later in the aftermarket, allow me to speak from “the other side of the counter”. I would not even attempt to dispute the claims of poor service, I have certainly witnessed it first hand many times in my career. There is no excuse for it and as a professional I strived ever workday to instill excellent customer service in my countermen. We received many compliments for impeccable service which proves it is attainable.
I would only ask that you try and relate to the many challenges a partsman faces every day. Short on staffing, uncomfortable working conditions, unreasonable demands by retail customers, mechanics, body shops, and the dreaded sales dept. If you experience poor service ask to speak to a member of management. Any dealership that truly wants to give the Mercedes owner the service they deserve (and pay a high price for), will ensure your satisfaction. If not, that dealership does not deserve the privilege of having the 3 Pointed Star out front.
Take your business to other luxury dealersships that would love to take your hard earned dollars.
But, give us a chance to improve and put Mercedes Benz back on top.
I’ve had good experiences with the few dealership parts counters I deal with from time to time, but that is because I avoid the ones which aren’t worth the trouble.
But luckily there are plenty of online suppliers from which I can get most things.
My big problem with our area new car dealer parts departments is that most of them are charging way over the already high manufacturer’s MSRP on parts. Several online dealers let you see both MSRP and their discounted price. Using this MSRP information I’ve been able to conclude the most of the dealer parts counters in our area are taking MSRP x 1.2 to arrive at their retail parts and accessories pricing.
I know that this won’t count for much, coming from my experience with a dealer in a small Canadian community of 100k population, but I’ve experienced nothing like this at King Mazda in Saint John, NB. Excellent service always at the parts counter. For example, when I considered buying winter tires for them, the parts manager (Rosilind) took me to the warehouse to show me what they had and took the time to make sure I saw everything they had. And no issue at all when I said I didn’t see anything I liked. I didn’t buy the tires from them but I did buy my rims there, and make it a point to buy whatever I can there when price is comparable.
Bought a very used generic set that work well in the interior 88 528e at a swap meet. Found a carpet remnant on a street in Charlestown that will have the original carpet outlined then cut out. I plan to tastefully edge them in black Gorilla Tape. These will go into Marina’s 528e, and she will love them.
I can order and pre-pay for parts at my local dealer. They dont stock parts for my 22yr old survivor. I dont do this but as a last option. it is a PITA.
Hard parts are cheap and plentiful from many sources,so I don’t waste much time at the dealer’s.
@guyincognito:
If you’re in LA, try Bob Smith BMW. Nice folks, but call ahead to ensure they have the part and to check price. They still give 10% discounts for bmw cca members.
Wow. You hate Car and Driver/ WeatherTech SO MUCH that you’re willing to drive an hour round trip to the dealer, maybe several times; wait around at the dealership; search the web for random other mats; and write an entire article about it. That is some serious hatred.
Not only that, but I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll end up with WeatherTech mats w/ a MB logo on them. Stick it to the man!
Funny rant here RF.
Funny, strange – not haha.
You’ll end up with weathertech’s….unless you find some bespoke, leather-trimmed organic alpaca wool things from Richie Griot or Autosport International. But don’t THEY also advertise in C&D. And what about the oil in the Benz? Is it a special product from the Fatherland (isn’t the GL made in the Carolinas) or is it some oil that too advertises in C&D.
I just checked Orvis and LL Bean for you (really can’t sleep) and Orvis sells WT’s!
I mean, your position is kind of like deciding not to breathe air, because there is air at Whole Foods and you’re still pissed at their CEO for suggesting something other than Obamacare may make sense.
SO this week you have dissed both Viti AND Inskip. Whose working on the Benz and the Lexus now?
But the point against C&D is well taken: kill electrons, not trees!
RD
The real management miracle (that I’d like to read about) is how Lexus developed such a positive customer service experience. (Given that states’ laws give the many degenerate dealers near immunity from traditions corporate quality control metrics). Did Lexus screen potential franchisees?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know this – sooner or later someone at the low end of the market will learn how to do customer service. When that happens, they’ll take market share from the others.
What happened to customer service?? The internet is what happened. Ninety percent of the buying public will shop (and sometimes buy) whatever they can at the lowest possible price. The only reason people even go to the dealer to buy new cars is that they have to. The retail parts counter in a dealership is a losing proposition. The parts department is there for a) supplying the service department with parts for the vehicles that are being repaired/serviced, and b) selling parts wholesale to other service facilities and body shops. The retail parts counter sells small items like touch up paint and floor mats, while the service and wholesale windows are selling fenders and transmissions. If the dealer could close that window completely, he/she would.
Interestingly, I’ve had excellent parts counter (and service) experiences with the Nissan dealer I use for the Altima I drive for business. For our personal use-vechicles, the better half and I have had mixed experiences with both of the local upscale German dealers. As I’ve stated before, it’s even more fun when you live in the fly-over states and there’s only one such dealer in a 50-mile radius (if you’re lucky).
My favorite story is when one of the M-B’s “keys” was lost and we forked over a small fortune for a replacement. Hung the new key on the peg where we keep extra keys and went on with life. About a year later, decided to use the key – won’t unlock the doors OR start the car. Back to dealer. Turns out they gave us the wrong key, but never bothered to check it out as part of the $300 or so that we paid to them. (On the other hand, I suppose you could make fun of us – and we probably deserve it – for never checking the new key out…).
Funny how the next vehicle we bought had a roundel on the hood/bonnet, although I don’t recall the key incident being a conscious part of our decision.
Although some Toyota dealers are known for absolutely horrid service, I have had great experience with Greentree Toyota in Danbury, CT. I have also had good experience with Danbury Audi in Danbury, CT. These experiences include buying parts from the Parts Department and having the vehicle serviced. I’ve also been treated well by Audi Manhattan.
I’ve always had good parts service at my local Volvo dealer. One time though, I had to bring them a picture of what I was trying to accomplish (removing the roof rails from my XC90). Once they had the correct part nos. they were able to assist. For the most part.
They always seem so busy when I go in there (on the phone, etc.).
I had never seen a Weathertech.com commercial before, but I have to say, their floormats are great.
I once had a cheap o set of non-custom fitted mats and they interfered with the pedals. The Weathertech floormats actually look good in the car with their custom fit. Now I learn they are actually made in the USA, why the heck wouldn’t I support them?
What a stupid article from a usually bright crew. I anxiously await the day when the advertise with you and you sing their praises (you should, their product is best in its category).
My Honda dealer’s service and parts dept is terrific. I didn’t buy my car there, but I go there for my infrequent services.
The parts dept guy didn’t know that though, the last time I showed up and went straight to the parts counter. The battery in my key was dying and I had tried to replace it and I had stripped the teeny little screw. Replacement keys cost $$$ so I asked if he had a way to get it out.
He did! He took my key without a word and immediately used a pliers to break the key in two, busting the plastic cover, and exposing the battery! I was in slight shock! Then he took a spare key out of a drawer, opened it up, and used its perfect plastic cover to replace the one he broke off of my key. Then he handed my key back to me, explaining that the factory put way too much lock-tite on their keys.
No charge!
Oh, and he replaced the battery with a new one of his own, rather than the one I brought with me.
Thank you Honda of Seattle!
TWO weathertech girls? Sounds like “Corvette Vicki” all over again…
This reminds me of my virgin trip to the Toyota dealership to get an A/C cabin filter. $48 plus installation. No thanks I’ll install it myself.
Another time I spent an entire afternoon waiting to get a bumper repaired. There is a gift shop in the dealership that sells candles, purses and handicrafts. There is a coffee bar and a big screen TV tuned to Fox “News” with a lot of angry white people seated around it.
Quick lesson in geography: Vancouver, B.C. is an ocean port tightly sandwiched between the U.S. border and ininhabitable mountains. Our prisons are out the Valley. Once released, the convict’s first stop, for a hooker, drugs and B&E revenue, is Surrey, the largest municipality in B.C. I worked for J.P., a self made-man with about 19 dealerships in S.W. B.C. On one company boat cruise, in addition to our staff, there was a motley crew present, apparently not oilers from the bilge, judging by their attire, but obviously a notch below our beer-swilling garage gang. (We were banished to the boat, separated from the white-callar sales gang, as our last outing ran up a $6000 bar bill and complaints of blocking the restaurant doors while smoking reefer.) The mystery group was Surrey personified. I queried our staff as to their affiliation: Parole officers? the bosun’s buddies? Surrey Hyundai? Response: North Van Lexus Sales i.e. representatives of a sales group carering to the highest per-capita income municipalities in Canada – the country, not the city or the province – the biggest dollars in a nation of 30-odd million people. J.P. got the Lexus ticket because he sells cars. Over several years with J.P. I saw no evidence that Lexus had any further criteria. My wealthy brother drives a Jag, Porsche, and Lincoln, not counting the motorbikes and watercraft. He notes that, if he lived in California, a Lexus would be in the garage, at least for the wife or for dog-walks in the rain. Pretty simple actually – treat staff like shit, recruit from Starbucks, import from the suburban wastelands – obviously the salesperson ain’t got a hope in hell of forming relationships with my brother at the P.T.A./19th hole/Terminal City Club/Board of Director’s meetings. Put dipshit managers above that, fire the decent – people buy elsewhere. But the bottom line looks great to J.P.: dirt-cheap stoner punk carwasher/detailers, food-bank sales staff, managers that, as one fellow put it so well, “Michael should be in a home where they feed hin steak, mixed with his meds, through a straw.”