General Fiat Customer Service WORST EVER!

[Saz77]

The 500C has not been dealer launched yet, they won't until they have physical cars and have been through the training - have a look at the Fiat website, it asks you to register online to get details.

Patience young jedi!

surely if others (like us) are aware of the 500c then people at the dealers should have some sort of clue

 

[alfatastic]

I bought my 500 from Chessie last year, also bought my alfa from there 13 years ago, only used it to service the Alfa for first 3 years (warranty period) as I wasn't that impressed. Just before the extended period ran out the I had problems that I diagnosed as the ECU, the service department insisted on keeping the car for a week changing several cheaper components before deciding I was right and replacing the ECU, so I had to still pay them £350 for their "Diagnostic work", which wasn't covered by the warranty still a little cheaper than a new ECU which I think was around £800 at the time. I have since built up several friendly garages, who talk my language, ie old cars especially Italian, who couldnot have been more helpful, so once out of warranty the 500 will be going there too.

Sales dept always seemed ok there though

 

[grimwau]

whereas KFC seem to employ a special kind of person .

Went into my local KFC a couple of weeks ago and after ordering, got greedy and said "go large."

It's one of those situations where you need to be there as it loses it's effect when you try to put it into words but here goes.(also, you have to realise that they are all foreigners)

"What size" was the response. I replied, "large", he responded with "what size" to which I said " Bl**dy Large", to which he asked "what size" ... well you get the idea.

Anyway, after a couple of minutes of this he goes and talks to one of the other student types and this one says, "What sides would you like with that sir." I replied Baked Beans.:tosser:

 

[nottsfiat07]

Well one of the "troubled" young people with whom I used to work with in school is now a manager with KFC. I worked with him for over a year, and every single day he smelled of BO and wee. Lets hope thats improved in the intervening years! Im not telling you where the branch is!

 

[TheBujun]

Just to add my twopence worth - Fiat dealership (Windsors, Heswall) have been great. I've popped in a few times over the last 90 days with varying questions and issues. Bought the chrome wing mirror housing things and was charged £50 - couple £ish less than the Fiat accessories web site states (I couldn't remember price till I was looking at the other accessories to see what else I can spend money on) and I also wanted details on the B&M sat nav system that plugs in to the dash usb port - the salesman only had the window sucker one, which wasn't set up - he said he'd have a play with it (a'hem) so when I came to collect car I could have a look see what I thought. I've had update phone calls and got to pick from a list of 09 plates. Still wont let me have the car on the 1st due to short opening hours and lack of admin staff (being the Sunday). Now vauxhall - we've had 2 cars from them in the last 3 years - once you've signed that agreement, the very helpful, courteous salesman just pretend that they haven't a clue who you are and what you're going on about (mind you - my Astra salesman was good - he did email me some mobile photos of my car when it arrived).

I work in the NHS and find I'm very particular about customer service (I guess it's from being drilled in that you treat patients like one of your own - although it's sometimes very hard if that patient doesn't respect you back - nothing like a 'please' and 'thank you' to make one more willing to be of service) and always have a hissy fit when I phone a company or buy from a shop and get treated really badly - with hospitals now being run like businesses and patients can choose where they want to go for treatment, it makes sense for us lowly nurses to 'be nice' to patients - without them the Trust would shut down and we'd be out on our backsides - and we're new to the competative business game - why are there so many companies out there, that have required to do business with the general public since they opened, got such a sh**ty attitude towards us??

Anyway - I know I don't contribute much to this forum - what with not having my 500 yet (6 days!!!) and being of the quiet nature - so apologies in advance for the bit of the rant during the rare moment I put finger to keyboard!

Overall FIAT +++ would buy from again (as they say on eBay)

 

[TheBujun]

Anyway, after a couple of minutes of this he goes and talks to one of the other student types and this one says, "What sides would you like with that sir." I replied Baked Beans.:tosser:

PML....... I like that......

 

[Heidi]

By the way Heidi love the spec on your car/colour and i bet thats a lot of fun around Bournemouth town .

Thanks - yes I love my car spec, wouldn't change anything on it at all. I am often zipping round the roads in Bournemouth with my young son in the back going "wooooooooo" round the corners (500's are great for that!).

 

[roocarl]

Hi Heidi I likes the woooooooo ing we took my lil boy on a tour round Italy in a convrtible a couple of years ago, Rome Venice , lakes, Naples etc then onto monaco the rule was when ever we went under a tunnel we had to put arms in the air and go wooooooo great fun!
I think It should be law lol!

 

[roocarl]

I have a reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HURRAH I have got a definative answer from Fiat about the 500c!!!

Took 3 phone calls on 20 min of bein put on hold 1 st person said 500c? whats that? then denied recieving my 3 emails i sent.

2nd person said oh yes we have had some uptodate info just through on that its somewhere think in a filing cabinet!

10min later finds it and has informed me the latest hot of the press info on price release time is.....

They have announced there isnt any! personaly i doubt he found the piece of paper but I am passed caring now, lifes too short!

I am going to Geneva in a couple of weeks to see launch, If I love it and prices releases and times I might order if not gives me two weeks to decide if I want a year old Cooper S turbo or a 500D lounge with remap chipped ecu and apex springs
I am sure both would be good fun! will probably do what i normally do offer a few people a silly offer and see who takes my money!

one last point the last chap I spoke to at fiat was very polite and apologetic which i suppose is sort of a positive lol

 

[Pofish]

Sounds like bad service. Can't say I've experienced this. I had a great dealer experience.

 

[T14086]

Never bought a fiat from autoworld in chesterfield but we did go there for servicing and warranty work for several years, never found the service desk very helpful or friendly when we went in, until we had cause to tell fiat about one issue, after that they were falling over themselves. This was a few years ago tho.

Ive always found mcdonalds to be fine, whereas KFC seem to employ a special kind of person thats the human equivalent of a 1980s fiesta popular... whcih was like a car but didnt have anything as standard that you would actually want.

Yeah KFC done a crap job of servicing my car...stank of chicken:yuck:

 

[nottsfiat07]

Yeah KFC done a crap job of servicing my car...stank of chicken:yuck:

Yeah and they didnt use selenia oil... they used sunflower

 

[T14086]

lol......

 

[RobW]

so Fiat are Mc Donalds and KFC are Ford

or was that the other way round...

WTF!!!!!!

 

[muttleysdad]

This may help - Every time i've been on the Fiat web site and requested one of the 500 brochures (you know the nice ring bound one as i am always giving mine away) 2 days later i get 2 phone calls, one from Fiat UK and one from the local dealer asking if i would like a test drive etc, etc, i have to tell them i've already got one.

 

[Heidi]

When I ordered a brochure through the website I got a Punto brochure both times!

 

[muttleysdad]

When I ordered a brochure through the website I got a Punto brochure both times!

Probably desparate to sell punto's

 

[Venters]

surely if others (like us) are aware of the 500c then people at the dealers should have some sort of clue

This is the difference between a personal interest and a professional interest.
This may sound like a very poor taste analogy but it is the only one I can think of with actual personal experience. Intelligent literate people who develop cancer will in a matter of months almost without fail know way more about emerging drugs and treatments long before their GP. The problem here is to then assume that because they do not know about something they must be useless. This is often not the case. With regards a car sales man I bet he could run rings round you with information on the Grande Punto or the Kia Rio.

A car salesman must try to be knowledgable on all cars and not to specialise on one particuler model of one particuler car. I think alot of people really don't realise how difficult a job it is. especially when you are working 50-60 hours a week then people expect you to put your home life on hold so you can research the latest models that are not even out yet.

 

[nottsfiat07]

But shouldnt a salemsan (or woman) who works in a fiat franchise, specialise in knowing about fiat models?

Also (and im not being a provocative a**ehole here, I dont actually know) when theres no one in a showroom looking at cars, or testdriving them (which must be a fair chunk of time in the present climate) and when theyve done the (I assume, not massive) amount of paperwork to order cars etc, what does a salesperson actually do? Assuming they are working a 50 hour week? What are those hours filled with?

Also I would expect a bit of time in my working day to gen myself up on the product I am expected to sell, not do it in my own time.

 

[RobW]

the dealers are dependant on training and launch materials being provided by Fiat UK Marketing...

if Fiat UK Marketing do not have the info from Fiat Italy...