Disappointment with a franchised VW dealership service

[Snowball1935]

Having been with Leicester Volkswagen for over 20 years and buying four vehicles from them, I have lost faith since buying my Caravelle and it being serviced by the commercial side of the business.
My feeling have come to a head because of today’s treatment over my son’s Passat (he and his wife both have VWs, sourced from and serviced by Leicester Volkswagen).
This morning he took his Passat in for a booked annual service and MoT. At approximately 4:00pm he discovered that it had received no attention, although it was in a different bay to that where he left it, and they said they had been busy and that he could leave it to be serviced on Monday. Asking how he should get home, he was advised to call a taxi. He is now considering cancellation of the service plans for both his and his wife’s cars.
A similar thing happened about a week previously, when he was en route to to take his car in, and received a call on his mobile to say they could not do the work because “a machine had broken down”.
On both of my last two services cosmetic marks appeared on my Caravelle. Now, thinking that we may have to cease caravanning, I will most likely sell my Caravelle. At this point, I will cease to deal with Leicester Volkswagen and purchase a different make of vehicle, with Kia being a probable contender.
At first I had concluded that their commercial mechanics had no care as to whether a vehicle is a commercial ‘dog’s body’ or a cherished privately-owned one, but my son’s experience leads me to believe that there is a drop in standards right across the company.

 

[Meoncoast]

Sale you Caravelle ! you could be shooting yourself in the foot. If I am happy with my van but not the service I would find a different service provider

 

[Snowball1935]

If we cease caravanning, keeping the Caravelle would be overkill. Ordinarily I would have returned to a Touran - a vehicle I was entirely happy with, but which did not provide the Caravelle’s excellent facilities as a towing/leisure vehicle.
Recent experiences with Leicester Volkswagen have made me shy away from future dealings with them so, as it is my preference to deal with a franchised dealership, I will move to another make of vehicle which suits my needs.

 

[Trevor Brown]

If i was happy with the manufacturer I would find another dealer ….

 

[Snowball1935]

If i was happy with the manufacturer I would find another dealer ….

.Easily said, but more difficult in practice. Another VW dealer would be pointless - I say because, when I had an isssue with my current service Dept and told VW Customer Services that I intended to get independent advice, I was informed that they [Volkswagen] would only recognize franchised VW dealerships, which obviously includes service depts. This, in effect, is protecting the dealership in favour of the customer.
So, to protect one’s self as far as possible, it seems wise to buy from, and have the vehicle serviced by, a franchised dealership.
For me to use another VW dealership would involve considerable extra distance to trabel, and make leaving the vehicle to make my own way home a problem.
Having dealt exclusively with Leicester Volkswagen for over 20 years I feel that, since COVID, a lot has changed for the worse.
I have previously referred to ceasing caravanning and selling the Caravelle (health reasons), which leaves the way open to explore the wider field for replacing it. There is sense in this, as I have been meeting people with other makes of vehicle (Kia is one) who are enjoying much better service than I am currently getting.
And I’m not alone - my son and his wife are planning to move their cars from service by Leicester Volkswagen, and other family members have taken similar action in the past.

 

[Trevor Brown]

I’m sure you have thought a lot about it, and respect your viewpoint …. For me it would all depend on whether the vehicle presented outweighing benefits (as I personally feel my California does) … and if not certainly by all means I would buy what suited me best, whoever the manufacturer was.

 

[Snowball1935]

I’m sure you have thought a lot about it, and respect your viewpoint …. For me it would all depend on whether the vehicle presented outweighing benefits (as I personally feel my California does) … and if not certainly by all means I would buy what suited me best, whoever the manufacturer was.

Thanks for your comments, Trevor. It is refreshing to see that someone recognizes that individuals have various valid reasons for deciding on a course of action.
I have lost confidence in Leicester Volkswagen, and to some degree in Volkswagen Customer Services as well. This is all based on personal experiences by myself and members of my family.
Since I do believe that dealing with a franchised dealership should provide the safest protection for the customer, it follows that a change of vehicle manufacturer is necessary. There being no need for a rushed decision, I do have time to investigate my best options.
Having had two VW Tourans which gave excellent service, there is naturally a sadness in reaching this decision. But it has to be realised that things can change over time, and not always for the better.

 

[hirsty]

I don't think I'd buy another VW if I wasn't in the California market - too many things have gone wrong & the overall level of service falls short of the best available.

In your case I'd ring and ask to speak with the 'Dealer Principal' or similar & calmly tell them your family have been loyal customers for many years, briefly list all the recent issues & ask them what the the Hell is going on down there?