Ardmore Toyota and a bad taste in my mouth.

[Norcalscionchamp]

Sure I get it..spending thousands of dollars and customer service is HUGE...but I have won salesman of the month countless times and have a binder with hundreds of perfect sales satisfaction surveys and letters from customers to my dealer... But every once in a while a mistake gets made...miscommunications happen... We are all human after all...now I work mostly with fleet and return/referral business so my customers are usually a little more tuned in and feel more comfortable because they can call or text or e-mail and most of the time know me or were referred to me, but the fact is these guys in sales don't get paid that great and get treated like crap by customers all day. I paid my way through college with sales and am staying there until my wife gets out of dental hygiene school and people give me crap for being a "car salesman" I understand it took a few weeks but I feel like customers have a negative stereotype that is perpetuated all the time by goober know-nothing sleazy car salesmen and they come in and treat all the salespeople(some of which are actually decent and intelligent human beings) like dirt and then try to make a simple couple of miscommunications look like the worst sales experience ever when it shouldn't be that big of a deal... Mountains out of mole hills people

[Chewie4299]

Originally Posted by Norcalscionchamp

Dude you need to chill...theres nothing worse than an entitled customer who cannot understand that mistakes happen...you sound like some uptight east coaster who goes with Muffy and Buffy to the yacht club... Dealerships deal with hundreds of people every day...you didn't buy a Lexus...or even a Toyota... You bought an entry-level makers hottest selling unit... Be thankful you even have one...if you want the white glove treatment try Lexus but don't lump them together...apples to oranges...jerk demanding customers get lousy service btw try being nice and relaxing life's too short to write a letter to a car company over a stock stereo unit that only took a few weeks to get installed...and there's always the survey to express your opinion of which I'm sure you've already decided to tank them on.... Go buy and Audi or better yet a Jag-U-arrr lol

uptight east coaster? Way to generalize...

Every one is entitled to their opinion but yours is wrong.

I've worked with many dealerships. There are two dealerships and an entire auto group I consistently warn people to stay away from due to the experiences I've had.

I've worked in some fashion or another with customers or within a customer service industry for many years. As far as I can tell he was not a jerk with the dealership and even if he was it is ABSOLUTELY in the dealerships best interest to bend over backwards for him.

A pissed off or neglected customer will do significantly more damage to your business than a happy one does good. Why? Because when a customer has a negative experience they tell everyone they know but it's far less common for someone to spread good word of mouth. This means any business should bend over backwards for ALL customers.



DO NOT EVER GO TO
Papa's Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler/Ram in New Britain, CT
Barbarino Nissan in Wallingford, CT
The entire County Line Auto Group of dealerships in Middlebury, CT
(if you want to know why I will tell you, just ask)


PLEASE, if you are in the market for a Honda, Jeep, Dodge, Kia, Nissan, Acura, Mazda, or Fiat visit any of the Executive Auto Group dealerships in CT http://www.executiveautogroup.com/
Why? Because after I drove my Jeep off the lot at Papa's Dodge and quickly made up my mind NEVER to return I took my Jeep to Executive for service over 6 years and was treated EVERY time as though I bought a car from them on a yearly basis. I shopped there once for both a Nissan and a Jeep for my mother. We ended up buying from Toyota again (see below). I never bought a car from them... but I absolutely will if I'm ever in the market for one of the vehicles from those manufacturers. My recommendation DID lead to an aunt purchasing two Jeeps from them.

If you are looking for a Toyota or Scion PLEASE visit Wallingford Toyota/Scion in Wallingford, CT.
Why? Because when I purchased my FR-S from them they DID give me the white glove treatment and I was a bit tough to deal with on my trade. My family has purchased 7-8 vehicles from them and I sing their praises to everyone I can.

Ultimately I don't care if I'm shopping for a Kia or a friggen Rolls Royce... I'm the customer and I'm paying your bills so you better damned well treat me right. Now I may have worded that harshly but that is not being uptight. That is deserved. I've been on the serving side of customer service for a long time and I feel that this is the only way to be truly successful. If someone is successful despite not providing the aforementioned service then doing so will take you just that much further.

[Chewie4299]

Originally Posted by Norcalscionchamp

Sure I get it..spending thousands of dollars and customer service is HUGE...but I have won salesman of the month countless times and have a binder with hundreds of perfect sales satisfaction surveys and letters from customers to my dealer... But every once in a while a mistake gets made...miscommunications happen... We are all human after all...now I work mostly with fleet and return/referral business so my customers are usually a little more tuned in and feel more comfortable because they can call or text or e-mail and most of the time know me or were referred to me, but the fact is these guys in sales don't get paid that great and get treated like crap by customers all day. I paid my way through college with sales and am staying there until my wife gets out of dental hygiene school and people give me crap for being a "car salesman" I understand it took a few weeks but I feel like customers have a negative stereotype that is perpetuated all the time by goober know-nothing sleazy car salesmen and they come in and treat all the salespeople(some of which are actually decent and intelligent human beings) like dirt and then try to make a simple couple of miscommunications look like the worst sales experience ever when it shouldn't be that big of a deal... Mountains out of mole hills people

I dealt with several sales people in my hunt for my new car and, as I mentioned, I've had horrid experiences in the past with shit dealerships and shit sales people but I still gave every one of them the benefit of the doubt and was very nice. The moment one of them showed signs of not being honest with me or not caring it was done, though.

[Norcalscionchamp]

I guess I see it from both sides because I am on both sides...before I started selling cars I hated car salesmen...and in some ways I still do...when it's your job to know about cars and you can't even name off the hp rating of your vehicles it's pathetic... When you don't treat customers like you would want someone to treat your friends or family it's not good business...as a sales professional you have to be completely honest to succeed but your customers will lie through their teeth to you... You have to start out with people treating you almost less than human... They expect you to bow down to them and cater to their every whim all while threatening to go to another dealer over $100 with zero loyalty for your service.. And if heaven forbid one little thing goes wrong... Your just another lousy rotten car dealer...If you are lucky enough to find one of the good salespeople make sure to stick with them... Remember you can buy a car anywhere but you can only find good salespeople in certain places...the dealership makes all the difference...

[#87]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

Good on you for writing the letter about that dealer, but I wouldn't count out Lexus dealerships as they accommodate and kiss butt like no other (at least the ones I've had experience with)...they make you feel like a king

Try to test drive an IS F ^_^

[terrypm]

Originally Posted by kndonlee

I wrote this letter to Toyota of America.....

6/12 - Tim in finance suggests that they can drop off the radio for me on Wed/Thurs (13/14) at my job OR ship it to my home address. I let him know that either is fine and that shipping is preferred.



6/16 - I get a follow up call that they will ship the radio to my home and that they need to take care of the logistics of shipping it.

Why can't people just do what they say will do?

OP spends $26-28K at the dealership but could receive better customer service from the kids on the corner selling lemonade for a dollar a cup.

[Ardmore Toyota Scion]

Originally Posted by kndonlee

I wrote this letter to Toyota of America. Love the FRS, hate the dealer.

Toyota of America,

As a recent purchaser of the 2013 Scion FR-S, I would expect nothing but devotion to selling your flagship passion car. I am amazed that a dealership has been allowed to ride on the coat-tails of Toyota's credibility and offer disgustingly luke-warm service. My frustrations are with Ardmore Toyota's ability to complete a very simple task.

6/7 - My wife and I are test driving Audis next door and see the FR-S on display. We come to the dealer asking for a test drive and make it known we are serious about purchasing. Carl provides a deep condescending sigh. We were in good spirits, but the treatment of, "here's yet another test driver that won't buy" is a slap in the face.

We love the car and decide to purchase the FR-S, however, the car does not have the factory radio installed. This is not a worry because we will be installing an aftermarket unit.

6/9 - We coordinate with the dealership to complete additional paperwork and radio pickup the following Monday/Tuesday.

6/12 - I drive 1hr each way in Philadelphia traffic to sign additional paperwork and pickup the radio. Unfortunately the radio is unavailable because parts is closed. Carl in sales told me he would have the radio set aside. I am still very forgiving at this point. Tim in finance suggests that they can drop off the radio for me on Wed/Thurs (13/14) at my job OR ship it to my home address. I let him know that either is fine and that shipping is preferred.

6/16 - I receive a phone call from parts that my radio is in with my name and is ready for installation. I spend the next 15 minutes explaining that the radio should have been shipped OR dropped off to me per Tim. The parts gentleman is unaware of a Tim and offers to call me back after investigation.

6/16 - I get a follow up call that they will ship the radio to my home and that they need to take care of the logistics of shipping it.

7/2 - I call to inquire about the radio. As the dealer has failed to get me my radio, I am ready to drive 2+ hours to pick up my radio and not deal with the shipping hassle.
7/2 - I receive a followup call from Josh in parts that my radio addressed to "DONALD LEE" has been GIVEN to another FR-S customer last Saturday. It was a "call" made by Josh as the Radio had been at the dealership since 6/8. Now I must wait another day to pickup my radio. Josh offers to ship me the radio, but at this point, I am unwilling to trust this dealerships ability to follow through on their uncoordinated service.

The principle of the matter is:
- I should have had prompt phone calls on the status of geting my radio to me. I only received call backs upon my inquiries. Unacceptable follow up.
- The dealer OFFERS to ship me my radio and FAILS to follow through. This is unacceptable.
- The dealer sells the radio appropriated to me and MISAPPROPRIATES it to another owner. This is unacceptable.

During ownership of my Honda S2000, Audi A3, and now the FR-S, I have never been so frustrated by such a simple task.

The dealership staff was uninspired in their knowledge of automobiles, and leaves me unwilling to revisit another Toyota dealership ever. Not to mention that it took a TREMENDOUS amount of coaxing my wife to visit Toyota in lieu of Audi, Honda/Acura, Mazda and others.

My wife has made it clear to me that her next car will be an Audi and NOT from the Toyota/Lexus family.

I can not help but agree with her sentiment. I should be picking my radio up tomorrow 7/3 as it was ordered today, but the water has already been spilled. Experience is in the details. Shipping a radio is a very small detail. It is an Inconsequential detail. The failure of an inconsequential detail conveys that i do not matter. This too is unacceptable from a company that promotes excellence.

I am deeply disappointed in Toyota's excellence by virtue of Ardmore Toyota.

Respectfully,
Donald Lee
2013 Scion FR-S Owner.

Hello Donald,

My name is Ryan and I am the Vice President of Marketing for Ardmore Toyota Scion. I enjoyed meeting you today here at the dealership and discussing your experience. I agree with everything you have said and I personally apologize for your experience. You purchased a wonderful car in the Scion FRS and we could have done better. We dropped the ball and when I look at our overall customer satisfaction surveys, that is not like us. Your experience is one which we have brought to the attention of our sales staff and parts staff. With the Scion FRS being a new model that was just introduced, the process for the radio was something that we were not setup for with the Manufacturer. We were able to learn from this. As I had mentioned to you, this is my families’ dealership, and I take great pride in how we treat our customers. I hope that the time we spent together here today showed you that Ardmore Toyota Scion is a good dealership with good people. I am always here for you to answer any questions or concerns you might have. I am also here to help try and answer the questions of any other Scion FRS enthusiasts. I enjoyed speaking to you this afternoon and I look forward to speaking with you again. Thank you again, Ryan

[Ardmore Toyota Scion]

Originally Posted by Primo86

I purchased an FR-S from Ardmore.

In my original post I described how I was upset with an aspect of customer service.

I am going to give them a chance. If the car arrives shortly and they start giving me a bit more interest then it will be fine.

My fear is they will further delay delivery if this is seen.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Hello Andrew, My name is Ryan and I am the Vice President of Marketing for Ardmore Toyota Scion. I have reached out to you this afternoon but you were not available. I will be contacting you once again tomorrow to review your order for your new 2013 Scion FRS here at Ardmore Toyota. Thank you, Ryan

[monkeedoo]

Originally Posted by Ardmore Toyota Scion

Hello Donald,

My name is Ryan and I am the Vice President of Marketing for Ardmore Toyota Scion. I enjoyed meeting you today here at the dealership and discussing your experience. I agree with everything you have said and I personally apologize for your experience. You purchased a wonderful car in the Scion FRS and we could have done better. We dropped the ball and when I look at our overall customer satisfaction surveys, that is not like us. Your experience is one which we have brought to the attention of our sales staff and parts staff. With the Scion FRS being a new model that was just introduced, the process for the radio was something that we were not setup for with the Manufacturer. We were able to learn from this. As I had mentioned to you, this is my families’ dealership, and I take great pride in how we treat our customers. I hope that the time we spent together here today showed you that Ardmore Toyota Scion is a good dealership with good people. I am always here for you to answer any questions or concerns you might have. I am also here to help try and answer the questions of any other Scion FRS enthusiasts. I enjoyed speaking to you this afternoon and I look forward to speaking with you again. Thank you again, Ryan

Big ups, that is a step in the right direction.

[russv]

Originally Posted by monkeedoo

Big ups, that is a step in the right direction.

It's the follow through that counts.

[Norcalscionchamp]

Like I said mistakes get made, but the way that both parties react and communicate with each other can make the difference...kudos to this guy for coming in to try to make things right... But I doubt it will matter... The customer's whole experience has been absolutely ruined by not having the stock stereo that he won't even really need because he's upgrading to an aftermarket one lol...I hope he give the dealer another shot so they don't get tanked on the survey, but my guess is that he will never get a Toyota or Scion ever again...keep bending back

[kndonlee]

Originally Posted by Norcalscionchamp

Like I said mistakes get made, but the way that both parties react and communicate with each other can make the difference...kudos to this guy for coming in to try to make things right... But I doubt it will matter... The customer's whole experience has been absolutely ruined by not having the stock stereo that he won't even really need because he's upgrading to an aftermarket one lol...I hope he give the dealer another shot so they don't get tanked on the survey, but my guess is that he will never get a Toyota or Scion ever again...keep bending back

Norcalscionchamp, it sounds like you've had some bad experiences with some other customers. This is not the venue to apply that frustration to a situation that does not apply. To apply sweeping generalizations, I can see the seeds of frustration that entitled west-coasters have sown upon your selling experience.

If you take a moment and reread the original posts, I think you will find there are some significant details particular to this transaction that is usually not a "soft" mistake that's easily correctable.

The unacceptable items that were pointed out were points of principle that were crossed, not a matter of an insignificant t not being crossed or an inconsequential i being dotted.

I had a unit promptly installed in the car post-purchase. Getting the OEM radio was more of a chore than a final item to be delivered. Throughout the process, I was forgiving and providing as much time and benefit of the doubt as possible. When my radio was sold to another FRS customer in the name of a sale, this is when I was infuriated and "escalated" to the world, to provide a venue of accountability.

[kndonlee]

Originally Posted by monkeedoo

Big ups, that is a step in the right direction.

Absolutely agree.

[kndonlee]

Originally Posted by Ardmore Toyota Scion

Hello Donald,

My name is Ryan and I am the Vice President of Marketing for Ardmore Toyota Scion. I enjoyed meeting you today here at the dealership and discussing your experience. I agree with everything you have said and I personally apologize for your experience. You purchased a wonderful car in the Scion FRS and we could have done better. We dropped the ball and when I look at our overall customer satisfaction surveys, that is not like us. Your experience is one which we have brought to the attention of our sales staff and parts staff. With the Scion FRS being a new model that was just introduced, the process for the radio was something that we were not setup for with the Manufacturer. We were able to learn from this. As I had mentioned to you, this is my families’ dealership, and I take great pride in how we treat our customers. I hope that the time we spent together here today showed you that Ardmore Toyota Scion is a good dealership with good people. I am always here for you to answer any questions or concerns you might have. I am also here to help try and answer the questions of any other Scion FRS enthusiasts. I enjoyed speaking to you this afternoon and I look forward to speaking with you again. Thank you again, Ryan

Ryan,

It was a pleasure. I'm grateful for your candidness and humility throughout the whole situation. Your proactive phone calls from the moment my letter hit the net are a huge boost in my book that the ownership is making a conscientious and hard-earned effort to ensure that every customer has an excellent experience.

It's never when things are going right that one has an opportunity to shine. I'm glad that we've all made a step in the right direction for the future.

I hope that my next service, parts and potential car(s) if they are Toyota's, I'll have an opportunity to give Ardmore another shot.

Thanks for your time and sincere apologies,
Donald