Dealers pamper buyers
Car owners are enjoying sitting around in dealerships a little
more these days while their cars get worked on. Need to check your e-mail while your car is getting an
oil change? No problem, log onto one of the computers over there in the corner. Forgot your lunch as you're
taking in your truck for a broken window regulator? No problem, just hook yourself up with a sandwich and some oreos at
the little cafe.
In an effort to increase sales and cash in on the lucrative post-warranty service business, dealers are revamping their shops into little playgrounds to keep you occupied while you wait. Everything from computers to gourmet coffee and even a baby grand piano are available at the whim of the car owner. Read on for some specific upgrades to Detroit-area dealerships.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steve 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Nothing quite like having your dealer stick in your face how much money they're gonna make on you.
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Bruno V 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
I love going to my MINI dealership, where they pamper me by taking good car of me and my car. It makes you slightly numb, so they can present you with an outrageous bill without you threating to kill someone (or stealing that nice Z8 that has been sitting in their showroom for a few years). I wouldn't mind paying more for regular maintenance at my dealer than at the Uncle Ed's Oil Shop down the street, but TEN times more? No thanks, back to doing it myself, just like when I was a poor college student.
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mr 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
This is how they try to polish the turd that is the dealership experience.
Rather than working on the core issues (honesty and integrity of salespeople and service advisors, exorbitant pricing, unneccessary service), they give you a latte and put you in front of a Playstation 2.
No, thanks.
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Richard Warren 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
This is no different than other businesses offering somewhere to eat (ala Walmart, Kmart, grocery stores, etc)Places to drop the kids while shopping or eating and keep them amused (ala McDonalds)
Offering this does not mean you will be charged more, in fact it's just another profit center from an otherwise dead part of the dealership, where normally nothing happens other than some folks sitting around.
The amazing thing is it has not happened sooner, when I was with a large dealership group in the 80's we had great waitng rooms, most with a garden room with tile, and carpet. We had a local flower shop that sold flowers in there and paid the dealer rent, we also had a small gift shop, that sold things and some upscale chcolate. The customers like it. There was also a place for kids to play in another area.
This is just good business.
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Finished.Law.School 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Bill Cook Nissan in Farmington Hills needs to read this article. That dealership sucks for service.
As for the dealerships mentioned in the article, are they cleaning things up because they realize that people are spending more time waiting for their cars to come out of service when they should be out and about driving them?
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iQuack 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
San Francisco Honda has a quick oil change service open 7 days a week. Prices are competitive with Jiffy Lube. There's a coffee machine in the waiting room that makes great cappuccino, too (at least there was when I was there several months ago).
Of course, they do this to make money, but the service is convenient, competent, and fairly priced. What's wrong with that?
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