[Teach]

Broke it! I noticed this morning my left saddlebag retention cord reel didn't appear to be reeling when I closed the door. Got home and sure enough it wouldn't retract. Figured it couldn't be anything big so I removed the two screws and had a look inside. Appears the spring popped out of the slot and uncoiled internally.
Called dealer, TWICE, and he'll be getting a new one on order tomorrow and I'll need to swing over when it comes in.

Which brings me to my point of contention. This is only the second time I've had to call the dealer who sold me the RT. The first time he told me he'd call me right back... he didn't. Ended up playing phone tag for 3 days and each time I had to call him. So today when I called I get the ole "I'm on the other line & I'll call you right back." 1.5 hours later I had to call him again. I won't even mention he had NO idea who I was when I took the bike in for servicing last month. So is this NORMAL for the customer service BMW dealer render? I have to say NOTHING pisses me off more than bad customer service after dropping 20k somewhere.

 

[blongb]

Hi,

Not normal @ San Francisco BMW. Never had to ask for a call back since they always answer the phone and attend to my needs promptly. When I'm in their shop, they are friendly and call me by name.

Sorry that your dealer is a lemon.

Regards,
Bill

 

[wvpc]

So how much for the replacement part one might wonder?

 

[rcopeland]

My dealer is kind of like that but slowly getting better.

 

[Ozonewanderer]

I don't know who your dealer is (is it near Rochester NY?), but the next available service appointment at my dealership is in 5 weeks. In other words, for those of us who live in the snow belt with short riding seasons, this is the dealer's busy season. And if the dealership is small, that's the kind of service we get.

I'm not excusing, just saying that's the way it is. When I don't need BMW specific knowledge or warranty work I go to my Triumph dealer (e.g., tires, oil change).

Unfortunately this contributes to a death spiral. If more people do not spend money at these small dealerships, they cannot provide the selection, parts, price or service that we would like. Superstores like Max's eat their lunch, and we are stuck with regional monopolies. It's the risk of buying a BMW. You buy the local dealership as well.

 

[lkchris]

Which brings me to my point of contention. This is only the second time I've had to call the dealer who sold me the RT. The first time he told me he'd call me right back... he didn't

Man, you're dealing with a low-level employee. Talk to the boss.

There's actually a book out there on quality where the statement is made: a complaint is a gift.

 

[JayJay]

Unfortunate similar negative experience. One of the many small things I found done incorrectly when I got my RT back from its collision with the washing machine a few months ago was that one of the cylinder cover bolt sockets in the head was stripped. In all fairness, I remember it being cross-threaded many moons ago, either from the factory or from one of the early services I had the dealer do, but this time it was well and truly bougered up. So I called the dealer who had done the rebuild of the engine, thinking he'd want to make it right. Left a message for the service manager at 8:15, will call me right back. 1:30 that afternoon, he returns the call. By this time I'd said to hell with it and found someone else to install the insert to repair it (I didn't have the right size in stock).

Am I an unknown? Well, after buying the bike there, buying clothing, accessories and parts (including name brand BMW oil and filters), dropping close to $9K on repairs from the collision, and having been in a week before to get the head torqued, I hope not.

Guess where I'm going to try to avoid for service work in the future? I don't need to pay money to be insulted, I can get that for free at home.

And as an aside, I would have appreciated them telling me the head was stripped when they put it back together. Any good wrench knows the feeling of a bolt making up properly against a stop (as those cylinder cover bolts do) as opposed to stripping out its socket.

JayJay

 

[Moot]

I tried to repair one of those reels myself. Thought I had it just about done when she released, sprang into action and flew about like an enraged whip snake on crack! Sliced my nose but fortunately missed my eyes.

 

[Teach]

Ok let me see what I can answer here.
1. No idea on the part cost but it better be covered by warranty.
2. The fella that doesn't call back is the Boss, in fact the owner.
3. They'd get more business if they had certified techs and didn't gouge.
4. Absolutely NO excuse for a dealer who sold you a 20k machine NOT knowing your name, NONE!
5. nope it isn't Rochester, the other way in Ohio

As a side note I didn't call them back today to find out if they did get the part ordered and they did NOT call me back to let me know they did. Again this is PISS POOR customer service on their part. Takes 2 seconds to call and say we have the part ordered and it should be in ....... and we'll call when it arrives.

 

[HankinWV]

Wouldn't be an owner with the name Gene would it?