ffr1352

I have been to a couple different chevrolet dealers trying to get issues fixed on my new Z06 and was appalled both service reps asked if given a survey about my visit to the dealer to rate all answers 100% satisfied? Why even have a survey if the service reps are trying to guilt trip owners into giving perfect surveys?

Some sections of the survey deal with issues the service rep controls like being polite, punctual, updates on repairs, documenting issues, but some are out of his control like were the repairs made properly. In my case i have had multiple attempts to fix the same issues (electrical in nature with dash warning lights triggered), so why would i ever want to say 100% satisfied when i am pissed that mechanics are not able to troubleshoot/fix the car? It seems GM must punish the service rep if the mechanics don't do a good job and it is reflected on a less than perfect survey score? Aren't surveys supposed to be unbiased?

Glen e

Forget the whole concept of a true survey and how it really should be used. The automotive industry has whored up this survey situation to where if you don't respond 100%, a lot of people can lose a lot of money in their paycheck. Now they may deserve to lose a lot of money, but just realize that if everything was really good, you can get a lot of distance out of this if you give them 100% , tell him you gave them 100%, because then when you come back the next time they'll remember that you're one of the good guys. If you U can't give them 100% ,talk to them before you do that on the survey, and see if you can work out something with them so that you can give them 100%. It's a bunch of crap but it is the way it is. This comes from my experience after 30 years of dealing with these stupid CSI surveys for the factory as GM and a factory zone rep.

DucMan 888

They just don't get it. Do a good job to the best of your ability, treat customers like they matter and don't be a DB. Chances are they will get the results they desire.

BUT OH NO. F$%^ that!!!! Be condescending by coaching on how to fill out a survey, that works every time.

Higgs Boson

This is how automotive surveys have been for over 30 years, maybe more.

Sales and service reps are trained to let you know the survey is important and in some cases (many) a 10 is good and 1-9 are failing (top down scoring). There are many people who may have as perfect experience as one can while having their car repaired or purchased and still give a 9 because hey, "nothing is REALLY every perfect is it?"

The system is flawed and is in no way close to being fixed. Just go with it. You either answer with brutal honesty or you hook your service guy up on the scores if he did a good job and controlled his controllables and let them know whats up in the comments section if needed.

The survey is actually not a great way anymore for a customer to get things done/changed. The survey is a bs metric for the manufacturer and the dealerships. If you want to be heard use dealerrater.com or yelp or google, etc. Or write a letter to the GM. Bad surveys are usually not addressed.

Glen e

Yeah but the system is still screwed up….Many a salesman over the years has done a perfect job on the delivery and for some reason the automatic transmission goes out two miles down the road, the customer gets mad burns the survey ,and the salesman takes it in the shorts. That's totally unacceptable, but that's the way it is. Talk to the management before you burn them.

nmvettec7

I think it is best to provide your exact views on the service that you have received, whether good or bad.

If the service was bad, then the consumer needs to step up to the plate and provide the true information of the experience. To provide a 100% rating in the hopes that you will be treated well when and if you return is not helping the business or GM.

Companies need to know straight up when their respective employees are doing good or bad. It makes the company a better company.

If you went to a restaurant and had a bad meal and the manager or waitress asks, "Was everything ok"? Consider how you would respond.
Are you being truthful to help the business correct problems or are you just saying everything was ok to appease the manager or waitress.

Be honest and let the business know what the problems are or if the business experience was good or bad.

I am not in favor of fudging a survey to provide 100% feedback if the service, or buying experience was poor.

When I was called recently from a 3rd party service survey reference the dealer who sold me my C7, I provided the truth of what took place in an effort to help the dealership improve their salesmanship and overall experience to the next customer they might have.

Whether the system or survey style is 30 years old, be truthful when replying. It might help the business improve the quality to their customers.

If you were a business owner wouldn't you want to know what people really thought about their service or buying experiences?

Flame Red

I bought a C7 yesterday and for the first time ever, the sales guy did not give the usual lecture about giving a 10 on the GM survey. Instead he specifically asked me to fill out a review on Google+.

He was good, but he was the third sales person I talked to there. The first idiot was rude, and hung up on me on purpose. The second one I could not understand a friggin word he uttered and he never contacted me again. And the Stealership added a lot of weird outrageous fees - no negotiation permitted by a heavily discounted price. So I am going to blast the Stealership and give high marks to the 3rd sales guy.

But I wonder if I give zeros to questions about the Stealership, and 10's to the sales guy - will the sales guy have his paycheck docked? Aren't dealer's independent businesses and they decide how they pay their staff?

AORoads

Thank you. I also would not fudge a survey, even IF it is a flawed and old system that doesn't do what it's original intent was. Nor would I try to use it as leverage to get something else---if they're not doing it right, tell them, both in written and verbal form. Sometimes they, the dealership management, know they are doing something wrong, and occasionally they don't.

mrclean1

As a service business owner I fully understand the value of survey responses, but ONLY if they are honest, otherwise why bother wasting time and money to get an ego boost. These surveys obviously mean a lot to them for what ever reason, we'll never know the real reason. Recently, I had my work vehicle (Chevrolet) serviced for lube, oil, filter and tire rotation, but they never rotated the tires, and I know this because the day before I had to have the tire plugged and they chalk marked it.

No big deal, as I do this 6 times a year and it wasn't necessary anyway, but I relay on their work orders to review maintenance and it is important to me. Within 30 minutes of submitting a poor review online the service manager called me personally, apologized for the poor service, offered to redo it and did everything he could to pacify me.

Fast forward to my first Z51 oil change and I was a little leery, made it a point to talk with the service manager the week before going in, and when I got there they couldn't have been nicer. Their service was spot on and in fact better than I expected. Was this a case of the "squeaky wheel getting the grease"? Or was it a proactive dealer making changes because of constructive criticism? I hope the latter, I know I'm very interested in feedback with my business, it can only serve to improve service for all.

Glen e

You guys will never get it.… Nobody is saying fudge the survey, all I'm saying is talk to them before you fill out the survey , Not to lever them for anything .....they just deserve a chance to square things away before you burn them and cost people that didn't even screwup Possibly thousands of dollars. But go ahead and be noble and think you're actually going to help the company , you aint......

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/why-car-salespeople-beg-for-top-customer-survey-scores.html

Higgs Boson

good post glen.....but that article makes it look like I read it before posting!! :-)

dvilin

Add me to the list of those that don't get it. I have been asked is there any reason why you would not give us a 100% on the survey. In these cases I am fine with discussing any concerns with them to address before I complete the survey.
But if I am told or it is suggested to me to make sure I give them a 100% without any interest on their part of my experience with them, than I fill it out honestly and do not feel it is my responsibility or obligation to initiate why they will not get 100% from me on the survey.

Black 03 Z06

From a customers stand point what the rational for even bothering filling the survey out? It is a no win. How can the manufacture or dealer find what customers truly believe about the purchase or service experience? If there is an area that requires improvement how will that ever happen with people blowing smoke up their a$$s?

Bad survey and what happens when you make a return trip for service? In all honesty how many things in life truly rate a 10? Not many so why would they expect the entire interaction to rate that. Just stupid.

nmvettec7

Glen e:

You recommended the article above. Here's some text from that article.

"If a salesperson does a bad job, he or she deserves a bad survey."

"If I had a really unhappy customer I thought would give us a terrible survey, I'd sometimes have to pass on the deal," a former sales manager with 20 years of experience told Edmunds. "I couldn't take the risk of a terrible survey. I hated missing a deal because of a survey, but it could take 15 perfect surveys to make up for a single bad one."

"The specter of a bad survey, meanwhile, can be enough to prompt a salesperson to turn down a car sale."

Sad to even read this. Professional salespeople do professional work. They please the customer well before the thought of even a customer complaint.

For a salesman to reject a sale, or take the risk of a bad survey and not sell a vehicle to someone is bullxhit.

I get it, I get it well. Bad service, deserves negative feedback with an explaination of why the customer received bad service.

Talking to the sales manager or owner before filling out a survey, doesn't change the problem or the salesmans tactics that existed. It doesn't change the bad experience, it only appeases the person who was treated poorly or inefficently. If the sales person, sales manager or owner can't accept a bad survey or review, they shouldn't be in business, and perhaps they had the wrong people working for them.

Seems to me the automotive industry needs to change their policy on interrepting these surveys.

In my world, I am not a "yes" man when it comes to business. I tell it, the way I see it!

CRABBYJ

Corvette owners are typically very critical of any work performed and its condition when returned to us. Often we don't notice anything wrong until we leave the dealership. The Dealer's concern is that the survey may be completed without a satisfactory rating without them having any chance to rectify the complaint. I get it and will give them that opportunity. It just promotes a good business relationship and has already worked for me, three times, with my dealer.

Glen e

thank you and I take my comment back...somebody gets it....while the rest of you wait for "the industry to change and are you're own man", there are plenty other windmills to Joust.....

C7-Beast

If I have a negative dealer experience, I will tell them directly.

I recently got screwed on my wife's Subaru. They charged me 165 to "replace brake fluid" at 7500 miles. This is no where in the Subaru manual and when I filled out the appointments I said "Perform ONLY manufacturers required maintenance"

When I saw the 165 dollar charge they said "Oh, the manufacturer requires that." I pulled the manual out of glove box and handed it to the Service writer. She looked through it for a good 10 minutes and said "This is what we were told to do". I then showed her my request for service. She said she was sorry but there was nothing they could do.

I got a survey 3 weeks later and told the truth. About a month later I get a call from the service manager saying they were crediting me the 165.00 and giving me a 20% discount on my next visit. He was also VERY apologetic.

I feel I tried to have them make it right but since they refused, I honestly filled out the survey.

Bottom line, treat the customer right or expect honest feedback on the surveys. If it hits them in their wallet, GOOD, Too much BAD customer service out there. I say "screw um" if they won't make it right immediately.

Also, my Corvette only visits the dealer if I have a warranty issue. While my dealer has a great Corvette tech, I doubt he does oil changes and I don't want ANYONE else doing anything to my Corvette if not the Corvette tech.

dvilin

Now I get it if we agree with you than we got it. Just like most of your post.

Busa Dave

I have better things to do with my time than look at surveys. They get my number when I buy the car and even call every time I go in.


Have requested more than once that the Chevy house not call... Still working that issue. Funny Audi and the MB store have no problem following that direction. Chevy is Chevy..

Higgs Boson

and toyota is toyota. most non-luxury brand stores have quotas for calls, like 30 calls per person per day. most lux stores have no requirements at all so what will naturally happen? iphone golf and corvette forum all day of course.