Last night, I attended a New Car Owner's Clinic at my dealership, Sheehy Auto on Midlothian in Richmond, Virginia. It was great!

The dealer had a spread of food, snacks and soda and a bunch of give-aways and raffles. There were representatives from every department on hand to answer questions about car maintenance, warranties and repairs.

I was just curious if anyone else's dealership offered a similar service.

I got a post card inviting me to this event and was glad I took them up on it. It was nice to bend their ears in a relaxed setting, since you don't have the luxury of addressing all of your concerns when you bring your car in for servicing.

 

That's pretty slick, I like that. I haven't seen any dealers around here do that though.

 

A brilliant idea

 

now that's a cool idea! JACK FROST....... can you get your avatar to breath a little deeper?

 

Yeah, it was cool. I even brought a printout of the TSB list from TMS and discussed it with a couple of techs. They were very helpful.

Among other things, I learned:

You can have them change your oil with Mobil 1 synthetic during an oil change. It complies with their standards and does not affect the warranty. You just have to provide it. They recommend that you stick with it for the life of the vehicle. They said that the car comes from the factory with a semi-synthetic oil.

Clay barring a brand-new car is not necessary. They said that rail dust and other contaminants wash off pretty easily if caught early enough. They also described the difference between a coarse and fine clay bar.

Ford roadside assistance is available for the duration of the warranty. Towing is available for both warranty-related repairs and non-warranty repairs.

 

My dealership here in NJ has invited me numorous times, but because of where they are vrs where I am, I haven't been able to attend. I've been to one before and they are quite nice. I wish I was closer to selling dealership, but it will probably never happen cause of distance.

 

Thats pretty cool, I hope my dealership does something similar. (Not going to hold my breath) I know it would help with their survey.
One of the biggest problems with dealerships is lack of communication. Q&A sessions like this is a step in the right direction.

 

My Dealership had the same thing Cirvlevill Ford in Circlevill OH...Unfortunately, I was unable to attend. I do know that you had to RSVP becuase they were providing dinner to all the guests.!!!

 

The Ford dealership for my previous purchase (Swanson Ford, Los Gatos) had a similar new owner's clinic, but the dealership for my current car (Ford of Dublin) has not.

 

It's encouraging to hear other people being offered similar clinics; customer service has improved dramatically since my last Ford purchase. It's great to feel appreciated. Customers should never be taken for granted.

There was a day when salesmen would forget your name once the deal was done. Not anymore! Case in point, my salesman called me to let me know they received a GT40 and thought I would be interested in seeing one in person. I thought it was cool that he considered my enthusiasm for the product.

I work for a printer that conducts "school days" for our customers. We invite them in, feed them a catered lunch, give them handouts and describe in detail the entire printing process. It enables them to provide us with better electronic files, which in turn, saves them money arising from unnecessary reworks. It's a win-win situation! It seems a lot of industries are starting to see the benefit of expressing customer appreciation. I'm glad Ford is one of them.

 

I've never heard of this before. Its definitely a plus for customer service!