Comments on: MINI Dealers Rank Below Average in Service

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 21:18:22 +0000

I have had both very bad and very good dealership experiences with MINI of Universal City. Agreeing with someone above...Tony Fernandez was top notch and helped me out for the last three years. Alas, with the dealership now separated out (BMW on one side of the street and MINI on the other side), I can no longer work with Tony, as he is on the BMW side. I have, so far, had some very bad experiences with one of the MINI reps; the other MINI rep? I'm still waiting to see.

With regard to being treated differently because I am a woman (and also older): some reps will give everyone the runaround, not just women. I usually try to find a good rep by asking the shuttle drivers who they like. If a driver likes a rep, chances are the rep treats the mechanics, shuttle drivers, customers and everyone else with respect. I also ask tow truck drivers who they like; same reason. I recently bought the Service Manual for my 2003 from Promini (through advertisement on this web site). As I'm very handy, I'm looking forward to finding out what goes on under the hood. I'm hoping this will make it easier, hopefully not harder (sometimes male service guys are uninformed and take it real hard if you know more than they do), to get some good service.

By: Jessica Ko

Jessica Ko — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 14:52:03 +0000

I am not surprised!

Mini of Sterling (virginia) IS HORRIBLE. Not only are their service representatives RUDE and condescending. Because I am a female, they always put me through to a female service agent.

I had an emergency and needed a new tire, but they were unwilling to check inventory or help me out.

I called Goodyear instead and will have the tire and service for about $100 less than the dealership.

Its too bad, because I really love my Mini. This makes me reconsider buying a new car!

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 03:37:29 +0000

I live in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and Cincinnati MINI is an excellent dealer to have service done. Everytime I have gone into the dealership, they have treated me very well. Both John and Maryann are service advisors there and are great people to deal with. In addition, the technician, Nate; is very knowledgeable and always takes the time to address my concerns. Everytime my car is in for warranty work or maintenance, it is always repaired correctly the first time and I am always given a loaner. I am also a BMW owner and as such I take my BMW to their sister dealership, THE BMW Store; which is located in the same building. While THE BMW Store is a good dealership, the folks at Cincinnati MINI have them beat as far as customer service and friendliness.

Because of their great service, I actually purchased the maintenenace extension which will take me to 4 years or 50,000 miles.

By: Simon Bowles

Simon Bowles — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 19:14:13 +0000

Wow i have a 2004 Mini s and i have hade many talk’s with the service manger at Brecht Bmw she is so rude they will not fix things that are going on with my car like a bad nav kit power st and clock that will not work. some places will give you a loner car not them forget you car if it’s down it takes 3 m to get an apt they are backed up but if you have a bmw you can get in today i drove from san diego to DESERT BMW OF LAS VEGAS and they gave me a car and fixed most of what was broken in 2 day’s they were nice and helpfull why in ca are they so rude if you call miniusa don’t hold your breth you will be dead with a car that will not drive they can not help much at all and they do not have any mangers for the area like all outher’s do like toyota i should have just spent my $30,000.00 on my old toyota it would have been better spent now about the car i love it it just need’s to be backed up

By: Alan W.

Alan W. — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 23:36:33 +0000

I believe this can be looked at this way. Car dealerships in general rank low in customer satisfaction as compared other retail and service organizations.

Just because you have a BMW over a MINI does not mean you are going to get better service. We have a BMW as well, and it trully matters what dealer you go to and even the service manager you are dealing with respect to the level of customer service you receive.

I have seen and heard of many more bad BMW dealers then good ones. Most market areas only have one, or at best two, BMW/MINI dealerships. This effectly removes the compitition and the "forced" incetive for your local BMW/MINI dealership to improve their level of service. If enough people report their issues to MINIUSA then maybe BMW will take notice.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 17:49:04 +0000

RWB – you can get a replacement tire from resellers like the Tirerack for probably well under $200. Further the MSRP from MINI on one runflat tire shouldn’t be more than $225. If it is I’d highly recommend going to another dealer.

By: RWB

RWB — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 17:35:23 +0000

I have a new Mini S convertible with a slow leak defective run-flat tire. Neither Mini nor BMW want to take any responsibility for the tire. I have now found that this run-flat tire can not be repaired in the US. The cost of replacing this tire is close to $500. Certainly I think Mini/BMW is responsible for replacing this defective tire. But, I really do not want to have tires on a car that must be replaced at $500 each for even a simple nail or other puncture. I think this run-flat concept is seriously flawed and that a recall is in order to replace these run-flat tires with a reasonable tire.

By: JB

JB — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 14:27:06 +0000

Can a care dealer really not provide service just because I did not buy a car from them? I just received a recall notice for my brand new 2005 Mini Cooper. The recall states that the transmission fluid may be low. I called the local mini dealer, Brecht near San Diego, and they asked if I purchased the car from them, which I did not because they did not have one in stock, and they said that they are not accepting new customers. Just great, the next dealer is about 100 miles away, that is if they even accept new customers. I then called Mini USA customer service and they said the dealers can do what ever they want. I find it hard to believe that Mini Cooper/BMW would run an organization like this. This is a recall, what would happen if I actually try to use my extended service package that I purchased??

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 00:05:06 +0000

I have purchased 3 Mini's from Hank Aaron and overall its been a good experience. One service though was not good and that included leaving a lug not off the car and leaving a cap of an oil container on my shock tower!!! That being said I was up in Atlanta evading Hurricane Ivan and they took my car in early for a required service :) Dreyer in Indianapolis is top notch!!! I asked them on the phone on a late Wed afternoon to redo the service Aaron gooned up and they did so that day and verified all that was done and also told me the oil was a half quart low and they replaced my lug nut. Great folks and I felt on par with BMW owners at both. By the way my 02 Cooper S is for sale. I am getting a 05 MCS. The 02 is perfectly running no issues and has all updates including water pump seal and software. If you worried about a Cooper or the S they completely ROCK!

By: Ally Speirs

Ally Speirs — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 19:33:24 +0000

My dealer, Checkered Flag MINI of Virginia Beach are outstanding, from the sales people to the service dept. They always give me a loaner car, and call promptly. They are very friendly, and we now have 2 MINIs bought from the same dealership…….I also think a lot goes for your tolerance level, people seem to have no patience these days, and by that I mean substandard service should not be accepted, but people need a chance to put things right, and the recalls are not your dealers fault……..Thumbs up to Checkered Flag MINI for me….

By: andrew

andrew — Sat, 28 Aug 2004 08:28:06 +0000

regarding the rental car issue. my dealer, Princeton MINI has rentals for mini dealers. two auto coopers. which they have recently got'en. i say that because i had to get a new tranny only after 50 miles.something broke which they never told me what it was. yet as usual they claimed driver error, which it was not. but then offered to replace it for free. so in the end i feel that thier service is not that all bad.in fact pretty good.

By: foolsdragon

foolsdragon — Fri, 30 Jul 2004 03:00:32 +0000

FWIW, I will second Sabrina's comments about MINI of Peabody in general and Martin in particular. During the build-up period to MINI's launch in the US, I worked for a company that was headquartered in MA, and so frequently traveled there on business. At one point I was scheduled to relocate there with my wife… Anyway, one weekend we were in town house hunting, and decided to go see if MINI of Peabody was open yet. It turns out we showed up on the first weekend they were open. Things were so hectic that they were scheduling test drives over a week in adavance! After explaining our situation, Martin suggested we come in on Sunday before the dealership opened to get some less busy time with him and the cars. We showed up on a bitterly cold Sunday and went on a 1+ hour test drive with Martin all around Peabody, before the dealership had even opened for the day! He was the coolest guy to work with, and we ordered a Cooper S that day. Circumstances kept us from taking that car, but we eventually got the MINI we wanted elsewhere. Martin is still my example for going the extra mile for your customers.

By: elmor fudwel

elmor fudwel — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 14:58:12 +0000

Thanks for the suggestion Dillon.

I'll be checking them out shortly.

By: Dillon

Dillon — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 03:24:44 +0000

…elmor fudwell. Do me a favor;and show up at Hank Arron MINI on a whim. Check out the sales dept. and tell them that,”…you're just looking,thank you…”;then,go through the double doors to the BMW section and strike up a light conversation with the MINI owners in the tech waiting section. Chances are pretty good that you'll get positive remarks about the overall experiances of dealing with Hank Arron MINI. Of course,that was the first step I've took in choosing which MINI dealership in the Atlanta Area I was going to do business with.

By: Gregg

Gregg — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 02:27:25 +0000

Just had to pop in here to say that I've had exceptional luck with the good folks at Dreyer-Reinbold in Indianapolis. The appt process was easy, drop off a snap, car was finished in good time (and when they said it would be), washed and vacuumed when I picked it up and no surprises. Maybe all BMW/MINI dealers ought to be required to own IRL racing teams!

Thanks for letting me put in some good words for 'em.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 15:29:50 +0000

Clipping Path -

I don't think MINI themselves have the indifference or gender bias against women, but I think many individuals in the car industry do. They (service guys or MAs) never expect us to know anything and if they misquote something and we call them on it, they appear shocked. I'm not a big women's lib type, as I believe men & women are different physically and mentally (hormones & different wiring, etc)... BUT I do think that intelligence has nothing to do with sex. Unfortunately I meet many XYs at car dealerships that for some unknown reason believe women are missing the car gene. All I have to say is that if I was missing the car gene, why do I own an MCS?? As for MINI corporate, maybe the future MINIs could have the clutch distance be adjustable like some of the minivan pedals are -- I have to sit too close (when considering the airbag) to the steering wheel to be able to fully depress my clutch no matter how I adjust my seat. I'm 5'2" and have short legs so the seats are adjustable (and very good), but not perfect.

But no MINI dealership slapped me in the face as well as Honda once did. I went to a dealership a couple of years back looking to buy a used Accord Wagon. The sales guy told me there was no such thing. I assured him that there was. He got not one, but two, of his fellow sales buddies to tell me I was wrong. I asked all three to stay while I invited the manager to join us... who assured them that yes, Honda did, until 1997, make an Accord Wagon. I've been kind of put off by Hondas ever since.

So in short answer, YES, there are those who play the gender bias in the car industry. I don't believe MINI as a whole does, except maybe in oversight though. I think some dealership guys need a gender sensitivity course and I wouldn't be upset if the MINI engineers hired some more women.

By: doug

doug — Sun, 25 Jul 2004 22:17:01 +0000

RB-

Oh No I'm not a member of XXXX. I'm the founder of TeamMightyMiniZ Click my homepage link above and enjoy.

I used to live in L.A. I am there very often. I HIGHLY Recomend Steve's autoclinic in North Hills, CA.

You will find his lot full of MINI's next July 31/Aug 1. There is a M7 Install Party going on there. For more details, click my homepage link.

Sabrina - I would refuse delivery of a vehicle that was not what I ordered. Sounds like they are trying to "stick" you with a Coop that will up their rating and drop your satisfaction. Tell them it's NOT what you ordered and if they do not CORRECT it IMMEDIATLY, you will cancel, demand your deposit, and take your order elsewhere.
Why be unhappy immediatly when you can be in bliss later? Good Luck to you.

By: mrsw

mrsw — Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:43:56 +0000

Wow. Glad I live near Otto's where the MINI service is as good as the BMW service.

By: RB

RB — Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:11:29 +0000

Doug...

Since we both live in LA what independent do you recommend?

I have a warranty for 100,000 miles so I'll be locked in that for a while. But would love to hear about your favorite shop, do they do BMW's? My wife could always use someone closer. We live in the Pasadena/Altadena area.

Are you a member of SCMM?

I sure hope it is not Platti! I think that crook finally went out of bizz.

Sabrina...

Sorry aren't getting what you really want. October isn't that far off, you deserve what you want, why settle for less? Life is too short..RB

By: sabrina

sabrina — Sun, 25 Jul 2004 20:23:48 +0000

Well I spoke with my dealer on that Friday and he was still no help, so I asked for the sales manager who had already gone for the day. Martin, the sales manager at Mini Peabody, was a great help. He knew about my whole situation right off the bat and really understood my frustration and dissapointment. He took the intiative to call me first thing Saturday morning, which I was really pleased about. I really did not feel like waiting until October for my car and felt that I could simply live without the navigation system, so he waived my prep fee and threw in mats and he is also getting me a new sales rep to work with. Clipping Path: When I put my down payment downâ€¦the salesman that I was working with even told me that they were only placing orders for 2005. On my purchase and sale agreement â€™05 was clearly written. He also told me that 2005s were being being sent into production in july for august delivery. When I had initially sat down with the salesman I specifically said, “I want to place and order for a 2005.” As soon as I had heard that the dealership was accepting orders for 2005â€™s, I went to order mine. Therefore, it was very strange that he completely ignored that detail. Iâ€™m not exactly sure of how other women feelâ€¦Iâ€™ve never really paid attention to the gender of the people who post in forums.