Official Release: BMW and MINI dealerships have launched a brand new customer service system that allows every customer to rate their experience on a five star scale and to write specific comments. The system, which is believed to be the most transparent and comprehensive in the industry, has just gone live, and sees customer comments and star ratings posted on the dealer’s website.
“We are committed to providing the very best service for our customers and believe that this level of openness and transparency is not only desirable but essential,†explained Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW (UK) Ltd. “Our new star ratings will help all BMW and MINI customers to make informed choices and inspire all of us to strive towards the ultimate in customer service.â€
Raising the bar
Over the years the BMW Group has developed ever more sophisticated ways of monitoring customer satisfaction and acknowledges that customer service is not a static concept. Consumer expectations are rising constantly and BMW Group is committed to meeting and exceeding them.
Abbott continued: “Just as we strive to bring ever-better products to market, we are determined to ensure that customer service is constantly evolving too and that everybody visiting our dealership to buy or service a car is entirely satisfied with the experience. There is absolutely no doubt that satisfied customers drive the success or failure of businesses. It has to be our ultimate goal.â€
A first for the automotive industry
While customer ratings systems are familiar from organisations like Amazon and TripAdvisor, this new BMW Group approach is a first in the motor industry. Customers are given a unique code, specific to a particular sales or service experience, and invited to ascribe a star rating and to make comments. These will remain on the dealer’s website for 90 days, visible to anybody who visits the site.
Chris Mason, Director of Motor Codes, the industry body committed to raising customer service standards, praised BMW: “I am deeply impressed by BMW Group’s star ratings. The system brings a new level of transparency and openness to the retail car showroom and aftersales facility and will be a wonderful resource for customers.â€
BMW and MINI dealers have been trialling this system since January 2010 to perfect both the website operation and learn how to respond quickly and effectively to the ratings and comments made.
Warts and all
For a dealer to score five stars, they have to achieve a rating between 95 and 100 per cent satisfaction, while at the other end of the scale one star is rated below 20 per cent.
“This is a brave decision,†admitted Tim Abbott. “There is no hiding place in a retail environment displaying this kind of transparency. But I am confident that our dealers truly understand the importance of satisfied customers. For those who are not yet rated with four to five stars it will drive their future performance and deliver a more focused customer cultureâ€.
<p>Well if it ever comes to the USA I know a lot of dealers who are in for a real tough time as most suck. My local dealer, MINI of Monrovia, has improved in the service area since they were Assael but their sales department is stupid bad. Waited in that area for 20 minutes once while waiting to pick up my car, and not one of the 5 sales “people” asked me squat!</p>
<p>Yeah, my local dealer is the same way (not so good sales, great service). So I went out of state to buy my MINI, but I get it serviced 5 miles down the street at the local dealer.</p>
<p>Oh wow, they need this here in the U.S. The service at my local spot (Global Imports) was abysmal. I’ll give them credit, they addressed it and last couple of visits were OK. But it was so bad for a while that I was going to the one on the south side of town. I literally passed Global Imports to get to the other one.</p>
<p>Bring this to USA!!! They might just be shocked how many more MINI’s they would sell IF many of the dealers would listen to their CUSTOMERS. They might learn a few things once they understand the definition of and just who a customer is and that a customer might be a very vital component of their business. I had a 05 MINI but thank goodness for the new round of dealerships ( specifically MINI of Ontario in my case) or i would have never bought another.</p>
<p>Not sure how this is so unique? Is it because it is going to be mandated of all MINI dealers? Or is it that customer comments will be available on the website?
My local USA VW dealer has been doing all of this since the 90’s. With personal follow up contact for anything less than 5 stars in all service areas.
Must be the reason I still own a VW in addition to MINI ;)</p>
<p>Of course- BMW has been doing the five star rating forever. However this is radically different in that you’ll be doing it online for the world to see. In addition to that you could go online and check out score for all dealers across the UK.</p>
<p>Inskip Mini has a Service Customer Satisfaction Survey w/ personel follow up by the Service Mgr. if not all 10’s No one is all 10’s</p>
<p>This would just lead to more pleading to please please give us all 5s rather than actually improving the service.</p>
<p>First thing that needs to change is that corp. should not be expecting perfect ratings….because I never give perfect ratings. motoring and service advisors get abused because they didn’t get all fives leading them to hound and beg the customer to give them all fives which annoys the customer! which is by default a less than perfect experience.
Why not seek as many realistic responses as possible and use the data to improve and not punish their employees!?!</p>
<p>DUDE! I also frequent MINI of Monrovia. They’re no longer Assael BTW. If you look at your enterprise rental car invoice, you’ll notice they’re now owned by Sonic, a large Car Dealer group. I think Assael sold the name to them for a period of time.</p>
<p>Yes their Service dept blows. Their SA’s are perfectly cool and even go out of their way for me, but the actual service is horrible. They always manage to scratch up and ding my car either during service or their crap car washes which I always request they not do, but do anyways.</p>
<p>They’re seriously a large reason why I won’t be buying another MINI! Come on MINI, improve your post buying experience!</p>