Customer Satisfaction Surveys

british_rover

Not for us I just had a guy do that on two questions and I still got a 100...

Probably dependson the vehicle make though.

nj2pa2nc

it was a acura

utzigtravel

I took my Nissan Titan to the dealer to get a window switch fixed. It was working sometimes. I advised the Service Advisor of the problem. They ordered the part and I had to take time off of work to go back when the part came in. I waited and they replaced the part. I am told it is fixed.

You know where this is going...

The switch was still not working correctly. More time off of work to go back and get it fixed AGAIN. They did not have the part in stock.

Now, I feel that the S.A did not do their job because they should have checked the mechanics work before telling me it was fixed.

I filled out a survey honestly, and got alot of grief the next time I went to the dealer for an oil change.. A different S.A. starts telling me how I "affected" the 1st S.A. bonus. Sorry, not my problem. If they would have found the 2nd switch was defective before I got the truck and told it was fixed. I would have felt better about them. I had to take time off of work on 2 separate days for this.

I am not going to fill out a survey and say I am happy, when there were several misses on this. (The part, the mechanic and the service advisor)

I have read back alot of the posts and know there are some people that will state that its a flawed system etc..

I lost time off because I had to keep going back, I dont see you calling my work and telling my work the reasons why I need to be off..

Funny thing is after this incident.. I had a 2 MAJOR gas failures with this truck and the same dealer.. The failure put my family at major risk. The way the dealership handled the whole situation was tremendous. They went out of their way, to include sending a tow truck out of state to get my truck and make sure it was fixed correctly. I was very pleased at the end result and they did get a awesome review when it was done and over with.

bobst

That's a great story, utzi.

I have always said that people will not correct their bad behavior until they suffer because of it.

By giving the service dept a bad rating and causing the S.A. to lose money, you made them suffer and they corrected their behavior. Beautiful!!

perna

That's a great story, utzi.

I have always said that people will not correct their bad behavior until they suffer because of it.

By giving the service dept a bad rating and causing the S.A. to lose money, you made them suffer and they corrected their behavior. Beautiful!!

Seconded! If a dealership screwed me this way, it's "bombs away" baby. I did that to an Oldsmobile dealer that started playing games with me on warranty work. On the other side of the coin...

My wife and I bought a new car just this past weekend, and we had a fine experience. We were treated with respect, the sales manager was the most polite and low pressure I've ever seen, and our salesdude was over-the-top helpful.

However, I am SURE there will be one or two questions that he "missed". For instance, he failed to unwrap the plastic around the documentation bundle. From buying a bunch of new cars in the past, there has ALWAYS been a couple items that the dealership/salesperson/F&I miss.

I just mark the entire survey as perfect, and when I'm there for my first oil change I tell the SM (or the salesperson, if they're still there! We have a habit of attracting green peas) the discrepency and they're always WILDLY appreciative that I didn't ding 'em on the survey for it. In fact they usually reward me with freebies for helping them out, but that's not why I do it.

Sometimes, and this really applies to most things in life, you have to "work" the system for the greater good. Whether this means using it to punish a lazy/unscrupulous dealer, or rewarding a good one, in the end the surveys DO work. Just not how the manufacturers think they do.

gmanzx3

Hello all,
I recently purchased a 2007 Volvo XC90. Afterwards, I received a letter to complete the customer survey on-line...which I did. I rated everything very good or excellent except the following three things:
1. When asked if I was introduced to the service department, I said "NO". It was closed when I picked up the car.
2. When asked if the car was delivered without defects, I said "NO". There were several large dents on the hood that I did not notice until I got the vehicle home in my garage with the brighter lighting. (Since then repaired.)
3. When asked about finance/checkout process, I said "Fair" or "Poor", I can't remember exactly. I was called on the last day of the month after previous negotiations failed. They said "If we give you the deal (trade, lease terms) that you wanted, will you buy the car today?" I said yes, but I have 2 kids (2 and 1) and would like to get in and out asap. They already had credit app, license, insurance info from previous visit. It then took over THREE hours to get out...over two just to see the finance guy. It was way past my babies bed time and I was going to be late for work.

Now, today, my wife gets a phone call from the sales lady. She is upset with us and is scolding my wife for not giving her a good evaluation. First of all, that is WAY inappropriate. Second, I did not mean to "ding" her at all. She and the sales manager did a good job. My only criticism was the wait for finance.

I was going to call the GM of the dealer or contact Volvo to see if I can improve her score. I know it affects her pay and did not mean to hurt her. But now after the "scolding"... I'm not so sure.

Any advice?

mako1a

Back in Dec, 2003 I bought a 4Runner from a Virginia Beach dealer. I later received an online user/password for my survey. I logged in completed survey mostly excellent with minor glitches (hitch didn't fit receiver). Anyway while in there I wondered what would happen if I bumped my user up 1. Whoa, I was in somebody elses survey not yet filled out. Name,VIN, everything. So I bumped up again. Another unfilled survey. Name, VIN all there waiting for checkmarks and comments. After seeing about 6 more with 1 blank, not yet sold I presume I realised I could have had a real effect on Toyota if I had been a disgruntled buyer. I left the site with only mine filled out as I was a happy customer. 3 years later I bought a 2006 Solara and once again got the online survey, but saw that their error had been fixed as I was limited to only my purchase. They got all excellent as the car was and still is flawless. Glad you fixed that Toyota.

1racefan

"Any advice?"

I would not do a thing more. You answered the survey honestly, and the response you got from the sales person was confirmation that you don't need to do anything further "to better her score".

I might feel differently if she had called your wife, and spoken to her in a civil manner, and asked your wife's advice as to what she/her dealership could change in her/their process to make the car buying experience better. However, if she were to call me/my wife and "scold" us for being honest on a survey, the only call I would be making to Volvo would be to further express my displeasure of her phone call.

imidazol97

Because of the scolding tone, I'd contact the dealership and ask when the owner is in or when the designated manager is in and for them to call me. Then when they call, I'd not explain but ask to see them in person and go in.

Then very unemotionally describe what happnened, how it made you feel, what you meant on the survey, etc. I like blasting eyeball-to-eyeball and using understatement.

dino001

Maybe they're just asking the wrong question. How about a simple, direct one-liner like "Should this dealer receive a CS bonus? Yes or no." That avoids ambiguity, second guessing and ethical contortion

That would be great - but would deprive companies from 99% satisfaction scores or other garbage they can claim in their commercials. Everybody like to self-delude, especially large companies. What is a better way than "excellent only" surveys? Using it as a bonus take-away tool is just an added benefit.

kyfdx

I feel for auto salespeople... the system if flawed..

But, you answered the survey honestly. Blaming you for their shortcomings is just unprofessional. If they really want all 5s on the survey, they should ensure that their actions will merit that score. Begging for the score is just pathetic.

The salesperson that called your house complaining. Just very, very unprofessional. What would be the purpose in doing that? Obviously, the survey has already been done, and it can't be changed.

If it were me, I would just forget about it... If they call again about the issue, I would light someone up...

regards,
kyfdx

chikoo

:sick:
"Now, today, my wife gets a phone call from the sales lady. She is upset with us and is scolding my wife for not giving her a good evaluation. First of all, that is WAY inappropriate. Second, I did not mean to "ding" her at all. She and the sales manager did a good job. My only criticism was the wait for finance."

I have filled plenty of surveys, and most of them are never a 100, because there is ALWAYS room for improvement. I have not heard back the way you have. amazing.

british_rover

Probably because most of your salespeople have been like me and have held back calling someone, who you bent over backwards for, to question why they gave us a poor survey.

For example I had a couple that bought a Rover back right before thanksgiving and they wanted to have all of these accesories put on. In order to do it we had to overnight several thousand dollars worth of parts and I asked one of the techs to do me a favor and stay late the night before to put everything on.

He ended up staying till almost 7:00PM to install everything and I bought him a six pack for his trouble. The next morning we got the delivery done quickly first thing so they could be on the road by 9:30 am.

They got a good price, the exact car they wanted and we didn't charge them the 10% extra that comes with overnighting parts. I kept with the original estimate for the accesories and we ate the 10%.

A month later I get the survey back and it was 75s down the board with just a couple of 100s.

Ended up with a 78.8 overall score and it probably cost me a thousand or so dollars of bonus.

jipster

I can't speak for the couple you are referring to, but when filling out the survey for our 2004 Mazda MPV, I had no idea anything less than a perfect score was a failure.

The saleslady asked for a "good" score towards the end of the transaction. I thought I did give a good score...mostly 10's with a couple 8's and 9's thrown in.

I think I would let it be known in the clearest of subtle manners that "if you don't give me perfect scores across the board then I lose bonus money".

british_rover

You think that saying, "You will probably be getting a survey from Land Rover later on. Land Rover considers anything less then outsanding a failure and I would appreciate it if you can give us all outstandigns, would be good enough wouldn't you?

madmanmoo

I coach. You're not supposed to, but I do. There is no other way to get around this horrible survey process.

"Mr. Customer, you'll be receiving a survey in the next week or so. Please take a few minutes of your time to fill this out. Excellents and totally satisfieds are a great way to help me out. Our pay plan is based around me getting these excellent scores. If for any reason you can't give me those, please let me know why and I'll be sure to make it right."

If they give you a bad score after, then they really don't like you or are really stupid. Either way, the score would have bad. You're going to have those people. The majority of my customers though, they give excellent surveys and they realize that the surveys are just dumb.

I'm just very direct in my dealings with people.

-Moo

british_rover

I generally do very well on surveys. I think my lifetime average CSI is around 98.xx but the problem is our CSI bonus plan is based off monthly CSI score. Our volume is so low that I might only get one or two survey returns a month. If one of those is surveys is under 95 or so then I lose all of my money.

jipster

Well... you can't get any clearer than that.

That was pretty cold hearted for that customer to do you that way.

gmanzx3

Thanks for the replies.

Actually..she wasn't that spectacular a salesperson. Not much of a personality. I dealt mainly with the sales manager, who did a "good"...not "excellent" job. I knew the CSI was important and gave replies to all sales aspects as excellent. I honestly did not think the financing/delivery questions were directed towards her. I really hate to take money away from her. It actually hurts me to have that happen. But, I agree, the system is flawed. And after the "scolding", I think I'll let it stand.

joel0622

Our surveys are so completley stupid that our pay plan has nothing to do with it. We still ask for good scores because it does have some bearing on some other things that are above my social circle but, If Joe Customer comes in, buys a car and has his panty's in a wad because we wouldn't throw in a $100 set of floor mats and a $125 PAS key for free and thinks it would be funny to trash the survey, we don't hold the Sales Person responsible. Now if you have a track record of low marks then we just fire ya, so I guess that yes technically the surveys can effect your pay plan

guru_g

Perhaps I dont understand the survey/sales pay/commission structure completely and I am sure I will be ire for suggesting what I am about to, to most of the sales people reading these forums- Please let me know if I am wrong in assuming the following things. The sales people are paid a commission for selling cars and a bonus for customer satisfaction. The sales people get the commission for the sale but do not get the bonus if customers are not satisfied. If the above two statements are true I see no problems with the car manufacturer giving bonuses only to people who get almost all 5s. If the performace were curved only 5-10% of the salespeople should get an A (thus deserving a bonus on top of their commission) and most of the people would get just the commission for the sale for an average or slightly above average buying experience. That said, I had a great buying experience yesterday and the salesperson will get all 5s from me despite him not telling me anything about the survey (which was another plus).

micki2

You know...I recently gave a "less than five" on a Honda survey.

My salesperson called me at home, emailed me, met me in the service department (I had pinstriping applied) to remind me to give him a five. I was afraid that I would come home and he would be standing in my driveway wearing a sandwichboard with a big number 5 on it. I eventually told him that he needed to quit flapping his gums and give "five quality service".

The salesperson was busy "selling" a car that didn't need to be "sold". That time should have been spent listening to my needs. He also needed to become more knowledgeable about the car and the features.

I told the surveyer that I felt pressured to give a five. Apparently it is against the rules of Honda Motor Company to solicit fives for the surveys.

As far as I am concerned, nobody is entitled to anything. I get a performance based bonus at my job. If I do the work and make my clients happy, I get the bonus. I know the rules. I know what it takes. Therefored, I do what I gotta do to get the job. If I don't get it, then whose fault is that? MINE!

madmanmoo

And yet, all this salesperson was trying to do was protect against an uneducated customer. He was letting you know that anything less than '5's were a failing grade. Perhaps he could have held back a little bit on all the educating, but his performance is based on the many customer's OPINION of how he performed.

It's a little different than just looking at mathematics on your performance based job. You don't have someone's emotions dictating your pay. YOU are responsible for posting the numbers that give you your bonus.

The system is flawed. If they did a good job and you like the car, give them 5's. Don't try and reinvent the wheel.

-Moo

guru_g

Every survey has flaws (in this one emotion of the customer). Every statistical method has its drawbacks but things even out with a large enough sample size. Hell, if not for the manipulation of the surveys by mediocre salespeople by bribing with a tank of gas or oil change, most of the real good sales people will get the bonus they truly deserve. I know there is no pleasing a few customers but every salesperson gets them once in a while (thus evening things out). Coaching or letting people know that 4 is a fail and 5 is needed for a bonus is one thing. Nagging people to give you a 5 is another. My salesperson just told me that I will get a survey. He did not coach me or ask me for 5s. He did not try to "bribe" me with oil changes or any such petty BS. He did such a good job that I intend to give him 5s and write a commendation letter about my sales experience to Honda and his dealership.

joel0622

If the manufactures would just let us use the survey program for what it was designed for it would be great. Just think if you were a business owner and were able to get feed back on every transaction every one of your employees do. You could use it to identify weakness in your business plan company wide and to pin point where individual employees need improvement.

But instead they have attached unrealistic goals on it. I don't care who you are you will not satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time. There is not a business in the world that does it. Who in the world comes up with a grading scale that is say 1-10 10 being the best 1-9 being failure. Just imagine if they graded our kids in school like that, two grades A+ or F.

I am not defending the sales person who gets to the point of badgering you for a good score, I am pointing out what I think is a very flawed system. I am so glad our store does not tie the sales peoples pay plan to it.

When we sell a car the last thing that happens is a manager comes and sits down with you and ask you a few questions, he ask what brought your here, did you use the internet in your shopping, what your email is, did the Finance Office explain the truth in lending box, did you purchase any warranties, did you feel pressured at any time during your visit, then he says "Folks in a couple of weeks you will be receiving a survey from Ford, hopefully you feel as though you were completely satisfied with your experience from start to finish, if you were please note that on the survey, if not please tell me now how I can make your next experience here a better one. No pressure, no free oil changes, no clean ups, just a roll of the dice and hope they were listening.

One big problem we have is getting the completely satisfied people to return the survey in the first place, the unsatisfied people send them back same day. I guess it goes to the old adage that if you have a good experience you tell who ever ask, if you have a bad one you tell who will ever listen.

exb0

I just finished a Honda survey. I gave all tens to the selling dealer; however there were some questions about other Honda dealers that I shopped at. I rated two other dealers, gave 10 to one, and 1 to another. I totally slammed that dealer on the survey and attached a little note telling Honda exactly how I feel about them and their sales practices.

My question is, are there any consequences to the “other” dealers that get slammed on surveys, or Honda only cares about marks for the selling dealer?

madmanmoo

Yes, they are made aware of the survey. Beyond that, I'm not sure if there are any consequences.

-Moo

sk8ermaiden

I'm especially interested in the perspective from the other side.

I recently bought a new Fusion from a big dealer here in Houston. They were pretty bad - not horrible, but pretty bad.

In F&I, we find out that it was not disclosed that this car has 880 miles on it. The sales guy hems and haws all over the place with everything but the truth. This was obviously used as a loaner or demo (did I mention it was missing the MSRP thing in the window too?) and was pulled because it met my (admittedly picky) criteria.

We're ready to walk, and VERY slimy sales manager comes in to give us a discount. Oh wait, I mean scam us some more. We eventually get our discount. I am pissed at the dealership for trying every which way to pull one over on us, but all in all, I am VERY happy with the car and am OK with the price paid.

I get it home and notice a deep, but very small gouge in the paint at the bottom of one of the doors. Obviously I signed at drove it away, so they're not liable anymore. They didn't have time to detail it that night, so I was told to come in this week and have that done. Here's my question. Is it OK to call the sales guy and tell him that I was not thrilled with the way he treated us, but that I'll give him 5s anyway if he'll have that gouge repainted and the license plate holder re-installed (it is crooked and off center) when I bring it in for detailing?

Really I think he should get what he deserves, but I just want that gouge fixed. Is that something that Ford would arrange to have done if I contacted them, bypassing the dealer?

Thanks all.

bobst

"I think he should get what he deserves"

Well, if he gets the gouge fixed and gets the license plate straightened, then maybe he deseves all 5s.

Anyway, I think your plan is OK and I hope you like the car.

Besides, maybe it is good the car has some miles on it. A lot of rattles appear in the first 1000 miles. If yours is quiet, that is a very good sign.

british_rover

I would call tell them about the two problems and that you want them fixed. If they agree to it then give them their 5s if they back track or try to hem and haw somre more then maybe bring up the survey to see where that gets you.

sk8ermaiden

You know, I was really polite to the guy, start to finish, even though he was pushy and aggressive and at one point implied (loudly) that I was stupid based on something that he realized within 30 seconds was his own mistake. He also offended my fiance by insinuating (again loudly) that we might not be able to afford the car. (Based only on the rent we were putting down on the credit app. - without knowing what we earn.)

But the real kicker was him lying to us outright about what the car truly was. So yeah, I'd think he deserves less than perfect on his survey. Especially considering the car was most likely gouged while being driven as a loaner. That said, I'd still be happy as long as my car looked like new.

The thing is, we would have bought the same car at the same price and been 100% happy if he had been up front with us.

I'll admit "Get what he deserves" sounds a bit extreme.

sk8ermaiden

You're both right. If he voluntarily fixes the two problems, then I will feel better about giving him a good rating anyway.

Thanks

joel0622

I think it is two completely different items and one should have nothing to do with the other.

You need to call the dealer and tell them about the gouge and ask them to fix it. If they say no then note that on the survey. On a Ford survey there is a question that asks if you had any concerns after the sale, and if your concerns were addressed.

Even if they fix it you should still answer your survey truthfully

But using the survey as a bargaining chip is just another example of how the survey system is flawed and should be revamped big time.

thenebean

if you felt like things were slimy and the salesperson was rude, etc. you should have walked. sorry to say, but ford dealers are a dime a dozen - and you're better off spending your money at a dealer that treated you right. by buying the car where you did, you basically said to the dealer "hey, its ok to treat me like crap, because if i get the price i want, i'll buy anyways!"

but what is done is done now, so keep that in mind for next time. and i agree with joel - using the survey as leverage is only making the whole stupid survey process worse. i'd go back and talk to the manager, and if he doesn't comply, work your way up the food chain, indicating that their resistance to do the right thing will be reported to the BBB and others you know. fill the survey out honestly...(but also take into consideration how they handle this situation too)

my two cents anyways...

-thene

jipster

I agree with joel. This salesdude needs to reap what he has sown. It's a new car... they should fix at no charge and be happy about it. Then you can fill out the survey as truthfully as you like. But, don't use the survey as a bargaining chip as that will likely p*ss them off.

sk8ermaiden

Yes, Ford dealerships are a dime a dozen, especially in Houston, TX. I visited several, and encountered rampant chauvanism at most. I really didn't expect that in this day and age (shows you that this is my first car-buying experience, huh?). Don't they understand that I have money to spend and this is my car - not my fiance's?

I was in a tight corner because my engine needed costly repairs I didn't want to pay for, and I couldn't shop around as much as I liked.

I only dealt with one dealership where I liked everyone I came in contact with, unfortunately the car was a round one production missing a feature present in the round twos, and the brakes were AWFUL.

I wish I could just have them fix my car and still give them the score they earned, but I'm worried they won't do the right thing. The sales manager was by far the worst person I encountered there (in fact, the F&I guy is the only one who was really awesome). I don't have much hope for the rest of management.

:sick:

oldfarmer50

It's easy sitting here at a keyboard to give you lofty advice about not rewarding nasty salespeople by giving them a good survey. Harder when it's your car with a scratch and you feel powerless in the face of a manipulative clown.

That said, salespeople on these boards have said over and over again: "Why would you give your business to someone who treats you bad?". They feel that to do so only makes this behavior more likely to continue.

jb_turner

I often read of people who are not happy with the way they are treated by dealership personnel and they purchase a vehicle only to trash the survey because of the way they were treated. If people are being treated bad why purchase the car in the first place?... please inspect the vehicle BEFORE you purchase it so any problems can be adjusted... give the dealer a chance to make it right.
I would say NEVER accept a vehicle at night, when its snowing or raining just inspect it during the daytime BEFORE you accept or purchase it.

joel0622

It's easy sitting here at a keyboard to give you lofty advice about not rewarding nasty salespeople by giving them a good survey. Harder when it's your car with a scratch and you feel powerless in the face of a manipulative clown

Crap, Oldfarmer you could say that about every conversation we have here

sk8ermaiden

You are both right, of course. I gave the vehicle a good once over, but the scratch is on the bottom of the door and hard to see unless you bend over. As for waiting until daylight, that would have meant waiting until Monday (dealerships closed Sundays) and taking yet another day off work (after two off the previous week). My fiance would also have had to take another day off work.

The sales guy was pushy and loud, but they didn't pull anything too heinous until we were half way through F&I.

The situation is no one's fault but my own, and I know that. Getting the car for the price, and not missing another day of work was the trade off I made for dealing with them. Like I said, the one straightforward guy that I would have liked to have bought from did not have an acceptable car.

But now that hindsight is 20/20, I am trying to figure out the most diplomatic and proper way to ask them to make my "new" car look like new. I agree that the CSI shouldn't be used as a bribe, but I thought maybe if I offered something that they wanted in exchange for something I wanted they would be more inclined to help me.

thenebean

for future reference - you can request a dealer swap for a car that would have been suitable for your needs from the dealer you had a good experience from. they could go find a car that meets your needs, and you can reward a dealer who did right by you by buying from them. its not always 100% feasible, however - but its always an option!

-thene

dtownfb

"You know, I was really polite to the guy, start to finish, even though he was pushy and aggressive and at one point implied (loudly) that I was stupid based on something that he realized within 30 seconds was his own mistake. He also offended my fiance by insinuating (again loudly) that we might not be able to afford the car. (Based only on the rent we were putting down on the credit app. - without knowing what we earn.)

But the real kicker was him lying to us outright about what the car truly was."

And you still bought the car from this dealership????? I'd hate to see what you put up with you buy a house.

sk8ermaiden

I understand your sentiment, but your post is entirely unhelpful. I wouldn't put up with anything to buy a house.

For one, I will never be in a position where I HAVE to buy a house this weekend. We can sit pretty in our apartment for 6 months to a year while we check out every house (or real estate agent) in the area if we want.

Two, most houses are not new. Therefore I want to have at least a basic trust in the seller to disclose major problems (although you still need an inspector). My car is new, therefore any problems that arise are covered under warranty.

Three, I will have a real estate agent working for me. If the selling person is unpleasant...well, I'm paying someone else to deal with that. If they are downright nasty, then that makes me question their trustworthiness (see #2) and I will probably not buy.

They are two totally different things. Buying a house involves so much more than buying a car. Would I prefer to buy a car from someone I like? Of course! I'd even pay little more to do so. But sometimes it just can't shake out that way. All in all, I got what I wanted - a great car for a great price.

sk8ermaiden

How long does it generally take a (Ford) survey to show up in a mailbox?

kiawah

They coincidentally come after you have had (2) phone calls from the local selling dealer verifying that you are satisfied..........about a month in my case.

dtownfb

You already rewarded the salesman and dealership for their bad behavior by buying the car from them instead of walking out. My point is if you don't mind being lied to and treated like a second class citizen to buy a car (most people 2nd biggest purchase), what kind of treatment are you willing to put up with when buying a house or TV, etc. Now you are sitting waiting for a survey to get back at the salesman. The time to complain for that kind of behavior was before the sales was complete by walking out. Not afterwards on a survey.

If you are so happy with getting " a great car for a great price", why are you complaining about the service? You got what you wanted.

oldfarmer50

"...Crap, Oldfarmer..."

Simmer down there big boy, I was referring to ME giving lofty advice, not you. Did you read my whole post?

My point was that it is difficult to do the right thing when you are involved in the emotion of the moment.

joel0622

Simmer down there big boy

Did you not see my Emotorcon? I was just kidding.

oldfarmer50

"...Did you not see my Emotorcon?..."

Ooops . Am I embarrassed . Sorry

sk8ermaiden

I decided not to ask for any extra services from the dealer. I really don't want to be further involved with them.

I don't want to "get back at the salesman." I just want a chance to answer the survey honestly. Yes, he will probably get a poor rating in most areas, but, for instance, the F&I guy was wonderful.