Main dealer

[Dezzy]

The car is in bits for a thermostat change, ok so no big deal just a few plastics and hoses. New thermostat ready to go in but realise the seal is not the right type no bother i shall just get one in the morning put everthing back together.

Sat morning 9:05 ring Audi Barnstaple, "do you have a thermostat seal sir?"

"Oh i'm just in the middle of doing a stock audit can i ring you back in half hour?

"no problem"

10:30 After the phone had rang for ages, divertend to reception. Told the lady i'd been waiting for a call back. "He is in there on his own today sir"

"Thats ok i just need to know if you have one is all before i drive there is all"

"Ok sir i'll send him an email to remind him"

11:45 " Hi it's me again are parts ever going top get back to me i sort of hanging here"

"i have passed the message on, i'll do it agian and go through and tell him too"
"Thank you"

"Ok, well i'm stuck without knowing, i could try get one from somewhere else if i know"

13:15 (they close at 1 so even if they have one i can't get it) "Audi Barnstaple, parts, what can i do for you?"

"Are you taking the ****?"

"Uh?"

"You have all the details i gave them to you 9 o'clock this morning, WTF have you been doing?"

"I am here on my own you know"

"What do you want me to do about that? Tell your boss about it, you told me you would ring me back in half an hour 4 hours ago"

"I'm supposed to be gone by now as it is"

"It's you who gave me the time scale i didn't ask. Do you have this F***ing seal or what?"

"Well we don't stock it but i can get one in for you"

Bang!

"Don't F**ing bother, you're a **** i could have got one somewhere else if i'd known, you could have said you don't keep them and i could have drove 2 hour round trip to Exeter you f***ing bellend. The cars in bits and i can't put it back together"

I have since calmed down now, i haven't been that angry for a long while, i know i'm only asking for a £2.50 seal but as far as i'm concerned £2 seal or £2k worth of bit you don't keep someone waiting all morning just to say we don't keep them. And i'm now without car

If i'm honest it's always like that there if you can get the phone answered.

[sarg]

cut and paste that by email to their Dealer Principal and cc Audi UK

[Nollywood]

Originally Posted by sarg

cut and paste that by email to their Dealer Principal and cc Audi UK

That's what I would do. There's no excuse for poor service. What those douchebags don't realise, is it's your purchases that keep them employed, regardless of how small.

[ADU UR quattro]

Sounds like normal Audi parts dept customer service to me,Both Hitchin and Bedford Audi parts dept Never call me back.

[ainarssems]

And i'm now without car

Clean it up well and use sealant around old seal to get you back on road. At least as temporary measure.

[Dezzy]

Originally Posted by ainarssems

Clean it up well and use sealant around old seal to get you back on road. At least as temporary measure.

I did try that mate but the old seal is really pitted and my sealent has gone off in the tube (although it says non setting) Anyway i'm at work and the car is 180 miles away at home on the drive with it's guts spilled out everywhere.

Sent this to Audi customer services

Hello,

Saturday morning at 9:05 i rang Audi Barnstaple Parts,as i needed a Thermostat seal. The parts man told me that he was running some parts audit and could he ring me back in half hour, fine i said.

At 10:30 i rang again but had to answer from parts, but a lady answered instead i assume at reception. I explained that i had rang just after 9 and was still waiting for a call back, she said she would send parts an e-mail to contact me.

At 11:45 i rang back again to find out if i was ever going to be contacted, again parts did not answer and i got through to the lady i'd previously spoken too. She said that parts were very busy and that the chap in there was on his own. Fine i said, i do need to know if you have this part as i'm unable to put the car back together with out it, and by this time i could have driven down to Exeter (100 mile round trip) to get it. She said she would go through and make sure he got the message.

At 13:15 the parts man rang up to ask what i wanted. I had previously given him the part i wanted, my reg No. and my name and phone number. At this point i just couldn't believe what i'm hearing.
He also told me he was in there on his own. I'm not entirely sure what it is you (Audi Barnstaple) want or think i can do about your staffing levels, as this is not uncommon to be told while either getting no answers from the phone or just standing by the counter wondering if parts are actually open. I can only suggest making sure staffing is in place before the day in question.

Anyway as it turns out this part is not a stock item not that, that really matters at after 13:00 on a Saturday as they're closed, so even if it was in stock i couldn't have picked it up. I’m now with a car i can't put back together and with no chance of getting a part anywhere else.

All in all at best this was a complete shambles and i’ve been entirely let down, i know the part is only around £3 and i’ll bet this is why i was not bothered with. Fact is, i have a car I can’t put back together and i work 200 miles from home.


While i’m having a rant, a couple of weeks ago i enquired about 5 litres of Quantum Plantinum Oil 5W – 40
Barnstaple £28 + VAT
Exeter £18.85 + VAT
Plymouth £19.35 + VAT
Why is Barnstaple £10 more expensive than the other two? They are all part of Silverstreet Audi.

[ainarssems]

I did try that mate but the old seal is really pitted and my sealent has gone off in the tube

Should not be a problem if it is pitted as long as you got a decent sealant and clean it up well.

I can recommend Elring Dirko, it is specially designed for aluminium parts and it has worked very well for me in the past. I believe VAG dealers use the same stuff. It is not the cheapest but well worth it.

[Dezzy]

I have a new seal now (thanks Graynada for picking it up for me) so i should be able to put the car back together now when i get home.

Also i had a call from Audi UK yesterday evening and after apologising for my experience to witch I said well it’s not your fault, he has offered to pop a bottle of red into the post to me as a way of sorry.

[IT]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

I have a new seal now (thanks Graynada for picking it up for me) so i should be able to put the car back together now when i get home.

Also i had a call from Audi UK yesterday evening and after apologising for my experience to witch I said well it’s not your fault, he has offered to pop a bottle of red into the post to me as a way of sorry.

Not a bad result, well impressed....

[47p2]

Tell em a bottle of Dom. Romane Conti 1997 would smooth things over rather well