Roll out the red carpet (BMW)

Member Name: SachaG

Product:	BMW
Date:	05/03/02 (364 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Personal Service, Polite staff , Long term relationship

Disadvantages: Cost

I recently ordered a new BWM from my local dealership. I spend much time comparing the price they would sell it to me at against the best internet/import price I could find. The difference in price after all options had been added was around £1,500, which is a sizeable amount of money. For my £1,500 discount I could have brought an imported car with a delivery time of 18-25 weeks, the extra money brought me a UK car with a 12 week delivery.

During my dealings with the BMW garage I could not rate them high enough, I first had a 40-minute test drive, followed by the offer the keep the car for a day that following weekend. On returning the car after my days test drive, they offered more day drives. All the staff I came in contact with helpful and polite, and could not have done more for me. The dealership when out of their way to make to whole process of purchasing a new car such a happy one, I felt happier to place an order with them costing me an extra £1,500.

This new car was to replace my company Astra and I purchased it myself using my companies opt out option. The car was ordered for December as my Astra was being recalled on the 15th December. However, as the date draw closer the BMW dealer contacted me to say my car was delayed and would not now be available until the first week in January 2002. I explained this would now leave me without a car for 3 weeks over the Christmas period, ‘no problem’ said BMW ‘we will arrange for a loan car to be delivered to you on the 14th December, and you can kept it until your car arrives’. True to their word a Y reg BMW 320 was dropped off to me.

Delivery of the car was painless, we checked over the car and then completed any paperwork - all were correct. Furthermore I ended up with a car registered in 2002 due to their delay, which should help future resale values. They also discounted some options I had chosen for any inconvenience I suffered !

Looking b
ack I feel I made the right decision for me to purchase a UK car against an imported one from the internet. I am told the UK car will have a higher resale value than the imported car when I come to trade it in for a new car, and my insurance was a little lower. In today’s world where everything is cost driven, aiming always to provide the consumer with the lowest possible price customer service is often lost. I feel that I still need some of this personal service when making larger purchases and it’s nice know that there are still places you can get the personal service and build relationships, all be it for an increased price.

Summary: