Melinda K

Review of Audi North Austin

What a disaster of a SERVICE department! After p...

What a disaster of a SERVICE department! After purchasing a $70k product, I expected to have a premium service experience. I was really wrong.

First, no one answers calls to the service dept. How silly of me to think I could actually talk to my assigned service associate. Instead, calls are forwarded to an impersonal reservation representative in some call center somewhere.

I was finally able to get a service appointment to fix a problem/safety concern on my car, but it was for a date over 2 WEEKS LATER. When I requested a loaner car, I was advised to request this from my service associate when I arrived to drop off my car.

Fast forward 2 weeks and I arrived on Friday for my scheduled appointment. No one was in the service garage when I pulled in (By comparison, Lexus practically runs out to meet you as you drive up in their garage.). Finally, someone walked up and took my name and key. I walked into the service area and no one was at any of the service desks. I waited a few minutes and a service associate walked in. He didn t look up but said Someone will be with you shortly . He grabbed some papers, straightened them, stapled them together, and walked away. That s right, straightening and stapling some papers was more important than attending to the customer in front of him.

I waited for about 15 minutes, watching TV and getting a coffee - still no one came. Then a customer who said that he had no appointment came in, just as the same service associate returned. Guess what? He was waited on immediately. I was appalled. I decided to walk up closer to the counter to visually remind the service associate that I was here first, but he did not acknowledge me - he just kept taking care of the walk-in guy that arrived after me.

Next, my assigned service associate walked in. I checked in my car and he noted a couple of routine items and a recall issue that needed to be handled. I explained the problem that I really needed service to address. I also reminded him that I had raised this same problem nearly a year ago, and I was told at that time: There s nothing wrong with that. Since then, the problem had worsened and had become a serious safety concern. I also inquired about a loaner car, as advised by the call center rep. I was told that none were available and that loaner cars had to be reserved ONE MONTH in advance. Are you serious??

That was Friday. By Monday morning, I had heard nothing, so I texted my service associate. He told me the car should be looked at soon but they were backed up in service. The car had been there 3 business days, I m taking Uber back and forth to work, and no one had even looked at my car yet! I complained about this, the lack of communication since Friday, and the expense I was incurring for Uber rides each day.

On Tuesday, I received an automated text with a link to a summary of services performed on the car. At the bottom was a quote to fix the problem that I had brought to their attention a year before, when they had told me there s nothing wrong with that. The cost? Over $1500. That s right: A problem that I brought to their attention nearly a year ago (and was totally brushed off then) will now cost more than double what it would have cost, had they fixed it when I brought in the car the first time. What incredible nerve this takes! Not only that, but who knows the risks of driving a car with a significant problem for the last year?

I don t blame my service associate, who is a nice guy. I blame the owners for not recognizing and fixing these obvious organizational problems. The owners/management have no idea how to build a service culture or a superior customer experience. The entire team needs training and a field trip (or several) to Lexus, BMW and Mercedes dealerships to learn how service should work for a luxury brand. Like many other people posting here and on Yelp, I will be purchasing my next car and obtaining service from another Audi dealership going forward.