My Latest Dealer Experience

[TrueFaith]

I know I've ragged on my dealer several times on this forum, but to be fair they deserve credit where it's due also. After my 15k service I was told I had a damaged emergency brake bracket and it had to be replaced along with a new brake cable. This has been a brutal winter and I assumed a chunk of ice probably took the bracket out at some point. Naturally my first thought was $85/hour in labor for about 2 hours and whatever the cost of parts = $300+. So I was more than happy to learn it was NOT caused by road conditions and was completely covered by my Nissan warranty. Most of the time the bear eats you, but sometimes you get to eat the bear and it made my whole day when I signed the service order with all the big goose eggs under "grand total".
A little good service goes a long way towards replacing bad feelings about where you get your Coupe serviced. Hell, I'm even starting to flirt with the idea that my dealer might actually care about my safety.

[AviBen]

As someone who is your contemporary in age (check my profile) -- a rare commodity on this forum -- I have interacted with many auto dealers over the years. I have been very pleasantly surprised by the culture of customer service that seems to have become more real than feigned in recent years at some dealerships; particularly where mechanical service is concerned, and trust is so important, truth is even more valuable than saving a few bucks here and there. One of the things I've learned to do is to find out which mechanic worked on my car, and, if I like his work, get to know him, build a relationship, and arrange for him to do all work on my car thereafter; knowing the person for whom you are doing the work, and having a relationship, encourages both motivation and openness in communication. In the past, I was less than happy with service on my Mercedes (which I traded in for the AC) and after the warranty expired switched to an independent mechanic I've known and worked with for years. I am very pleased now with my current Nissan dealer's service and, I must say, with the dealership where we bought my wife's Honda Accord EX-L V-6 (which, by the way, is a great value -- as is the Altima sedan; except, perhaps, for the slightly harsher ride, these cars are every bit as well built and well appointed as so-called luxury cars were not so many years ago).

[downedzephyr]

I am actually extremely content with my dealership. I have yet to be charged for any work (replacing the radiator hoses, brake pad replacement during a maintenance checkup, etc) on my car *knock on wood*, and they seem to overlook the mods that I have on my car. Hell, half the guys at the dealership I work at compliment the car

[DAAN.]

Having worked in dealerships, I noticed service personnel being trained on emphasize safety ... especially to mothers and older couples.
At 120 bucks an hour in Canada and most work being done over 1-2 hours, it is a sure way to boost business

[IBCoupe]

In CT, I highly recommend Grossman Nissan in Old Saybrook. Their service department is quick, cheap, and they don't skimp on quality from what I've seen. I also highly recommend that you stay away from Girard Nissan in Groton, CT. I feel strongly enough that I avoid Girard, a three minute drive from my apartment, in favor of Grossman, a thirty minute drive.

[jswfl09]

I have had nothing but good experiences with my Nissan dealership in Naples, FL. It is a stark contrast to past experiences I have had with both the local Jeep dealers (one in Naples that is now just Chrysler and the other one in Ft. Myers). Then again, nothing compares to the dirt treatment I got at Mercedes Benz of Naples. This was in the mid-2000s and they were the most arrogant and "full of themselves" type of people I have ever met. I don’t usually wish badly on people but I was delighted when a few of the worst ones lost their jobs and eventually their homes.

Getting back to my Nissan dealership (Marazzi Nissan), I brought mine in a few weeks ago for a few small things (first time having any warranty work done - 20k), I mentioned I was getting vibrations while stopping. It turns out that the rotors were warping and I figured they would try to get me to pay to have them machined or replaced. They said that they should not be warping at all and took care of it for me. I have had to deal with the service departments of close to 10 dealers in the past decade and so far none have come close to the service I have received from this one. They have a good thing going - 5 star Google review rating from 70 some people (a huge rarity online) and they do huge sales volume. I hope they stay this way (they used to be called Naples Nissan and I had to deal with them about 6 years ago and a bunch of their service advisors were awful. They got bought out and moved to a new facility and it was like a night-and-day scenario).

[Stryker617]

Some dealerships can be bad, some can be good. I used to work for one, and all the mechanics seemed very honest about things. If you're in IL though, stay away from Martin Nissan in Skokie. I'd take my car to Woodfield Nissan for all the work, the one time I took it to Martin Nissan one of the damn mechanics stole my GPS that I hid in the car. Bad enough they went snooping, and then stole it. And the head service guy told me his guys would never do that.