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Your new car (or your new car dealer) is giving you a headache. There’s a problem and the customer service you’ve received hasn’t been good enough. You feel like you’ve done your part, but your problem is still unresolved. How do you get it solved?

Even if you left previously with a negative experience, your local dealer is still the best person to work with to resolve your complaint. Local dealerships are interested in creating loyal lifetime customers, and they know the best way to do that is by making you happy. A dealership can spend a fortune on advertising trying to attract customers, but statistics show that good customer service is by far the best way to keep them.

But before your local new car dealer will help you, they need to believe that you’re going to be a good future customer. It’s much easier for a dealership to justify helping you (especially if it costs money) if they believe they will earn that money back in the future. The best way to convince a dealership you’re going to be a good customer in the future is to show them you’re a good customer now.

You can show the dealership you’re a good customer by being nice to the dealer’s employees. While it might make you feel better to yell or be rude, nothing will hurt your cause more than a group of employees at the dealership that hate you. If you want to get what you want, give them a reason to like you and want to help you. “Kill em’ with kindness” and you will prove you’re a customer worth saving.

While being pleasant will help you get what you want from your local dealer, working with the dealership’s General Manager (GM) will help you just as much. GM’s have the full backing of the manufacturer and they have the power to do just about anything to solve a customer service complaint. Keep in mind that many dealership general managers are powerful enough to get senior manufacturer sales executives on the phone at any time - they’re absolutely capable of getting the manufacturer to do something for you. They are also usually experienced professionals that know how to help. Make sure you ask to speak with the GM when you have a customer service problem.

If for some reason your GM is unable to help, try the manufacturer’s customer service hotline, the number for which can be found in the owner’s manual. You may also want to call the manufacturer’s regional office. They will probably simply refer you to the service hotline, but there is a chance you could speak with a regional executive. Keep coming back to the manufacturer and dealership, and you’ll get your problem solved.

So, to summarize, if you have a new car customer service problem, your local dealer is your starting point. Make sure to ask to speak with the general manager, and to be nice to everyone you speak with. If the local dealer doesn’t get it done, try working with the manufacturer’s national hotline. Finally, call your manufacturer’s regional office. As long as you’re persistent and pleasant, you’ll get the best possible customer service.

Filed under: Vehicles