Complaint Letter.....

A complaint letter written today.

Names blocked out.

Not sure where to start but I would like to make a complaint with regards to a recent purchase.

Firstly let me state that I am currently happy with my Nissan Juke which I have nicked named "Daisy" - as in Daisy Duke but also I do drive a bit like Driving Miss Daisy.

Lets face it a Nissan Juke does not suit all people but my previous car was a 2008 Citroen C4 so I suppose I have a history of liking vehicles that look just a little bit different but are somewhat practical.  But hoping that a car from a Japanese company is a little more reliable than my French Car - her name was "Diana" as her headlights looked like Diana Ross eyelashes - look both up on the internet and you will see what I mean.

I would also like to advise that I was very happy with RRRR who I negotiated the trade in and purchase price of my vehicle (though I think my trade in was low but the overall figure I had to pay was within the "band" I had set in myself for the deal).  While complimenting I would like to compliment the your service department team who were very friendly and understanding with regards to my complaint today and really I was a bit terse with them but did acknowledge that they were put in a position that they should not have been placed.

I purchased my car in the first week of January 2017 when Nissan had a 2016 plate sale and as part of the sale (as there was not much room for movement on price I negotiated floor mats and rear parking sensors as part of the deal).  I thought rear parking sensors as "Daisy" does have a bit of a butt on her like Jessica Simpson - look that also up not the internet and I wanted to keep that butt from getting in dents in it.  

RRRR was very good in advising that these 2 items may take up to a week to arrive due to the recent Christmas and New Year break but would arrange for someone to ring when both items were ready.  The call came the following week and I stopped by after work and had the mats fitted and advised I would receive another call with regards to the sensors.  This is where the issue arises.  That follow up call was not conducted until today around lunchtime. Wow that was 4.5 weeks after the purchase and delivery of "Daisy" and 3 weeks since the floor mats were fitted to "Daisy" when I was advised that the sensors were here in XXXXX at your dealership.

Now that you know a little about How I came to own "Daisy" I will backtrack.

When I signed the documents to advise I would purchase "Daisy" the folder that you receive with details of payment (who the bank cheque was to be made to etc) I noticed that my sales person was called SSSS.  I had no interaction with SSSS at all other than he offered me a glass of water when I first arrived.  I did question this and advised that I did the "deal" with RRRR but was told that it was correct - SSSS was my new salesman.

This took place on the Tuesday and by the end of that working week I was all prepared to hand over the bank cheque and take "Daisy" home.

SSSS for some reason was not available but another young man ran me through the warranty and details of the fixed costs for services etc and that was all great as it allowed me then some time to arrange my insurance and I even did my change of e-tag in the time SSSS was ready.  Then came along SSSS.  I think SSSS may have been more interested if I was buying "Butch" thats the name I gave the very upmarket looking Nissan Navara with all the extras attached sitting on the showroom floor and I would like to have purchased "Butch" but though it best I live within my means - Don't get me wrong I love "Daisy".

SSSS told me first up about a survey that I would be receiving and gave me the heads up that anything that was an 8 or a number lower it impacted his reputation.  Up until this point I was very happy with your team as not once I never felt like I was having the hard word placed on me about my transaction but I guess SSSS must be old school like the sales people in the 80's that wanted to sell you all sorts of extras that you never really needed or wanted - I remember my Dad got caught on something like this in the 80's and my Mum called him "stupid" in front of my Sister and myself.  We giggled in the back seat of the car and then got told off for being disrespectful but were also told "and let that be a lesson and never take your dad car shopping with you when you are older".  My Sister and I still giggle at the thought of this all these years later.  Maybe my dad's sales person was SSSS's father!

SSSS then proceeded to take me out to meet "Daisy" and to run me through how the lights worked, where to top up the water in the windscreen washers (though when I asked about the rear wiper he kind of dismissed me.  Maybe he was still thinking about making a sale on "Butch" - the Navara and they don't have a rear window washer).  He attempted to show me how the bluetooth worked but was a bit flippant and was not really interested and also told me just to drive in the "normal" mode and not to worry about the Sports mode or the Eco mode.  Normal apparently would suite me just fine.  There is a low gearing on "Daisy" but he was not really clear about if it was to drive down a hill or up a hill.  When you respond back can you clarify for me all that I have just mentioned here - where do I fill up the rear windscreen washer fluid, when should I use Eco and Sports mode and when should I use the low gearing - up the hill or down the hill? - remember I have been classified just as "normal".

After meeting "Daisy" we drove around to meet the service team (they seem all very nice) I was booked in for today the 7th of Feb for the 1,000km service and it was noted that I would be getting my parking sensors at this time also - from my prodding about when are they going to be fitted.  SSSS was not really keen on any time before this - I suspect he was still dreaming about selling "Butch" the Navara.

So a week later I get the call for the floor mats - they are fitted and "Daisy's" floors are being kept nice and clean.  SSSS did answer my question about the low gear - I saved it up and he said it was for roads like going down The XXXX.  I proceeded to ask him about the revving from the CVT - being new to having a CVT transmission but alas SSSS was not interested.  SSSS then mentioned he would call me re a time for the sensors - he must have forgot that I was booked in for the 7th of Feb.  

SSSS did not ring me.  I felt like SSSS had dumped me.  You know that feeling you get when you go on a first date and you think it has gone well but then you wonder if it didn't as you never got the call back.  Maybe SSSS was pre occupied with selling more "Butch's" and not any more "Daisy's".

Since that first week in January of this year I have been very careful in parking "Daisy" as I have not wanted to get a dent in her rear and today arrived to take her for her first service and to have her sensor fitted.  Mind you I did ring the service team on Friday afternoon to confirm my booking, what time I should drop "Daisy" off and to just confirm that sensors were being fitted today.  They confirmed my booking, best time to drop off, how long they required "Daisy" and also noted that it was registered to have "Daisy" fitted with her sensors.

Imagine my surprise when SSSS rang me at lunchtime today to apologise to advise he has been very busy (must have sold Butch the Navara) and wanted to make a booking to have the sensors fitted.  I ran through the above (see above paragraph) and said as of 8am this morning all under control.  The call was finished.  He then rang back a couple of minutes later and confirmed that the above was not correct.  I was a little shocked as your service team confirmed on Friday all details and again this morning on the sheet of paper I had to sign advising what work was being done and it was noted in black and white that "Daisy" was having her sensors fitted today.  SSSS then advised me that I was wrong as he had forgotten to arranged the sensors to be fitted.  At this point I was a little frustrated as all seemed to be going well.  For 4.5 weeks I have not reversed into "Daisy's rump" and your service team and I were on the same page - 1,000km service and rear parking sensors to be fitted all happening today so there would be less chance of me damaging "Daisy's" butt.

I advised SSSS that I was expecting at 5pm when I picked up my car that I expect the sensors to be fitted and I was finished with the conversation (yes I did hang up on SSSS).  I suspect I hung up on SSSS as not once did SSSS apologise.  Maybe that is a trick of being an 80's salesperson - you don't apologise and you make the customer apologise to you.  SSSS attempted to call me back but really I wanted 3.5 weeks so he could wait a couple of minutes - lets say I was a little pissed.  I did not swear or rant or rave but just a little pissed.  No I best be honest I was a lot pissed.

SSSS must have gone to the "how to be a salesperson" manual for the 1980's and made your Service Manager give me a call back.  Nice guy, we ran through the above about confirming my booking for service, it was noted that sensors were being fitted today but poor guy really had to take the fall for SSSS  Silly SSSS.  Taking the 1980's mentality is not the same as taking the current mentality to customer service.  SSSS must be still in that mindset that Department stores had in the 80's - Cosmetics is where they place the pretty girls and manchester is where they placed the more mature woman.  Well lets say after today I have much more respect for the Service Manager who had to deliver the bad news than SSSS who was still thinking of who he could blame for letting the sensors sit on his desk for 3.5 weeks.

Seems SSSS did not arrange an appointment with the external party you utilise for fitting of sensors - maybe SSSS is dreaming of selling more "Butch's" and the upmarket "Butch's" come with sensors as standard and not that interested in me.

So the upshot is that the poor Service Manager (nice guy) had to tell me at 5pm when I picked up "Daisy" that I have to come back again Friday to have the sensors fitted.  He did offer a service car.

Now I could have posted this all over social media (SSSS is still in the 80's and thinking I won't complain as it would be too much effort to take this to the local newspaper and place it in the old "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" column) and I am not looking for anything extra as the deal has already been done and I am not sure what extra deal you could offer me.  I will advise you that I will not be after Friday taking my Nissan back to your Nissan Dealer for services but taking "Daisy" to the Nissan Dealer on the other side of town for ongoing services.  When the survey comes I will not be placing a grade greater than 8 for service as I feel the service has been poor.  I was thinking that I would like SSSS to call me and apologise but I am not interested.  He actually should have taken a leaf out of the 2017 Sales person manual and apologised upfront, advised he stuffed it up and the solution is ??? and if I would accept "something" in return for the stuff up he made.

When you respond with your corporate email of sorry to hear that your experience has been not satisfactory I would like answers to my questions about where to fill the washer fluid for the rear window and when I should utilise Eco and Sports mode and just confirm if the low gear is for driving up a hill like The XXXX or down.  SSSS confused me.  Another tip from the "How to be a salesperson front he 80's" - baffle them with BS so the customer thinks they are wrong and are too embarrassed to ask further questions.