I note that previous reviews of this dealership have been generally positive. This one will definitely not be. Whatever the dealership may have been at one time, it has certainly slipped dramatically in its integrity and customer service. I will preface this by sending kudos to sales rep Sharon who always was friendly and helpful. Being attentive to and serving customers' needs, unfortunately, is not apparently approved, and she has now resigned because of her own dissatisfaction with Bernie Bishop Mazda's deliberate approach to minimizing customer service and satisfaction. After spending $47,000 on a car, e.g., we were harassed over a $5.00 billing misunderstanding at one point. We didn't realize we owed it, but when we were called we said we'd be in the next day to pay it; the next morning at 10:00 a.m. we received another call demanding to know why we hadn't paid the bill yet. When I confronted the clueless service manner about his harassing behavior, he whined that he was "getting a lot of pressure" and had no choice. For $5, which we were on our way in to pay.
We bought a 2024 CX-90 hybrid for $47,000. It has been a disaster, with one systemic problem after another, including dying twice in parking lots, stranding us hundreds of miles from home. The service department has had no idea of how to fix any of them. At one point, I did a search on-line and found a recall procedure, which I had to bring to the service department myself. They'd already performed this particular repair twice, but did it wrong without fixing the problem, and it fell to a customer to inform them as to how to do their job correctly.
After the last inexplicable full shut-down in a parking lot following a 400-mile drive, we'd had enough, and I went back in to discuss returning the vehicle. The general manager, Luke, was fully aware of the vehicle's miserable service history, and agreed that owning a new car that wasn't reliable was bad. The car has a few paint nicks and a chip in the windshield, so I offered that I would pay for the repair to the cosmetic damages. I suggested that if they could actually fix the problem, that they would have an attractive, very sellable used car. For those who don't know, most dealerships make more money on used cars than they do on new ones. I made clear that I would accept any of three options: 1) fix the car and explain to me what the problem was and what they had done to fix it so that I could drive long distances with confidence that it would get me home; 2) exchange the car straight up for a new, smaller vehicle of lesser value, or 3) refund my money.
Luke was receptive and indicated that he could work within those parameters. When we got back inside he began consulting Kelly Blue Book and announced that the trade-in value of the vehicle would be less than $25,000. He freely admitted that the car was a lemon, but then suggested that for all he knew, my wife and I were causing the problems ourselves, and that all he was willing to do as the manager of a certified Mazda dealership was treat the defective vehicle as a standard car trade. He "explained" to me that a comprehensive solution to the car's unreliability wasn't his problem, since he hadn't built the car himself. He was adamant that Bernie Bishop Mazda would accept no responsibility for selling us a defective product, and that he would only accept a standard trade at half the car's value. Calmly, without raising my voice, I told him that I had probably cost the dealership a sale at one point when a stranger in a parking lot had asked me for a review of this car, and I had told him truthfully about our experience. This angered him and he stood up and told me to "Get the fuck out." He repeated this numerous times, adding that I was unwelcome in this dealership and would not be allowed inside again. I asked him to give me the number of Mazda customer service, something he himself had suggested before, and he refused, repeating again, "Just get the fuck out!" When I protested that he could at least give me Mazda's corporate customer service number so that I could pursue a resolution with the company directly, he physically pushed me to the door and slammed it in my face, then made a show of going around and locking all of the doors. I was waiting for my wife, who was walking to the dealership from a meeting, so I couldn't leave. Luke began videotaping me. I took out my phone to return the favor, and he quickly hid behind the walls, then called the police, something I would have done in another minute myself.
This dealership is a bad joke, managed by people who don't have a clue about customer service. Rather than take ownership for problems with the cars they sell, general manager Luke accuses customers of causing the problems themselves and then profanely throws them out of the building. They're currently down to one mechanic, so wait time for service is weeks.
Yes, I would avoid this dealership like the proverbial plague. read more
