I purchased a new 2017 Hyundai Tucson (April 2017) for my Mom and got a relatively good price. No haggling, due to discounts, offers, etc. Overall I was pleased with the cost. In addition, I purchased the extended 100K as well - price was a bit high - but considering the good base price the additional warranty was a no-brainer. Hyundai's design,, fit and reputation to quality essentially sells itself (see Consumer Reports, JD, KBB etc) - and most important it was the car my mom wanted.
My Purchasing Experience:
3 of 5 stars: Sales person was Lackadaisical and kept picking his nose.
4 of 5 stars: Finance and Closing was typical, finance was OK - I was treated professionally
My mother's service maintainence experience:
1 of 5 stars: My mother's initial service experience was awful. She was promised a 30-40 min wait. The 30-40 min promised turned out to be 90 min. 90-min for the initial 3000 mile oil change? Unacceptable!
Now comes my dissatisfaction - and North Freeway Hyundai's questionable business practice:
The following day after the oil change I received a request for survey email from an independent survey service used by Hyundai. With my mother next to me, we filled out the short survey and spent time answering some the extend write-up and comments section - detailing how dissatisfied she was with her oil change experience. We gave the survey a 1 of 5 star rating. Within two hours after submitting the survey, I received an email from the Service advisor. The email states...
"I do apologize for the wait time, we do have more busier times than others. We strive to get every customer out of here in a timely manner. if you would please rescore this to 5 stars and give us another chance I will give you the next oil change on me. Please let me know. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience."
My comment to this email:
First and foremost, 'thanks' to the service advisor for taking time to actually ready the survey, as well as formally apologizing for the bad experience. However, here are my concerns:
1. My mother made an appointment a week prior for an oil change. To avoid peak-hour congestion, the appointment was for a Thursday morning 10AM, not a late afternoon or weekend.
2. The service attendant reluctantly provided her with an update after the 45-min wait. After 45 min. my mom inquired as to the status; The service attendant informed her it was due to paper-work and 'were working on it'.
3. Bargaining? The service advisor indicated that 'if' I change my survey to 5-stars (see quote above), he would give me my next oil change for free. If that is so, then what's the purpose of the survey?! The purpose for an independent survey is for internal appraisal of the company's performance. If this is common practice; to bargain a 5-star rating for a 1-star service, in order to get a free oil change - then how can this dealership adequately change it's behavior to a customer focused service? This practice borders on basic business ethics, something this dealership is drastically missing.
Noteworthy comment: This is the first Hyundai I've purchased, and I 'may' purchased another one in the future. However, I do question the practice of this particular dealership - especially the lack of consideration to it's customers, specifically my mom. I also own a Toyota, purchased next door at Fred Haas. Service at Fred Haas, you ask? Fred Haas has impeccable service compared to North Freeway Hyundai - and they are truly customer focused! Another thought: The automobile service industry is quite difficult profession, as most professions - if North Freeway Hyundai continues this trend, it will in-the-long-run loose potential customers to other car makers - or other dealers.
On a good note: The 2017 Tucson, my mom gives it a 5 of 5 stars! read more