If buying a car is needlessly difficult, should you expect that having your vehicle serviced be…read morepainless, and straight-forward, especially at a luxury car dealership? NOT ALL DEALERSHIPS OF THE SAME BRAND ARE THE SAME.
I'm familiar with Thompson, having leased another luxury brand from them for close to a decade. Same ownership, different management. Big difference. Huge. Since the service department opens at 7:30am, and I had a scheduled appointment for first thing on Monday morning, when nearly six (6) hours passed, and I never received a call with an update, I decided to call. This was my 1st time at Thompson Lexus Willow Grove's Service Department, and the 1st service on my Certified Pre-Owned Lexus. I was assigned a service member, and I couldn't have had a worse hand dealt to me. Patrick Applegate. Apathetic.
Lexus makes phenomenal and reliable vehicles, and the brand, as well as its corporate team in the US are exceptional. So, when I asked Pat the cost to fix the molding around and under the window, and if it's something Lexus would cover, his response was "unlikely since the mechanic said it looks like someone tried breaking into your car." I asked if he could speak with his manager, and Lexus, and he stated he'd call back, which he did. He stated his dealership wouldn't cover the cost. He asked if I was going to move forward with the repair. I stated that,"I'm going to contact the GM where I bought the vehicle, in case Lexus won't cover it", he stated that he'd order the parts, regardless. The estimate was just under $664, with $497.94 being the total for two parts, and $165.95 for labor.
I contacted the GM of the Lexus dealership in Englewood, NJ. His response, "if Lexus won't cover it in good will, we'll pay for the repair". Once again, different dealership, different leadership, different business acumen, and different mindset.
Tuesday morning, I never received a call from anyone at Thompson Lexus. By 12:31pm EST, I called, and was informed Pat wasn't in. I was connected to Matthew Buglak. Matt is personable, empathetic, and immediately took ownership of assisting me. The manager of the service and parts department, Mark Ambolino, was on vacation. No one had called Lexus corporate. The mechanic was out. There was no system in place so anyone would've followed through for Pat. Matt had me picked up, and brought to the dealership, to get a loaner vehicle. Mr. Buglak is relatable, professional, organized, empathetic, and cordial. All the paperwork was ready for my signature, and the vehicle was waiting and clean.
At 8:10am EST on Wednesday, Pat called and told me his manager called Lexus, and the repair wouldn't be covered. Every question or statement I made was followed by one word from Pat, "ok". His lack of energy, care, concern, and disinterest were extremely obvious. Also, how did he already have a response from Lexus' corporate offices by the time he called me? I got off the phone and contacted Matt, to request that he be my service advisor. Thereafter, I called Lexus, who agreed to pay for the repair. I conveyed that Thompson had quoted me 70% over Lexus MSRP for the B-Pillar Trim, and 43% over MSRP for the Door Run.
When the loaner was picked up by a driver, and my car was returned, I immediately noticed that the car was NEVER washed nor vacuumed. That's Thompson Lexus of Willow Grove. No indication on the invoice of what was replaced or filled with the maintenance, and the space when the next maintenance is due was left blank. They are a poorly managed dealership with bad communication, and many lazy employees. They didn't put in effort to deliver for me with Lexus corporate; that was my relentlessness.
Again, Matt Buglak is a phenomenal guy. If you must get service done at Thompson Lexus of Willow Grove, because it is your only option, request Matt- the person who should be elevated to manage the service and parts departments, as well as hire, train, retrain, or let go of complacent, neglectful, and/or indifferent employees who don't bode well for the superior Lexus brand.