I've heard a number of gripes about the service at Park Lane over the last few months, and after reading this latest thread, perhaps now's the time to add mine to the list.
I've been using them off and on for 18 months (in my defence I prefer to give people the benefit of any doubt & may have a bit of a learning disorder) but not once in what now must be half a dozen visits have I come away feeling they've done a good job, or even been contrite about doing an inadequate job.
First experience was ordering a tyre & booking a day to fit more than 4 days ahead. Needless to say, although I turned up on time, no tyre - no courtesy call to save me a trip & no apparent remorse. No loan bike available so only option, a second visit & further time off work.
Second experience, bike in for some crash damage repairs. Nothing too major, rocker cover, protector, indicator lens etc.. After a week and half of no news & numerous unreturned phone calls I finally receive an estimate. I agree the next day for the work to be undertaken. Approx 1 week later "probelms getting the parts Sir" - I have to ring to get this info of course - they finally do call to say there was a typo on the original estimate, it should'nt be Handlebar End Weight, it should be Handlebar, so adding significantly to the quoted price. I ask for a copy of the revised estimate & on receipt the next day - "couldn't seem to get the email to work Sir" - I see on the bottom of the quote a note saying that they reserve the right to charge a daily fee for storage. The bike had been with them 3 weeks already, of which I had contributed a delay of approx. 6 hours while I considered their first incorrect quote. Rather than start this process again elsewhere and possibly get into a disagreement about storage charging (no doubt the point of the note) I agree to the revised quote & if that's not enough I foolishly also ask them to fit engine bars. A further week passes, and after a few more unreturned phone calls I finally get the nod that the bike is ready. I go down, trying to think only good thoughts about getting the bike back after a month off the road. I'm presented with a sizeable bill, though admittedly slightly less than I expected, until I realise there's no mention of engine bars. "Oh, did you want me to give a quote on those Sir?".
Third experience. Bear in mind that though they may be incompetent, they're local. I ring to ask if they'll investigate an intermittent oil pressure warning light. They tell me that while it's in they can carry out some outstanding campaign work to the rear brake hose. I say that I believe that Vines had already done that for me. "No Sir, BMW wouldn't pay us to do the job twice would they now?" (If you can, read that last bit out loud in a snide supercillious tone). Fair enough, I take it down, pick up the loan bike and on to work where I wait for the call which never comes. After a couple more unreturned calls I take a punt & go back to Battersea arriving @ 17:30 to hear that "due to a mix up in the parts dept." the required bits aren't in stock & won't arrive 'til the next day. The model of calm I leave with their loan bike (fee waived admittedly) only to receive a call the next day to say that the campaign work had in fact already been done. I go to pick up the bike at the agreed time - the bike is being cleaned - I wait for 20 more minutes until finally the bike is brought out looking only moderatley clean except where the decals used to be. This area is very clean. They apologies & promise to sort it out asap - not that day obviously, but asap. It's New Year's eve, I've had enough & I just want to go. I start the bike & lo & behold there is the trusty oil pressure warning light. They take it back to the workshop & in impressively short time they discover a bare wire which was causing the problem. We could just tape this for you Sir otherwise it'll need an entirely new loom - that'll take some time. This isn't where I want to be on NYs eve so I accept the insulation tape solution and while the mechanic applies it, he mentions that the warning light didn't come on at all the previous night when he'd ridden the bike all the way home! (This appeared on the invoice as "extended test ride") Three week later & after 2 reminder calls I receive in the mail the promised decals, wrong colour obviously.
Fourth experience. I get a call about 3 weeks ago asking that I bring the bike in so they can perform some campaign work to the rear brake hose!
To sum up, I'm not going back. I'm slow to learn I admit, but I was working on the assumption they they couldn't really be as bad as they appeared as they are meant to be the flagship franchise. Well, I was wrong, I have no doubt that in nearly a quarter of a century of taking cars & bikes to various dealers accross the country, these people are the least competent bunch I've come accross.
Sorry for the rant,
Havan
