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Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:52 pm
by Redmires
I had my first taste of Kia customer service last week. My car was booked in for its 1st service (1 year, 10k) and I arrived at 08:30 on Saturday morning. I had informed them that I would wait for the car as the dealer is next to a retail park where I could lose myself for a couple of hours. Within 45 minutes the service dept called me. They said that the clutch fluid was low and that they would strongly advise me not to drive the car. Next, the bombshell. They didn't have any clutch/brake fluid in stock and it wouldn't be ready until Monday. I sarcastically told them that I would nip to Halfords and buy them a couple of bottles of the stuff, but to no avail. In the end, my wife had to drive over and rescue me. Come Monday, there was no phone call. I had to call them in the late afternoon only to be told that the fluid had not been delivered so I couldn't pick the car up. I told them what I thought of their customer service and asked what I was supposed to do for work ?

They called on Tuesday morning to say that the car was ready but as I was at work I wouldn't be able to pick it up till 7:30am on Wednesday morning. Turned up at 07:30 and was kept waiting for 10 minutes. Finally got the keys and went outside to find that the car was blocked in by another car. A further 10 minutes to find the keys for that one. Already late, I regretfully didn't check round the car and once parked up at work was dismayed to find a 3 inch scrape on the rear bumper, with traces of white paint embedded in it. The car had been washed at some point and the scrape would have happened after this as the white paint would have come off in the process of washing.

The next day I received an email from the garage asking for feedback. I told them exactly what had happened and expected at the very least a courtesy call from them. Five days later I've not heard a thing. I have to say that in 40 years of car ownership, this is the worst service I have ever received and when the Niro goes back next year it won't be replaced. Which is a pity because I have been pleased with the car overall. Having had Toyota, Honda & Lexus as my previous cars, perhaps I was expecting too much of Kia.

I can only assume that the dealer had overbooked their service dept for the Saturday/Monday and rather than tell the truth, they came up with a sorry tale about the lack of fluid. As though a main dealer would not have a bottle of clutch/brake fluid to hand ...... unless it was true and they are even more pathetic than I suspect.

And to rub salt in the wound, my wife took her Kuga to a Ford dealer for a service two days later and they couldn't have been more helpful and efficient. I'm not saying that my next car will be a Ford, but it certainly won't be a Kia.

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:09 am
by Ritz
I think you need to name and shame the dealership, as that's who you've been in direct contact with, not Kia.
I would also raise your complaint to Kia customer services, the feedback forms won't be monitored closely and is probably managed by an outsourced agency.

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:25 pm
by djbobbins
I only have one lot of experience of Kia service (Allen Kia / Ford, Solihull) but didn't have any issues - car collected and returned on the same day, cleaned, courtesy call follow up received to check everything was okay.

Compared to previous experience of Mazda and Skoda dealers in the central Warwickshire area (various incidences of no show for a booked collection service, parts unavailable, lack of courtesy car available despite one being booked, dealer failing to contact lease company to get work authorised, replacement of parts that were unlikely to have needed repair) this feels like a relative positive and I hope it stays that way!

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:26 pm
by djbobbins
And since when do automatic cars have clutch fluid anyway?

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:40 pm
by Redmires
The service manager has contacted me only after I escalated the case within the group. We'll see what happens. I'd rather not reveal the dealer name just yet.

As for clutch fluid, you'll find it under the bonnet. It takes normal DOT 3, which must be a rare commodity round these parts.

http://www.kniro.net/reservoir_repair_p ... -1174.html

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 8:49 pm
by Steve
That is such a shame as this is my first Kia .. I had my first service the other day , 7000 miles , they did offer me a curtsey car , but didn't need it . . i took the car in , in the morning , and it was ready by 3 pm ,and they did keep me updated how the service was going by text . They washed the car and hoovered it out , and the best part , they e-mailed me a video of the car being serviced , showing all of the underneath of the car , nice touch ... Arnold Clark / Kia

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:52 pm
by AlanW55
djbobbins wrote: Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:26 pm And since when do automatic cars have clutch fluid anyway?
Those like the Niro with dual-clutch transmissions.......and the other clutch between the engine and the motor.

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 6:01 pm
by AlanW55
My Niro had its first service today at Chapelhouse, St Helens. Generally satisfactory, have to assume everything was done, but it all looks so new still under the bonnet. Given an advisory on the pollen filter, which is a change from previous Ford dealers who have just wanted to change it. When I phoned up to check on progress, I was told it was ready, but when I arrived they said it hadn't been washed so there was a 20 minute wait. Finally, I was told there was a safety recall (!!) relating to the child locks on the rear doors, that would take 0.2 hours. I have had to book it in again, they said they didn't have time to do it today. No problem as dealer is local, I'm retired with time to spare and there's a Costa next door, but it would have been annoying if I had still been at work. Service record book stamped and returned. So overall, 8/10.

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 11:48 am
by T552
My dealer is Drayton Motors kia near Boston 175 from home in Bristol. Cant fault them at all, unlike the Bristol kia who I wont go through the door. like any goods choose your dealer wisely and worth traveling for a good one.
Perhaps they value your custom from farther away and treat you better? but I always hear good about Drayton motors.

Re: Is Kia customer service always rubbish ?

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 11:40 am
by Redmires
T552 wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 11:48 am My dealer is Drayton Motors kia near Boston 175 from home in Bristol. Cant fault them at all, unlike the Bristol kia who I wont go through the door. like any goods choose your dealer wisely and worth traveling for a good one.
Perhaps they value your custom from farther away and treat you better? but I always hear good about Drayton motors.
Interesting post T552. Your local Kia dealer is the same one that I used (different branch though). Looks like you've been bitten yourself. Glad you've found a good one - albeit that it's a long way to go.

As for my Niro, the scratch was repaired to my satisfaction and apologies for the poor service offered. I don't think I would use them again though.