Customer Experience Feedback

[Lexperience]

I'm looking for some help from Lexus owners. I'm working on a project about customer excellence and Lexus has quoted as a global leader.

Please can you give me some feedback on your experiences.

What did you think differentiated their approach to the customer experience from other companies you have dealt with?

Did you feel that their people in all areas of their business, (car sales, parts and servicing) support the company approach?

Would you be confident that they are interested in maintaining excellent customer service for the long term?

I'd would greatly appreciate any feedback that you can give me.

Thankyou

Chris P.

[Chastise]

From the outset, I would like to say I have been a regular patron of Toyota and really wanted the Lexus "experience".

I bought a new (08) IS220d SE with sunroof. The car was difficult to drive smoothly and hesitated too often at junctions. The dashboard and centre console rattled. The boot lid chaffed the rear bumper, the rear seat belt jammed and was damaged and then the wheels corroded after 14 months / 6000 miles. I look after my car and I was appalled. The supplying dealer, Bracknell disputed the seat belt, bodged the boot lid (leaked after) and didnt understand the dashboard rattles.

I went to Guildford (I knew the service manage and dealer principle from years back) and got my car fixed. Having had an IS250 auto loaner, I was smitten so I bought a new (59 IS250 auto SE-I Nav). I was put in the care of their "best sales guy" who didnt engage in eye contact and looked around the showroom the whole time. When he told me times were tough (summer 2009) and gone were the days when you could be rude to customers to get rid of them knowing another would come along shortly were over, I was appalled.

Eventually I did a deal with the DP who I knew.

When I collected my car, the protective sticker panel edges were still visibile and the carpet treatment (I didnt want) left the carpets wet.

The IS250 was miles better than the IS220. Mainly due to transmission but also the heavy diesel engine unsettled the car when pressing on.

I got good economy out of both, 31 and 41 mpg out of the IS250 and IS220 respectively (calculated brim to brim).

When I started putting miles on the IS250 I saw the deficiences in handling, unsettled ride, OK brakes and the poor interior room / boot were begining to tell.

In November 2011 I bought a near new loaded C Class 350 cdi Sport estate and sold my IS250 back to Guildford. Lexus Guildford stole my tax disc (private reg) and failed to engage in discussion. Lexus customer support offered me a £50 voucher in a Lexus dealership after I approached them, but I dont have reason to go to a Lexus dealership so the gesture was appreciated but meaningless.

IMO, the IS is a good looking car. The quality is OK but dynamically it is poor. Lexus customer care is not about a danish pastry or a cappucino. Its about good products supported by excellent support.

Oliver Simmons (Sales) at Bracknell is excellent. He is poorly supported by the remainder of the dealership.

Colin Searle (Service manager) at Guildford is beyond reproach, Gary Edgehill, Julian (Sales Manager) are "Arthur Daley" care sales men who will rip you off. Wendy Peston (DP), what can I say polished, Arthur Daiey. Only go to Guildford for Coiln Searle.

I am not a fan of diesel, and find hybrid Battery packs as a concept totally stupid. Why carry that weight and if the point if ecology, why produce large batterys that are expensive to manucature and dispose of?

I am not enamored by the Lexus experience. All I want is a good product, a fair deal. I dont mind paying a premium, but it must be right.