Survey

Did anyone get any grief from the dealer about filling out the surbey honestly?

I have not heard a word.

The dealer from the sales and service end seem to push you to give them the highest ratings even though you might not be happy about something. I don't like that at all. They should just keep their mouths shut about that survey. You get the creepy feeling that you might be hassled in the end for answering the survey honestly.

This isn't really how it works, though, with surveys. Surveys are sent directly from Mazda, not from the dealership.<br><br>I would highly suggest that if there is a problem with the dealership that it is discussed with the service director or service manager or the dealer principle.<br><br>The survey isn't for the benefit of the dealership, but moreso for the benefit of the customer.<br><br>Dealerships are rated by Mazda based on the surveys and given certain benefits and perks to the dealerships with great surveys. How does this benefit you? It gives the service department certain liberties that others cannot do, like warrantying parts that are out of warranty (DSA), replacing parts without checking with Mazda first. etc. It's like giving them a Mazda Corporate card and they trust the dealership to use it in good faith and honesty.<br><br>Our dealership takes surveys very seriously because we know it makes life easier for both the dealership and the customer. But one negative mark on the survey crashes the marks and both pay for it in the long run.<br><br>Dan<br>Mazda South

Dan of Mazda South, the surveys may come directly from Mazda in the mail, but my salesman had me bring the filled out survey back to him personally when my tank was empty to get a free tank of gas. Back then the price of gas was quite high, so of course I took him up on his offer. I just hope the dealership didn't change the responses or "lose" the negative susrveys.<br><br>P.S. I'm getting 15-16 mpg with purely heavy inner-city driving. No problems other than the defective pressure sensor on the emmissions system. I'm very happy w/ the Tribute.

The dealership here (Craig and Landreth, Clarksville, IN) makes calls to your home after you have visited their service or sales departments. I have often wondered the validity of this survey and how it affects the work done or the "deals" given. <br>I do, however, answer all questions honestly regardless of the consequences.

Yah, alot of dealerships do that. Instead of sending it directly to Mazda, they ask that they bring it to them with some incentive (in your case, free gas). Those dealerships weed out the bad surveys, which is dishonest IMO. They don't change the responses, they just don't submit the negative ones. A practice i really dont' like at all!<br><br>But again, if there's anything negative to say, please still feel free to say it, get it cleared up and then turn in the survey. The way to get the attention of your service director is to say, "I'm not happy with this portion of the service I received. Now, before I fill out this survey from Mazda, I'd like to clear this up." I guarantee they'll do everything in their power to make you happy!<br><br>Dan

The survey I am speaking about is the Sales survey not a service survey. It is entirely about the sales department and the vehicle itself.

Surveys from sales and service are what give the dealership an overall rating from Mazda. Both are really just as important as another and help give a dealership its self-serving status.<br><br>dp

A year ago Mazda reported they they would get rid of the worst (about 20%) of their dealers in the following three years. So your honesty to Mazda Corporate has a price to the dealers that don't serve you well so they are afraid of the criticism. Ford has a similar customer survey which helps qualify their dealers for "Blue Oval Dealer" status and this allows them to buy all their vehicles for 1.25% cheaper from the manufacturer. The incentives are definitely there!

But, if we turn in our sales survey to the dealership just to get a free oil change or tank of gas and then the dealer just turns in the good ones, then what's the point? I bought my Tribute from Roger Beasley Mazda North in Austin. Actually, for both vehicles I bought there, they asked me to bring the vehicle back and then they would "See" what they could do for me as far as an oil change. I, instead, turned mine into Mazda. It's true that I have better luck with their servicing, but their sales staff and hospitality suffer and do not deserve a good rating. I was never treated like a customer, let alone a repeat customer. So, why should I turn it in to them? My suggestion would be for everybody to turn in their sales and service surveys into Mazda so they know exactly how you feel. If you were screwed out of your S-Plan, or just treated like scum, they should know about it. I certainly let them know what I thought. I won't be going back to them, either.

I did back in 97 when I bought my first Mazda. The salesman had the balls to call me and bitch me out for the way I filled out the survey. I then called the sales manager and bitched HIM out, and he gave me all kinds of free stuff. I didn't even bother to fill out the one when I bought my Tribute.

Wow! I would have fired that salesman!<br><br>The next time anyone goes in to buy a new car, ask for a salesman that has been around that particular dealership for at least 2 years. There's alot of salesman turnover in the industry and it's because they get fired from lot to lot for attitudes like that.<br><br>Dan<br>(not a car salesman, but knows the good ones)

This posting pretty much sums up what I think is wrong with the whole process.<br><br>I resent a dealership trying to strong-arm me into giving it good marks which it doesn't deserve. Dan's rationale appears to be that the ends justifies the means.<br><br>But more than that, Mazda is being disingenuous when it sends the survey out to us. It alleges that it's asking us our opinions *in order to improve its level of service*, but in fact, my experience at the dealership *doesn't matter*.<br><br>If it did, I would certainly have received a letter either from Mazda or the dealership apologizing for the scene I witnessed while having my paperwork processed: I looked up through the broad glass wall of the office and saw a sales manager mugging down on his secretary. He may have thought they weren't in view. They were. I found the behavior unprofessional and distasteful.<br><br>The survey is a game played between Mazda and its dealerships that has nothing to do with its customers.<br><br>Why not just have the dealerships fill out the surveys themselves and leave us out of it? At least that way Mazda wouldn't be wasting *my* time.<br><br>Florrie

Florrie, I always get a laugh when I'm sitting in the customer waiting room for the umpteenth time and I see all the "customer satisfaction" awards on the wall that the dealerships have won.<br>Where do they buy this things? What a joke!

Believe me, I could go on and on and on about the flaws with the "survey" system. Even if a dealership receives all high marks on 95% of the questions, as soon as they receive one low mark or even one tier lower than the highest mark, it automatically knocks the score down to a 60 aka a failing mark. There are serious problems with the system and we just can't get through to Mazda that it needs to be fixed.<br><br>It's no secret that the auto industry is tainted with a horrible reputation. I can certainly understand why. I'm still a customer who owns a Mazda as well. <br><br>But the only way to change that standard is to start SOMEwhere, else it just gets worse. After all, where else are you going to go for warranty work? to buy a Mazda? etc. As much as most people recognize that they hate going to a dealership for any type of work, they understand that it must be done at some point or another.<br><br>the best fix is always a direct fix and that involves discussing things with the highest of management in both the service and sales side of the dealerships.<br><br>The end really does justify the means. When you and your face are known to the service advisor or director, you WILL reap the benefit when something goes wrong with your car and they can pull some strings to bail you out with DSA (dealer self authorization) reports.<br><br>Dan

A DSA dealer often caused them to cheat to get the status. Lets face it though the perks of great surveys get the dealer LOTS more than just DSA stature. Being a Dealer Self Authorizing though does not allow for out of warranty claims all year. There is a fund each region has for out of warranty claims....each dealer DSA has an advantage but to say it would put ME the consumer as a customer pay at one dealer and a warranty claim at another ''out of warranty'' simply is not exactly true. The DSA system isn't and wasn't designed for that out of warranty situation...moreover it was for an alignment at 12,500 miles at 9 months old......however a out of warranty claim of say a 929 that had 23,000 miles ALL SERVICE RECORDS FROM THE DEALER.....and being a DSA dealer you still must go through the DSM for approval.....that approval is based on factors such as warranty history, customer service records, original owner, VEHICLE known issues, etc. Though I appreciate your posts Dan I don't want to lead people to believe that my dealer can DSA a fuel smell issue at 60K miles because there is a limitation even on miles out of warranty too which I didn't mention. Personally from day 1 of DSA we had it....in fact one of the experimental dealers in our region. The throw back of the out of warranty claim in my 929 example is Mazda replaces the tranny, customer pay is the LABOR.....and let me tell ya at 23K they are HOT over paying anything at all. <br><br>A little unknown and FYI I learned last year when I went with the dealer principle...this is with respect to DSA/out of warranty claims. Toward the end of year they often run short....so if you have a claim as such wait until the next year. Same goes with the Ad budget...crazy budget put us behind on launch of Miata in 89 in the month of August......then they did it again with Millenia, and again with expecially as I recall the Protege' but finally were on top of it by the introduction of the MPV....I remember in Las Vegas that year when they showed the Tribute...red one and I said to my wife it would be our next vehicle. <br><br>I just wish Dan that the last part of your post was not true but it is.... <br><br>"Our dealership takes surveys very seriously because we know it makes life easier for both the dealership and the customer. But one negative mark on the survey crashes the marks and both pay for it in the long run."<br><br>How true it is.....hero to zero.....results count nothing else matters.<br><br>Bobmazda Nov '87- June '99 active...car accident in our 626 which was slammed by an RV followed by headaches...so I went on selling from home and I sold/sell from my home office now...and build computers. Otherwise have owned Mazda's and been associated with Mazda Corporation in '83 with my first Mazda 626 front wheel drive car of the year!<br><br>Thanks for the great posts!<br><br>Bobmazda