Mediocre of a service advisor

Ford Galactic Auto Polokwane – Service advisor Elize Steyn: I have never been so frustrated as I am at the time of writing this. I brought a car in for service on 27 July 2021 and was informed about other parts that needed replacement. I simply asked the advisor to only replace certain parts and leave the others, due to financial constraints at the time.

I later on the same day decided to called back and asked the service advisor if it's possible to add the other parts and I'll pay using my fleet card from work. The lady said it can be done on Thursday the 29th not Tuesday as it was late! But I informed her that I was on the way to Ford as we were speaking and the time was 14h03 as per my call records (I was only 3 minutes from the dealership) and I asked if she could request authorization on 27 July 2021 in advance to save time for the day of service which would now be Thursday the 29th according to her.

At 14h22 I also contacted Ford again while wating outside and I was informed that the lady is busy but will call me back, which never happened. Then at 15h50 I was asked by the gentleman at the service doors who I was waiting for and I mentioned the lady’s name. She was then informed by them and when she came come out, with a smile on her face, she said she didn’t know I was at the dealership because the car has been ready for collection long time ago!

Firstly, I couldn’t believe she had just said that because 15 minutes after arriving at the dealership, I did call in and was informed that she’ll call me (14h22). Secondly, I again asked if she could request authorization from Wesbank fleet in advance and her answer was clear and simple: • I must come in the morning on Thursday as this authorizations need to be obtained in the morning!!!

I left with the vehicle but not satisfied at all with the lady in particular, it felt like she had no idea what she was talking about as I’ve done this before with my fleet card and never had a response like hers.

Now, to show that I was correct about her having no idea how the card worked, I came in again on Thursday the 29th of July, and by 08h00 Ford had already taken position for the vehicle.

I contacted Ford 3x between 08h19 and 13h29, requesting that the same lady contact me as she had just called me to confirm that she will be my service advisor again! Apart from her call to acknowledge the vehicle, again she never got back to my call requests.

My last call was at 13h29 to Ford and I again requested that she call me back as I was at the dealership at the time. She only came back to me at 14h22 saying she’s busy with authorization. • She later came out and I gave her my card from Wesbank/FNB fleet • She came out after some 20 minutes saying her manager thinks the card doesn’t need authorization as she can just swipe it • I informed her that from Tuesday I had been in contact with the fleet management and they confirmed that they will Ford to call in for authorization. • I received the vehicle at 17h00!

Here’s some questions I’d like to have clarity on and maybe she can answer them for you: 1. Why did she lie and authorizations needs to be in the morning if she clearly did it so late? 2. Why couldn’t she do the same authorizations on Tuesday as I arrived at the dealership by 14h10? Especially since she requested authorization at a later time on Thursday 3. Is this lady having so much work she literally forgets about the clients? This is referring to call back requests.

My previous service which was around 11 March 2021 was so excellent and so was other services in the past. I vividly recall the service advisor (it was a Mamsy Khumalo surname, if not mistaken) who kept me in the loop through-out the day, from acknowledging, to starting the job, to car-wash and until everything was done. Your 5-star compliment is on Hello-peter, though it was never responded to.

This time around, I had completely nothing, was kept in the dark even when I tried to make her job easier by being at the dealership, constantly requesting call back which she hardly returned and I was probably seen as a nagging client.

Bottom line: had she done what I asked initially on Tuesday afternoon, which proved me right on Thursday, she would have avoided all this mediocratic, non-existing service standard.