Concerned about customer service @ Barons VW Bellville

I am a very proud concerned VW owner, writing this email to you as I have only had exceptional encounters when it comes to a VOLKSWAGEN product.

Yesterday, (3 April 2018), I noticed water at the back of of my car floor flooding through my rubber mats. Immediately, I took my car to Barons VW Bellville to have this checked out as my car is only two months old and has +/-6000km's on the clock. (I bought the vehicle brand new from Rola Vredenburg and took ownership on 25 January 2018). At my arrival at Barons all the consultants were busy so I sat down. A friendly lady came to meet me in the waiting area where she escorted me to my vehicle to look at the problem.

THIS IS WHERE MY CONCERN REALLY STARTED! She opened the vehicle door and found that the water also flooded my front passenger 'foot-area'. (by this time my car was totally flooded in the floor compartment - front and back) Apparently they suspect that the air-con pump is blocked (ON A NEW CAR??????), or that the pipe might have slipped out. I am not sure when the problem occurred because no one really drives with me and my car is fitted with rubber mats.

Obviously as a Medical Sales Representative and trusting Volkswagen to get me safely to all my destinations I asked the lady if they could assist me in this matter where she rep**** to me that she could only 'fit' me into their workshop schedule in TWO WEEKS time. Now I would like to know if this is not an emergency (breakdown that needs immediate attention) then I don't know? In disbelief I told her that this is unacceptable for her to want me to drive with a flooded car as my common sense tells me it will have a stale smell (which was already imitable – which I could not pinpoint), damage the inside of my car and that it could damage the rest of the electronics. I then asked her to phone other possible dealerships in Cape Town to ask who could assist me ASAP ! Irritably she took the task and started phoning. 'According' to her, nine other dealership could also only assist in TWO weeks as everyone is full.

This awful experience did not stop here... I refused to leave the dealership as a loyal Volkswagen Client. I went up to reception where I asked to speak to the Dealer Principal who had a phone call at that stage. Please bear in mind that at this stage I had to clear my whole day for this emergency which Barons Bellville views as a joke! After waiting for about fifteen minutes the friendly lady at reception came and asked me where I bought the vehicle, now I might be blonde but this tells me that the 'DEALER PRINCIPAL' was NOT on his phone anymore but wasn't prepared to come down from his office to deal with me. Does it matter WHERE I purchased the vehicle? The fact of the matter is I drive a VOLKSWAGEN and should be able to have access to any VW Dealerships.

Now up to this point my hands were tied and I then decided to phone my Dad who is also a very loyal client to Volkswagen as he purchases all his vehicles from Volkswagen as well as his business vehicles.

So after the phone call from my father the Dealer Principal ONLY then decided to come down and inspect the car. Now I want to know is it because of my age/gender/status that he felt I was not important enough to assist OR is it because I didn't purchase the vehicle from his dealership?

So the Dealer Principal, CRAIG, (who is NOT the Dealer Principal as they wanted me to believe) walked with me to my car to inspect. At this stage the water was dripping from my mats UNDER the rubber mats. (Please see videos attached), where Craig now all of a sudden wanted to fix the pump. So please help me understand how the workshop was totally fully booked to 'now we are prepared to help you'? Right, which I accepted but I am not sure if they want me to walk home or walk around Cape Town doing my job as a Medical Sales Representative because my warranty only covers my car which would be out of use for about two weeks until Barons VW Bellville can assist me. So they expected me to rent a car at MY expense for a factory fault of Volkswagen? Do you call this customer service? They expect me to be without a car after I pay approx. R 250 000. 00 (plus) for my car excluding my insurance?

If this was not enough my keys were dangled in front of my face by Craig (arrogant man) and I was told that I need to take the car back to where I bought it, with a very rude attitude. If this was your vehicle would you accept this type of customer care and this from a Principle Dealer who’s main focus should be customer care ?

So living on my own in Cape Town I had no other choice as to drive to Rola Vredenburg, a two hour drive from Bellville (144km) at 15:00 in the afternoon. When I got to Rola Vredenburg the very competent Dealer Principal, Hugo, awaited me as my Dad phoned them as well. Hugo gave me a courtesy car to drive, for the time being as he mentioned and I do understand it might take a while to solve the problem. Now this is why I am a proud owner of a VW vehicle. In my mind this is the way this issue should have been addressed and I shall value your input to give this dealer (Hugo ********** ) a courtesy call and to congratulate him with regard to his customer care behaviour shown to me as a valued customer.

Maybe Barons Bellville should focus on the safety of their customers and not just a sale that they could make? No wonder everyone flocks to the smaller towns to purchase their vehicles where you still have that personal interaction. I don't think it was safe for me to drive there all the way when I could have been assisted at Barons VW Bellville? I only got home after 19:00.

My question is, we as proud VW owners - don’t we have access to ANY Volkswagen Dealership if I drive one of your products? What would have happened if I purchased the car in any other province? Would Barons VW Bellville also expect me to 'take my car to where I bought it?

PLEASE TAKE NOTE WELL IN ADVANCE, I also want VW SA to know that if I am not completely satisfied with the outcome of this investigation I would like to change my vehicle to a new car, after all that was my perception what I bought or I want my money and deposit returned as I am very disappointed at this stage. I am more than willing to give Hugo and his team the opportunity to try and solve my problem and I trust that it can be solved in a fair acceptable manner for both parties.