I'm posting this because in the past week I've gone from shock to anger and back again and I'm wondering if this kind of experience happens a lot.
I've always been a loyal Toyota customer, swayed by their reputed reliability. So, when my 10-year-old car needed its 80K annual service, I naturally went to them, even though I had only driven the car 4000 miles over the past year.
What I Expected: Toyota always provides a video of their health check and a comprehensive written report. I've never hesitated to get recommended work done promptly.
The Service: This service set me back around £430. I received a video in which the audio was barely discernible to me as is usually the case,and a report with only positive green ticks. I always check tyres and brakes first. The only recommendation was a repair for the air-con, which I approved.
The Shock: Post-service, I took my car for an MOT to a reputable garage, Clerkenwell Motors. They soon informed me that the car failed due to dangerously torn tyres and a nonfunctional front bulb.
Toyota's Response: My concerns were met with initial indifference from Toyota's service agent, who dismissed me as "confused". He actually explained the difference between a MOT and a service and said I would have to speak to management instead when I questioned his apparent urgency and his choice of response. He ended the call but phoned back as no management were available. When I quoted the MOT reports (the same information) he offered to "replace the tyres", although with a sense of disinterest. Management was largely absent from the conversation.
The Tyre Debacle: Toyota replaced my mid-range tyres but a second summary report covering the tyre replacement only (the bulb was forgotten until I reminded them) mentioned "Budget" tyres as replacements. The service agent had expressly agreed on like-for-like. When I did get to speak to a manager after the work had been done, he was very helpful and informative, a pleasure to talk to, but claimed the system showed the car with new Achilles tyres recorded as around £126 total to fit. These are mid-range tyres and as he asserted, they would be equivalent to my original Nexen tyres. He seemed unaware of the actual brand on my car. I had to send a photo. On seeing the photo, he apologised for the surprisingly messy state of the tyres and kindly offered to have them cleaned. He also apologised for how the tyres were labelled on the report. The tires on the car were LEAO, a budget brand according to some phone conversations I had with wholesalers. The manager, however, kindly forwarded a clear screenshot to a database, perhaps the Toyota database describing Nexen and LEAO as equivalent instead.
Final Thoughts: Throughout this transaction, Clerkenwell Motors were the high note, offering impeccable service. Toyota service, however, left me with more questions than answers. The service manager to whom I sent a photo of the tyres seemed highly effective, but I think the franchise see putting right an urgent contractual error as an example of their own "outstanding customer service" rather than a necessary acknowledgement of failures from which they can take opportunity to change. There doesn't seem to be any system to identify mistakes beyond letting them happen. In addition to being deeply patronised, I was told by three different representatives of Toyota about different issues, "Oh that happens a lot." Was there a mix up or negligence? The discrepancy between what is recorded, what's claimed and what's actually done raises concerns. What is going on?