With a mixed bag saying how their experience with Mazda has been, this poll should help make the picture a bit clearer...

 

I've voted for the hell of it. Doubt this'll do jackshit though...

 

I would say bad.

I was paying an abhorable amount in comparison to what I pay now at ProMaz, but it was justified as it was more convenient for me (free hire car and I was thinking they'd diagnose and fix any warranty problems over the time). My dealer constantly avoided warranty claims throughout the 3+ years that I was getting my car serviced there. My experience has (a) led me to want never to buy another vehicle from that dealer again (b) think less of the Mazda brand (c) will never go back, even to get the trade price parts I am entitled to.

That said, I have had warranty stuff done at another dealer and they were much more helpful, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I was satisfied with my service.

If I'm looking for another car in this price range again, I know for a fact that the local honda, ford, mercedes, bmw and jaguar dealer's level of customer service is much more satisfactory.

 

The biggest mistake companies make is it to take their people for granted, given customers have little choice but to cop it sweet. Conversely, if people are very satisfied corporate executives need to know what others are doing so that best practice can be applied to other dealerships.

It would be in the best interests of the National marketing manager/General Manager of Mazda Australia to see these results.....good or bad.

 

I had one really terrible experience with a certain Mazda dealer
But I have had excellent experience with another dealer since - West End Mazda North Parramatta

 

A lot will say the same Andy Wana. I've had very good experiences at Grand Prix Mazda, but was badly shafted at Eurocars in Artarmon. I'll bet the opposite experiences would apply to some people as well.

I take it Doug Dickson is still the GM, but now I think about it I don't think he would have much pull over the franchises anyhow....

 

Mazda ... who are they?

Agree with Revolver. Mazda only looking at the $. And YOU are not a major buyer. People who buys Mazda 2, 3, 6, CX-7 and CX9 are.

Sorry

 

We've been with Mazda for over 9 years with a 626, we have a new 2 Maxx, and traded our 6 Luxury Sports hatch we had for 4 years on the RX8. Like Revolver, despite writing to Mazda Australia regarding my latest drama I have been met with a stony silence.

I think you're right, their main customer is their dealerships who they need to keep onside. Whilst they sell all of those Mazda 2s, 6s, CX7s and 9s, the RX8 still has to factor into this.

The Execs also have to have an interest with their customers because if they don't, it will affect their bottom line...

 

Worthy efforts Trev but we're just the lunatic fringe to Mazda's dealers. It's family cars and little hatchbacks that are their bread and butter. Our satisfaction levels mean nothing to them for bottomline results.

 

Latest wheels mag shows that they sold ..2811 Mazda 3 for the month of April and its a run out model being replaced by the new 3 next year suckers

Number of RX8 sales for the month my estimation if they were lucky 10....

So pistol Dave is correct they couldnt care less

Cheers
Michael

 

Its no wonder they're sending us stir crazy charging us top dollar for service and repairs....they're making bugger all with the sale of the car.

 

They're making plenty on the sale of the car ... we pay $60k+ when you can buy the car in japan for $20-30k.

 

Trevor, I assume you mean Mazda "Dealers" not Mazda themselves. They are 2 seperate entities I voted based on the dealership.

 

Yes dealers - I hope that message has been communicated across. Mazda Australia is the overiding authority and should have some pull on them...but somehow I don't think thats the case.

This voting is also turning out like a State of Origin match. 9 for and 9 against....

 

Do Mazda actually have a say in how Dealer has to run their dealership? Is the directive to rip off the customers and hire morons who couldnt diagnose a cold coming from Mazda or the dealer principal?

 

I entirely disagree that dealers and Mazda Australia should be looked at as two separate entities. While that is strictly true from a legal point of view, from a marketing aspect it is the dealers who represent Mazda to the customer. To the average customer, the dealers ARE Mazda in this country.

Car manufacturers have chosen to distribute AND service their products in this manner, not us. They can't simply blame their dealers and pretend they aren't responsible. Mazda Australia MUST be accountable for the poor aftersales service offered by their dealers (not all but enough to see a real contest in this poll).

 

The things that the dealers share the new car pool, sometimes the second hand trade-ins. The equipments. Some help setting up their franchise (NOT sure it is the right word to describe them). Not sure there is more though.

But I think if the staff is independent from the head office and it is the critical bit. Next time you have to ask who pays them. Mazda Australia or the local Mazda dealer... that will really distinguish if the policy is set at the local level or above. That will be interesting.

Easy to say..... If I were working there and paid by the local dealer.... as long as my boss at the shop is happy with what I have done, who cares what Mazda Australia thinks. Really. Isn't it?

There goes to a lot of small country places in my current big cooperate works. They are so far away and they have their own policy. The high end management is shared but that is it... the workers do all of their own operational decisions. And we in the central place will not even know what the other people in the country places are doing. There are blunders we only heard from outside source when the case is being reviewed elsewhere.... ().

Revolver. Big business, including Mazda Australia, are managed by the group of people that do not care about individuals, and they will merely look at overall picture and most importantly profit and growth. If the target is made, they will just **** off to the beach and drink their wine. I really think the management people in this world is the most highly paid useless **** in the world. I don't need a MBA to do better than them. Sorry I am emotional but there are too many people leaving work lately.

When you contact Mazda Australia, you will reach a group of people with passionate heart and smooth spinning techniques. They are called customer relations and it is their job.

So my bottom line is.....

You have money, you get service.

That is why Ferrari mechanics is present to help customers on the local track days.

Just get real people. [end rant]

 

Remember Cromax, you are buying a $60K car and more than 10% and close to 20% of the price goes to tax. We don't know what tax is there in Japan.

 

So how does Mazda stack up against the rest? When you research deeper, its interesting to read how Moodys and S&P give a AAA rating to a company when there is virtually no risk of default. The rating can give them a bad name or bring a tax break.

Taka has a point, the CEO is only looking at the big picture and dosen't give a **** about the 'troughs' in his chart. Just the peaks. BTW Mazda is on the list...

AAA
Westpac Banking Corporation Banks

AA
ANZ Banking Group Ltd Banks
Australian Postal Corporation Transportation
BHP Billiton Ltd Materials
Energex Ltd Utilities
Ergon Energy Corporation Ltd Utilities

AA-
BP Australia Ltd Energy
Nestle Australia Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Origin Energy Ltd Energy
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd Telecommunication Services (NZ)
The Warehouse Group Retailing (NZ)
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A+
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Amcor Limited Materials
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Brambles Industries Ltd Commercial Services & Supplies
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Ford Motor Ltd Automobile & Components
Lion Nathan Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Medibank Private Ltd Insurance
Newmont Australia Ltd Materials
Rio Tinto Ltd Materials
Sydney Water Utilities
Vodafone Australia Telecommunications

A
AMP Ltd Insurance
Australia Meat Holdings Pty Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Bluescope Steel Limited Materials
Boral Limited Materials
Cadbury Schweppes Australia Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Coal & Allied Industries Ltd Materials
CSL Ltd Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology
CSR Ltd Materials
Daimler Chrysler Pty Ltd Automobile & Components
Energy Australia Ltd Utilities
Foster's Group Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Holden Ltd Automobile & Components
ING Pty Ltd Diversified Financials
Leighton Holdings Ltd Capital Goods
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New Zealand Post Ltd Transportation (NZ)
Onesteel Ltd Materials
Promina Group Ltd Insurance
Qantas Airways Ltd Transportation
Santos Ltd Energy
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Smorgon Steel Group Ltd Materials
Tabcorp Holdings Ltd Consumer Services
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TRU Energy Utilities
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Woodside Petroleum Ltd Energy
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Xstrata Queensland Ltd Materials

A-
Fletcher Building Ltd Materials (NZ)
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SingTel Optus Pty Ltd Telecommunications
Western Power Corporation Utilities

B+
Air New Zealand Ltd Transportation (NZ)
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Zurich Financial Services Ltd Insurance

B
AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd Insurance
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Fisher and Paykel Appliances
Holdings Ltd Consumer Durables & Apparel (NZ)
GE Capital Finance Diversified Financials
John Fairfax Holdings Ltd Media
Macquarie Bank Ltd Diversified Financials
Mazda Australia Pty Ltd Automobile & Components
Mighty River Ltd Utilities (NZ)
Nissan Motor Co Pty Ltd Automobile & Components
Paperlinx Ltd Materials
Rail Corporation of NSW Transportation
Rinker Group Ltd Materials
Sigma Company Ltd Health Care, Equipment & Services
Sims Group Ltd Materials
SkyCity Entertainment Group Ltd Consumer Services (NZ)
Suncorp Metway Ltd Diversified Financials
Tenon Ltd Materials (NZ)
Vector Ltd Capital Goods (NZ)

B-
Allianz Australia Ltd Insurance
Bank of Western Australia Banks
Contact Energy Ltd Utilities
Crane Group Ltd Capital Goods
David Jones Ltd Retailing
Downer EDI Ltd Commercial Services & Supplies
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco (NZ)
George Westorn Foods Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Mitsubishi Motors Ltd Automobile & Components
QBE Insurance Group Ltd Insurance
Tattersall's Ltd Consumer Services
Toll Holdings Transportation
Trust Power Ltd Utilities
Village Roadshow Media

C+
Alliance Group Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco (NZ)
Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd Health Care, Equipment & Services
Burns Philp & Co. Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Futuris Corporation Ltd Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Metcash Trading Ltd Food & Staples
Retailing News Corporation Ltd Media
Nuplex Industries Ltd Materials (NZ)
Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd Media
Spotless Group Ltd Commercial Services & Supplies
Tower Ltd Insurance (NZ)

 

They are not 2 different things.
The dealership is a franchise there is a dealer principal in the dealership normally the GM or for the group if there is more than one dealership owned by the group.

Mazda Australia while not involved in the day to day running of the dealership itself gives directions, looks at numbers and takes customer complaints. If a dealership gets too many complaints or is not making it's numbers they can and will dictate to the dealer to clean up the act or risk the loss of the franchise.
They can also do things like not payout hold back money and bonus money that each dealrship depends on. They can and do have requirements that each dealershp has to meet as far as amount of training the mechanics have to have cretifications etc. If a dealership fails to meet those requriements they can yank all their warranty service from them.

So if a dealrship has an idoit working for them it is worth telling Mazda AU about it, if enough complaints come in they can make him go back to school or lose his cert to work on that model of car.

So yeah if you are not getting good service cause the mechanic does not know rotaries it is worth complaining to the head office, but put it in writting.

 

It's not necessarily the mechanics that are the problem for me, more the Senior Service Consultants at the dealership that cause the problem ... therefore it's a black and white customer service issue.

 

Well off topic a bit but yesterday I got phoned by Honda to say that my Honda Jazz that I dropped off for a service had been involved in a head on collision in their own driveway by their mechanics! Not happy about it but what can I do?? Also, dropped the RX8 off for a service on Monday and they broke my glove box and didn't say anything about it until I pointed it out.They won't have the part for another week when I have to go back. (Yes,it's the same Mazda dealer discussed at the beginning of this thread!)

 

I've experienced similar. My dealer managed to break the top off my oil dipstick when putting a new alternator on my other car. They said it was like that before!

At least your honda dealer didn't try to cover up the fact they smashed up your car! What are they going to do? Are they going to replace the car?

 

No they are just going to repair it but I want to know what my rights are as the car will now be less valuable??

 

Good point mdr, but it works both ways. When I had a warranty issue they said they had to consult head office, but in actual fact it was a ploy just to get rid of me. When it suits they'll blame it on them which is the oldest trick in the book...and we fall for it hook, line and sinker...