Why I Abandoned Subaru Ambassador Program
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Advocates are earned, not bought. While I still love my Subarus, my experience with our local dealer was so poor that I can not in good conscience actively lead people to a brand if this level of service is what's to be expected.
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Moral of the story: never return the car when the dealer runs the old "we gave you the wrong car" scam... Glad you eventually got it sorted out
My wife corrected me / reminded me that the reason we knew we had the wrong car was because her Subaru app thing (starting car, etc...) stopped working because it was tied to the VIN of the car she was supposed to have received. That "symptom" corroborated the "we gave you the wrong car" claim. I realize it's totally a first-world problem, but we don't normally buy brand new cars and I was a bit miffed that this back to back incompetence cast a shadow on my wife's joy of getting the fanciest / newest car she's ever worked for.
@TomtheDilettante First problem is you went to Napleton. Not sure which one you went to, but they took over the dealership I had been serving my Legacy at and the experience wasn't good. My parents bought an Outback and there were a couple issues after. I just don't have a positive thing to say about them.
@@niuhuskieguy Sorry to hear it wasn't just me. The dude we got our Crosstreks from before that dealership moved was good to go. He wasn't there anymore when we went back for the Outback. Ah well.
@@TomtheDilettante I purchased my last one from Grand and the experience could not have been better. It was the most easy car buying experience I ever had.
Dealerships are the worst. Good on you for staying honest and not promoting a company that doesn't treat you well. However, I got some accessories from the Subaru dealership the other day and the kit was missing a piece of hardware. I called the dealership and came in to get one. They spent a couple minutes struggling to find a spare one but eventually opened up another box of the same accessory kit and took the piece from the new kit and handed it to me. I was blown away. Props to those part guys for remedying the problem in the most immediate and effective way possible for the customer.
On November 30, 2023 I purchased a new 2024 Subaru Ascent (Touring trim level) from my local Subaru dealer, very close to my home.
This car is amazing, but I'm still trying to learn how to use all the powerful safety features, and convenience features.
I have been back to the dealer multiple times with questions after buying and paying for the car and they are always very quick to help me.
Your dealer is nothing like the dealer I deal with.
My trusted friends retired to their home in the Smokey Mountains about 2 years ago and bought a Subaru Ascent because of the all wheel drive.
He had an issue with the CVT (continuously variable transmission) and his dealer elected to replace the whole transmission.
This surprised my friend, and surprised me when he told me about it. This helped me decide to buy a Subaru.
I researched Subaru for some time and learned they have a reputation for treating their customers fairly.
I would report your dealer to Subaru America if I were you.
Your first and only mistake was to keep dealing with a bad salesperson ….after one week of waiting I would have asked to meet with the owner of the dealership… or at the very least the service manager .
Otto’s Subaru is our local Ottawa, Ontario go to …they are the best dealership I have ever bought cars from …the experience of buying a new car is always top notch and James our go to sales expert …is an a word amazing.
I really think you could have saved yourself a ton of grief ..if you had gone to management ..
its also too bad we don’t have such a program here in Canada ..but Im just as happy sending referrals and receiving a small compensation…
And Im not blowing smoke ….I’m on my ninth purchase with this dealer…in contrast Ive only bought one from the local Toyota dealer …that sales experience was not rewarding at all… my truck was delivered dirty ..had a bump n the roof , no gas in the tank , dirty interior and a salesman who was MIA…
I sat down the the director of sales and laid out my concerns … he had everything corrected and my truck detailed and my first service was no charge…
Sorry for the long windedness
True on sticking with the salesman. He was already one of the higher ranking ones. My wife did work up the chain of command. How far, I don't know. I was asked by her to remain relatively "hands off" for the most part so I did. Glad to hear your Toyota issue was resolved! And not long winded...I enjoy commentary and feedback. Especially from folks like you who are always contributing something worthwhile to the conversation :)
I'm with you 100% on this one, Tom. You have every right to expect prompt, correct and courteous customer service regardless. One thing to remember, which I have also learned the hard way, is to move past the sales groups as quick as you can if you have a service, parts or warranty issue. Sales don't know shit and as you have found out, won't do shit. I'm glad that, eventually, it got worked out.
One bad salesperson does not a bad dealership, or car company, make. I would have gone over the jerk's head and seen how his bosses handled it. Just sayin'....
The Subaru dealer we use has been outstanding, and we've never bought a car from them. We've taken our Subies there for several recalls and we get our cars back fully detailed, work done promptly and properly,, no charge. If we ever decide to buy a new Subaru, that's where we'll go, and they are 2 hours away.
Sounds like poor management at the dealership. That's not what I've come to expect from Subaru as a whole. But definitely a solid message to those looking to be Subaru Ambassadors (or any other product ambassador): make sure you are associated with a reputable outlet.
Over the weekend I had a Subaru dealer sell me a CPO 6 moth old Outback that should have been flagged as "not for sale" due to an open safety recall. The parts needed to repair the car are not available from Subaru yet and there is no ETA for them. Luckily I caught the problem before I drove off the lot and was able to unwind the deal before they got rid of the old car I traded in. Like you said, I don't think the sales staff is really doing what they are supposed to. If they miss a blatant stop-sale notice what else are they missing? Your story of mixing up cars and not being able or willing to source simple parts is not inspiring either. Too bad we can't just buy them directly from the factory and skip the dealers altogether.
Hey Tom, sorry to hear about your experience.ive been an ambassador for the last 9 years, and never came across what you have at the dealership. One sales person can make a brand look bad, just by their lack there of.
I am however glad to hear you got the part you needed and it was such an easy install.
#SubaruAmbassador
Thanks for watching and taking the time to chime in! You're absolutely right...one experience should certainly not be taken as representative of the whole. Since this was the nearest dealer and the one I'd be interacting with most often (out of convenience), it just turned me off of the whole experience. Personal choice. Certainly not a guideline :)
Tom I was a parts guy for several years at two different dealers and the scummy crap I witnessed disgusted me to the point my new truck now needs a minor repair under warranty and I'm procrastinating to no end having to take it in.
You are not being petty. Your decisions and handling of the issue are very justified.
That's sad Tom, but not unexpected. Most dealerships currently have separate ownership for Sales, Parts and Service. In Chrysler, it's been that way since at least the mid-80's. What you ran into was that the Sales guy would have had to pay for the parts that were missing. He got away with the net because it was just after the sale. One other point is that you need to get a CarFax - if they registered your car as their loaner, then reversing it back to you will make you the second owner - that will raise all sorts of hell when you go to sell your car and if you need warranty service on any of the extended warranties. If they did that, you need to get a lawyer asap. The way dealerships get bought and sold nowadays, that one could disappear in the blink of an eye.
I love your videos - I never know what's coming up next.
Of course you’re correct, Tom. My big Subie disappointment is with the POS Denso head unit on my 2021 outback Touring XT. I’ve taken it to the dealer twice for software reprogramming to fix crashes of the entire STARLINK system which didn’t resolve problems. Finally a download from my home Wi-Fi has resolved most, but not all issues.
I enjoy your videos Tom.
Totally agree with you on all points. I've found that the way to handle issues at dealerships...is "in person" only.
Salesman texting after the sale...they could care less! My wife has a 2011 Outback and maybe wants a new one...we'll be shopping next year.
We had an experience on a early 14 Crosstrek bought new. The A/C failed under warranty. It was a months long battle with the dealership and Subaru. They couldn't fathom that their vehicle was faulty some how. We were also multiple Subaru owners, doesn't matter at all to them, no customer loyalty. We had to escalate to head office. We didn't let up and made sure every manager and the dealer group management new our problem. They finally begrudgingly fixed the problem. Still have the Crosstrek, but it's a oil burner just like classic complaints about Subaru. It seems they can't build an engine without some type of oil or seal problem.
Hi, I own a 2019 Crosstrek as well and freaking love it. And my dealership is topnotch in every aspect, so I guess, and, as you said, your sales guys might not be the best. But dropping the ambassador role, is a bit overkill in my opinion. I think Subaru as a brand and manufacturer probably has not always a saying in the hiring of sales guys. But I kinda understand your decision as well. Since you are an ambassador of that brand, those guys there schouldn't just wave you off like that. Thx for all your great vids!
I don't blame you at all. I applied to be an Ambassador and was told they were full. OK... whatever... that's fine. I mean, I've only purchased 7 Subarus... but OK. Then an Ambassador reached out to me and told me that the reason I wasn't selected was because of the stuff I posted on social media - it didn't align with Subaru's corporate image. If I wanted to be an Ambassador, I'd have to scrub all my social media of things that Subaru didn't like. Keep in mind that nothing I posted was bad; rather, just the opposite side of the ideological spectrum from the "common" Subaru owner. No thank you... I'm happy not being an Ambassador.
I would have done the same thing and I would have had your frustration. It’s who you hire. This dealership sadly missed the mark. Hats off to parts guy!
Not being Karen. I'd be pissed. My dealer has been amazing though. No complaints. I'm sorry you're having a bad experience with yours.
Glad your experience has been good! I don't mean to paint with a broad brush...I had a dealer experience in Colorado that was fantastic. Since this dealer is one of the main dealers in the area, and was the one I was affiliated with as an ambassador, I couldn't in good conscience promote them.
I gave up being a Subaru Ambassador myself when they implemented this points system instead of just going out there, giving away swag (I did this a lot at rallies), and spreading the Subaru love. After your experience I don’t blame you a bit for bailing. Subaru still gets more than enough free publicity through your videos about yours, and there are no points to worry about.
You are spot on. Expect I would have hollered a lot more. We love our crosstrek. But had to go to a dealer 130 miles away as our was trying to retire on 1 sale. Saved over 4 grand
You made the right choice. Shame to hear. Any dealership that treats a customer like that does not deserve to be in business. There’s a lot of competition out there and a lot of loyalty to be given else where. Sorry that happened to you but I agree and am on your side. Great videos, keep them coming. Thanks
You handled things very well! A small bag of parts led to all this? Subaru really needs to make things up to you!
I totally sympathize with you on this one! So frustrating, especially for such a simple fix. And don't get me started on the "loaner" switcheroo!
Any car manufacturer can have a crap dealer. They should drop them. Our family car has been a Subaru since 1980. We kept our 96 Legacy wagon for 300,000 km and 22 years. With dealer-done scheduled maintenance, the car drove like it was three years old. In 2018 we changed to a Forester because we wanted EyeSight. The height of our new Forester took some getting used to. But it's been absolutely reliable, and its practicality reminds me of a London cab. Our dealer asks for a 3rd party arms-length rating after every visit. If it's not five stars, the service manager will call to see how they can improve. Most of Scarboro Subaru's staff have been with them for decades, and they're a great team.
Tom....That sucks, I wouldn't have answered the phone the first time they called to return the car you bought. Seems like it's 'their' problem, not yours. Customer service is gone in this country, we see it everyday with our service people just bitching about Customers all day long.
That's a 2004-2005 Civic sedan pictured. They changed the body style in 2006, as well as the drivetrain options.
You're right. Brain fart. That was a 2004. My truck was a 2006.
You were much more patient than I would have been so no, you were not being a Karen! I would have addressed the issue in person after a couple of weeks of no resolution and perhaps even reached out to the Ambassador program to see if they could do anything to help. Glad you got it resolved and had a good experience with the parts guy!
I would have gone direct to Subaru of America. As a customer, I have heard experiences they are pretty cool to work with.
Love the DeWalt.
I just upgraded mine with a li-ion adapter. A little cludgey, but works well.
Our first and only experience with Napleton of Schaumburg was a huge letdown. Palatine was better in terms of sales but they didn't have what we wanted so we went to Skokie/Evanston instead and have been very pleased with their sales and service.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing! Maybe I'll give that dealer a shot instead.
You’re not being petty. You were more patient than many people would have been.
I’ve just lost interest in buying a Subaru.
I would suggest a reevaluation because this is perhaps just one faulty employee or sales team at one dealership.
Did anybody at the dealer take notice of the VIN numbers on the cars to begin with, before the car was even taken off the lot. And as far as the missing parts on the correct vehicle that were not there, you should have went to the parts department after you found the information off from Subarus website for the missing parts and diagram to install them and just get the necessary parts from there.
Why the hell did you give the first car back? That was a legal transaction. Too bad for the dealer and their mess up.
Handled it same way I would have. Customer service only lasts until the ink is wet on the sales form. Similar situation buying a Volvo earlier this year.
I have seen that Subaru Ambassador program before, I maybe even applied to it at one point and the more I looked into it the more it just looked kind of pointless. All you do is post positively about your car and they give a few pieces of swag and that's it? Seems like a big win for Subaru and not as big of a win for you. You did the right thing and are definitely not a Karen. If the dealer messed up they should be bending over backwards to make things right. Also how far off in price could that loaner car and your wife's really be?
I won't swap the car if it is new unless new loaner is a brand new car. it just don't make sense to make the swap.
You have every right to be pissed off
You should have told them to kick rocks. You bought the first car, and the paperwork indicated that. It was legally your car.
Yeah, in hindsight I kinda wish I was like "that sounds like a YOU problem. GFY." I need to get better at identifying when is and isn't the right time to try to be cooperative :P
Shame a company will chose to lose a customer over $8 in parts and 15 minutes labor!
gee just a bad dealership. your reaction was nicer than mine would have been. :)
Ive bought a few subies over the years for myself family & friends.
yeah we still test drive in Spokane (give them the chance to earn our business)
sadly in twenty years they are still the same (they do not disappoint me. I expect them to be bad)
oh well they get their chance.
I tell folks before we go that we are shopping for what you want, please ignore their prices and attitude.
*their parts folks have been great, but sales & service (?) not so good
I had service from them in various dealerships in the Spokane area & I see no reason to return.
I can be treated bad right here in my little town. ;)
the car we want is picked -
I come home and let the dealers bid online on the models/options we wanted.
in the last several years to my surprise the winning dealership has been in Lewiston Idaho (?)
*Ive had service there as well on new cars & they treated me & my cars great.
yeah its 100 miles to get there, but they treat me right.
I was expecting Maybe the Seattle area, But I win being closer to home :)
so yeah some areas just have bad dealerships.
I avoid Spokane & CDA as both places are set in their ways & stuck on their prices.
poor treatment in the service depts too -
so their loss. I go where they treat me right.
Love the jokes.
100% Agree that you took the right approach. Sucks you had to go around your ass to get to your elbow, but glad you made the Wife happy.
Subaru seems to be a pretty "petty" company. Look what happened to TFL, many years ago they reviewed a Subaru and it wasn't a great review so they stopped sending them cars to review. They are one of the bigger car reviewers on UA-cam.
i was a dye hard chevy man.... bought 8 different types of chevy trucks/cars for me and my wife over a 12 year time frame ... loyalty dont make a damm anymore.. and your right salesman SUCK ! the main two parts guys i knew at the dealer are cool as sh!t and also wrench on the own stuff. i guess you have to go to a different department to get done what needs to get done..
So what does this have to do with the ambassador program??
This is definitely a dealership issue, hopefully not a Subaru Company issue
In my view dealerships are a crap shoot in terms of effective customer service and they reflect poorly on a brand. Maybe someone from corporate will see this and reach out.
Thankfully it wasn't worse, it wasn't a Ford dealer. 😢
Right on with you brother! I had the same crap happen to my vehicle a few times with my local dealership. Now I drive 1hr away to the next dealership just to stay away from the horrible service at my local city. Also Im on some Subaru forums and some douche bag who is an ambassador thinks he's the shit and flags people for whatever reason he see's not fit. Yeah you don't need to be an ambassador to promote any cars.
This is disappointing to hear. I've enjoyed my experiences with Subaru but I also have always bought used. I'd like to think that this is just a bad dealership/salesman.
Your wife got a bad sales guy, sorry to hear about that
In reply to the "we gave you the wrong car" I would've said "I gave you the wrong check". Then let the discussion begin even if it's just some bling for the new car. I'm surprised you didn't step in earlier but then my wife insists on fighting her own battles no matter how they end. Best - Rod.
Did you bill the dealer for two hours labor at their rate?
LOL! Wouldn't that be something :P
first Tom your not a Karen, the sales person was a moron, and I would have went over his head to his boss. Subaru's are good cars I had one years ago it was a work horse. what took you most likely about 15 to 30 mins to install they should have done it the first time. when you buy another Subaru tell them you don't want that moron to help you. all they care about is their commissions. fun project and fun story keep them coming!
I would have dumped the ambassador program too. I hope Subaru enjoys the publicity they get from this. At least the parts guy did the right thing. Salesmen are usually done with you once the paperwork is signed. My wife got a phone call from the dealership where she had purchased her new car 3 years earlier to inform her that they had put the incorrect VIN number on her title and registration when they processed the paperwork. I guess it was our fault for not checking behind them.
Tom is being too nice in not calling out the dealship, but at 7:13 you can check it out if you so desire. And EWIW, I don't think you're being petty. I only subscribe to channels that don't take marketing or paid subscriptions. Most people don't realize that these "influencers" are saving corporate America MILLIONS in advertising costs by not having to purchase advertising on mainstream media.
Salespeople, in general, really suck. And I wouldn’t have let my ambassadorship expire - I would have cancelled it - loudly.
I will say, though, that the dealership makes a huge difference. We bought our 1st Outback at one, and while we loved the car, I abhorred the dealership - at all levels. We went to a different one (about the same distance in the opposite direction) for our 2nd Outback and 1st Crosstrek, and it’s been nothing but excellent service at all levels there…
If the "dealership" aka post sales experience was that bad on something that simple. . . .dear god imagine the nightmare if it was something a lot worse. 8 bucks and 5 minutes was too much for their "customer appreciation" after they screwed up with the cars in the first place. That is not service, that is called F U. So. .that is FU twice. I have (REDACTED) to the ground and toasted marshmellows at ( REDACTED )for things like that. Not sure what the statute of lim. . .I have said too much.
Sorry Bud the dealer dropped the ball and that doesn’t bode well for the brand. It seems that they want to save Pennie’s while losing dollars.
Unfortunately I'm default lazy. If I feel like someone is putting in effort on my behalf then I'll put in work to keep things moving. I'll l be patient and understanding, all of that crap.
It sounds to me that your salesman kept putting you at the bottom of the list of things to do everyday and only replied because he didn't want to get spam texted.
I'd have let the ambassadorship run out too.
Typical salesman. They already made their money off you, so your low priority. Probably figured if he ignored your wife enough, she'd go away.
Tom, I like you and your content. You asked a couple of times if you were being a Karen. To the points you brought up, no. But there's another issue.
I'm 63. Lived a tough life and survived rather well. I've never commented here before. So when I saw the guideline screen pop up, I thought...no way. In my world, that is the Karen move.
You want to put youself out to the world, chew the meat; spit the bones. Bad comments deserve no answer. You just move past. It's people like me that matter; not them.
Free speech. Take what is good. Move past the rest. Otherwise, that defines Karen.
Nah, you had plenty of patience dealing with a salesman that had made their commission and immediately forgot all about taking care of you.
Your experience with a Subaru dealership is concerning. I have a 2020 Forester and my local dealership is incapable of performing a simple oil change. I service my car now and get my parts from an online Subaru store. if I need to use a dealership, I will drive 45 miles vs going to my local dealer.
Foresters were still assembled in Japan only, so parts tend to be more expensive than the other models, sometimes less available, but usually better quality. Look for another dealer and pass on your opinion to Subaru North America.
@@rcmrcm3370 Subaru North America is well aware of my opinion.
Took clear advantage of a woman , I would have flipped after one week , took out a sad in the local paper denouncing the dealership , been all over corporate and demanded after the bullshit free oil changes for life or much more , we were tried to be told that a keyless touch plate was not covered under long term #Warranty ,called corporate got it after going over the head of the service writer ,utter nonsense
Maybe you actually should have been a Karen and asked to talk to the manager? lol
Tom, no I'm not going to say you're being a "Karen," but I will say that you are blaming Subaru America for the actions of one individual, and I didn't here you say you had put footsteps on top of the salesman's head to get things taken care of. What did his boss say? Or his boss above him? I see the USMC emblem proudly displayed behind you. I did my career in the Army, retiring about ten years ago. I'm sure, like us, you were trained to work the chain of command.
You do talk about the ambassador program and that it should give you some enhanced credibility with them. That is probably the closest thing to a Karen moment in the video.( "Do you know who I am?", anyone?) It won't give enhanced credibility if you aren't making your problem known to higher ups. At any rate, I will count myself as fortunate that my local dealer, and their sales and service staff, are amazing in comparison to horror stories I hear. I will also keep watching and enjoying your videos.
LOL! "do you know who I am?!". Yeah, I can see where folks might think that's how that went down. But, no. I didn't flail that like a weapon, it only came up on the initial purchase and not after. It stuck in my mind though thinking if they knew and we got that kind of service, then it's at best the kind of service a walk-in first time buyer can expect. That was really the only part that stuck in my brain. As for working the chain of command, my wife brought it up the chain. How far I can't recall. I was asked to remain relatively "hands off" during this whole thing which I did. This video came as an afterthought after I nonchalantly brought it up with the parts guy who took care of it with minimal effort. At that point I was pissed that I didn't get involved earlier. Ah well. Thanks for your service! I hope you're happy post Army retirement!
@@TomtheDilettante Thanks for the clarification! You make a good point, if this is how a person is treated that is supposed to put the Subaru name out there, the rank and file doesn't stand a chance. I'm doubly glad for our local dealer now. Oh and thanks, now for a job I fight the toughest enemy of all, the VA!
@@TomtheDilettantehopefully someone in North America HQ will see the post and maybe even this message. Decent cars(particularly if the owner doesn't overstress the engine header gaskets by tuning the settings). In the end it's the engineers and assembly workers who get punished by sales animals.
Unfortunately you were an Ambassador for Subaru, not the Dealership. Subaru (and other manufacturers) have a love-hate relationship with their dealer network-mostly hate. I am sure if you spent the same effort and time asking SoA to assist you with the mounting pieces, your problems would have resolved in 1/4 the time. I know, as I had a terrible dealer experience purchasing my new '24 OB Wilderness. Subaru stepped in, directed me to another dealership, and ensured my experience there was positive. Don't throw the Subaru baby out with the muddy dealership bathwater.
Dealers don't have mothers
F 'em
Nope not being a Karen you gave them more chances than I would it eight dollars but it also would’ve cost them a returning customer I would find a different dealer ship afterwards
Yes, Tom, you ARE being petty. But you also should be have been treated better. We have two Subarus, an Outback AND a Crosstrek and have always had excellent service from Classic Subaru of Atlanta. Personally, I would have immediately escalated to a manager, and if that didn't work, requested the parts for free from the parts shop and installed them myself, as you ultimately did in about five minutes. Instead, you got yourself worked into a lather over it and spoiled several perfectly good days being pissed off. Just my take...
Hey Tom. Your experience sucked for sure. Don't let that dealer or that one useless sales guy ruin your outlook of subaru. Great cars. You just got mixed up with a useless sales rep at which point I would of talked to a manager of sales or even store manager. It's sad to think customer service is out of touch these days