Help I’m in a cult!

[LongLive959]

Long time lurker first time poster.

so like many I’m a Tesla owner who’s starting to see things outside the Musk-sphere.

I’ve had my car for 9.5 years. It’s a rwd P85. One of the better built vehicles IMO, before volume went up and quality went down. I actually was saving up for a 911 when I discovered Tesla. Couldn't’ have been happier. my car has been rock solid from then until now.

however….

I’m getting tired of anti-tesla pickup truck driving, Honda civic red light racing, musk drama….basically all the non-car drama around the brand. Model 3/Y drivers stealing the crown from BMW drivers for most obnoxious on the road.

And finally (and the heart of this thread)….service! It’s really gone downhill from where it began.

my friends (an Audi exec and a former Porsche tech) tell me I’ve just been spoiled by Tesla. So please enlighten me.

I used to get car washes, loaner vehicles (even for an hour long service), an inspection to see if everything else was in working order, and a human being to speak with…..on every service visit!
Now, as has been well documented, everything is frustratingly done through their app. I haven’t gotten a wash in years. I’m offered luxurious Uber credits to get me out of their office….no more loaners. I’ve had a “software update needed, call service” message on my dash for months, and service could care less except to tell me leave my car for the night and take an Uber home. All this regardless of whether it’s my decade old Model S or my relatively new Model 3.

sorry for the rant. Is Porsche service any better? Are loaners a thing of the past? Are the service wait times really stretching into several weeks? Or have I been spoiled by a company initially desperate for sales and referrals?

I’d love to get my hands on a GTS (maybe an ST? Still can’t decide). But I’d be irked to experience the same lack of customer service as I am currently experiencing.

thanks for helping me come back into the light

 

[daveo4EV]

it's car dealers - service is as good as it is for any other car - a lot depends on your particular problem, service advisor, dealership and general attitude of your local guys.

I owned sseveral tesla's since 2012 - and lvoe my Taycan - but it's not been problem free - but it's way better than any TEsla I"ve owned, and service is no more or less acceptable than any other automotive experience..

honestly there is no greener grass, but Porsche builds a way better car than TEsla, and if at all possible with any car I'm not buying it for the "service experience" - I in fact want to minimize the service experience if at all possible.

you service experience will be more or less the same with _ANY_ vehicle - the question is how happy are you in the car when it's not being serviced...me for one I wouldn't trade my Taycan for Tesla if you paid me - and I love/understand Tesla's - both the pro and the con...

Taycan is a better car. Service is "meh" but industry standard - there is no such thing as "better service".

actually service is worse with all the other gusy - because EV's are not yet their main business - so there is a limited number of tech's at all dealership that are "EV certified" - an issue you never run into with Tesla - all the techs can work on the cars…

but again - I do not focus on SERVICE -I focus on how I feel driving the car - and I feel better in a Taycan that I ever felt in my P85, P85D, Model X P90D, Model X P100D, Model 3 P, Model Y AWD…

service should be a minority of your time with the vehicle - driving a Porsche is better than driving a Tesla - it's a better car from a bettetr car company…

what I can say is porsche will stand behind their products (unless it's an EVSE) - so they aren't going to abandon you…

but focusing on your "service" experience vs. driving experience and happiness with the product when it's not being serviced - well in my mind that's a bit backwards…service shouldn't be the primary thing driving a purchase decision - but that's just my opinion.

it's fine when you need it - it's not going to be 'better' other than you'll have a loaner porsche...but it will still suck.

 

[LongLive959]

Thanks. Totally agree….I’m not basing my purchase decision on service. Just want to know what I’m getting into.

the lack of loaners is really frustrating me these days, simply because my schedule is extremely tight, and I can’t afford much downtime without my vehicle.

I was a Porsche nut before the S, and am 100% back. My S is getting around 325km on a 90% charge these days, which is borderline unusable for me…especially since I feel like it’s not entirely being truthful with that range estimate. I always scoffed at the Taycan because of its range….but the numbers I’m seeing posted tell me I should be happy with the switch.

 

[Leawood CT]

The service at my local Porsche dealer, which I have used for 23 years, has always been impeccable. I always have a Porsche loaner and my wait times have never been longer than a month, with normally only a week wait. They always listen to me and make sure things are fixed right the first time. I have never had to take any of my cars back because they were not fixed right the first time (and that includes my Taycan). I have also had the same service advisor for 23 years straight. My local Porsche dealer, I could not recommend them enough for the service and care of my cars. Which makes sense as Porsche is kind of an entry level boutique brand and that goes in line with their service, with the next level up being the Ferrari and Lamborghini type brands.

That said, I am sure others have had bad experiences with their Porsche dealer. So I suppose it can be hit or miss, but I would think Porsche service overall is at a level higher than most brands and certainly higher then Tesla. That is not a slight against Tesla, but more just an opinion that they have had a lot of growth in sales and service has not been allowed to keep up with the number of their cars now on the road. They will get there eventually. For example, they are adding a second service center where I live to help with the load they are experiencing.

Get the GTS. You will be happy with the car and its service!

 

[AGDunc]

Porsche sent me biscuits at Christmas. End of debate ?

 

[The Riddler]

i got some 911 shaped sweets... which was nice...

 

[TDinDC]

From my experience, three factors largely drive the dealer experience: (1) the profit margin (and demand) for the vehicles that the dealer sells (dealer margins on most cars are far lower than you might think); (2) your personal relationship with employees of the dealership (e.g., are you a nice person who treats others well, and how many vehicles have you bought from them); and (3) the "philosophy" of the vehicle brand.

I, like you, was an early Tesla owner. Back then, they needed to convince people to buy Tesla. Now they do not. Also, the whole plan was to automate everything, so the automated, no-contact experience is part of their plan, and it, by definition, will prevent you from forming any real relationship with anyone at Tesla (factor #2). Also, the profit margin on Teslas is not so great that it is worth it for any individual to go out of their way for you (factor #1).

With respect to Porsche, the profit margin is a little higher than for many car brands (although it is still not likely as high as you might expect). Of course, demand for some Porsche models can put the control more into the dealer's hands, but wise dealers do not overtly abuse this. It should also be easier with Porsche (compared to Tesla) to build a personal relationship with persons at the dealer (although this is a two-way street and not totally in your control. But it pays to take the long view and not flip out like a righteous @ss the first time something doesn't go your way. Being kind and reasonable, and negotiating with them will help you the next time you need or want something (factor #2). Fortunately, the whole ethos of Porsche is a long-term personal relationship between the brand and its customers so, unlike Tesla, the dealers "should" want to be as nice to you as you should be to them.

Just my two cents.

 

[LongLive959]

Well tesla service did lend me a breaker bar from the shop when my dad got a flat on the side of a highway (in his Lexus) and couldn’t get the wheel off. So they’re not that bad. But I just can’t stand all the attention around the brand….and long for the Porsche driving experience

I am really going to miss the rear view camera though. I keep it on while driving, and it does a great job of showing most of my blind spot. That’s the route Polestar is taking with their 4 model…..the talk of how bad the Taycans cameras are makes me nervous….again, I realize it’s just a small aspect of an otherwise amazing machine. Really need to go for a test drive soon

 

[Talisker]

I think it's down to the dealerships themselves, Porsche always used to have loan cars when it was serviced, they still do, but your have to wait months to get one and then you could get anything. In my mind if it's a recall the onus is on Porsche to ensure you have a vehicle. My wife has an Audi and their customer service is amazing, despite the dealership being over 20 miles away, they will collect her car and deliver it back freshly cleaned. As for biscuits, sweets, invites to launches etc, nothing since 2008. Even when I collected the Taycan, nothing except a wave as I left the building. Audi = umbrellas, wine, hamper and more. end of rant.

 

[LongLive959]

I get that TD.

it’s just funny because all Tesla SCs are owned and operated by tesla, not individual dealers. So you would think from top down they’d emphasize customer satisfaction. But, from my view, it just seems like they’ve gotten too big too fast, and are really working to keep up with demand more than anything. Which is fine. Good for them. But if I’m spending that kind of money, I’d like a bit better service.

mobile is great. Except when they show up and say they can’t do something and tell you to schedule in shop….then it’s a waste of time. I had mobile replace a door handle, put it in incorrectly, causing a fuse to blow that screwed the handle on the other side….and they refused to accept responsibility, making me pay for the second handle, which arrived 8 months later.

I’ve had my home charger replaced 3 times because the plug end was actually melting (and damaging the chargeport in the process). The new chargers max out at ~40amp, which renders my 80amp dual charger useless. Fine. Except this latest melty plug I was told could be remedied with a software update to the wall charger (somehow that will, umm, un-melt it?). That came in an email 3 months after me reaching out to them. And then nothing after, despite multiple attempts. I’m just waiting for it to fail now so I can drag my wife to the Porsche dealership and get a green light

and again, I’ve been with them for over 9 years. I get it. It’s not petty issues that are bugging me.

 

[Bigal1267]

came from a refreshed Model X Plaid. Build quality, panel gaps, etc other issues aside, service experience was another major factor drove me away from Tesla. Just from my personal experience and option, Tesla outgrew their service facilty and thus service quality went down. I have gotten Tesla loaner (Model S) with really dirty interior. I would rather just preferred Uber vouchers. WIth that said, I am spoiled with a Porsche service center near me and to bunk some fast charge when in a pinch

 

[SteveGTS]

They gave me a factory fresh 911 GTS to play with while mine was in for minor paint issues, I expect it to go downhill from here ?

 

[mjw930]

We had a Model 3 for 3 years and luckily only needed 2 service calls, both were done remotely and both were seamless so probably a bad example.

I've had Porsche's for 40 years and find the dealer experience to be generally above average but it's certainly dealership specific. It's no surprise the someone in the Bay area would consider it average since within 50 miles they probably have 5 dealerships to choose from and a person in Kansas gets treated like royalty, it's supply and demand. So basically it's going to depend on where you live more than the actual brand. Toronto will probably be somewhere in the middle and be above average.

I have 3 dealerships within a 90 minute drive and have tried them all. I've landed on one over the others and have been using them for 15 years with 5 cars, 3 purchased from them. The service experience has been exceptional, I know my service advisor, the shop foreman and the service manager on a first name basis not because I spend a lot of time with them but because THEY make the effort. That is what drove me to them over the other 2.

My point is, with Porsche you can develop the relationship that starts with the purchase and can last a lifetime. With Tesla and any other direct to consumer brand you will NEVER have that.

 

[LongLive959]

Wow BigAl, already tired of the X Plaid? That was quick.

do you former Tesla drivers find the infotainment/Apple car stuff to be similar to Teslas in terms of ease of use while driving? Really for me that boils down to the maps and music. I could care less about hvac, as I’m a set it and forget type. I see ppl complain about the pcm….but you’re all Taycan owners, so if you know you know….I’m on the outside

another huge frustration has been Tesla eliminating the +/- button on the maps, basically forcing their zoom level on you….which is terrible, as I prefer on the Highway to be able to see traffic more than just one exit ahead of me…which is all it shows. On my Model 3 it’s even worse, as if I try zooming out it just returns to what it decides is the best zoom

 

[snstevens]

Porsche sent me biscuits at Christmas. End of debate ?

If they send me a bottle of bourbon at the holidays I'll be a lifetime customer...