Lexus Customer Service Examples
Nancy Fein, Lexus’ Vice-President of Customer Services, recently gave a talk at the Source Media Customer Engagement Symposium, where she discussed how Lexus reacts when things go wrong. Bill Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company and business author, was at the event and recapped the presentation:
…what happens when big dreams get mugged by reality? That’s what Nancy Fein addressed in her talk. As soon as the first Lexus 400 sedans hit the market, she said, the company learned that there were three minor technical problems with the car.
So more than 300 Lexus officials organized into small groups and traveled to all parts of the country. They visited the affected customers at home, brought them a gift, apologized for the glitches in person, and, of course, brought along a technician who fixed the problems. On the spot. In their driveways.
A familiar story, but I was very interested to read about a more current event:
Last year, another small problem developed with a Lexus model—this time, the new ES 350 sedan. Something about the transmission skipping second gear and slipping from first to third. (Don’t ask for more details, I’m not a car guy.) The problem affected about 700 cars before the Lexus factories fixed it. This time, rather than visit customers at their homes, Lexus did ask them to visit their dealer. But instead of just fixing the problem, Lexus gave all the affected customers a brand new car. No questions asked.
Being as how a faulty transmission is a fairly significant repair, having dealers swap the cars with new ones has to be the most effective response that I can think of. With no time lost by the owner, there’s no bad feelings, no backlash. Even better, Lexus can repair the affected vehicles and then resell them at a slight discount.
Very smart.
[Source: Havard Business Online]
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My name is Mike Kraska and I was the HR Director at Rocky Mountain Steel Mills(at one time CF&I Steel) in Pueblo until I retired in 2007 with 33 years.I have listened to your show for quite some time and read your newspaper columns when they appear in the Chieftain.Please do not assume I am trying to butter you up,however,I appreciate your logical thinking and ability to focus in on the point of a position or argument.The reason I decided to finally correspond with you was because, while listening to you today,I heard you do another commerical spot for ****** Lexus of Frederick.I feel compelled to make you aware of a situation that occurred with my daughter and our experience with ******.
My daughter,Connie,is 26 and a very successful Real Estate Broker in Denver.She has driven a 1999 Lexus RX 300 for 4 years and loved the vehicle and took excellent care of until she decided to purchase a hybrid Lexus.After doing a significant amount of research,she decided to purchase a 2006 Hybrid from ******.When she asked what ****** would give her for her trade-in they said they would like to look at it.The NADA showed a retail of $9,500.I do not remember the trade-in amount,but they offered her $3,000.Needless to say she said no to that unbelievable amount which I thought was almost an insult.My daughter asked them to replace a tire and detail the car so she could sell it privately.****** had the car for 5 days.My daughter picked up the car with our other daughter,Amber.The engine oil light came on immediately while Amber was driving it.She called Connie on her cell phone and was told to turn around and go back.Amber said the engine then started making a loud noise.The car was returned to ******.
After looking at it,****** said they had nothing to do with the problem,but the car needed a new engine to the tune of $7,000.My daughter called the national Lexus office who eventually stepped up and said they would cover half the expense.Connie,my wife and I met with four ****** employees,including Brian Landauer.We were shown a removed valve cover and told there was sludge build up that caused the problem.Also they had done nothing else to the car so it was just a coincidence.Tough luck for Connie.Mr. Landauer even tried to make the point they on moved the car a very short distance(a block or two).However,his Service Manager had to correct him and confess the record showed ti had been driven at least 5 miles.This made no difference to Landauer.He was unwavering that ****** had done nothing and would not help my daughter with any of the costs.
Mr Rosen I must tell you I have dealt with many people in my life including CEOs and top Steelworkers’ officials from Pittsburgh,but Landauer ranks as about the most arrogant person I had had the misfortune to met.Also,I would like to ask you if it sounds logical to you that an engine would lock up just after it leaves a dealership?In the present economic climate I would think a business enterprise such as ****** would not want any negative publicity.Lucky I count as my friends many individuals both in Pueblo and Denver who are in a position to get the story of my daughter’s treatment to the public.I do truly apologize for the length of this email,but I was afraid you might not understand why I think ****** Lexus of Frederick has behaved shamelessly regarding my daughter.Thank You for listening,
Best Wishes,Mike Kraska
just another mooch trying to get something for nothing!!
In my opinion, you on a false way.
I hope you don’t think I’m the other. lol
I might have complained about Longo Lexus a lot, but I should deserve the same respect from them after purchasing the LS 400 and LX 470 from them, both brand new when purchased and both fresh from their facelifts. I will soon again be their prospective buyer TWICE within the next five years if they can bring their services back to what I once recognized it as.
If Lexus advertises its dealer as being the best, then they should stop BMW from beating them, and BMW has been better than many Lexus dealers recently.
I purchased a new 2009 IS250 in May drove the car 3100 miles in 7 months two short trips.when I sterted to notice that the paint was starting to flake off the left side some off the spots were cemetrical circles from front to back and even over the windows.Did not have one single scratch are dent in the car.Met with service specialist for Southeast Region Pam Roblyer very rude and unprofessional she claimed it was rock chips service manager asked for third opinion by the body shop manager he said it looked like rock chips but could not explain why no dents are scratches after this was said she offerd to paint my new car which I refused.At this time she told me that all Lexus are dipped and not sprayed because I had questioned that something had to happen in the spraying process.I was told to contact customer service at which time Pam Roblyer said she did not care it would just be routed back to her.Contacted c/s over the next month with promises of calls from them that never happend.Approached Lexus of Greenville S.C. about problem they offerd to buy the car for 10 thousand less than I payed are an even worse deal to trade.Went down the road to another dealership traded and they gave me more than Lexus had offerd at anytime.Vowed to never return to a lexus are Toyota dealership ever.I still took a huge loss but removed the stress of dealing with them that I really could not handle at this time in my life due to a traumatic industrial accident in which I lost my right arm.I do not want any sympathy but i think the least Lexus could do is return the $684.00 in prepaid service that i never used at all and the $700.00 five year detailig package never used.If you could help get this money returned to me I would greatly appreciate it.
There are good service stories, but then there are also the less positive ones…
@charles johnson: Sorry to hear of your dissatisfied service experience. This is not an official Lexus site, but if you’d like to contact Lexus USA’s customer services line, the information can be found here:
http://www.lexus.com/contact/