Why are OPCs so snotty? - Page 3 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Over the years I have had five 911s, one Cayman and one Panamera (current car). Over those years, I have noticed a steady and continual decline in how OPCs have dealt with me, to the point now that I won't use an OPC at all. Back when I had my first (used) 911, over 30 years ago, the OPC I dealt with couldn't have been more helpful. Their staff, from the Receptionist, to the Service Manager, to the DP all went the extra mile, all the time. It was a delight to take my 911 in for service or repair. Since then, it has all been downhill. Now, unless you have a brand new, supplied by them, car costing £100,000 or so, I get treated like a second-class citizen. Everything seems to be too much trouble, service dates are months ahead, prices are surreal, the general attitude is 'take it or leave it'. By contrast, the Indie specialist I use is close to perfect. True, I don't get offered a cup of coffee by a fit blonde and the premises haven't been specially commissioned from Norman Foster, but then neither do they charge me over 200 quid for labour, and they actually seem pleased to see me. Their mechanics are all ex-Porsche, and I have never had cause to fault their services or repairs to my car. Is it just me? Maybe they don't like me for some reason, or maybe they don't like working on a car that is a few years old? Anyone else have the same, or the opposite, view? Edited by Barnsiexkr on Tuesday 9th May 16:11

Totally agree but not just Porsche.. I’ve seen the same with AM…

I wouldn't tar them all with the same brush. Mine is superb on all counts and I always spend more time there than I planned to as I end up chatting to the great folks I've met over the last few years. My first experience of an OPC, a different one to the one I use, was terrible and I was definitely seen as a second class citizen before I'd even entered the building. It was so bad, I was put off buying a Porsche for several years as I assumed they were all like that. They're not.

Have to agree, I've only had 2 but for both it's never been a great experience. As a brand and the cars they produce I love them, but the experience is lacking for use of a better word. To the point where I moved away from buying my 3rd because of this attitude, I'd love another but I struggle to get over the whole dealership experience. The final straw for me was trying to book my Cayman in for a service some years ago and emailing local OPC's to confirm what was involved, if I could supply my own oil etc. None replied, it took an email to Porsche GB to explain my disappointment with the lack of communication, Porsche GB clearly took this serious and within a few days nothe OPC's were in contact.

Yes, me too with Mercedes. What disappoints me with Porsche is that they no longer seem to be enthusiasts themselves - they just treat Porsche as another upscale brand. In the old days, everyone from the Receptionist up was a Porsche enthusiast. They'd discuss your Porsche driving experience with you and you could really engage. I still get that from my Indie. Maybe it's a result of making their money from Macans and Cayennes? Until the Panamera I've only had 911s (plus the Cayman which my wife drives mostly) so I am a dyed-in-the-wool sports car guy really, which is why I wondered if I am expecting too much now from the OPC? Although, nothing justifies the lack of apparent enthusiasm to see me and my car. In fact, although you get a special 'service representative' now, she (it's always been a 'she' for me) just ticks boxes and doesn't seem to be interested, or care very much.Their whole attitude is 'take it or leave it', with the subtext that 'we don't really need/want your business with your 5 year old car'. That is genuinely how I am made to feel (and I'm not some thin-skinned snowflake type!).

Twinfan said: I wouldn't tar them all with the same brush. Mine is superb on all counts and I always spend more time there than I planned to as I end up chatting to the great folks I've met over the last few years. My first experience of an OPC, a different one to the one I use, was terrible and I was definitely seen as a second class citizen before I'd even entered the building. It was so bad, I was put off buying a Porsche for several years as I assumed they were all like that. They're not. Fair point. I only have experience of two local OPCs, but they are as bad as each other. My wife had a run-in with one when they told her they couldn't see the Cayman for 6 weeks. It had a problem with the cooling fan regulator and was blowing full-on all the time. It didn't technically make the car undriveable, but it was totally annoying and in the end I had to pull the fuse, so she had no heating/aircon fan at all then). She complained that it was going to take 6 weeks of waiting for a simple job (needed a new hedgehog regulator, as diagnosed by the brilliant Porsche Assist guy). There was no apology - just 'take it or leave it'. She asked to speak to the DP and was told he was 'unavailable' so she asked for a call-back. She's still waiting. The only reason she was taking it to the OPC was that it was a warranty affair. My Indie would have fixed it that week. But yeah, I can believe some are good. But surely they ALL should be? They're selling the finest cars ever made (IMO) but they seem to treat them as a commodity.

Barnsiexkr said: That is genuinely how I am made to feel (and I'm not some thin-skinned snowflake type!). I thought all Porsche drivers were …

No experience of Porsche but had the same thing with Audi, the service department just seem to have this attitude of the customer is always wrong, they were rubbihs. Had similar to the OP though where a few of the guys left and set up their own Indy and they were excellent.

Freakuk said: Have to agree, I've only had 2 but for both it's never been a great experience. As a brand and the cars they produce I love them, but the experience is lacking for use of a better word. To the point where I moved away from buying my 3rd because of this attitude, I'd love another but I struggle to get over the whole dealership experience. That is such a shame, but I totally get it. There's a brand new OPC just opened near to us (relocated premises - same OPC) and my wife and I are going to take a look this week. I have a bet on with her that even if she parks her bright yellow Cayman right outside the showroom, when we go in and start looking at cars, we will be ignored. I've done this before - opened doors, sat in the driver's seat, played with the steering wheel etc (like a kid in a sweet shop) and nobody approached me. A couple of sales guys stood chatting a few feet away. Another was sat at his desk reading something. Nobody could be bothered to ask me if I was OK, if I needed any help, if I would like a coffee or a cold drink. I started to pick up brochures and give off as many buying signals as I could. Still nothing. I walked towards the exit, thinking they wouldn't want me to get away - still nothing. Unbelievable and bordering on arrogant indifference.

baconsarney said: I thought all Porsche drivers were … Hahaha. I expect a lot of them are - those who love the brand more than the cars, for example. Maybe I've never gotten over the move from air-cooled

Barnsiexkr said: Fair point. I only have experience of two local OPCs, but they are as bad as each other. My wife had a run-in with one when they told her they couldn't see the Cayman for 6 weeks. It had a problem with the cooling fan regulator and was blowing full-on all the time. It didn't technically make the car undriveable, but it was totally annoying and in the end I had to pull the fuse, so she had no heating/aircon fan at all then). She complained that it was going to take 6 weeks of waiting for a simple job (needed a new hedgehog regulator, as diagnosed by the brilliant Porsche Assist guy). There was no apology - just 'take it or leave it'. She asked to speak to the DP and was told he was 'unavailable' so she asked for a call-back. She's still waiting. The only reason she was taking it to the OPC was that it was a warranty affair. My Indie would have fixed it that week. But yeah, I can believe some are good. But surely they ALL should be? They're selling the finest cars ever made (IMO) but they seem to treat them as a commodity. OK, so rather than the poor attitude of the OPC your issue is now that the workshop was so busy there was a 6 week wait for a repair slot for a car that wasn't off the road. That's not being snotty is it, it's just a result of a lot of people requiring the OPC's workshop services at the same time. What did you expect the OPC to do, potentially prioritise you over other cars with more serious issues? My local Indy currently has a 4-week lead time for new work, and I would expect my OPC to currently be 4-6 weeks. Given the volume of Porsches sold over the last 15-20 years I don't think it's realistic to expect to drop into a decent Porsche specialist or OPC for a repair and have your car fixed in a day or two.

Barnsiexkr said: Freakuk said: Have to agree, I've only had 2 but for both it's never been a great experience. As a brand and the cars they produce I love them, but the experience is lacking for use of a better word. To the point where I moved away from buying my 3rd because of this attitude, I'd love another but I struggle to get over the whole dealership experience. That is such a shame, but I totally get it. There's a brand new OPC just opened near to us (relocated premises - same OPC) and my wife and I are going to take a look this week. I have a bet on with her that even if she parks her bright yellow Cayman right outside the showroom, when we go in and start looking at cars, we will be ignored. I've done this before - opened doors, sat in the driver's seat, played with the steering wheel etc (like a kid in a sweet shop) and nobody approached me. A couple of sales guys stood chatting a few feet away. Another was sat at his desk reading something. Nobody could be bothered to ask me if I was OK, if I needed any help, if I would like a coffee or a cold drink. I started to pick up brochures and give off as many buying signals as I could. Still nothing. I walked towards the exit, thinking they wouldn't want me to get away - still nothing. Unbelievable and bordering on arrogant indifference. Maybe next time, ensure that you practice entering a pin style (not yours!) number into an imaginary card reader, followed by a theatrical "return-card-to-walllet" re-enactment. Maybe that will do it? Edited by CloudStuff on Tuesday 9th May 16:44

Barnsiexkr said: I've done this before - opened doors, sat in the driver's seat, played with the steering wheel etc (like a kid in a sweet shop) and nobody approached me. A couple of sales guys stood chatting a few feet away. Another was sat at his desk reading something. Nobody could be bothered to ask me if I was OK, if I needed any help, if I would like a coffee or a cold drink. I started to pick up brochures and give off as many buying signals as I could. Still nothing. I walked towards the exit, thinking they wouldn't want me to get away - still nothing. Unbelievable and bordering on arrogant indifference. I don't think they're buying signals, they're tyre kicking signals. If you were serious about buying you would have gone straight over to the sales people and asked about placing an order

Twinfan said: OK, so rather than the poor attitude of the OPC your issue is now that the workshop was so busy there was a 6 week wait for a repair slot for a car that wasn't off the road. That's not being snotty is it, it's just a result of a lot of people requiring the OPC's workshop services at the same time. What did you expect the OPC to do, potentially prioritise you over other cars with more serious issues? Either I didn't explain it properly, or you're not reading it right (or both). I wasn't complaining about the wait (although it's frankly ridiculous and other, far lesser (and busier) brands can fit me in much faster) but their ATTITUDE. No apology, no empathy - just 'take it or leave it'. If I can buy a cheap Toyota and get amazing service for a car that costs a fifth of a Porsche, how come OPCs can't match it? Twinfan said: My local Indy currently has a 4-week lead time for new work, and I would expect my OPC to currently be 4-6 weeks. Given the volume of Porsches sold over the last 15-20 years I don't think it's realistic to expect to drop into a decent Porsche specialist or OPC for a repair and have your car fixed in a day or two. Toyota sell way, way more cars than Porsche. They can run their service departments efficiently, so why not Porsche? And the Toyota people are a delight to deal with, go out of their way to be helpful and certainly make you feel valued as a customer. Like I say, it's not the delay though, so much as the attitude. And I note that you use an Indie and not an OPC

Twinfan said: I don't think they're buying signals, they're tyre kicking signals. If you were serious about buying you would have gone straight over to the sales people and asked about placing an order When I was a teenager (and car nut) my greatest ambition was to walk in to a Ferrari dealership in ripped jeans and tee shirt, long unkempt hair, and enough cash in the back pocket to buy a new Dino… sadly I couldn’t afford the ripped jeans and tee shirt

Twinfan said: I don't think they're buying signals, they're tyre kicking signals. If you were serious about buying you would have gone straight over to the sales people and asked about placing an order You've never worked in sales? And you're wrong about being 'serious' as a potential buyer. That may be how you would do it, but it's not how I do it. I like to gauge how I am going to be treated. If I am treated like cr&p even before they have my money, how am I likely to be treated once they have it? I think the late model 911 parked right outside the window, in full view, might have made them think I was 'serious'. But clearly it didn't. Edited by Barnsiexkr on Tuesday 9th May 16:53

At the polar opposite end of the spectrum it's a month wait if you need any warranty work at Dacia. Atleast they don't insist on removing the wheel arches to pretend to check scuttle drains I suppose.

Barnsiexkr said: Twinfan said: OK, so rather than the poor attitude of the OPC your issue is now that the workshop was so busy there was a 6 week wait for a repair slot for a car that wasn't off the road. That's not being snotty is it, it's just a result of a lot of people requiring the OPC's workshop services at the same time. What did you expect the OPC to do, potentially prioritise you over other cars with more serious issues? Either I didn't explain it properly, or you're not reading it right (or both). I wasn't complaining about the wait (although it's frankly ridiculous and other, far lesser (and busier) brands can fit me in much faster) but their ATTITUDE. No apology, no empathy - just 'take it or leave it'. If I can buy a cheap Toyota and get amazing service for a car that costs a fifth of a Porsche, how come OPCs can't match it? Twinfan said: My local Indy currently has a 4-week lead time for new work, and I would expect my OPC to currently be 4-6 weeks. Given the volume of Porsches sold over the last 15-20 years I don't think it's realistic to expect to drop into a decent Porsche specialist or OPC for a repair and have your car fixed in a day or two. Toyota sell way, way more cars than Porsche. They can run their service departments efficiently, so why not Porsche? And the Toyota people are a delight to deal with, go out of their way to be helpful and certainly make you feel valued as a customer. Like I say, it's not the delay though, so much as the attitude. And I note that you use an Indie and not an OPC I use both an Indy and an OPC, depending on the work I want doing. Both are excellent. Toyota may have larger service departments, more ramps, more staff, easier cars to work on etc etc. As for the attitude, what were you expecting them to do after you complained? Barnsiexkr said: You've never worked in sales? Nope, but common sense says you don't leap on every customer that walks through the door and ask them to buy something without letting them browse a bit first. Were you actually going to buy a car that day?

Twinfan said: "I use both an Indy and an OPC, depending on the work I want doing. Both are excellent. Toyota may have larger service departments, more ramps, more staff, easier cars to work on etc etc. As for the attitude, what were you expecting them to do after you complained?" Well actually making the promised call-back would have been a good start. (Quoting not working for some reason).

Twinfan said: I don't think they're buying signals, they're tyre kicking signals. If you were serious about buying you would have gone straight over to the sales people and asked about placing an order I think there's a lot in that. I sometimes wonder how people who struggle in car dealerships get on when they visit a decent restaurant. I never hesitate to say "I'd like a decent wine that's not too expensive" and they always come up with something even if the next five pages of the wine list all show three figure prices. Same in car dealerships - there's no shame in being a customer for their most modest car. I think the mistake can be turning up at a shiny dealership or flashy restaurant and automatically expecting to be treated like royalty.

Panamax said: I think there's a lot in that. I sometimes wonder how people who struggle in car dealerships get on when they visit a decent restaurant. I never hesitate to say "I'd like a decent wine that's not too expensive" and they always come up with something even if the next five pages of the wine list all show three figure prices. Same in car dealerships - there's no shame in being a customer for their most modest car. I think the mistake can be turning up at a shiny dealership or flashy restaurant and automatically expecting to be treated like royalty. Every potential customer should be treated well IMO.

I've dealt with various OPCs over the last 15 years. Like life generally, it seems to vary by individual. Have had arrogant ones, lazy ones and bulls tters. But have also had enthusiasts who're really helpful, like my current one who without a doubt has a genuine interest in them, and aways has time for me Think that them not leaping on you when you come in is a policy as it's the case everywhere I've been recently. Seems like the reception staff ask how they can help when you come in, and from there you can ask for someone from Sales or just say "I'm browsing" and then wander about without being bothered

Twinfan said: Barnsiexkr said: I've done this before - opened doors, sat in the driver's seat, played with the steering wheel etc (like a kid in a sweet shop) and nobody approached me. A couple of sales guys stood chatting a few feet away. Another was sat at his desk reading something. Nobody could be bothered to ask me if I was OK, if I needed any help, if I would like a coffee or a cold drink. I started to pick up brochures and give off as many buying signals as I could. Still nothing. I walked towards the exit, thinking they wouldn't want me to get away - still nothing. Unbelievable and bordering on arrogant indifference. I don't think they're buying signals, they're tyre kicking signals. If you were serious about buying you would have gone straight over to the sales people and asked about placing an order Must admit that I’m firmly in the camp of if I want help, I’ll ask for it so I wouldn’t really be bothered if I wasn’t acknowledged My recent experiences of a few different brand dealers were very positive, I had to walk past reception to get to the showroom but on each occasion I was met with a hello and can I help. Might be a north eastern thing! On a different subject I can confirm that the local BMW dealers coffee is better than my local OPC! Can’t comment on Audi as I wasn’t offered one

I can only speak for my OPC, but they have a Reception desk facing the entrance where the one, or more usually two, members of staff will always greet anyone who comes in and asks how they can help. Not difficult to ask to speak to a member of the sales or service team and they will organise someone. Maybe a few minutes delay but time for a coffee and a walk round the showroom. Having been a customer they know me and my wife, but that doesn’t preclude the same routine for anyone coming in for the first time. Any sales person knows not to prejudge any prospect by their appearance.

Twinfan said: Barnsiexkr said: Fair point. I only have experience of two local OPCs, but they are as bad as each other. My wife had a run-in with one when they told her they couldn't see the Cayman for 6 weeks. It had a problem with the cooling fan regulator and was blowing full-on all the time. It didn't technically make the car undriveable, but it was totally annoying and in the end I had to pull the fuse, so she had no heating/aircon fan at all then). She complained that it was going to take 6 weeks of waiting for a simple job (needed a new hedgehog regulator, as diagnosed by the brilliant Porsche Assist guy). There was no apology - just 'take it or leave it'. She asked to speak to the DP and was told he was 'unavailable' so she asked for a call-back. She's still waiting. The only reason she was taking it to the OPC was that it was a warranty affair. My Indie would have fixed it that week. But yeah, I can believe some are good. But surely they ALL should be? They're selling the finest cars ever made (IMO) but they seem to treat them as a commodity. OK, so rather than the poor attitude of the OPC your issue is now that the workshop was so busy there was a 6 week wait for a repair slot for a car that wasn't off the road. That's not being snotty is it, it's just a result of a lot of people requiring the OPC's workshop services at the same time. What did you expect the OPC to do, potentially prioritise you over other cars with more serious issues? My local Indy currently has a 4-week lead time for new work, and I would expect my OPC to currently be 4-6 weeks. Given the volume of Porsches sold over the last 15-20 years I don't think it's realistic to expect to drop into a decent Porsche specialist or OPC for a repair and have your car fixed in a day or two. Maybe if this is an ongoing problem then we should create a few new jobs ??

Barnsiexkr said: Toyota sell way, way more cars than Porsche. They can run their service departments efficiently, so why not Porsche? And the Toyota people are a delight to deal with, go out of their way to be helpful and certainly make you feel valued as a customer. Like I say, it's not the delay though, so much as the attitude. And I note that you use an Indie and not an OPC The downside to this is you have to buy a Toyota. My OPC is wonderful. Everyone I have interacted with has always gone out of their way to help (when needed) or just have a chat. To be honest, nothing is too much trouble for them and they’ve squeezed me in for work last minute a few times. Sounds like the usual old nonsense, but you do have to put a bit of an effort in if you want anyone to look after you these days. I think a lot of these brands have a huge amount of time wasters and they are all short of actual product to sell. Imagine how many people just wander into the OPCs just for a nosey.

Barnsiexkr said: That is such a shame, but I totally get it. There's a brand new OPC just opened near to us (relocated premises - same OPC) and my wife and I are going to take a look this week. I have a bet on with her that even if she parks her bright yellow Cayman right outside the showroom, when we go in and start looking at cars, we will be ignored. I've done this before - opened doors, sat in the driver's seat, played with the steering wheel etc (like a kid in a sweet shop) and nobody approached me. A couple of sales guys stood chatting a few feet away. Another was sat at his desk reading something. Nobody could be bothered to ask me if I was OK, if I needed any help, if I would like a coffee or a cold drink. I started to pick up brochures and give off as many buying signals as I could. Still nothing. I walked towards the exit, thinking they wouldn't want me to get away - still nothing. Unbelievable and bordering on arrogant indifference. Sounds perfect. I can’t stand being badgered by sales staff - if I want assistance I’ll ask for it. Sound like they were visible and there if you needed something. Serious buyers don’t wonder off without at least a cursory chat. My local OPC were very happy for me to take my lad in when they were closed and clearly setting up for an event. Lots of special cars around so a polite enquiry was met with “sure, come on in!”

I don’t think it’s confined to Porsche but rather a reflection of the DP or equivalent running the dealership. I’ve been “ ignored “ in both Jaguar and Mercedes dealerships when looking for a new car so simply gone to another one. With Porsche I had bought 6 brand new cars and always treated very well at one OPC but then the DP moved on and things then changed drastically for the worse. Aston have always been superb at both dealerships dealt with. Have bought 5 new Audis over the last 4 years and again the dealership is outstanding - mind you in fairness my son sells them.

Geoff39GL said: Maybe if this is an ongoing problem then we should create a few new jobs ?? Indeed, but is there space at the existing OPC site to expand? Or can the OPC afford or justify new premises? There's also the cost of the workstations for technicians which are pretty pricey. I don't think it's just too few staff, they also need the gear to do the job.

I had a strange experience with my OPC. A few years back, before children and just back from the Middle East, I walked into the showroom asking what process would that be to buy a new GT3. This was 991.1 (I think). I had the old "how many cars have you had from us" and a look of disdain when I said, "zero". So I walked away Unsurprisingly, they were difficult to deal with when I wanted a 2nd hand Macan - but another OPC was helpful and got the business - but 200 miles away. Yet right now, they are super friendly, know me and my little 3 year old by name and seem to be genuinely happy to see people in the showroom. With that attitude, their working day must go faster and be a good experience. I now take the Macan there for warranty work - I buy the extended warranty from them - and service - and buy bits for the 911 and they've been exceptional. Couldn't ask for more. Adding - today I'd definitely want to buy a car from them because of the customer experience. It goes to show.

I haven’t bought a car from my OPC for five years. Took my six year old 120k mile Cayenne in for warranty work today, have a 72 plate Cayenne as a loan car. Greeted by name when I walked in because the receptionists clock the reg number and look you up on their computer. We do have three cars that they service and do a fair amount of miles so I seem to be in there every few months but I don’t get the impression I get anything other than the normal treatment. The only thing I would say is that they are busy so it’s generally a month to get a car seen. However, when the warning light came up for the fault that Cayenne is currently in for they told me to pop in so they could check the issue and make sure the car was okay to use. Think I was there for 30 mins.

I've just spent a few weeks dealing with Porsche Glasgow about used Caymans and although I was probably looking at buying the cheapest thing they sold, they were very nice and can't really fault them (apart from trying to add on ceramic coating for a grand and gap insurance that's about 4x the market price, but that's the game I guess). Got great service from the sales person who kept contacting me when good spec cars came up and went out a test drive for decent length of time with them at the weekend. Got greeted at the door both times and asked if I wanted drinks almost to the point of irritation. Even parts were decent when I was asking for prices and said they could do some work for me with about a week's notice. Edited by jeebsy on Wednesday 10th May 08:27

I've had nothing but great service from my local OPC (Portsmouth). I'm bottom of the Porsche owning barrel with my beaten up old 986, but I have been treated superbly every time I've been in there. I am greeted warmly by anyone working there, I've been offered coffee whilst waiting, and I get a proper conversation from my "go to" parts guy. I have only been in for parts, no servicing, but that doesn't make any difference. I'm a customer and they treat me the same as any other. They're so nice that it almost makes me feel awkward!

Mine is excellent and I wouldn’t go anywhere else. The warranty is exemplary too. Porsche monitor them heavily which can’t be fun but it certainly keeps standards high.

My limited experience (with OPC Glasgow) has been very good. When I was looking at buying a used Boxster, Having never drive one, I called and arranged a visit and and they got me a test drive in a Cayman T. I ended up not buying from them as they didn't have what I wanted. I had a recent warranty issue with my 981S and the dealt with it quickly and efficiently and was made to feel like a valued customer even though I was probably at the lower end of their customers / sales point. They also held a R1 PCGB event a month or so ago where they laid on pizza and soft drinks and opened their workshop after hours with mechanics and service staff around and got around 30 cars up on the ramps for a n inspection and owner / mechanic chatting free of charge. Went on for around 5 hrs!

Slippydiff said: Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t springs to mind. If a salesperson walks over and asks if you need any help, they’re “harassing” you. If they ignore you, they’re “indifferent”. If you want to buy a car, make an appointment, they’ll then know you’re serious. If you want to kick tyres and see if the latest Porsche fits your lifestyle needs, just walk in and walk out when you’re done. The average Porsche salesperson is a very different individual compared with what they used to be, even 20 years ago. But when all is said and done, they are sales people, they don’t need to be an enthusiast of either driving, or indeed the brand, to sell them. And I suspect that increasingly, the majority aren’t ... It doesn't, or shouldn't, really wotk like that if the staff are properly trained. This is how a professional sales person does it: They see someone looking at some cars. They approach and say "Hello - I don't want to interrupt you while you are browsing, but my name is Simon and that's my desk over there. If you want anything, just ask and I'll be glad to help". They then leave you alone. What they do NOT do, if professionals, is ignore you, or harrass you.

It seems from the replies that I am just unlucky. I have a choice of two OPCs, both equidistant to my home, and both are so execrable that I just refuse to use them. Having two OPCs handy is a good thing. Having two that are rubbish isn't. So I may be jumping the gun a bit in condemning all OPCs - but one bad apple I could accept, but TWO? Mind you, I am not actually condemning them all, which is why I asked the question in the first place. I am really pleased that most of you are getting good service from your OPC. I just wish I could. Someone commented that a lot of it is likely to be down to the DP, and I agree with that 100%. Company employees take their cue from those above them, and if the person at the top is arrogant, unpleasant to deal with and looks down his/her nose at everyone, then that attitude will permeate the ranks and file too. But there's no way that I will pay for rubbish service, so it's the Indie every time for me these days. Edited by Barnsiexkr on Wednesday 10th May 09:59

Japcreation said: I've had nothing but great service from my local OPC (Portsmouth). I'm bottom of the Porsche owning barrel with my beaten up old 986, but I have been treated superbly every time I've been in there. I am greeted warmly by anyone working there, I've been offered coffee whilst waiting, and I get a proper conversation from my "go to" parts guy. I have only been in for parts, no servicing, but that doesn't make any difference. I'm a customer and they treat me the same as any other. They're so nice that it almost makes me feel awkward! Yep, Portsmouth is my local dealer and I’ve got nothing but good things to say about them. Great guys (and gals) and as a result I’ve bought 5 cars (new and second hand) from them over the last few years.

My OPC is excellent and that's why I've had 2 cars from them however, I went to an OPC that is closer to me to buy my first Porsche and not one salesperson came to see me. Needless to say I walked out and bought from my current OPC. My service guy is superb and always answers my email and takes my calls. Regarding timelines for servicing, I've just tried to book my Son's Kia Picanto in for a service and they don't have a service slot for 8 weeks and that's if you don't need a loaner.

I have to agree with a lot of the posts here. I’m currently in the process of buying my first ever new car from an OPC close to where I live and the experience so far has been absolutely terrible. The sales advisor I’ve been dealing with doesn’t return emails or phone calls and has to be chased for any kind of response. I’ve been amazed at their lack of knowledge about the product they’re selling and have been misinformed about a number of options (I actually phoned another OPC to gain clarity on a number of questions, as I felt I couldn’t trust what I was being told) Trying to organise a test drive took weeks and when I eventually escalated to the Sales Manager, I still didn’t receive a reply. When I finally got the test drive, the car was dirty and poor presented. I’d hoped buying a new car would be an enjoyable experience, however so far it’s been frustrating and disappointing - the OPC in question genuinely doesn’t seem to care, and I can relate to the ‘take it or leave it’ attitude described by others. To provide balance, I’ve bought pre-owned cars from the OPC’s at Bournemouth and Guildford previously and both were excellent. It’s a shame my ‘new car’ buying experience from this OPC falls so short of expectations. Edited by plop71 on Thursday 11th May 00:17

For balance the BMW dealer I used to use has become so sycophantic it’s embarrassing. Can’t stand it.

Just adding my experience. Dealt with Cambridge OPC for 16 yrs, 6 cars over that time, all used, staff and service always been fabulous. Can’t comment on ordering/specing new but doubt that would have been any different aside from frustration on both sides due to delays with component supply issues or trying to get into an oversubscribed GT product. If you want snooty try the local LR dealership.

I’ve bought two new & one used Porsches from OPC’s. On the sales side I’ve found them better than BMW / Mercedes. I surmised it’s because at Porsche I engaged with them first by phone / email, whereas the others I just wandered in.

I can relate to most of these posts. Bought my first Porsche last year, a brand new one at that. My local dealer which is about 2 miles from home were terrible, really stuck up and bad attitude. Even my wife commented on their attitude and she doesn't normally say things like that. Needless to say, I didn't place an order with them, and ended up placing an order with a dealer circa 200 miles away, who were much better. I've had to deal with my second nearest dealer (about 20 miles away) because I ended up picking up a puncture in the first week of ownership, and they really looked after me and my car and I was impressed with the way they handled things. So for future service/warranty work I'll be using them instead of my local dealer. Sadly, I think it's just a way of the World at the moment where politeness and customer service is just fading away. The World is more about showing people what they're doing on social media rather than having respectful face to face communication. I don't think it's long before we'll just be ordering cars online, some manufactures have already started this, including Mercedes-Benz. I think it used to be the case that if you're buying something premium then you should expect a premium service. Sadly, this is not always the case anymore. For example, I've been a member of David Lloyd gyms since around 2008 and recently enquired about upgrading my membership. I was informed by someone at the UK Head Office Memberships Team that some of my legacy benefits that I've had would be lost. What annoyed me was their take it or leave it attitude and no consideration that I've been a longstanding member, with my wife and daughter on my membership too. There was zero effort to try and look after me and come to some kind of compromise. Loyalty and long standing custom counts for nothing it seems even premium brands. Edited by Schuey_911 on Thursday 11th May 09:35

Barnsiexkr said: I've done this before - opened doors, sat in the driver's seat, played with the steering wheel etc (like a kid in a sweet shop) and nobody approached me. A couple of sales guys stood chatting a few feet away. Another was sat at his desk reading something. Nobody could be bothered to ask me if I was OK, if I needed any help, if I would like a coffee or a cold drink. I started to pick up brochures and give off as many buying signals as I could. Still nothing. I walked towards the exit, thinking they wouldn't want me to get away - still nothing. Unbelievable and bordering on arrogant indifference. It is poor. Sure, not every person entering the showroom will be a buyer, but at least acknowledge prospects, as you say 'morning Sir' or 'can I offer you a coffee?' takes zero effort. If I were just window shopping I'd let them know early on, not waste anyones time. I pop in to Gray Paul Ferrari maybe once a year to do just this, and the guys and girls there always pass pleasantries and acknowledge me. I always say something like 'sadly I'm not shopping, but am I OK to have a look around them?' and they're more than happy to oblige and answer any questions I have about the cars. If in this instance you were a buyer, chat would naturally progress, and any sales person worth their wage would soon suss if you were a potential customer.

My recent experience with Porsche Solihull was excellent from a buying perspective. I hadn't made an appointment on my first visit, just walked in and went to the reception desk. A couple of minutes later I was being well looked after by Sophie who asked all the right questions, wasn't pushy and showed me some of the options we'd discussed in cars they had in stock. Went through the configurator, placed order, job done. I'm probably not their best customer as I wasn't using finance etc so significantly less value to them and looked like a tramp compared to most of the other people who appear to have dressed up to go car buying. Subsequent communications were flawless. E-mail updates & easily contactable by phone. PEC Day invite came through within a couple of weeks of placing a deposit and I had a lovely time driving a Turbo S on an invite day.

My local OPC is Cambridge, I have bought two new GTS's from them (991.2 2017 & 992 2022). As my next nearest OPC is Norwich around 60 miles away, its Cambridge or I won't bother, I simply have no time to spend travelling, I need convenience. each to their own. To sum it up, Sadly I will never own another Porsche. I could write pages about my dealings with Cambridge on various issues; communications, attitudes etc, but the Porsche fanboys will try to defend every point, and frankly I'm only interested in my opinion as its the only one that counts for my purposes. Very sad as Porsche ownership was aspirational..

B1ggest said: My local OPC is Cambridge, I have bought two new GTS's from them (991.2 2017 & 992 2022). As my next nearest OPC is Norwich around 60 miles away, its Cambridge or I won't bother, I simply have no time to spend travelling, I need convenience. each to their own. To sum it up, Sadly I will never own another Porsche. I could write pages about my dealings with Cambridge on various issues; communications, attitudes etc, but the Porsche fanboys will try to defend every point, and frankly I'm only interested in my opinion as its the only one that counts for my purposes. Very sad as Porsche ownership was aspirational.. Sorry to hear this pal

B1ggest said: My local OPC is Cambridge, I have bought two new GTS's from them (991.2 2017 & 992 2022). As my next nearest OPC is Norwich around 60 miles away, its Cambridge or I won't bother, I simply have no time to spend travelling, I need convenience. each to their own. To sum it up, Sadly I will never own another Porsche. I could write pages about my dealings with Cambridge on various issues; communications, attitudes etc, but the Porsche fanboys will try to defend every point, and frankly I'm only interested in my opinion as its the only one that counts for my purposes. Very sad as Porsche ownership was aspirational.. Genuinely sorry that you the time you had was so rubbish Sometimes when people say they've had consistently good experiences it's because they actually have had them, and not because they're blinkered fanboys

I've been treated badly and well by all kinds of main dealers. It doesn't seem to be any logic to it. I think to a large extent it all depends on what kind of mood they're in that day. Certainly the OPC in St Albans and the one in Norwich have both been excellent, even though I have never spent large sums of money in either. The Audi main dealer in Norwich has always been good, too. Particular shout out to the Land Rover main dealer in Truro who fixed our Discovery 4 when we were on holiday, even though we went in on the off chance. Contrary wise the London Sports Car Centre in Saint Albans treated us like dirt even though we had an appointment and a £30K cash budget. The Nissan main dealers in Peterborough and Norwich weren't much cop, either.

Not had an issue as such - but the only thing that amazes me is the ridiculous pricing quoted from some of the Porsche owned OPCs, absolutely comical. Took to another OPC further out as prices still high but not utterly mental, I don't mind travelling a bit to save thousands! I can only presume the Porsche owned OPCs are just so busy they actually don't want the business so actively try to discourage it...

M11rph said: I'm probably not their best customer as I wasn't using finance etc so significantly less value to them and looked like a tramp compared to most of the other people who appear to have dressed up to go car buying. . We’ve all seen them…dressed to impress

I had bee a serial BMW buyer decided that itch was scratched so looked around , my attempt to buy a MBenz was unbelievable and as a result I wouldn't have one if you gave it to me , I had always fancied the idea of a Porsche but sort of expected the treatment I got at MB how wrong could I be , went to the Bournemouth OPC had a little wander around , this was at the old premises where the sales bods were all in the upstairs gallery but they could see sales floor and no no one came down and I know this seems to bother some people but wasnt hard to go to reception and ask to speak with someone , chatted with him explained that a 10 minute test drive wasnt going to cut it he told me I could have the car for a day so that turned into a sale on collection I was introduced to sales manager something that never happened with BMW when that car went back for a service I was invited into workshop to look at underside & chat with mechanic small thing but nice, the 718 2.5 that followed had a recall for side vents was told this would take 90 mins so decided to wait as I could use wifi to work at about an hour service guy came over apologized & said it was going to be at least another hour , asked if there was anywhere I could get a sandwiwe ch girl on reception said she was going to get & was happy to get me something which she did , offered to pay was told it was on them , when I picked current car up the sales manager wandered by and greeted me by name , we had a chat about the python green of my new car and he recalled that the BMW I traded in on first car had been metallic orange once again a small thing but it impressed me

First Sea Lord said: Sometimes when people say they've had consistently good experiences it's because they actually have had them, and not because they're blinkered fanboys Agreed, I’m a fan of Porsche cars not OPC’s, but I’ve had good sales experiences so speak as I find.

I think we all need to remember these dealerships now sell more new cars than ever before, which means there service departments struggle to keep up and in general their staff have less time to spend with each customer due to volumes of workload. We will certainly see bigger and more Porsche Dealer built across the Uk in the future, will this bring back the way some of us can remember being treated 15 plus years ago, I’m not to sure as they have a different volume customer base due to the Cayenne, Macan and Tycan. But I do agree, it’s very different walking into my local porsche dealership now compared to 15 years ago. Lucky our dealership has been able to retain some great long term staff who are well invested in the brand and has a very nice DP.

Cheib said: M11rph said: I'm probably not their best customer as I wasn't using finance etc so significantly less value to them and looked like a tramp compared to most of the other people who appear to have dressed up to go car buying. . We’ve all seen them…dressed to impress I tend to go for the "I've escaped my day carer" look.

alscar said: I’ve been “ ignored “ in both Jaguar and Mercedes dealerships when looking for a new car so simply gone to another one. Seems to have died down a bit now but it used to be common on Mercedes forums to get posters complaining that even spending towards £100K or more they were treated the same (ie no sense of occasion) as if they were buying a used A Class. I watched in my local MB dealer as a customer brought his car in for first MOT - so you'd think prime time to flog him a new one. He asked the service advisor for a brochure and she walked him over to the stand and reached in front of the sales manager who was standing there, handed him the brochure, he studied it for a moment then walked off. Not a word from the sales manager. The sales manager is now at the nearby OPC, so maybe that was her interview test!

Sheepshanks said: Seems to have died down a bit now but it used to be common on Mercedes forums to get posters complaining that even spending towards £100K or more they were treated the same (ie no sense of occasion) as if they were buying a used A Class. I watched in my local MB dealer as a customer brought his car in for first MOT - so you'd think prime time to flog him a new one. He asked the service advisor for a brochure and she walked him over to the stand and reached in front of the sales manager who was standing there, handed him the brochure, he studied it for a moment then walked off. Not a word from the sales manager. The sales manager is now at the nearby OPC, so maybe that was her interview test! From memory from my treatment at both the first MB and Jaguar dealerships to even acknowledge me would have been a result ! Certainly not well dressed and almost certainly in trainers but the car we came in was a new M3 at the time -maybe that's where I went wrong ?! On both occasions my wife was also with me who is far nicer on the eye to greet than me anyway. Funnily enough poor treatment at the OPC I doubt had anything to do with my apparel nor paradoxically at Aston either. Judging people from what they are wearing is well past its sale by date anyway.

It is rather strange. After all, they merely work in a shop.

I bought my used Cayman, sight unseen save for a video, from Mid Sussex. The salesman was great, very straightforward to deal with. I was a little exasperated with them trying to get me to sign disclaimers about finance etc (I own a finance brokers specialising in motorsport), especially as I was paying cash with no finance. Could have done without the big reveal from under a black sheet, but thats just me I think. Anyway, subsequent performance from them was exemplary, sorting out a couple of niggles fairly well. Would I buy from them again? Probably, but for the fact they are 150 miles away was a bit of a pain. Overall experience: 9/10. Local OPC? Not purchased from them, but going in for a warranty issue was a bit marmitey tbh.

Mad Scientist said: Why do you need to phone the chippy? Saves queuing. Phone ahead, arrive as its ready - hassle free fish dinner

981Boxess said: Can't find (didn't bother looking) an emoji for deep concern, but imagine one here. When I read that the first time I though you were looking for a handjob emojii.............

blueg33 said: 981Boxess said: Can't find (didn't bother looking) an emoji for deep concern, but imagine one here. When I read that the first time I though you were looking for a handjob emojii............. Are you saying there isn't one, what is wrong with PH, what chances have the likes of Cossers got of making a serious and valid point without one. ( Disclaimer : there may have been an attempt at humour/banter in this post, it was a one off so no need for any concern by anyone lacking a sense of humour )

I asked chat GPT the question in the thread title - the reply was much less interesting than those on here and no one risque comment. The least sentence should be a lesson for all of PH ChatGPT said: It's important to remember that generalizations about any group of people can be misleading, and not all Porsche dealers or their employees are necessarily snotty. However, there may be a perception that some luxury car dealers, including Porsche dealers, can come across as snotty or elitist. There are several reasons why this perception may exist: Brand image: Porsche is known as a luxury and high-performance car brand, and they often cater to a wealthy clientele. As a result, the dealerships may strive to maintain an exclusive and high-end image, which can sometimes be perceived as snooty. Pricing and exclusivity: Porsches are generally expensive vehicles, and owning one can be seen as a status symbol. The high price tag and limited availability of certain models can contribute to an air of exclusivity, which some people may interpret as snootiness. Sales approach: Some luxury car dealerships, including Porsche dealers, may have a more assertive or aggressive sales approach. They may be focused on making sales and catering to customers who are serious about purchasing high-end vehicles. This approach can sometimes be misconstrued as snobbishness. Customer expectations: Customers who visit luxury car dealerships often have high expectations for service and may have certain demands. This can put additional pressure on the dealership staff to meet those expectations, which might inadvertently come across as snobbishness. It's worth noting that not all Porsche dealerships or employees exhibit these behaviors. There are many Porsche dealerships that prioritize providing excellent customer service and creating a welcoming atmosphere for all customers. Personal experiences may vary, so it's important to remember that generalizations should be avoided.

981Boxess said: ( Disclaimer : there may have been an attempt at humour/banter in this post, it was a one off so no need for any concern by anyone lacking a sense of humour ) It’s not a lack of a sense of humour, it’s needing something to be amusing to be amused.

If you think OPC's are snotty when everything is going well, hope you don't experience the flip side! I can put up with snotty if the job is getting done properly. When it is going badly you get snotty with a large dose of denial, a bit of ghosting and all the broken bits are considered a feature or characteristic. I have owned a Porsche for a few years and experienced a couple of OPC's and an approved bodyshop, I will not use the official Porsche network ever again. 1st incident - had to have half the car repainted twice because the work was so poor. 2nd incident - car returned after repairs to brake lines with no brakes. As for the surveys, when the OPC's royally screw it up they don't send that customer a survey, the whole system is rigged. When I reported the 2nd incident to Porsche GB I had to explain to the terminally thick person that not having any brakes was a serious issue, never got any response from them. The whole UK organisation is just rotten from the top down.

My experience with BMW dealers as well in that when they know they have royally screwed up, you would not get the survey

LamedonM said: My experience with BMW dealers as well in that when they know they have royally screwed up, you would not get the survey On one of my last (forced) visits to a local OPC (warranty claim) I made all sorts of fuss about their poor service, poor response to my requests, ridiculously long wait for the car to be seen, failure to provide a franchise car for the courtesy car (despite this being booked several weeks in advance) and so on. Yet, amazingly, they STILL sent me a 'satisfaction survey'. I completed this as honestly and fairly as I could, with some aspects of praise for their staff who had been helpful, but overall my satisfaction was low. I got a request from the service manager to call him back, but I didn't (which kinda makes me as bad as them in this respect, I realise), but I couldn't see the point. All I would be able to do was to repeat what I said in the survey, and I am pretty confident (based on previous experience) they wouldn't have offered me anything tangible to make amends, so I left it. I half-expected them to get in touch again, but they didn't. So at least it seems that this particular OPC sends out the satisfaction surveys even to unhappy customers. Whether they take any action on the survey comments, I have no idea. I hope they do, because otherwise things will never improve. But then again, maybe they just don't GAF as they can easily sell all the cars they make.

I find completely the opposite at Porsche Centre Glasgow. The staff are all very down to earth, friendly and helpful. They’ve held a number of customer events like drive-in cinema and track/sport car together days. Maybe they just have a good HR team and hire a similar type of person, but I find them to be a fantastic dealership. I wasn’t impressed at all by the London OPC I bought the car from, but thankfully my local one is good.

I bought my only new 911 from Mayfair, - I have 2 older ones. The salesman was brilliant from start to finish- from straight out saying 'no' to my GT3 request, explaining the reason which I accepted, to arranging a test drive vey quickly after he let me describe my ideal car. I bought my dream car which turned out to be GTS. I still own it, they don't service it and I have told him i'm not trading in any time soon. Whenever I pop in there he still remembers me, if he has time for a chat we talk about everything from cars to family to the price of a pint. The staff always let me and my teenage son look in and around the display cars - we are respectful and aware of their cleanliness and delicate bits. I have friends who give them much more business, and we all get the same good level of customer service and ultimately we all get dream cars.

It's good to know that there are good OPCs out there. The tragedy is that there are so many that are bad. If only they were all like Mayfair or Glasgow!

OPС South London are very pleasant guys and girls. Tunbridge…..hmmm would go there for anything except parts department who are helpful.

Barnsie said: It's good to know that there are good OPCs out there. The tragedy is that there are so many that are bad. If only they were all like Mayfair or Glasgow! As with most scenarios like this people very rarely start a thread to say how great the service they have received is with any organisation, that is by default is expected to be the norm, they will however do the opposite. I would imagine the vast majority of owners who use OPCs are happy with them but they are not going to come on here and say it, why would they.

981Boxess said: Barnsie said: It's good to know that there are good OPCs out there. The tragedy is that there are so many that are bad. If only they were all like Mayfair or Glasgow! As with most scenarios like this people very rarely start a thread to say how great the service they have received is with any organisation, that is by default is expected to be the norm, they will however do the opposite. I would imagine the vast majority of owners who use OPCs are happy with them but they are not going to come on here and say it, why would they. That may be true, but there is enough material on this thread to suggest that there are significant issues at many OPCs.

981Boxess said: As with most scenarios like this people very rarely start a thread to say how great the service they have received is with any organisation, that is by default is expected to be the norm, they will however do the opposite. I would imagine the vast majority of owners who use OPCs are happy with them but they are not going to come on here and say it, why would they. Yes, that is true. This thread isn't an academic, balanced survey of all OPCs and significant numbers of their customers, and nothing in it can be used to determine the general levels of service provided by OPCs. As you say, people don't generally voice their experiences when those experiences are good. Why would they? 'Good' is the expectation from any company to whom one is paying substantial sums of money (as you also point out). But . . . the negative reports made here are, in my view, damning. In many cases, the service/lack of service received should never happen in any organisation, or if it does, it should be an isolated instance, not the norm from that particular OPC. And, just as most people won't usually start a forum thread to praise the service they have received, there will no doubt be many who have received bad service who do not post here. Pistonheads will represent only a small fraction of Porsche owners, after all. If I was the CEO of Porsche UK and I read this thread, I would be appalled, and I would immediately launch an investigation into why so many forum members are having such bad experiences. Improvements have to come from the top and until that happens, it's likely nothing is going to change.

paulguitar said: 981Boxess said: Barnsie said: It's good to know that there are good OPCs out there. The tragedy is that there are so many that are bad. If only they were all like Mayfair or Glasgow! As with most scenarios like this people very rarely start a thread to say how great the service they have received is with any organisation, that is by default is expected to be the norm, they will however do the opposite. I would imagine the vast majority of owners who use OPCs are happy with them but they are not going to come on here and say it, why would they. That may be true, but there is enough material on this thread to suggest that there are significant issues at many OPCs. Really - a few people not happy versus all the Porsche owners in the UK today who are but have better things to do with there time than post on here, even if they have heard of PH, I don't think so.

981Boxess said: Really - a few people not happy versus all the Porsche owners in the UK today who are but have better things to do with there time than post on here, even if they have heard of PH, I don't think so. It seems as if the thread has upset you. Do you work at an OPC? It would be great to have a link to someone who does, perhaps some good could come out of this thread. Bear in mind there are also likely to be a lot of disgruntled owners who have received shoddy service who also have better things to do with 'there' time than to post here. So the situation actually might be even worse than it appears.

paulguitar said: 981Boxess said: Really - a few people not happy versus all the Porsche owners in the UK today who are but have better things to do with there time than post on here, even if they have heard of PH, I don't think so. It seems as if the thread has upset you. Do you work at an OPC? It would be great to have a link to someone who does, perhaps some good could come out of this thread. Bear in mind there are also likely to be a lot of disgruntled owners who have received shoddy service who also have better things to do with 'there' time than to post here. So the situation actually might be even worse than it appears. Threads don't upset me, I live in the real world, I don't agree that there is a major problem with OPCs, simple as that - my opinion. Like all businesses they will have customer service issues and this thread has just confimed that, nothing more.

981Boxess said: Really - a few people not happy versus all the Porsche owners in the UK today who are but have better things to do with there time than post on here, even if they have heard of PH, I don't think so. What about all the Porsche owners who are not happy but don't post on here? It can't be that every unhappy owner is in this thread.

Barnsie said: 981Boxess said: Really - a few people not happy versus all the Porsche owners in the UK today who are but have better things to do with there time than post on here, even if they have heard of PH, I don't think so. What about all the Porsche owners who are not happy but don't post on here? It can't be that every unhappy owner is in this thread. The only thing this thread has proved is some of the people who have had dealings with OPCs have experienced poor customer service, nothing more. Maybe your title should read: Why are some OPCs so snotty? Instead of suggesting they all are, because as you have already been told by lots of posters they have not found that to be the case.

981Boxess said: The only thing this thread has proved is some of the people who have had dealings with OPCs have experienced poor customer service, nothing more. Yes, I just posted exactly the same thing. 981Boxess said: Maybe your title should read: Why are some OPCs so snotty? Instead of suggesting they all are, because as you have already been told by lots of posters they have not found that to be the case. You seem to be a bit triggered, but I hope not. I agree - lots of posters have said they are happy. And lots have said they are not. Not sure what point you are making there. Nobody has suggested that ALL OPCs are giving poor service, so I am not sure where that is coming from. In fact, there is a good balance of happy/unhappy Porsche owners. If I get the time, I will go through the thread and make a tally of both, so we can see what that balance is. If you are happy with the service you get from your OPC, I am really pleased that you do. But as you can see, a lot of us in the thread are not happy with the service we receive. There's no agenda here to 'bash' Porsche. It's just interesting to read of the scandalously bad service standards many OPCs adhere to (and, of course, of the opposite where that is the case).

Barnsie said: Not sure what point you are making there. Nobody has suggested that ALL OPCs are giving poor service, so I am not sure where that is coming from.. It's coming from your thread title. You're implying "all" by not saying "some" or naming specific OPCs. 981Boxess said: The only thing this thread has proved is some of the people who have had dealings with OPCs have experienced poor customer service, nothing more. Maybe your title should read: Why are some OPCs so snotty? Instead of suggesting they all are, because as you have already been told by lots of posters they have not found that to be the case. I'm with you 100%, but you're shouting at the wind with the OP I think...

Twinfan said: It's coming from your thread title. You're implying "all" by not saying "some" or naming specific OPCs. I'd be happy to change the thread title to "Why are some OPCs etc", but it doesn't look as if thread titles can be edited. AFAIK, Pistonheads policy doesn't allow naming and shaming.

What’s the saying, bad news travels fast! People spread news about bad events very quickly, they very rarely spread good news. To try and add a little positively to this thread, I recently contacted the opc I have used since 2009, I asked them to provide me some information, there’s was nothing in for them. But the contact I reached out to came back to me politely and in a timely manner with the information I asked for. To me that’s good service. Not all opc are bad, nor are all the people who work in them. Yes there must be some bad apples in certain dealerships, but I wouldn’t let these bad apples spoil your relationship with your preferred opc. The porsche network is changing due to suv and electric vehicles, most are probably at capacity and need to expand to keep their service level where they need to be. I’ve said it before, it wouldn’t shock me certain porsche centres move to larger sites and the number of opc dealerships increase across the Uk due to product demand. But one of the biggest challenges they will have is attracting the right staff, without the correct level of staffing the brand will find it difficult to meet the service levels most expect.

I ventured over to Trustpilot to see how other sites were reporting OPC experiences. Not good, I am afraid. Although there are only 22 reviews, which is minuscule, 82% are 1 or 2 star and just 18% are 5 star. The 1 and 2 star reviewers echo the issues raised in this thread.

Barnsie said: I ventured over to Trustpilot to see how other sites were reporting OPC experiences. Not good, I am afraid. Although there are only 22 reviews, which is minuscule, 82% are 1 or 2 star and just 18% are 5 star. The 1 and 2 star reviewers echo the issues raised in this thread. 104 reviews here, with an average rating of 1.7: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.porsche.com That's shocking.

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.rolex.com Rolex aren’t great either. The business model does alienate some folks who’d like a product but cant get a look in due to YouTubers and flippers who seem to get in no problem. Myself and a few others i know who wanted a GMT as working professionals for which the watch was originally created have moved on from Rolex and now choose different manufacturers due to not wanting associations with the current clientele.

paulguitar said: 104 reviews here, with an average rating of 1.7: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.porsche.com That's shocking. Isn't it!

When you have the likes of Shytner and Shytstone taking over more and more dealerships, things will only go one way I'm afraid.

My only experience is with Swindon and Bristol, but they truly couldn’t be friendlier , even when I went n to Swindon for a browse, coffee and an orange club

J Chitty said: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.rolex.com Rolex aren’t great either. The business model does alienate some folks who’d like a product but cant get a look in due to YouTubers and flippers who seem to get in no problem. Myself and a few others i know who wanted a GMT as working professionals for which the watch was originally created have moved on from Rolex and now choose different manufacturers due to not wanting associations with the current clientele. Yes, Rolex's business model is appalling, IMO. I collect watches and have, currently, a couple of Rolexes. The Rolex ADs are atrocious and won't even SHOW you a watch unless you have an appointment - even in an empty shop at 10am on a Monday. There's a 2018 'unworn' GMT 'Batman' on Chrono24 ATM for £14,500, but if you want a 'Pepsi' (as most do it seems, and I don't blame them), you'll either pay well over £20k or wait (literally) for ever on an AD's wait list. I’d never buy a new Rolex due to their ADs and the company's business model. I don't blame you for looking elsewhere. You might choose Seiko's new GMT with a brand new GMT movement that is accurate and reliable. Seiko is a quality brand, with numerous innovations under their belt and a stellar reputation. Go for the Prospex GMT - about £1400 official list price) and you will have a superb timepiece that will last a lifetime - and you will get it within a week if shop online, or the same day if you find one in a Seiko distributorship. Other GMTs I'd go for: Ball AeroGMT Hydrocarbon - Pepsi style bezel - about £3,000 Bell & Ross GMT - also about £3,000 Christopher Ward Trident - £1,200 and a great British name And the truly great Rolex-beater: Tudor Black Bay GMT. This is a watch that is quietly understated and. IMO, is better looking than the Rolex. Yours for about 4 grand. It’s the one I'd go for. Sorry for the OT! Back to OPCs!

Barnsie said: Yes, Rolex's business model is appalling, IMO. I collect watches and have, currently, a couple of Rolexes. The Rolex ADs are atrocious and won't even SHOW you a watch unless you have an appointment - even in an empty shop at 10am on a Monday. There's a 2018 'unworn' GMT 'Batman' on Chrono24 ATM for £14,500, but if you want a 'Pepsi' (as most do it seems, and I don't blame them), you'll either pay well over £20k or wait (literally) for ever on an AD's wait list. I’d never buy a new Rolex due to their ADs and the company's business model. I don't blame you for looking elsewhere. You might choose Seiko's new GMT with a brand new GMT movement that is accurate and reliable. Seiko is a quality brand, with numerous innovations under their belt and a stellar reputation. Go for the Prospex GMT - about £1400 official list price) and you will have a superb timepiece that will last a lifetime - and you will get it within a week if shop online, or the same day if you find one in a Seiko distributorship. Other GMTs I'd go for: Ball AeroGMT Hydrocarbon - Pepsi style bezel - about £3,000 Bell & Ross GMT - also about £3,000 Christopher Ward Trident - £1,200 and a great British name And the truly great Rolex-beater: Tudor Black Bay GMT. This is a watch that is quietly understated and. IMO, is better looking than the Rolex. Yours for about 4 grand. It’s the one I'd go for. Sorry for the OT! Back to OPCs! Interesting post but not being a big watch fan, (though I do own a Rolex day/date) Google was definitely required. WTF do the following actually mean? AD GMT 'Batman Chrono24 ATM Pepsi - Is that a watch? Seiko GMT Prospex GMT

anonymous said: [redacted] Great, we’ll all go there

paulguitar said: Barnsie said: I ventured over to Trustpilot to see how other sites were reporting OPC experiences. Not good, I am afraid. Although there are only 22 reviews, which is minuscule, 82% are 1 or 2 star and just 18% are 5 star. The 1 and 2 star reviewers echo the issues raised in this thread. 104 reviews here, with an average rating of 1.7: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.porsche.com That's shocking. Only a small percentage of vehicle owners will use Trustpilot to leave positive feedback on the brand; it's very much biased towards the negative experiences, which are of course valid, but I wouldn't put too much weight on the score. Even brands like Lexus, which typically score well on customer satisfaction surveys, don't score well on Trustpilot. If you really want a laugh, take a look at Landrover!

Nuttcase said: Only a small percentage of vehicle owners will use Trustpilot to leave positive feedback on the brand; it's very much biased towards the negative experiences, which are of course valid, but I wouldn't put too much weight on the score. Even brands like Lexus, which typically score well on customer satisfaction surveys, don't score well on Trustpilot. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

bad company said: Interesting post but not being a big watch fan, (though I do own a Rolex day/date) Google was definitely required. WTF do the following actually mean? AD GMT 'Batman Chrono24 ATM Pepsi - Is that a watch? Seiko GMT Prospex GMT AD = Authorised Dealer GMT Batman = Rolex Master with a blue & black Bezel Chrono24 = Grey Market Dealer Pepsi = Rolex GMT with a blue & red Bezel like the Tudor in the picture Seiko & Prospex are both GMT watches from Seiko , IE watches that can tell the time in two different time zones invented for pilots I believe With regard to attitude I did go in to my local Rolex AD to enquire about a Panda faced Daytona , his expression was rather like I had asked if I could take a sh!t on the showroom floor and was met with complete disinterest decided I wasnt going to play and bought a Breitling Navitimer instead

Charlie_1 said: his expression was rather like I had asked if I could take a sh!t on the showroom floor and was met with complete disinterest I usually get a similar response when I ask for tap water in a decent restaurant rather than the poncy stuff they serve at great mark up.

Armitage.Shanks said: Charlie_1 said: his expression was rather like I had asked if I could take a sh!t on the showroom floor and was met with complete disinterest I usually get a similar response when I ask for tap water in a decent restaurant rather than the poncy stuff they serve at great mark up. Yep, bottled water is a big scam. They have to provide you with tap water by law, but if I go to a restaurant where they serve it with any kind of attitude I tend not to return.

As with everything, generalisation is the enemy of accuracy. Porsche service varies between dealers and sometimes it’s just down to whether the advisor is having a bad day - they are human. Sometimes it happens. In my experience there’s a big OPC north of the the M25 that does professional but not overly friendly servicing, one west of the M25 that had given me good service but then was so rude to me I wont go back (I had to tell the person that I wouldn’t be spoken to like that) and one within the M25 on the west side that lots of people bad mouth but was perfectly reasonable and very friendly. And good service doesn’t and shouldn’t matter how much you are spending. I’ve had good service with 996 in for a minor and terrible with a GT3 in for a major.

I used Porsche Chester for both my previous 2 GT cars that I bought, serviced and had warranty work with. Service was always exceptional in any regard. Always felt looked after and if I had any of my kids with me they quite often walked out with a model or a hat etc. Was all rather lovely. Can't say the same of Audi or Mercedes.

Bobskirs6 said: I used Porsche Chester for both my previous 2 GT cars that I bought, serviced and had warranty work with. Service was always exceptional in any regard. Always felt looked after and if I had any of my kids with me they quite often walked out with a model or a hat etc. Was all rather lovely. Can't say the same of Audi or Mercedes. Fabulous. That is how it should be. Nice touch to look after the kids too - future customers!

Bobskirs6 said: I used Porsche Chester for both my previous 2 GT cars that I bought, serviced and had warranty work with. Service was always exceptional in any regard. Always felt looked after and if I had any of my kids with me they quite often walked out with a model or a hat etc. Was all rather lovely. Can't say the same of Audi or Mercedes. Yep used to deal with Chester OPC a few years ago their overall standards certainly exceed the majority of OPCs. Only left them because they didn't give me the Porsche GTs I wanted without buying the vanilla stuff too.

paulguitar said: Yep, bottled water is a big scam. They have to provide you with tap water by law, but if I go to a restaurant where they serve it with any kind of attitude I tend not to return. Yeah, did this at a couple of 3* restaurants I went to, after the one previously charged £12 for bottled water. The waiter was a little snooty and made sure they overheard me speaking with my partner that as I am paying £600 for dinner, I can forgo the attitude around water.

Barnsie said: Yes, Rolex's business model is appalling, IMO. I collect watches and have, currently, a couple of Rolexes. The Rolex ADs are atrocious and won't even SHOW you a watch unless you have an appointment - even in an empty shop at 10am on a Monday. There's a 2018 'unworn' GMT 'Batman' on Chrono24 ATM for £14,500, but if you want a 'Pepsi' (as most do it seems, and I don't blame them), you'll either pay well over £20k or wait (literally) for ever on an AD's wait list. I’d never buy a new Rolex due to their ADs and the company's business model. I don't blame you for looking elsewhere. You might choose Seiko's new GMT with a brand new GMT movement that is accurate and reliable. Seiko is a quality brand, with numerous innovations under their belt and a stellar reputation. Go for the Prospex GMT - about £1400 official list price) and you will have a superb timepiece that will last a lifetime - and you will get it within a week if shop online, or the same day if you find one in a Seiko distributorship. Other GMTs I'd go for: Ball AeroGMT Hydrocarbon - Pepsi style bezel - about £3,000 Bell & Ross GMT - also about £3,000 Christopher Ward Trident - £1,200 and a great British name And the truly great Rolex-beater: Tudor Black Bay GMT. This is a watch that is quietly understated and. IMO, is better looking than the Rolex. Yours for about 4 grand. It’s the one I'd go for. Sorry for the OT! Back to OPCs! Couldn't agree more!

I have had no issues with Porsche Mid-Sussex tbh, always been friendly and great whenever I have gone in for Service/MOT/check ups. Lexus on the other hand...... absolutely awful. Was spoken down to by some utter cretin who could barely understand anything I said or understand any request I had. To be honest, from the receptionists to the service, every one seems stoned.

Swine Enthusiast said: Couldn't agree more!

Although 10 years ago after I had bought my 993 from an independent dealer it had to go to Newcastle OPC for the airbag system to be put right. They could not have been more accomodating. They had to keep car overnight so arranged a courtesy car for me and when I arrived next day they kept me filled with bacon rolls and cups of tea until the car was ready.

All , I really thought I had struck gold this week. I was informed My Targa 4 GTS will be ready for me to pick up tomorrow (Friday) at 2:30pm from Guildford. Have been waiting for what seems like an age. Ordered back in March 22 when Guildford bought back my C2S for a battery drain fault they could not fix. All forgiven. My order was accepted 15th Jan 23 with an April build date. It was shipped out of Emden on the 15th May, and has since sat at Sheerness since the 17th May 23. 1st world problem given all the 'bad' thats going on in the world. So, in anticipation of taking delivery in time for weekend I have spun up the insurance and paid in full to start midnight (12:01) tonight , parted with £269 for Porsche Security package (PVTS), and more importantly executed the Finance wire transfer (in flight to a Porsche bank account as I write this)........All good stuff and Porsche, all is forgiven for delays ,crap communication and all your faults for sure (we are best buddies now) as I am now 100% committed and have shown all my cards. "Oh wait , an e mail from Porsche Guildford", probably just wanting to welcome me back in to the Porsche family and ask if there is anything else they can do to make my experience more enjoyable. "I am really sorry to say, that I have just looked to get the car in the showroom, as I was under the impression from Alice that the car was arriving earlier this week. It turns out the car hasn’t arrived yet. I can hold out and see if it arrives tomorrow as it has been assigned to a transporter for a little while, but there has been a huge backlog due to driver shortages. I should get an update on any deliveries for tomorrow later today and can keep you in the loop. Again, please accept my apologies for the oversight on my part." I really just dont know what to say, apart what a pile of incompetence and unprofessionalism around one of the most distinguishable brands in the industry.....Almost close to tears out of annoyance.

Dkm2103 said: All , I really thought I had struck gold this week. I was informed My Targa 4 GTS will be ready for me to pick up tomorrow (Friday) at 2:30pm from Guildford. Have been waiting for what seems like an age. Ordered back in March 22 when Guildford bought back my C2S for a battery drain fault they could not fix. All forgiven. My order was accepted 15th Jan 23 with an April build date. It was shipped out of Emden on the 15th May, and has since sat at Sheerness since the 17th May 23. 1st world problem given all the 'bad' thats going on in the world. So, in anticipation of taking delivery in time for weekend I have spun up the insurance and paid in full to start midnight (12:01) tonight , parted with £269 for Porsche Security package (PVTS), and more importantly executed the Finance wire transfer (in flight to a Porsche bank account as I write this)........All good stuff and Porsche, all is forgiven for delays ,crap communication and all your faults for sure (we are best buddies now) as I am now 100% committed and have shown all my cards. "Oh wait , an e mail from Porsche Guildford", probably just wanting to welcome me back in to the Porsche family and ask if there is anything else they can do to make my experience more enjoyable. "I am really sorry to say, that I have just looked to get the car in the showroom, as I was under the impression from Alice that the car was arriving earlier this week. It turns out the car hasn’t arrived yet. I can hold out and see if it arrives tomorrow as it has been assigned to a transporter for a little while, but there has been a huge backlog due to driver shortages. I should get an update on any deliveries for tomorrow later today and can keep you in the loop. Again, please accept my apologies for the oversight on my part." I really just dont know what to say, apart what a pile of incompetence and unprofessionalism around one of the most distinguishable brands in the industry.....Almost close to tears out of annoyance. Sit back and take it all in your stride.. you better get used it this as since pre-Covid the usual '3 months' Porsche turn around which you would of bet your house on! is now down the road and round the corner, very unlikely to return

Barnsie said: Bobskirs6 said: I used Porsche Chester for both my previous 2 GT cars that I bought, serviced and had warranty work with. Service was always exceptional in any regard. Always felt looked after and if I had any of my kids with me they quite often walked out with a model or a hat etc. Was all rather lovely. Can't say the same of Audi or Mercedes. Fabulous. That is how it should be. Nice touch to look after the kids too - future customers! Another thumbs up for Chester. Always friendly, helpful and obviously huge fans of the brand - that's from Service and Sales and all the way up to the DP. Looking forward to their trackday at Oulton Park next week.......

I too have a good feeling about OPC Chester, my pal has used them for service and warranty work and has no complaints. I went to Chester for their 75th anniversary bash on the Sunday after attending the Bolton/Wilmslow/Stockport event at Media City. The Media City gig was eventful but pointless, given the open access to all, the requirement to obtain a (free) ticket from Eventbrite. I naively thought it might be for catering, but no there was nothing, attendees were expected to use the permanent establishments like Costa Coffee etc. I mentioned this with PCGB R5 (I'm not a member and unlikely to be) who appeared to get defensive. Roll forward to Chester who on both days had a complimentary burger and ice cream stall on site making the effort. The staff were very accommodating and approachable as if nothing was too much trouble. Well done. Trouble is Chester is not my nearest, both Wilmslow and Stockport are but if the service prices are near the same Chester will get my business.