[zx10guy]

I really think it depends on the individual employee. The service advisors I've worked with at Ford and BMW made the biggest difference in my experience with service. In the case of Ford, the SA took the extra step of having my car re-examined by another tech when the initial tech threw his hands up and essentially said he gives up/there's nothing to do. The SA and I stood there staring at each other stunned by the mechanic's behavior. That led to my car being in the shop for a month and half while the new tech went back and forth with Ford tech support to come up with a solution.

My experience with BMW was due to the service advisors I've worked with. The initial one was great. Stepped up and went to management to get things pushed through with warranty issues. And when he left, I asked him to recommend another advisor there I would be able to work with. The referral has also panned out well. It also helps both are car guys and in the case of the new SA, he's also a motorcyclist. Both of them emphasized that part of their bonus structure is to get top marks in after service feedback. I've also taken the extra step and had a talk with their manager to express how happy I am with their service.

Had a positive experience at an Acura dealer for the ex wife's car when I was still married. The mechanic went over some things the car needed and just did some service free of charge. I asked to see him after picking the car up and gave him a cash tip.

With my BMW motorcycle, I'm on a friendly basis with the parts manager at my dealer. We're actually FB friends. He's helped with discounts and has actually driven me to the dealership when I needed a ride to pick up my bike since we live not too far from each other.

So while many of these employees are coin operated, there are still those out there that go above and beyond.

As to the large conglomerates scooping up dealerships, the feedback from a friend that is a tech at one of these conglomerates, it's for the worse. The work environment is changing such that the experienced techs are either leaving to work in a better environment or just leaving the industry altogether.