I took my 2014 Model S to the Raleigh Service Center on December 26, 2022. I had a TPMS warning message that would not go away. This was the fifth time I have tried to get this fixed. The last time I went in (July 2022) the fix lasted a day then the warning message came back, but also there was a loose bolt or screw somewhere in the dash that kept moving when I turned. The previous appointments were fine - not good not great. I am out of warranty so I understand that I will be paying for services. I appreciate the Uber credit as well.
This time around I had quite possibly the worst service appointment imaginable. To the point that I will most likely not be buying another Tesla.
The service rep that I was talking with was named Valerie, who said she was a senior service rep. Her first greeting to me was to to tell me I am out of warranty and I would be not be getting an Uber credit. Again this is fine I was aware as the app sent an auto message saying the same thing. I had already called a Lyft. I mentioned to her that one of the tires was loosing 7 psi a day for the past 5 days and I had been filling it up since this appointment was coming. I had put it on the chat and requested she add it to the ticket. All good. That was Monday and both the app and Valerie said that work should be done by the end of the day.
End of the day the work had not started and I was given an estimate for completion at the end of Tuesday.
End of Tuesday Valerie calls me and said the work was difficult and my car was old so they needed another service tech to work on it. I asked when the car would be done and she said it maybe Wednesday or Thursday. I requested a loaner since this was the a fifth time they were trying to fix things, I had already spent $500 last time for this same fix and they already had the car for two days. This is when everything went off the rails. Valerie kept saying that my car was out of warranty and I would not get a loaner. She suggested that I trade in the car for parts and buy a new car as they have some kind of promotion going. Sell a working car for a warning light. I told her that if I had known that it would take four to five days, I would have rented a car. She said my car was old and the repair difficult, I mentioned that she knew on Monday this was the case. She again mentioned I was out of warranty. Fine I asked her if the tire pressure issue was on the ticket. She said they check the tire every visit. I again reiterate that my first chat message detailed the issue with the tire was that on the ticket? She said I should have put that in the original appointment on the app and not the chat. I did not remind her of our first discussion about this but asked her to put it on the ticket now which she said she would. I requested the name of a manager. I was given and email for Robert Garcia.
Day 3. Emailed Robert and spelled out all that had happened. His response was terse but professional. He would make sure the TPMS warning light issue would be taken care of and I would get a loaner. So I sent a message to Valerie on the app requesting a loaner and also left a voice message. This was at 1pm. I received a message on the app at 5:10 pm that since it was so late they could not clean a car in time to give me a loaner as they close at 5pm. I emailed Robert with this update and requested the loaner in the morning.
Day 4. Robert emails saying the vehicle is done and the TPMS issue resolved. Great. I email back asing if I can pick up the car as the app had not sent an updated estimate or a bill to accept. I also wanted to know if the wheel issue was taken care of. Valerie calls 11 am asking about the wheel issue. I again read her the very first chat message I had sent four days ago now detailing that there was an issue with the tire. She said I should have said tire and not wheel. Again I reiterated that in the chat and when I had spoken to her several times earlier I had said tire and wanted it put on the ticket. She again went into her script about being out of warranty and how I should use the app. I simply requested her to have a tech look at the tire see if there was a leak, if there was to replace the tire. If they could not get this done in one day I would come by now and pick up a loaner. She said her tech was out for lunch and would look at the tire at 1pm.
At 3 pm, I sent a string of emails to Robert, the app, and a voice mail at Tesla service. No replies. At 4pm I simply state in the app that I will be coming to pick up the car or a loaner. In the Lyft ride there I get a message on the app saying that they close at 5pm, I am out of warranty and I will not get a loaner. I copy and image of that and email it to Robert. He emails back saying I should speak with Valerie to get a loaner as it seems the car is not complete.
I get to the service station at 4:30. The only person working the counter is Valerie. I say hello and request either my car or a loaner. Here things go from bad to worse. Valerie comes through with all the things I have done wrong:
1. Why did I not come earlier? (I had no communication from her, Robert or the app to come earlier)
2. You can't show up 30 minutes before closing expecting a loander. (If I had known to come earlier I would have).
3. I did not approve the estimate (I was never given an estimate, while we were speaking she sent an estimate and said see there it is, I told her I literally saw her just send it).
4. I need to talk to Robert not her (We both know he is not here, She should really work it out with him after I am taken care of).
5. Why had I not added the tire to the original ticket (that ticket was made by the service rep because the service before did not fix the problem).
Each time I show her either the email or chat message or show her that I never received an updated estimate or message to come and get a loaner or my vehicle. She went to get Robert who had left. She went over the estimate ($1500 to upgrade the harness - again I told her this is the fifth time and I had already paid last time and the initial estimate was $0). At every interaction she seemed to want to escalate. She would point things out that I had incorrectly and when given the email/app messages to the contrary would move to the next things. I am sad to say that I reached my limit at this point and went off four about 20 seconds. I told her that if they are competing with BMW/Mercedes/Lexus in terms of service they are not close (Valerie asserted that they were not competing against them by the way). She then told me the best she could do is get someone to fix the tire after hours and I could leave me my car. During that time I emailed Robert, I got an automated message saying he had left for the day and would be back 01/03.
Finally another manager named Shawn came out, I gave him the synopsis. He said they would get the tire fixed and I would get my car. I asked him what happens as I am driving home and the warning light pop back on. He gave me his cell number and said just call me if that happens.
As I waited for the tire to get fixed I introduced myself to every person picking up a Tesla in the show room (they also need more sales associates as that now takes more than an hour), and told them my five appointment story about getting a warning light fixed. They are probably ok if under warranty and probably even more ok if they don't come to the Raleigh service center.
Finally get my car back after an hour, the loose screw noise was still present. Called Shawn, he and I took a drive and he set up another appointment for Jan 24.
In retrospect. Both Robert and Valerie are not good at working as a team to address customer issues. Valerie is antagonistic, she is looking to get a reaction. I am not sure if this is willful or her way of being "helpful" This service center is woefully inadequate for the amount of money you pay for the car.
This time around I had quite possibly the worst service appointment imaginable. To the point that I will most likely not be buying another Tesla.
The service rep that I was talking with was named Valerie, who said she was a senior service rep. Her first greeting to me was to to tell me I am out of warranty and I would be not be getting an Uber credit. Again this is fine I was aware as the app sent an auto message saying the same thing. I had already called a Lyft. I mentioned to her that one of the tires was loosing 7 psi a day for the past 5 days and I had been filling it up since this appointment was coming. I had put it on the chat and requested she add it to the ticket. All good. That was Monday and both the app and Valerie said that work should be done by the end of the day.
End of the day the work had not started and I was given an estimate for completion at the end of Tuesday.
End of Tuesday Valerie calls me and said the work was difficult and my car was old so they needed another service tech to work on it. I asked when the car would be done and she said it maybe Wednesday or Thursday. I requested a loaner since this was the a fifth time they were trying to fix things, I had already spent $500 last time for this same fix and they already had the car for two days. This is when everything went off the rails. Valerie kept saying that my car was out of warranty and I would not get a loaner. She suggested that I trade in the car for parts and buy a new car as they have some kind of promotion going. Sell a working car for a warning light. I told her that if I had known that it would take four to five days, I would have rented a car. She said my car was old and the repair difficult, I mentioned that she knew on Monday this was the case. She again mentioned I was out of warranty. Fine I asked her if the tire pressure issue was on the ticket. She said they check the tire every visit. I again reiterate that my first chat message detailed the issue with the tire was that on the ticket? She said I should have put that in the original appointment on the app and not the chat. I did not remind her of our first discussion about this but asked her to put it on the ticket now which she said she would. I requested the name of a manager. I was given and email for Robert Garcia.
Day 3. Emailed Robert and spelled out all that had happened. His response was terse but professional. He would make sure the TPMS warning light issue would be taken care of and I would get a loaner. So I sent a message to Valerie on the app requesting a loaner and also left a voice message. This was at 1pm. I received a message on the app at 5:10 pm that since it was so late they could not clean a car in time to give me a loaner as they close at 5pm. I emailed Robert with this update and requested the loaner in the morning.
Day 4. Robert emails saying the vehicle is done and the TPMS issue resolved. Great. I email back asing if I can pick up the car as the app had not sent an updated estimate or a bill to accept. I also wanted to know if the wheel issue was taken care of. Valerie calls 11 am asking about the wheel issue. I again read her the very first chat message I had sent four days ago now detailing that there was an issue with the tire. She said I should have said tire and not wheel. Again I reiterated that in the chat and when I had spoken to her several times earlier I had said tire and wanted it put on the ticket. She again went into her script about being out of warranty and how I should use the app. I simply requested her to have a tech look at the tire see if there was a leak, if there was to replace the tire. If they could not get this done in one day I would come by now and pick up a loaner. She said her tech was out for lunch and would look at the tire at 1pm.
At 3 pm, I sent a string of emails to Robert, the app, and a voice mail at Tesla service. No replies. At 4pm I simply state in the app that I will be coming to pick up the car or a loaner. In the Lyft ride there I get a message on the app saying that they close at 5pm, I am out of warranty and I will not get a loaner. I copy and image of that and email it to Robert. He emails back saying I should speak with Valerie to get a loaner as it seems the car is not complete.
I get to the service station at 4:30. The only person working the counter is Valerie. I say hello and request either my car or a loaner. Here things go from bad to worse. Valerie comes through with all the things I have done wrong:
1. Why did I not come earlier? (I had no communication from her, Robert or the app to come earlier)
2. You can't show up 30 minutes before closing expecting a loander. (If I had known to come earlier I would have).
3. I did not approve the estimate (I was never given an estimate, while we were speaking she sent an estimate and said see there it is, I told her I literally saw her just send it).
4. I need to talk to Robert not her (We both know he is not here, She should really work it out with him after I am taken care of).
5. Why had I not added the tire to the original ticket (that ticket was made by the service rep because the service before did not fix the problem).
Each time I show her either the email or chat message or show her that I never received an updated estimate or message to come and get a loaner or my vehicle. She went to get Robert who had left. She went over the estimate ($1500 to upgrade the harness - again I told her this is the fifth time and I had already paid last time and the initial estimate was $0). At every interaction she seemed to want to escalate. She would point things out that I had incorrectly and when given the email/app messages to the contrary would move to the next things. I am sad to say that I reached my limit at this point and went off four about 20 seconds. I told her that if they are competing with BMW/Mercedes/Lexus in terms of service they are not close (Valerie asserted that they were not competing against them by the way). She then told me the best she could do is get someone to fix the tire after hours and I could leave me my car. During that time I emailed Robert, I got an automated message saying he had left for the day and would be back 01/03.
Finally another manager named Shawn came out, I gave him the synopsis. He said they would get the tire fixed and I would get my car. I asked him what happens as I am driving home and the warning light pop back on. He gave me his cell number and said just call me if that happens.
As I waited for the tire to get fixed I introduced myself to every person picking up a Tesla in the show room (they also need more sales associates as that now takes more than an hour), and told them my five appointment story about getting a warning light fixed. They are probably ok if under warranty and probably even more ok if they don't come to the Raleigh service center.
Finally get my car back after an hour, the loose screw noise was still present. Called Shawn, he and I took a drive and he set up another appointment for Jan 24.
In retrospect. Both Robert and Valerie are not good at working as a team to address customer issues. Valerie is antagonistic, she is looking to get a reaction. I am not sure if this is willful or her way of being "helpful" This service center is woefully inadequate for the amount of money you pay for the car.
