The Ridiculous Service Process that Is Tesla Motors

[SocalMS]

I have a Tesla Model S that is several years old and wanted to purchase the extended warranty.

I dread speaking to anyone in Tesla service. If find them to be rude, indifferent, unmotivated, and basically uncaring.

I call my local Tesla service center. I get the sales dept, because I am buying something...

Fortunately I get someone on the phone (most times you won't).

The sales person blandly tells me I have the wrong dept. I need to speak to someone in the service center. I tell him, I did call the service center. He says I have the sales dept. He reminds me that I need to hit the option for service....... (fine..)... He offers to transfer me.. I thank him.

The phone is ringing... I fully expect to get voice mail. Wow.. I actually got a human being. I tell him I'm interested in buying the extended service.

He asks me for my Vin#. He then tells me to visit Tesla.com and do a search for "Extended Warranty". I remind him that I want to purchase the extended warranty. How do I do that?

He says I should read up on the extended warranty service first...

silence... more silence...

I tell him I've already read it and I want to buy it... How do I do that?

He says I need to set an appointment....

silence.... more silence...

I'm starting to feel frustrated...

I say.. so let's set an appointment..... He tells me I can set an appointment or they can send me the contract through email and I can sign it and scan it back....

I tell him that's what I'd like... let's do it through email......

silence.... silence...

I ask again... SO HOW DO I DO THIS?

He tells me again, set an appointment on your app and someone will get back to you.....

I'm perplexed... I don't recall seeing anything on the app for buying any extended warranties...

I tell him about my confusion through this process..

He says I should select, "other" and then indicate that I want to buy an extended warranty, and that someone will then get back to me, through the mobile Tesla App....

Dumbfounded by this process and the utter apathy expressed by Tesla's service personnel....

Tesla stock sits at an all time high of 1405.00 and a market cap of $260 Billion... Go figure...

 

[PhilDavid]

Tesla service is miserable.

I'm in the middle of scheduling a service appointment and no car dealer would make this process so miserable. It's like they combined the worst aspects of the US Postal Service and an unhelpful foreign call center and used that as the basis on how to provide absolutely miserable service.

My father is staying with us for a short time and due to his age, we are not taking any unnecessary chances so this means not using Uber. I'm not going to risk contracting the virus and bring it home to infect my father.

I'm trying to schedule a service appointment with Tesla and explained to them how we have an elderly person in the house and can't risk that person's health. I mentioned how we are flexible with the timing of the service appointment but would need a loaner. I said you can schedule it a few weeks or even a month from now but could you please arrange for us to have a loaner.

Basically told me to go pound sand. No empathy. No humanity. No understanding. No let me understand your situation and see if we can help you out.

Best car I've ever owned. Worst service I've ever experienced with a car.

With the Mercedes we used to own, this would be a non issue. They always have loaners and you even have the option to drop off your car the afternoon before your service date so they get to your car first thing in the morning. And we paid more than twice for the Tesla than we paid for that Mercedes for this poor service.

I love Tesla but they really need to figure out a way to fix service and employ human beings who care and can resolve things for customers.

How I wish I could take my Tesla to the local Mercedes dealer for service.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Tesla "Customer Service" support is the worst!

/thread

 

[Fred42]

Tesla service is miserable.

I'm in the middle of scheduling a service appointment and no car dealer would make this process so miserable. It's like they contracted the US Postal Service to handle service.

My father is staying with us for a short time and due to his age, we are not taking any unnecessary chances so this means not using Uber.

I'm trying to schedule a service appointment with Tesla and explained to them how we have an elderly person in the house and can't risk that person;s health but we are flexible with the service appointment but would need a loaner. I said you can schedule it a few weeks or even a month from now but could you please arrange for us to have a loaner.

Basically told me to go pound sand.

Best car I've ever had. Worse service I've ever had.

The Enterprise location in Wayne on US30 a few minutes east of the Devon, PA store offers pick-up service.

 

[PhilDavid]

I have a Tesla Model S that is several years old and wanted to purchase the extended warranty.

I dread speaking to anyone in Tesla service. If find them to be rude, indifferent, unmotivated, and basically uncaring.

I call my local Tesla service center. I get the sales dept, because I am buying something...

Fortunately I get someone on the phone (most times you won't).

The sales person blandly tells me I have the wrong dept. I need to speak to someone in the service center. I tell him, I did call the service center. He says I have the sales dept. He reminds me that I need to hit the option for service....... (fine..)... He offers to transfer me.. I thank him.

The phone is ringing... I fully expect to get voice mail. Wow.. I actually got a human being. I tell him I'm interested in buying the extended service.

He asks me for my Vin#. He then tells me to visit Tesla.com and do a search for "Extended Warranty". I remind him that I want to purchase the extended warranty. How do I do that?

He says I should read up on the extended warranty service first...

silence... more silence...

I tell him I've already read it and I want to buy it... How do I do that?

He says I need to set an appointment....

silence.... more silence...

I'm starting to feel frustrated...

I say.. so let's set an appointment..... He tells me I can set an appointment or they can send me the contract through email and I can sign it and scan it back....

I tell him that's what I'd like... let's do it through email......

silence.... silence...

I ask again... SO HOW DO I DO THIS?

He tells me again, set an appointment on your app and someone will get back to you.....

I'm perplexed... I don't recall seeing anything on the app for buying any extended warranties...

I tell him about my confusion through this process..

He says I should select, "other" and then indicate that I want to buy an extended warranty, and that someone will then get back to me, through the mobile Tesla App....

Dumbfounded by this process and the utter apathy expressed by Tesla's service personnel....

Tesla stock sits at an all time high of 1405.00 and a market cap of $260 Billion... Go figure...

I was able to purchase my extended warranty over the phone.

The person I spoke with was able to locate my account, processed the ESA over the phone and I received an invoice over email.

Here's the trick:

• Call a Tesla Service Center that also has a Tesla Store where they have sales people answer the phone. While they don;t have people to answer service calls, they have plenty of people to answer sales calls
• Select the option for new car sales and them explain how you are an owner and need to purchase the ESA.
• They should be able to transfer you to someone who can process your ESA.

Also check your My Tesla account online to see if you see the option to purchase the ESA under your account.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Who's going to buy TeslaServiceSucks.com first? lol. Seeing more and more of these stories, my self included. Service needs overhauled and fast.

 

[PhilDavid]

@Cheburashka thinks my service situation is so funny because I'm trying to be careful since I have my elderly father living in the house with me with preexisting conditions. God forbid he gets this virus, his life is in danger and I'm not taking any chances riding in an Uber while my car is in for service.

Yeah let's see how funny @Cheburashka thinks service is when it's HIS turn to receive poor service.

Yeah it is HILARIOUS to receive poor service.

Basically receive poor service, bow your head down, and say "Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?" Right?!

 

[Cheburashka]

Sorry, I can't help but laugh at this point. Tesla service is comically terrible. I'm not really laughing at you.

I have service scheduled for next month and my expectations are absolutely zero. As long as the car isn't more broken when I get it back, I consider that a win with Tesla service.

 

[zanary]

I just walked into a service center, and did the whole transaction in person in under 10 minutes. Invoice and got confirmation of the extended warranty...

 

[jimmym1981]

Tesla service needs a complete overhaul. Is it great to schedule service in the app and have a mobile car come and do it, absolutely. But when you need to talk to an actual human being, it is always miserable..and that is IF you can get ahold of someone.

Hopefully this will slowly change for the better. I don't see the harm with the 200B+ market cap that they cannot open a call center just for service issues.

 

[Cheburashka]

Last time I tried calling a service center nobody picked up the phone and the voice mail was full.

 

[SocalMS]

I was able to purchase my extended warranty over the phone.

The person I spoke with was able to locate my account, processed the ESA over the phone and I received an invoice over email.

Here's the trick:

• Call a Tesla Service Center that also has a Tesla Store where they have sales people answer the phone. While they don;t have people to answer service calls, they have plenty of people to answer sales calls
• Select the option for new car sales and them explain how you are an owner and need to purchase the ESA.
• They should be able to transfer you to someone who can process your ESA.

Also check your My Tesla account online to see if you see the option to purchase the ESA under your account.

--------------------



Unfortunately, this trick doesn't work. That's what I tried to do by calling and asking for the sales dept... not the service dept..

They (Tesla) caught on and promptly directed me back to SERVICE....

 

[SocalMS]

I just walked into a service center, and did the whole transaction in person in under 10 minutes. Invoice and got confirmation of the extended warranty...

-----------------

This is what I was hoping for, but it wasn't an option from the service rep. I HAD TO SET AN APPOINTMENT VIA THE APP.

I asked if I could come in.. he said, YOU MUST SET AN APPOINTMENT. (meaning through their silly app)

 

[PhilDavid]

-----------------

This is what I was hoping for, but it wasn't an option from the service rep. I HAD TO SET AN APPOINTMENT VIA THE APP.

I asked if I could come in.. he said, YOU MUST SET AN APPOINTMENT. (meaning through their silly app)

Try calling ANOTHER Service Center with a store and I bet someone will finally take your money for the ESA. Make sure they send you an invoice over the phone confirming the purchase of the ESA.

No reasonable person could argue what you are going through is reasonable but this is the present state of Service unfortunately.

 

[PhilDavid]

Sorry, I can't help but laugh at this point. Tesla service is comically terrible. I'm not really laughing at you.

I have service scheduled for next month and my expectations are absolutely zero. As long as the car isn't more broken when I get it back, I consider that a win with Tesla service.

Ah. I wasn't sure as sometimes people click "funny" just to be flippant and dismissive...

I wish you well with your service appointment next month! Hope you get the car back at least no worse than when you dropped it off!

 

[cypho]

-----------------

This is what I was hoping for, but it wasn't an option from the service rep. I HAD TO SET AN APPOINTMENT VIA THE APP.

I asked if I could come in.. he said, YOU MUST SET AN APPOINTMENT. (meaning through their silly app)

I wonder what happens if you tell them you don't have a cell phone, just landline - so no way to do any of that app stuff. Do they refuse to do service for people who don't have a cell phone?

 

[SocalMS]

Try calling ANOTHER Service Center with a store and I bet someone will finally take your money for the ESA. Make sure they send you an invoice over the phone confirming the purchase of the ESA.

No reasonable person could argue what you are going through is reasonable but this is the present state of Service unfortunately.

----------------------------


There are many "games" one can play to skirt around the poor service culture that is Tesla Motors.

Call other service centers. Message the service manager. At one time or another, they used to work, but no more...

Maybe there are new "tricks" today.. but I'm tired of it..

I shouldn't have to play tricks to get decent, normal service.

"this is the present state of Service unfortunately." ---- Unfortunately, this is not true. Tesla service has always been bad, and it's only getting worse...

1. They used to offer loaner cars -- NO MORE
2. You used to be able to email them -- NO MORE
3. You used to be able to call them -- NO MORE
4. You used to be able to set service appointments online -- NO MORE

Now everything is done through their phone app.

 

[croman]

This is all location based. I get loaners almost every time. I get pretty good service both mobile and at my service center. I guess I'm lucky.

They also mostly respond to my texts though I do think they really need a phone connection and a dedicated follow up contact.

 

[IdaX]

I call my local Tesla service center.

There -- I found your problem! It's not 1954 anymore, man. Schedule a service on the app, and they'll talk to you by text. Very civilized, and I've found my service center to be very responsive and garrulous when you allow them time to answer when it's convenient for them.

 

[glide]

That level of service sounds about right to me.

Not buying a new car? We don’t care.