Dealer and Service experiences?

well i bought my car from toyota of olympia... and i also bought a car when they were sinclair rotters. so ya they treat me right. between me and my family, we have gotten 6 cars from the same salesman Fred Hamilton.

this is the only car i have gotten taht was at list, but he told me up front that he couldnt get a discount...(heck, i was worried about paying over list!!)

and he has always been very honest and up front about everything. the waiting list, etc. he even gave me a few places where he thought i might be able to get a Prius quicker. but i just waited the 5½ months.

and i doubt that he would be mad that you went out of state for your car... its not like he had one burning a hole in the lot.

in fact, the waiting list is so long that they started a "list of interest" that was for people interested in a Prius willing to take any available spot on the waiting list. this list required no deposit, etc. i guess they realized that a lot can change in a year. (which was about what the list was at last month.)

they had been promised a bigger shipment and when i was there picking up my license plates, they had gotten 8 Priuses that morning which was double what they normally got.

as far as the paint sealer and fab protect, well ya i got it at Allstar Fords... my sis works in the service dept and her price for me was waaay cheap!!

besides, the sales manager for All Star Ford is the guy who bought my house.

 

Alright, so it's been a while since anyone has replied to this thread, but I thought I'd chime in. Here in Walla Walla, the lone Toyota dealer is completely clueless about the Prius. You would think that, having sold as many as they have, even to you west-siders, that they might have noticed that there's something a little different about these vehicles. But that's not the case. I'd like to hear from anyone in the Walla Walla area (and I know there are a lot of you) about where you take your Prius for service. As far as I can see, when I go back to the dealer again, I'm going to have to take the service book in with me and explain exactly what I want them to do to the car. They don't even understand that the recommended service interval is different than the rest of their stock. I'm not sure what grade of oil they dump in "for free," or if they make sure that it's not over filled. No tire rotation.... OK, rant-mode off.... I guess I'm lucky enough to have been able to buy two Priuses (Priuii?) way out here in the boonies, but damn! I'd like to find someone who knows how to service the things! What do you suggest?

 

Toyota of Lake City continues their good track record, at least with me.

Took the car in for its 5K checkup a few weeks ago (on a Saturday). Dropped it off, and then took the bus downtown for some shopping.

Came back -- everything looked great. I checked the oil -- spot on. Very organized service department, very polite, and definitely seemed to know about how to deal with a Prius. (Given how many of them there are in North Seattle these days, that's not a surprise.)

Used my pre-paid maintenance coupons (and then spent the money I saved on getting a "mini-detail" -- washed and waxed the car, vacuumed the car, and washed the removable rugs. Nice!)

If this keeps up, I think I've found a keeper.

 

Yakima has no waiting list. Talked to them today, they traded a Prius that I didn't want for one with the package and color I wanted. I'm picking it up tomorrow! I'm dealing with Jerry Olsen.

I'll let you know how it goes, but he has already been more friendly, low pressure and helpful than anyone I've worked with at Auburn, Burien or Seattle.

 

Has anyone worked with the Toyota of Seattle or Burien Toyota for service?

 

Don't know anything about Toyota of Seattle or Burien Toyota, however I really like the service at Toyota of Olympia. Mike, one of their Prius Tech is the best. He likes to interact with the owner and is very helpful. He did my SSC 50P and EV switch.

I recently had the Brake switch recall done at Bob Bridge Toyota in Renton and there service department treated me very well. Asked how soon I would like the car back, offered a loaner and when found that I would wait, they put a tech right on it and had it ready to go in about half an hour. Frendly and effecient.

 

Just picked up my black package 4 prius. Very quick and easy pick up. The finance guy just told me the price for the warranty and I told him I wasn't interested. He set aside the warranty information and went on. No pressure what so ever.

There was one hairline scratch on the gas tank and Jerry Olsen made sure that was buffed out. He also personally cleaned dust off the engine cover when he opened the hood and saw that it had not been cleaned. Very good transaction. I've never had an easier transaction. I only wish I lived in Yakima rather than Seattle so I could take it there for service.

 

I was glad to see this thread! I bought from Toyota 101 in redwood City CA and I want to give them cudos for great customer service. The salesman did not pressure, the sales manager willingly told me when to expect my car and gave me updates. I did have to wait three months, and must admit they were impatient months, but the dealership never acted upset with my inquiries or gave me the brush off.

I have since dealt with their parts department and service department, attended a customer orientation night. This is one class operation. People are patient, friendly, knowledgable and it was clear they have a loyal customer following. Dealer price was sticker price, no add on.

Way to go guys! This should be a President's club dealership.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(shandrea @ Mar 11 2006, 07:01 PM) [snapback]223700[/snapback]</div>

Did you pay over MSRP? I am looking for a new silver Prius and am willing to travel outside the Puget Sound area to pick one up. Thx.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SeattleCommuter @ Mar 29 2006, 11:21 PM) [snapback]232213[/snapback]</div>

No, I paid MSRP with no dealer markups. The only add on was the port package including bumper protector, cargo net, first aid kit and retractable cargo cover. I've read that others have paid under MSRP with this dealer, but I was just happy to get a car the next day in the color and package that I wanted.