Toyota Loyalty.

[stompe]

After reading the excellent thread on the new list prices of the Prius models, I think we should have a loyalty award, especially for the cab drivers who do high mileage and are really showcasing the cars and identifying impending faults. I have been a Toyota customer for 37 years, so us who have stayed loyal to the brand should get a sizeable discount on our next car.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hang on, you're not kidding? ha ha ha

Anyhow, I thought the only people Toyota are aiming towards with hybrids are the folk who work or live within the London Congestion Charge Zone. There has definitely been a change of attitude from 3 years ago when I bought my car and they wanted them out there to prove they were viable, to now where they take sales for granted because of high fuel prices.

Well, maybe I'm wrong and Toyota are on the ball, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a drop in sales of the Prius at least.

I like your thinking about cab drivers. We're effectively almost giving a test drive to 20 people a day, every day. We do massive miles so will require consumables and replace our cars after 3 to 5 years, so regularly buying new cars. But it's Toyotas loss, I am in talks with two other manufacturers and they're keen in a way Toyota used to be.

[Ancient Nerd]

ROFL.

Whatever next. They might even think of replacing the Weasel Warranty with a proper one.

Stompe, I do hope you were joking. Toyota's attitude has change significantly over the last few years. And not to the good.

[stompe]

Hiya Guys,

This did start out as tongue in cheek remark but the more I have thought about it the more I think Toyota owe this to us. We have all be hoodwinked in one way or another I like Ancient Nerd have been hoodwinked with the weasel warranty. My pcp comes up in October. What will I do? I don't like the facelift Prius, I agree with the sentiments on the plugin Prius so it looks like I am going to keep this one for 5 years much against my usual practice. I am also dismayed with Toyota UK like others on this forum. I have never experienced an attitude from Customer Service like they seem to have now. I also considered the Lexus CT but feel this is a step backwards even though the build quality knocks spots off a Prius. I am going to have a look at the Citroen Hybrid just as a comparison even though you have warned me off. So adding all this up I think Toyota should really start listening to us unless they are not bothered in keeping customers which in my opinion seems to be their attitude.

Stompe

[wass]

I think that loyalty to any one brand is a bit of a mistake since I have noted throughout the years that its the dealers which make the diference and can even be the individual staff members at a dealership. When I Ilived in north Leicestershire in the 80s I owned a jaguar which never ever went near to any dealer in Leicester but went to a specialist outfit in Warwickshire.

Our current Prius doesnt go to our local Toyota dealership but goes to another which who are more responsive and provide a better service.

Our current Lexus is taken to a lexus dealership which is 45 minutes away rather than the one which is on our doorstep. The reason is the same in every case. I encountered could care less attitudes in local dealerships and took my business elsewhere.

Two years ago having just moved into the area, we were looking around for the car which turned out to be our prius. We looked at the Honda hybrids too. One Saturday morning, we were ignored at the Bedford Honda dealership for a total of 45 minutes whilst sales staff chatted amicably amongst themselves about the footy, a dificult customer, somebodies wife, diy projects, holiday destinations to name but a few subjects i remember overhearing whilst waiting for someone to tell me about the Honda hybrids. Suffice to say, we didnt bother to look further into Honda hybrids since there werent any other Honda dealers in our search area.Indeed, the Honda CRV which I was driving at the time used to continue to be serviced 100 miles away from our new address!

My point is that despite a car being very good and very suited to our needs, a decent dealer is also an essential requirement and a brand loyalty bonus matters little if there is no good dealer service available.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I think Toyota marketing should offer customers a survey every 12 months or at year 3 to see how they're enjoying their car long term.

It's easy to be complacent. A couple years ago they were the Worlds number one, now they're down to 4th place. Would I buy another Prius? Yes and no. Yes if it was as well priced as it was when I bought mine 2 years ago and no if it were priced as it is today.

[Chris Dance]

There is a lot of competition at the moment in the motor trade. Nissan appear to be doing well at home and abroad. Toyota are slipping and from what Toyota owners have said on here some dealers are not doing the Toyota Company any favours. In spite of this Toyota makes good reliable cars and customer service is far better than Vauxhall as an example. A friend had his car booked his vauxhall in for "return". He had taken time off to take the car in. The dealer rang and cancelled the appointment with an excuse the computer was down and they could not access parts!!!!

Another mate has just purchased a second hand Gen 3. he got a good deal on his P/X Yaris and a good Gen 3 with 10,000 miles on the clock. He said Toyota dealer service on the deal was excellent. My mate lives in the north.

We are pleased with our Gen 3. and we will keeping it for a few years.

[stompe]

There is a lot of competition at the moment in the motor trade. Nissan appear to be doing well at home and abroad. Toyota are slipping and from what Toyota owners have said on here some dealers are not doing the Toyota Company any favours. In spite of this Toyota makes good reliable cars and customer service is far better than Vauxhall as an example. A friend had his car booked his vauxhall in for "return". He had taken time off to take the car in. The dealer rang and cancelled the appointment with an excuse the computer was down and they could not access parts!!!!

Another mate has just purchased a second hand Gen 3. he got a good deal on his P/X Yaris and a good Gen 3 with 10,000 miles on the clock. He said Toyota dealer service on the deal was excellent. My mate lives in the north.

We are pleased with our Gen 3. and we will keeping it for a few years.

Hiya

My experience is the reverse of Chris', dealers try their best but as on previous threads they do not read their information i.e. the oil fiasco which Grumpy kindly pointed out to us I still feel they would be using the wrong oil now if it was not pointed out by Grumpy on this site. When I first flagged up about the sat nav updating they did not like what I said on their site and subsequently was banned from their site (http://blog.toyota.co.uk/new-prius-everything-you-need-to-know). I wasn't giving up on the sat nav update and I pestered Toyota Customer Care and eventually got what I thought was fair i.e. the update on the sat nav but it is still at least a couple of years out of date. As I have said before, there used to be no quibble with the customer over problems but now it seems it is like pulling teeth to get things done. I am still bitter about the 30 odd years of loyalty to Toyota and their attitude now. The only way this could possibly be resolved could be by them giving me a fantastic deal but even then I would still be weary of them after all this.

Now I am coming up for my 30,000 mile service and MOT and I have only got the three year weasel warranty. I also want the cold bag of nails sound of the engine rectified, lets see how much of a battle that will be with them!

Stompe

[Lorna2]

I think Toyota marketing should offer customers a survey every 12 months or at year 3 to see how they're enjoying their car long term.

There is a very detailed survey sent out from Toyota after you get a service carried out.

[stompe]

I think Toyota marketing should offer customers a survey every 12 months or at year 3 to see how they're enjoying their car long term.

There is a very detailed survey sent out from Toyota after you get a service carried out.

Hi Lorna

I think it best that Toyota GB read these posts, Dont think the Surveys hit head office.

[Lorna2]

I think Toyota marketing should offer customers a survey every 12 months or at year 3 to see how they're enjoying their car long term.

There is a very detailed survey sent out from Toyota after you get a service carried out.

Hi Lorna

I think it best that Toyota GB read these posts, Dont think the Surveys hit head office.

Hi Stompe

What makes you think that? The only surveys that won't reach head office are the ones people don't bother posting ;)

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Well I have my doubts many do make it all the way up at Head Office.

A couple years ago I remember a spokesman from Toyota going on UK news saying that the brake issue experienced in America hadn't been reported in the UK, which contradicted what I and other users on here had experienced AND reported to our dealers. Either he was misinformed, uninformed or telling porky pies. I think it was probably the former as I ended up having a conversation with him a few days later and my car, being a taxi, was quickly pulled in for the recall.

Maybe they do shift up a gear when they need to, but I fear things take a long time to reach where they need to reach. If the Prius enthusiasts are generally upset and cheesed off, how many less interested owners aer too? I can't remember the exact numbers but isn't it something like only 1 in 10 people who are cheesed off actually bother to complain. If a lot of the people on this forum are becoming unhappy with their cars, then I fear for the full numbers.

[Chris Dance]

On the phone last night I discussed with a guy in car industry about Toyota being 4th in the satisfaction tables. He said it is not so much that Toyota have dropped their standards but other manufacturers have improved their standards to get sales. In other words Toyota are getting left behind.

I think most Toyota dealers are mainly good but there are some who give Toyota a bad name: eg. The lady on here who was told lies and sold a car with no spare wheel etc. Like you say Stompe it is sometimes a fight to get customer satisfaction. I suppose I am lucky as I have not experienced this since owning Toyotas. I remember only too well British Leyland dealers and that heap of junk the Montego. Thank goodness things have improved since those days.

[acetip]

On the phone last night I discussed with a guy in car industry about Toyota being 4th in the satisfaction tables. He said it is not so much that Toyota have dropped their standards but other manufacturers have improved their standards to get sales. In other words Toyota are getting left behind.

I think most Toyota dealers are mainly good but there are some who give Toyota a bad name: eg. The lady on here who was told lies and sold a car with no spare wheel etc. Like you say Stompe it is sometimes a fight to get customer satisfaction. I suppose I am lucky as I have not experienced this since owning Toyotas. I remember only too well British Leyland dealers and that heap of junk the Montego. Thank goodness things have improved since those days.

As good as any dealership it is judged by the servicng you get and as far as the ladies spare wheel issue goes that was the sales person who sold her the car,and irepective how good a name a dealership is and what cars they deal in the sales staff will lie through their teeth to make a sale.

you hear people say the a salessperson was very nice and friendly. well of course they were.

As ive posted before on the subject, when the sales person says to you when you considered buying a s/hand car they will give it a service before you pick the car up.Well forget it cos thats going to cost the sales dept to put it through the workshop so they wont do it. as it eats into the profit of the deal. but you will not know this.