[El Diablo Negro]

I don't know what kind of experience the rest of you had with your dealership, but I was nothing short of amazed how little the sales staff and service dept seems to know about our cars. The salesperson gave us just plain wrong information about many aspects of the car. Some were so blatantly wrong it was laughable. The service dept acts like they are reluctant to have to deal with this foreign intrusion into their lives and make no effort to hide their ignorance of this product. I didn't know much about Fiat when I first looked at the car, but all it took was one day to peruse the Internet to be way better informed than anyone I dealt with at the dealership. It's just plain lazy not to know your product when all you got is basically just ONE product served up with variations.
Love my car, but no respect for the dealership.

 

[SeaDawg]

It's unfortunate that your studio has bungled your FIAT experience so badly. My local studio, Fields Fiat of Orlando, is the antithesis of the one you purchased from. Sales staff is knowledgable and the Service Manager deals with me, at least, on a personal level. Only reason I didn't purchase from Fields was FIAT corporate was burying them with automatic transmissions when I was purchasing. My draft was for 60 days; I wanted a manual transmission and was running out of time. BUT that hasn't made an iota of difference in how I've been treated by Fields Fiat of Orlando. NO, I don't work for them, I'm retired.

 

[ShawnGeeves]

I don't know what kind of experience the rest of you had with your dealership, but I was nothing short of amazed how little the sales staff and service dept seems to know about our cars. The salesperson gave us just plain wrong information about many aspects of the car. Some were so blatantly wrong it was laughable. The service dept acts like they are reluctant to have to deal with this foreign intrusion into their lives and make no effort to hide their ignorance of this product. I didn't know much about Fiat when I first looked at the car, but all it took was one day to peruse the Internet to be way better informed than anyone I dealt with at the dealership. It's just plain lazy not to know your product when all you got is basically just ONE product served up with variations.
Love my car, but no respect for the dealership.

I'm not surprised. Most people (including dealers) assume this vehicle will be a passing fad, much like the Smart car. I've even read comments online blatantly comparing the car to the Neon, or assuming it's a girls only car. I don't think many people realize that whether or not the 500 is going to leave a lasting impression, Fiat (and Alfa Romeo) will storm the North American market. It's about time too. Competition leads to innovation, and there's a reason European cars are desired most in comparison to others.

 

[smark]

Our sale staff was fantastic, the service department in and out, the way it should be. Nothing to complain about.

 

[Tweak]

Hendrick in Cary NC was not such a great place but at least a few of the younger people were seemingly excited and somewhat knowledgeable.

 

[zonker]

As far as sales people go, the Fiat of Ontario store was quite first rate. Friendly, knowledgeable, and did not try to oversell me with typical over-zealous mouth vomit hyperbole.

BUT... I know the service dept is across the street in the Chrysler store, so i expect to get a half baked service experience since this is the noob in their product line.

I hope they prove me wrong.

 

[RoadDad]

One thing that has remained pretty standard across almost every car purchase that I have ever made is that most sales folks really don't know their products well at all and are willing to make up answers to your questions right on the spot instead of saying "I don't know... let me find out for you." Often wrong information is given flat out to begin with, even before a question is asked. And the Fiat "Specialists" at the Fiat "Studios" are no different, no matter what they call themselves.

Posted 6/23/2011 in post #1 of http://www.fiat500owners.com/forum/...ussion-forum/961-roaddads-fiat-500c-blog.html

 

[NHFiat500]

My sales person was well versed in the Fiat brand here in the states and over seas. Fully knew all the features of the car and options. They knew the history and related the car to the european model and Fiat line. The best thing was my sales person is italian right down to the accent.

As for service... just like every service deapartement they follow the "computer" system and do what the "computer" says to do. The service advisors forget to order parts... the regular chrysler service headaches. I say this because service is thru the Chysler Jeep service department at my dealer. Kelly Fiat Peabody / Danvers MA.

Sales A+
Service B- (because it feels they are "trying")

 

[BPLounge]

Dealerships are huge investments, so you have to blame it on the owner/management for their shortcomings. I don't think the people investing in these have the attitude that the car is just a passing fad and then lay down hundreds of thousands of dollars expecting failure. Some companies/studios have lousy employees. Fiat is in control of Chrysler..not the other way around, so I don't think the 500 is their stepchild, they are basing their North American comeback on it.

 

[MarkG]

Maybe the Chrysler/Dodge dealers should look at their "Books" and see who's running their show now!

 

[Knuckledragger]

As far as sales people go, the Fiat of Ontario store was quite first rate. Friendly, knowledgeable, and did not try to oversell me with typical over-zealous mouth vomit hyperbole.

BUT... I know the service dept is across the street in the Chrysler store, so i expect to get a half baked service experience since this is the noob in their product line.

I hope they prove me wrong.

Good to hear Ontario has cleaned up there act. I know that it was pretty early in their career however, my experience with them was pretty comedic. I purchased in Costa Mesa in response.

 

[rrucker]

My first dealer experience was very sub-par, but they weren't open and hadn't even started the re-curb on the building that became their studio. Still, it was bad enough to force me to look ease where.

That dealer, where I purchased, was great. Knowledgeable, friendly, up front, and a real enthusiast for the brand, it seemed. I would buy there again without a second thought.

 

[VTEC Mini]

My dealer is been open since January. They are in a run down old building that used to be the Plymouth dealer surrounded by "Eddie quick deal used auto lots". Their sign out front is nothing more that banner signs you see hanging in front of furniture stores on "Blow out Sundays". The worst part is I have already been fed a line of bull- twice, so when it does come time to purchase an Abarth I will go somewhere else out of town. It is very sad.

They are supposed to open up in the main auto mall across town this fall but I don't see where as they described and I will believe it when I see it.

 

[SeaDawg]

My dealer is been open since January. They are in a run down old building that used to be the Plymouth dealer surrounded by "Eddie quick deal used auto lots". Their sign out front is nothing more that banner signs you see hanging in front of furniture stores on "Blow out Sundays". The worst part is I have already been fed a line of bull- twice, so when it does come time to purchase an Abarth I will go somewhere else out of town. It is very sad.

Sounds like they aspire to be a Yugo dealership rather than a FIAT Studio. Sort of like one of the local dealers (Multi-brand complex) who charges $899.45 dealer fee per Chrysler/Fiat sale vs the other FIAT ONLY Studio who only charges $389.00 per sale. What are they thinking?!

 

[Tdedmon]

I think these experiences are common regardless of auto brand unfortunately. The problem is not so much that fiat is the redheaded stepchild, because they're the step-parent to a rebellious teenager who doesn't want them there. My buying experience at landmark fiat of Atlanta was great, though arduous and very very time consuming, the staff was fantastic.

I got a better insight into this today though when buying my wife a new Subaru from one of those dealerships that services about twelve different brands. I've owned two subarus and know almost everything there is to know about em aside from small model year differences. The salesman didn't know jack about the car he was trying to sell us and was being very contradictory. When he asked of our other car, the 500, he kept bad mouthing them. He works primarily for *shocker* the Chrysler side of the dealership. He mentioned that Chrysler now owns fiat and asked if I knew that (moron). I told him he had it backwards and he got very pissy.


See, these Chrysler guys were all almost out of jobs a few years back and terrified, and then these little ole Italians paid to keep them afloat. Rather than being appreciative, they resent them. It's a real shame because I wouldn't step foot in a Chrysler dealership if they were giving the pieces of garbage away. They need to get rid of the egos or it's going to be a long hard road.

oh, and besides let's not forget that both our cars and their precious "American" cars are both Hecho en Mexico.

 

[ShawnGeeves]

I think these experiences are common regardless of auto brand unfortunately. The problem is not so much that fiat is the redheaded stepchild, because they're the step-parent to a rebellious teenager who doesn't want them there. My buying experience at landmark fiat of Atlanta was great, though arduous and very very time consuming, the staff was fantastic.

I got a better insight into this today though when buying my wife a new Subaru from one of those dealerships that services about twelve different brands. I've owned two subarus and know almost everything there is to know about em aside from small model year differences. The salesman didn't know jack about the car he was trying to sell us and was being very contradictory. When he asked of our other car, the 500, he kept bad mouthing them. He works primarily for *shocker* the Chrysler side of the dealership. He mentioned that Chrysler now owns fiat and asked if I knew that (moron). I told him he had it backwards and he got very pissy.


See, these Chrysler guys were all almost out of jobs a few years back and terrified, and then these little ole Italians paid to keep them afloat. Rather than being appreciative, they resent them. It's a real shame because I wouldn't step foot in a Chrysler dealership if they were giving the pieces of garbage away. They need to get rid of the egos or it's going to be a long hard road.

oh, and besides let's not forget that both our cars and their precious "American" cars are both Hecho en Mexico.

A lot of truth in this post...

 

[junnyquest]

He mentioned that Chrysler now owns fiat and asked if I knew that (moron). I told him he had it backwards and he got very pissy. ...oh, and besides let's not forget that both our cars and their precious "American" cars are both Hecho en Mexico.

And how many Chrysler/Dodge sales people are aware that the Abarth's turbo engine is going into the new Dodge Dart. ...or that the Dart is built on a modified Fiat chassis!

 

[NHFiat500]

And how many Chrysler/Dodge sales people are aware that the Abarth's turbo engine is going into the new Dodge Dart. ...or that the Dart is built on a modified Fiat chassis!

The dodge dart is built on the Alfa Romeo platform. The design is based on the Alfa Giulietta. Not a spec of dodge or chrysler in the car except the badge and paperwork.

 

[Tweak]

The dodge dart is built on the Alfa Romeo platform. The design is based on the Alfa Giulietta. Not a spec of dodge or chrysler in the car except the badge and paperwork.

Wouldn't be shocked to find out the steering wheel is also in there as they seem to always be the same.

 

[junnyquest]

The dodge dart is built on the Alfa Romeo platform. The design is based on the Alfa Giulietta. Not a spec of dodge or chrysler in the car except the badge and paperwork.

Right. Guilietta underpinnings (but don't forget Alfa Romeo has been part of Fiat since 1986, hence the reference). Point is, the average Chrysler/Dodge employee probably doesn't know that... Thinks his new Dart is All-American.