BMW Sytner Warwick - a cautionary tale

[richtea]

TLDR:
- 8 weeks to fix a K1300S rear wheel bearing, due to lack of a tool (plus lack of exploring sensible options)
- minimal communication unless prompted
- avoid BMW Sytner Warwick if you want to ride your K


Details:
My K1300S was diagnosed with slight play in the rear wheel bearing at it's MOT earlier this year - 'monitor & repair if necessary'.
The play seemed to increase in June so I booked the bike into BMW Sytner Warwick, having told them the likely problem (worn rear wheel bearing).
This is covered under extended warranty.

[Note: I normally use North Oxford, but since a wheel bearing replacement is a simple fix I thought it was about time I tried Sytner Warwick. It's closer and they offered me a loan bike over the phone.]

24th June
-----------
Bike ridden in to Sytner Warwick.

26th June (phone call)
-----------
We don't have the special tool to remove/fit the bearing.
(Whaaat - you took my booking!)

1st July
---------
Visited mainly to swap the first loan bike for a second one - that also needed running in.
No progress on how they were going to solve the problem.

4th July (almost 3 weeks in):
------
I visit and present some options since they haven't presented me with any. They decide to order the tool - good idea, 3 weeks in!
I also email BMW UK hoping they might be able to convince the dealer to act quicker. My email to BMW UK summarises the situation:

To reiterate the 4 possible fixes:
1. Wait an undefined time for the tool to be made. This is not acceptable to me, and that's where we're stuck right now.
2. Replace the whole unit. This was not acceptable to BMW Warranty, but maybe BMW UK can override [that].
3. Obtain the tool from another dealer. Sytner have 3 dealerships, but according to the staff they don't believe any have the tool
4. Transport the bike to another dealer that does have the special tool

BMW UK's response:
'I'll be raising your complaint to [XXX], aftersales manager for BMW Motorrad Sytner Warwick to address this concern for you. As our BMW Approved Centre’s are independently owned and managed, we allow them the autonomy to deal with these feedback complaints in the first instance.'

12th July
-------
Email from BMW UK, after I prompt them for progress:
'I've received a response from BMW Motorrad Sytner Warwick, they've informed me the special tool is going to be with them in approximately 2 weeks time as they're unable to source from any other retailers.'

I wait 3 weeks - not 2, before prompting yet again, mainly because on 16th they tell me (again) still 2 weeks.

30th July
-------
Email from BMW UK:
'I've been informed by BMW Motorrad Sytner Warwick, they're still awaiting for half of the special tools to arrive on the BMW Motorrad, as it's taking some time to supply this tool, they'll be in touch with me once they recieve further information/time/dates in regards to this tool.'

I visit Sytner on the same day, and at last the salesman/manager [XXX] says:
"What do you want to happen?"
"I want the bike to be transported to North Oxford."
"We can do that."

Hurrah. That was Option 4 back on 4th July.

8th Aug (7th week)
-------
It takes a week and two days to transfer the bike to North Oxford - just for an internal BMW form, and a van.

16th Aug (8th week)
----------
North Oxford fix it. They let me know they're busy for the first 3 days of that week. Fair enough - good comms.


For balance, what did go right:
- I had loan bikes, two F900s, with XR variant with the world's most uncomfortable seat, and both had to be run in. Hardly a substitute, but I did have two wheels.
- they offered £100 goodwill (for 2 summer months lost), but it had to be spent at Sytner. That really is not going to happen.
- North Oxford handled the situation cleanly and quickly

[Phmode]

You could have taken the £100 and spent it on the special tool for the rear wheel bearing...

[Matt]

Nice factual timeline of events thank you. Terrible non-effort to "make it right" from BMW Sytner Warwick. Any reasonable person would expect and receive much better from any reasonable company, especially where BMW Motorrad suggests it places itself as a premium service.

I'd include the warranty company in that too. It's all well and good/necessary the garages having a degree of independence but that does not abrogate the warranty provider's accountability. If the service they provide has absolutely no guardrails then I'd suggest it should be significantly cheaper than it is.

Also:
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.sytner.co.uk/location/sytner-warwick-bmw

[black-k1]

I wonder if it had been a GS that you'd put in for the work, if the service would have been better?

A customer who is still riding a K1300 in 2024 could be seen as less likely to purchase something new, or even newish, thus is could be bumped down the priority list.

It's not a nice way to do business, especially from the perspective of the "lower priority" customer, but it would be very easy for them to think that way.

[Matt]

I wonder if it had been a GS that you'd put in for the work, if the service would have been better?

A customer who is still riding a K1300 in 2024 could be seen as less likely to purchase something new, or even newish, thus is could be bumped down the priority list.

It's not a nice way to do business, especially from the perspective of the "lower priority" customer, but it would be very easy for them to think that way.

I'd have taken one look at young Richard and thrown a K1600 or attempted to give him a new GS as a courtesy bike in that case. Given how much I love convincing people to buy expensive BMW finance! (that's me pretending to be a BMW salesperson btw, not me. I don't like finance. It has too many vowels)

But yeah, fair point . However, anyone going to BMW still/being in possession of that warranty, surely signals a bit of financial stability/ability.

p.s. Richard it's my birthday soon - seeing as i'm now discussing your finances .

[Phmode]

And further to David's point, it is probably getting to the stage where newly qualified techs won't even know what a K is, let alone know how to work on them.

Older techs don't go on forever, although they might go indy, so the pool of experience is shrinking all the time.

I always thought that most of a dealer's profit came from the servicing side of the operation so there is no hope for Sytner if that is the case.

However, we must remember that Richard's cock up was not caused by a lack of tech but by the lack of a tool and any dealer who doesn't have the tool for the K should not be taking on work on a K.

They certainly won't be getting their hands on mine any time soon.

[richtea]

I wonder if it had been a GS that you'd put in for the work, if the service would have been better?

A customer who is still riding a K1300 in 2024 could be seen as less likely to purchase something new, or even newish, thus is could be bumped down the priority list.

It's not a nice way to do business, especially from the perspective of the "lower priority" customer, but it would be very easy for them to think that way.

One of my Associates also has a bike being held captive by Synter Warwick.
It's a boxer, relatively recent if I remember - 2018/20-ish. It wouldn't start on 13th April. Not sure when it went in to Sytner, but it was there by 17th May, and he said on 14th June he'd complained about them to BMW UK.
Last time I exchanged texts - 11th August - he still didn't have it back. That's properly shitty, but I don't think it's under warranty, so there's no external pressure to get it fixed.

They're eating away at his 1 year IAM joining fee, if nothing else.
If I were him, I'd hire a transporter and GTFO.

I really think they must be understaffed in all areas.
I heard the pre-Sytner staff left swiftish, but that's a just a rumour - no factual substance.

[On 14th June I should have taken more notice. Hey ho.]

[richtea]

Also:
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.sytner.co.uk/location/sytner-warwick-bmw

I did that last night.
It took half a day to come through their review system, and then they placed it into the generic Sytner reviews, not Warwick Motorrad specifically. But every little helps.