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Comment by mattbillenstein | Hacker News Reader

Wow, that is crazy.

I've come to think of cars, and maybe other big purchases, as you're purchasing a culture; the company that made it and will service it - it's why Toyota is so highly regarded. I own a 20yo Toyota Tacoma - and it's making more frequent shop visits now; and there are some good independent shops, but the Toyota guys really do a good job and over-communicate what's going on when they have your vehicle. You also have a person who handles you through the entire process - it's a great experience.

Tesla culture is the opposite - buy the care and go away please.

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The first time I got a Toyota, I brought it for regular maintenance and they cleaned my car at the end. I was shocked because I never experienced this before, but the technician told me it was free and standard procedure.

At least they understood that if you see clean cars around you when you drive, you're more likely to buy the brand later, and keep happy clients.

Many dealership service centers have gone to great lengths to buck the stereotype they had acquired and have realized how a good experience with the service side of the business helps feed back into the sales side of the business.

I’m also a data point for excellent Toyota service from the dealership where we bought our Prius. From the concierge who holds your hand throughout the visit, to the free lunch voucher in their pleasant little cafeteria (sadly, closed after covid), to the couple of years of free oil changes, I actually looked forward to bringing the car in. And they cleaned it as well, a quick interior vacuum at least.

When they've kept my car, they've usually given me a ride or got me an uber home which was unexpected, but a nice touch.

When my Audi is serviced, I actually get a video from the dealer made by the tech working on the car who walks around it and actually shows the issue, and talks about what they are doing for it.

Yeah, this is great and so easy to do with modern smart phones - Toyota sends a report with pictures which is pretty good too.

I went to regular maintenance at Toyota, air filter and oil change and they inspected the chassis and sent me a video. It was bit more expensive than normal shop, but very good service.

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