When the Brand You Love Lets You Down

I had been contemplating leasing a new vehicle; I was a Territory Manager who visited clients and delivered quartz slab samples, and my job provided me with an allowance. I was tired of driving something older and unreliable, especially since I spent a lot of time on the highway.

I live in Calgary and was in Edmonton for work, when I happened to stop into a dealership of a vehicle brand I’d loved for years, and dreamt of having. I found one I loved at a reasonable price, and thought - why not lease it here? I assumed a global brand with locations in every city would be seamlessly connected. and nobody told me otherwise.

A few months later, I noticed paint bubbling in the centre of the front driver’s side door, and I reached out to my salesperson. He viewed the photos and immediately told me it was not a defect. That was the first sign I was going to have issues. Eventually, they agreed to have the door repainted, and we arranged for it to be done in Calgary, where I lived. There was much confusion about how this would be taken care of and how we’d arrange a loaner as the Calgary and Edmonton locations were under different ownership.

The Edmonton salesperson arranged a rental and reserved a car, not an SUV. This would not easily accommodate my display deliveries and trunk full of samples. When I pointed out that a comparable vehicle should be provided, he said it would have to come out of his pocket, then. I'm not sure what I was supposed to do with that information. The salesperson had every opportunity to mention that leasing in Edmonton while living in Calgary might create complications. He didn't.

I started to encounter a pattern of seemingly unnecessary difficulties. Showing up for a repair with a booked loaner and being told there wasn't one. Receiving confusing and unclear quotes by text from the service manager.

One morning I had appointments out in Cochrane; my samples were loaded, schedule set, and when I arrived they didn’t have a loaner available and offered to shuttle me. I asked if they were going to accompany me to all of my client appointments across the city. They managed to find me a vehicle on the lot to drive; the fuel gauge was at 0 km. I drove on fumes to the nearest gas station.

At one point, because apparently I’m a sucker for punishment, I went in to discuss another lease as mine was coming close to ending. I was already sold on the brand, I just wanted the numbers. The salesperson started by showing me a different brand they carried, and I redirected him to the one I wanted. We found one I liked, and he never called me back with a price or followed up.

What an unfortunate series of events. I genuinely didn't know what to say.

The Calgary dealership had been recently taken over by Go Auto, and I sat down with the new manager to discuss my grievances. We went through a list I had compiled, and he reviewed my notes and agreed that things were bad. I felt heard and we were aligned, and I was hopeful things would be different under his leadership.

Then came the loaner policy change. Fifteen dollars a day for a loaner while my vehicle was in for an issue I'd been back about multiple times. It wasn't about the fifteen dollars, it was about the audacity of charging a customer for your own operational failure. I asked if they'd consider waiving it given the circumstances. They did, but the way it was communicated made it clear they felt they were doing me a favour.

I filed a BBB report, not out of anger but out of exhaustion and disappointment, and a genuine love for a brand I felt could be better represented.

The response from the manager was an email telling me my claims were false and he didn't appreciate them. His final word was that I might be more comfortable finishing my lease at a different location.

I'm telling this story not because I’m bitter, but because this is exactly what I talk about with my clients. The product was never the problem, the experience was. And the experience is what people remember, what they talk about, and what determines whether they come back or send others your way.

Am I still a customer? Yes, because I love the vehicle and the brand has a strong reputation. But would I ever refer someone to their dealership? Not a chance. And referrals are the highest converting lead source in any business. The frustrating part? A little bit of structure and attention to detail could make a mediocre experience an elevated one.

That gap has a price tag. Structure, systems, and attention to detail aren't just operational nice-to-haves. They're the difference between a brand people love and a brand people warn each other about.