Warranty - Revised Page for Customer Assistance Policy
88porsche07Subject: Revised Page:
Customer Assistance Policy
Model
Group
Part Identifier
Number
8814
October 14, 1988
Attached are two copies of a revised page, 5.3 for the Customer Assistance Policy contained in your Warranty Policy and Procedures Manuals.
Please replace current page 5.3, dated 6/21/88 with the revised page dated 10/14/88. Additional copies of this revised page may be obtained by contacting Porsche Service Publications at (702) 348-3169.
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
The following are procedures PCNA expects a Dealer to follow in the course of normal customer service contacts or in the case of "Lemon Law" cases.
Prompt Service
1. Except in cases of a "car down" or a safety related matter, you should not accept delivery of a car from a customer if you will not be able to commence repairs within a reasonable period of time. What is "reasonable" may be open to discussion but we will use the guideline of three (3) working days. Please keep in mind that under most state laws, "down time" starts from the day the customer leaves the car (not the start of repairs) and is cumulative from that day. In a "car down" situation, you should reschedule your service department to begin repairs within a reasonable time.
2. If you discover that you do not have the necessary parts to effect a repair, then you must use every means at your disposal to notify PCNA that a parts shortage exists, that it is related to a warranty repair, and that the customer is waiting. Immediately contact your PCNA District Service Manager. If he/she is not available, please contact the respective Regional Service Manager at:
(702) 348-3175 - (West)
(702) 348-3261 - (East) or, if he/she cannot be reached, a PCNA Customer Service Representative at PCNA Headquarters at (702) 348-3154.
Be certain to have all pertinent information on hand such as: parts order number, order date, part number, etc.
3. Upon receipt of the parts, the car should immediately be scheduled for repair and completed as soon as possible.
Verification
1. When a customer brings his car to you for service, you must ensure that your service staff accurately records, in the words of the customer, the nature of the problem, and notes that on the service repair order. PCNA requires that you obtain the customer's signature on the repair order. Some states require that the customer also sign to verify that the description of the problem and other information recorded on the repair order was as stated to your service advisor.
2. Verify past repair attempts. Always ask the customer for previous repair attempts and the number of days the vehicle was in the service department for repairs. Get the name of the repair facility if other than your dealership.
3. Prior to commencing a repair, you must verify the problem. It is never tolerated for a Dealer to rely entirely on the complaint of the customer without expert verification. To do so is not only a potential for customer problems but may also result in severe warranty charge-backs against an offending Dealer.
Notices
1. When the car is repaired, you must notify the customer, in a timely manner, that the car is ready and that he/she should come and take delivery. Record the date and time of all notices to the customer on the repair order. If the customer does not come within a reasonable period of time, two (2) days, then we feel you should begin to suspect, in some cases, that the customer is not truly anxious to pick up his/her car and, moreover, is attempting to allow a larger than necessary number of days to elapse. If that is the case, then your attempts to notify the customer will become extremely important at any possible future legal or administrative hearing. It is, therefore, important to make written record of your efforts, including sending notices to the customer by registered mail.
2. It is absolutely essential that you keep PCNA informed of any potential problem areas of which you have knowledge. For you to experience severe difficulties in the diagnosis and repair of a customer's complaint and fail to inform PCNA, is for you to essentially and basically breach your relationship with us.
In this regard:
a. You must notify us immediately (overnight mail, quik comm or telefax) of any written communications which you may receive which indicate that a "Lemon Law" complaint is contemplated. Notices should be directed to:
FEDERAL
EXPRESS: Porsche Cars North America, Inc., 200 South Virginia Street Reno, NV 89501
Attention: Regional Service Manager (East or West)
TELEFAX: 1-702-348-3770
QUIK COMM: USPCDCSFLDOP
b. You should notify us and request assistance from our field staff in any case where a second attempt is made to repair the same problem, or when the vehicle has been in the workshop for a significant portion of the "Lemon Law" period. A "significant portion" is two thirds of the applicable "Lemon Law" period in the Dealer's state. Notice should be made as per the procedure referred to in the Prompt Service Section. Your failure to do this may become a matter of significance in a later possible legal or administrative matter, and we will hold you responsible for using good business judgement and common sense. It is your primary responsibility to work with the customer and to notify PCNA of potential problems while there is still time for PCNA to work meaningfully with you and with the customer. The PCNA Request for Repair Assistance form (PNA 000 017) may be used to document such requests to PCNA (See sample on page 5.4 of these Policy and Procedures).
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE (cont.)
Record Keeping
You are expected to maintain detailed and accurate customer service records and retain all records including any files, documents, or communications pertaining to "Lemon Law" and potential "Lemon Law" complaints. You are also expected to be prepared to present those documents to an appropriate court or administrative body if asked to do so at a later date. The information contained in your record keeping should include:
1. The number of attempts made to solve the same problem.
2. The total elapsed time a vehicle has spent in the service department for the repair(s).
3. The date and time the car is presented to the dealership for repair, the dates it was worked on, and the date repairs were completed, Time spent by the technician working on the car should be punched. Hand written data for time verification is not acceptable.
4. For your own protection, documentation should be retained substantiating the ordering of parts needed for the repair.
5. Copies of notices to PCNA and the customer as required under this policy.
Customer Files
For your convenience we have prepared manila folders to store records, summaries of the repair attempts, and the number of days the vehicle has been in for repairs. We highly recommend you use these folders for all customer/vehicle files. They may be ordered from your PCNA Parts Distribution Center using the below listed part numbers.
PART NUMBERS
PNA 000 033 - Use for 924 Models
PNA 000 035 - Use for 944 Models
PNA 000 032 - Use for 911 Models
PNA 000 034 - Use for 928 Models
Dealer cost is: $3.87 per hundred.
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE (cont.)
Case Defense
PCNA will make every effort to resolve customer service complaints amicably. In the case where a customer makes a claim under the Lemon Law" and the claim cannot be resolved amicably, the consumer may file a formal complaint. In those cases which PCNA chooses to defend vigorously, we believe it is to our mutual benefit for you to cooperate with PCNA in the defense.
DEALERS ARE EXPECTED TO COMPLY WITH ALL OTHER REQUIREMENTS UNDER THEIR STATE "LEMON LAWS" AND OTHER RELEVANT LAWS.