Renault Clio RS 18 F1 EDC

WHENEVER there’s a Renault or Kia in our long-term fleet, we normally take it to the nearby Imperial multifranchise dealership in Paarden Eiland for servicing, and inevitably we have something to write about… With the Clio RS 18, hoping for a more satisfying experience, I decided to try this dealer network’s alternative in Table View.

My call to book the service was met with efficiency as the dealership was able to book in the Clio RS on short notice. However, this is where the smooth sailing met with a strong headwind. Upon arrival, there were fewer than 10 cars lined up. Despite this, the wait for a service agent to attend to me was an excruciating 30 minutes. I’ve been served faster at longer queues when visiting other dealerships.

Then the wait for a shuttle to transport me back to the CAR offices was an unbelievable three hours. I was forced to keep myself entertained with the morning paper, Twitter and coffee. Some of the other customers were extremely irate, with a few declaring that they would never support the dealership again.

Admittedly, the service did take place in the second week of the year so I suspect some of their staff members were still on leave. Yet, one of the customers had been told to come in on that day as the dealership assured her the service centre would be fully staffed.

Evidently, my time slot was pushed back because, when I called the dealership a bit later in the afternoon (instead of receiving an update, as is customary when taking in a vehicle for a service), I was advised the process would be completed only at 18h00. I elected to fetch the Clio the following morning.

Despite the inefficiencies, credit to the friendliness of the reception staff. Colleague Nicol Louw wasn’t quite so lucky with the Sorento at the Paarden Eiland branch; more on this next month.