Hi all. New to the forum and I’ve fallen in love with the GV80. I know this topic has been discussed before but please bear with me. I’ve read some of the existing threads but still looking for insight.
TLDR
Genesis has every intention of providing a best in class customer experience, but they’re still ironing out the kinks. I'm looking for your experiences and insights, but it seems that in order to help yourself get that experience, keep Genesis Concierge informed of everything that happens and allow them to straighten out any issues you have with the local dealer.
SIDENOTE
Genesis Concierge actually just called me as I was composing this post. Will include those details toward the end of the post.
BACKGROUND
I’m in Northern NJ and I test drove a base 2.5 GV80 on 12/26. I’m waiting to test drive the 3.5, but at the moment my requirements are 3.5 with Prestige package. Leaning toward savile silver with ultramarine blue/dune interior.
I liked the test drive but the power/acceleration from the 2.5 was just adequate and I’m going to want the higher quality nappa leather and Prestige features like noise canceling, soft close doors, 3D cluster, et cetera to put me over the top. I’ve watched every online review and comparison video and I’ve been reading the forums. I’ve been comparing the GLE, X5, RX450, XC90, Aviator, Model X, Model Y and even the Macan and Telluride (but who am I kidding).
The GV80 seems to hit my sweet spot between, style, comfort, features, performance and price. If I were single I’d probably buy a Tesla, but I’m married and my wife hates my ultra-aggressive driving. She also gets bad car sickness. I need a vehicle that is quick but not “sporty”, ultra soft, comfortable ride, and as many auto-driving features as possible (I can’t drive aggressively if the vehicle is driving for me 😆🤔). I’m pretty sold on the 3.5 Prestige, but for $72k, I need to drive it in person before pulling the trigger.
THE PROBLEM
I’m pretty sure that the GV80 is the vehicle I want, but for $72k, I want a top-notch customer experience, both during purchase and ongoing. I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews and I understand that individual experiences will vary by dealership and even by salesperson/service manager. But Genesis didn’t get off to a good start with me.
I submitted a request on genesis.com to look at a GV80 and quickly got responses both from the local dealership and also Genesis Concierge. I called the dealer and scheduled a test drive. When I showed up at the dealership, the person I had the appointment with was not there, and I was assigned to another random salesperson. The experience was OK, but it was obvious that I knew a lot more about the GV80 than he did. What’s more, at the end, the salesperson went and got the sales manager who began to pressure me into buying one of the base 2.5 GV80s they had on the lot, even though I made it clear from the start that I was not interested in a base trim 2.5. As we left, they told me they’d have 3.5’s in next week and would call me as soon as they arrived for another test drive. That week came and went, and I received no calls. My overall impression is that I’m receiving the Hyundai experience, not the Genesis experience, and that makes me unsure of the purchase.
If anyone has any first hand knowledge of the Genesis/Hyundai/concierge or any other insight, please share!
UPDATE:
As I was typing this, Genesis Concierge called. I had emailed them about 10 minutes prior communicating my poor experience. He read my email, then listened as I recounted my grievances over the phone. I specifically told him that I want a Lexus customer experience if I’m going to purchase this vehicle. He assured me that he understood my problems, apologized for my poor experience, and thanked me for the feedback. He then told me that he would contact the dealer directly and ensure that I receive the customer care that I’m looking for, now and going forward. 5 minutes later, the dealer called me back, apologized, and gave me an update on the 3.5. Apparently they’ve been delayed but he now expects them this coming week and said I’ll be the first to know when they arrive.
How much does this beautiful car (2021 GV80 3.5), I mean, do the connected ‘services’ annoy me? Let me count the ways.
This car was a Top Safety Pick+ in the IIHS ratings. I fell in love with it. I enjoyed my test drive. I found my car at a different dealership, the dealership where I’d done my test drive tried to charge me $5K more to get it for me than the dealership that had it was charging. The original dealership had one to trade (the one I test drove), but did not. I bought from the other dealership.
(Side note. My husband and I read lots of reviews stating how terrible the app interface and ‘luxury treatment’ of customers was. How bad could it possibly be, I wondered? Well.)
I bought the car on 5.29.21. It took the dealership over two months to get my connected services ‘connected’. Strike one, especially since my account states that those ‘services’ expire on 5.29.24. (I tried to get the date adjusted accordingly, but to no avail.)
In January of 2022, I had my car serviced at the first dealership. They seemed surprised that I wanted service valet services, but complied. That was the very last time the surround view of the car worked in the app.
I’ve tried to get the vehicle driving report each month, and have messaged about it several times. It has never been available.
The electronic key - the one used with the cell phone - is not available for iPhone. Is Genesis even aware how MANY people carry iPhones? Speaking of iPhones, why is AirPlay not available wirelessly?! I guess I should be glad my phone is always charging when I use AirPlay, but then the magnetic charger is pointless, isn’t it.
I’ve enabled the app on Alexa. I have it on my watch. The app on my watch is a joke - it recently said I needed to sign in on my phone, first. And speaking of signing in on my phone, I have to do so EVERY SINGLE TIME, usually with two or three CAPTCHA challenges. And no, I am in no way timid around technology, everything else I use can be set up to my satisfaction - everything except the Genesis app. I’ve directed my phone and my iPad to remember me. I have my password stored. I have to sign in every single time. Moreover, when I seek to contact Genesis, I have to ENTER my VIN and the mileage. On my app. My personalized app that stores this very information. So I have to open the app on another device to access this information whilst entering it THROUGH THE APP. Strike two. (Three, four, etc.)
Earlier this year, I chose to go to a local dealer (Hyundai) for an oil change, because I didn’t feel like dealing with my Genesis dealer - especially since I could not schedule a service appointment online. Seriously?! The Hyundai service department employees were kind and welcoming, I asked the service advisor to be certain that fluids got topped off, as my windshield-wiper fluid was low. He assured me they would be. Over $100 and an hour later, I drove off. About ten minutes down the road, I realized that the wiper fluid had NOT been replenished. I was not happy. I mention this not because I expected Genesis (-level) service, but because I fear this might be something systemic in the Hyundai/Kia/Genesis organization.
I received my recall notification in the mail. I attempted to make an appointment at my (closest) dealer. It was not possible to do this online. I finally ended up calling one day via the car, based on a service reminder. A long sob story telling me that Genesis has had difficulty maintaining valet services at its dealerships was meant to prepare me for the fact that I’d have to take the time to drive my car to the dealership for servicing. Genesis can’t keep people employed for this. Really?! How DO the other luxury car companies manage? I’m guessing they compensate their employees appropriately. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy getting to drive these cars? So, yeah, by this point I was disgusted. Add to that that I was further informed that they service Genesis vehicles only on T-Th, and then was offered an appointment more than two weeks in the future. (So many more strikes…)
Not only that, but a few days ago literally every warning light decided to light up. It took a few days for my app to get on board with this information, but at this point, I have no idea WHAT to believe. Ostensibly, power brake fluid (called brake oil in the SMS messages), is low. Forward crash avoidance is messed up. The parking brake light is on all the time. Sometimes I can set the brake, sometimes I can’t. The other day, my seating position did not engage. Yesterday, it decided to work again (it’s programmed). Lane-keeping warning is supposedly also messed up, as is the ABS. I notified the dealership. They have me on a call list, supposedly, but I’ve already received redundant reminders to confirm my appointment next week.
The plan is to provide me a car while they work on mine. I guess I should not hold my breath.
(On 5.29.24, I’ll likely receive a reminder to PAY for the connected services. You know, the ‘services’ that don’t even allow for a simple update of the map system that doesn’t involve a computer transfer via outside memory.)
As a car manufacturer and service provider, you should constantly be selling your brand. Every interaction I’ve had with Genesis since the very beginning should have been an opportunity to impress me, to ensure that you would keep me as a customer. For that matter, I would think you’d want your customers to speak positively about the brand and the service. All I can say at this point, is, no wonder you’ve had a hard time establishing yourselves as a luxury car company.