Tesla Stores & Service Centres are fairly unique in the automotive world as they are fully owned by Tesla and this means the customer experience is unlike any other.
Tesla Stores & Service Centres
Most Service Centres are actually much more than ‘just a service centre’ – they typically also contain a sales centre and are also responsible for ensuring that every new owner enjoys the delivery of their Tesla. Tesla also run Stores and Galleries without an attached Service Centre.
Stores
The first thing you’ll notice when you visit a Tesla Store is that the staff there act more like brand ambassadors than sales people. This is because that’s exactly what they are! Tesla sales staff don’t get paid commission so there will be no hard sell tactics – in fact it’s quite common for the Sales Advisors to actually talk customers out of un-needed options when discussing how to spec a Model S (the only exception here is the Technology Pack which, while an option, should be considered mandatory. See our article here).
It is also worth noting that Tesla don’t negotiate on price. There is no middleman and no commission to play with, so the price offered in the stores is exactly the same as the price offered when ordering via the web. The only advantage of completing your order in-store is that you can have an expert on hand to help you understand each option and whether it is right for you.
This approach to selling a car is usually found to be a very welcome and fresh experience, and that’s just the start of the Tesla Service. The chances are that the Sales Advisor(s) that you have your initial discussions with will keep in contact with you through the delivery cycle until you meet your Delivery Specialist as your order enters the ‘pre-delivery’ stage.
In some US states where Tesla are not able to sell directly to consumers they operate ‘Galleries’ instead of ‘Stores’ – the only difference being that they can only provide guidance and all sales must be completed through their website.
Service Centres
Pre-delivery
As your car nears production in Freemont you will be contacted by your allocated Delivery Specialist, or DS, who will help guide you through the final stages of preparing for delivery. Your DS will be happy to cover everything from tracking and agreeing a delivery date, ensuring that you’re ready to make payment, and even helping you arrange home charging equipment.
Delivery
Remember that DS that you’ve been introduced to? Well, it’s now time to meet them as they hand over your shiny new Tesla. Delivery is typically done at a Service Centre (of your choice) and your DS will do their best to provide you with a perfect service that turns taking collection of your new car into a really memorable event. They’ll be on hand to answer any questions you have about how the car works and will never rush you, regardless of how many questions you come preloaded with.
Service
In addition to all of the above, Service Centres are there to ensure that you and your Tesla receive excellent service and can enjoy owning a Tesla. Experience shows that the service staff all make great efforts to ensure that, whether you’re having issues or simply require a mundane annual service, you receive a great level of service. See our article on when Tesla staff go beyond the call of duty.
Typical service items are:
- Resolving any niggles post-delivery
- Annual services
- Switching between summer and winter tyre sets (though this can be done elsewhere)
Some Service Centres also offer an airport valet service whereby you can drive your Tesla to the Service Centre and be transferred to the airport by Tesla staff in a Model S and then collected again when you return. While away your car will receive a complimentary valet and, if required, can even receive its annual service. In the U.K. this service is currently offered by West Drayton (for Heathrow) and Crawley (for Gatwick) during the Service Centres’ regular opening hours.