Maybe you’re dissatisfied with your new car, or maybe with the dealership that sold it to you. Whatever it is, you’re left unhappy with your recent experience buying a car, and feel like the customer service you received was below par. Yet despite your efforts, you can’t seem to make your voice heard and get your problems resolved. Here’s how to get the best service possible from your local car dealership.

Even if you left previously with a negative experience, your local dealer is still the best person to work with to resolve your complaint. Local dealerships are interested in creating loyal lifetime customers, and they know the best way to do that is by making you happy. A dealership can spend a fortune on advertising trying to attract customers, but statistics show that good customer service is by far the best way to keep them.

Your local dealer is far more likely to help you if they believe this transaction will benefit them. This is especially true where there is a cost to the dealership involved in solving your problem. If they’re investing money in keeping you happy, they want to know there’s a reasonable chance they’ll earn that money back later through your repeat business. The best way to prove you’ll be a good customer later on is to prove that you’re a good customer right now.

You can show the dealership you’re a good customer by being nice to the dealer’s employees. While it might make you feel better to yell or be rude, nothing will hurt your cause more than a group of employees at the dealership that hate you. If you want to get what you want, give them a reason to like you and want to help you. “Kill em’ with kindness” and you will prove you’re a customer worth saving.

Working with the dealership’s General Manager (GM) is another excellent way to get your problem resolved. GMs are professionals in keeping the customer happy, and can get almost anything done for you in the name of customer service. They have the power to get a senior executive on the phone and aware of your complaint at any time, and have the full backing of the manufacturer. Talking with the GM will get you far in resolving your problem - make sure you ask to speak with one!

In the rare case that speaking with the GM of your local dealer doesn’t work, the next step is to call the manufacturer’s customer service hotline (the number can be found in your owner’s manual). You should try to contact the local regional office as well. While the local regional office will probably just refer you to the national hotline, you may be able to speak with a regional Toyota executive. Persistence is key.

To recap, your search for a solution to your customer service problem begins at your local new car dealership. Remember to speak with the general manager! If neither dealership nor GM can help you, call the national customer service hotline and the regional office. Always be nice and polite to everyone you speak to along the way. In the end, your persistence will pay off, and you’ll end up with a solution to your problem, and the best customer service possible.