Markel: The Ultimate Automotive Campus

To whom it may concern:
I am writing this email to you out of frustration with the service I have received for my BMW 328xi from Markel BMW in Omaha, NE. My most recent experience was the last straw and I feel compelled to contact you.
I would like to give you some background information so you can understand my situation. I purchased a certified pre-​owned 2008 328xi from Moterwerks BMW in Bloomington, MN in December of 2010. This was a graduation gift for my daughter who was graduating from grad school on her way to medical school. I purchased this particular vehicle for several reasons. This was a special gift to celebrate my daughter’s accomplishments. We felt that a BMW was symbolic as it represented superior quality and exceptionalism. Also, I wanted her to have a vehicle with an organization that would provide superior customer service. I was sadly mistaken.
My daughter has moved to Iowa City, IA but was back in Omaha, NE for an interview for her next phase of medical training. She scheduled service at Markel BMW to be done on December 17^th. She had noticed that the radiator fan was running continuously. When she made the appointment in advance, they discussed the problem and had already suspected the problem was probably the water pump, thermostat or both. She told them emphatically that she had another interview in Iowa City the next day and needed to have the work completed by the afternoon of the 17^th.
Gina had arranged with Markel BMW to deliver her car to them at 4pm on December 16^th. This was done to diagnosis the problem and start work first thing in the morning. She had contacted me the evening of the 16^th after leaving her vehicle with Markel. She was concerned because she was not available during the day on the 17^th and wanted me to know that she had left both our cellphone numbers with Gary who was her service representative. I called the service department at 7:30am and was transferred to voicemail. I left a message telling Gary to call me with any concerns and again emphasized her time constraints.
Several hours later I became concerned because I had not heard anything from Gary. I called again and was finally able to talk to Gary. I inquired on the status of the work and he told me that it was back in the shop and he would check on it and let us know. I once again reminded him about Gina’s schedule. Gary did finally get back to us and told us that the car diagnosis was done and that it needed a new electronic water pump. He then stated that unfortunately, they did not have the needed part and the work could not be completed. I told Gary that she could not leave the vehicle and they delivered it to her at her hotel. He warned us that the vehicle could overheat and leave her stranded on her trip back to Iowa City, a 3 ½ hour drive.
Unfortunately, this story has only begun. Gina called Gary about the situation and wanted to have the diagnostic report sent to her via email. She was not able to bring the vehicle back to Omaha and was going to find service elsewhere. Gary was very rude to Gina and told her he didn’t think he could email the report. This all seemed very odd to me and I also wondered why they had not changed a running light which was malfunctioning. I called Markel BMW and left a voicemail for the service manager, John Ellingson.
John contacted me and inquired about my concerns. I informed him of my concerns and frustration that the pre-​arranged work on my daughter’s vehicle was not completed. I told him that I was dismayed that their parts department didn’t have even a basic component like a water pump. I also told him that Gary was rude and had not given her the information on the preliminary work that had been done on our vehicle. He told me he would check on the situation.
John called me the next day and told me that my daughter’s car was never even looked at. He informed me that they were overbooked and didn’t have time to work on it. I expressed my frustration for several reasons. I told John that our relationship was based on trust and that telling us lies about the status of the work on our vehicle is unacceptable. Also, I inquired if we had left the vehicle would Gary have a water pump installed even if not needed to cover up his deception? Plus, I told him that I could not believe that they sent a young woman on her way, alone, at night to drive on the freeway for 200 miles having lied to her about her car and knowing it might overheat. At this point I was furious.
John said he wanted to go back again and talk to the shop and Gary and would get back to me. When that didn’t occur I called and talked to Tony who is the general manage of Markel BMW. Tony told me he would too look into this but never contacted me again. Later, I left a voicemail with Tony about this lack of communication and received a voicemail from John telling me that Gary would call me. Gary did call me again but did nothing to address my concerns.

I purchased a used 328i from Markel and it was a great experience. Everyone was nice and helpful and I felt like it was an easy purchase to make– no pushy sales people. It also gave me a great peace of mind knowing my car had always been serviced by Markel, I could tell it had been well taken care of! I have been extremely impressed with the service after the purchase of my car, too. A definite plus when buying from this dealer.

The communication from the service advisors with BMW have been very slow. I have taken my car there multiple times and rarely get my car back on time. They often seem to not have enough loaner cars. Finally, I am not completely sure that the techs have fixed my car correctly as I have returned again for the same issue. If there was another dealership in town, I would go there.

Stingy loaner program. You can pay 80k for a vehicle but you better do it locally if you want one of those low end bmw loaners from these guys.
Nobody else has ever (under warranty) even asked where I bought the shiny «luxury» vehicle from. Can’t imagine how bad their vehicle pricing is but you just gotta know…

You know it’s a sad state of affairs when the most customer service oriented person at Markel BMW is the Asst. Service Manager! I reached out to the General Manager, Anthony Caputo, and no response. I also left the Service Manager (will post name shortly) several voice messages and following in his GM’s footsteps, no response! Finally I was passed off to Tim Runyan who made great customer service his priority. He was very instrumental in the resolution of this matter. He patiently listened to my concerns, went off to assess the situation with a promise to call back, he called back as promised, and issue resolved! Not only was he an effective manager but he was also very empathetic and persistent. My only complaint, he is not a salesman. Otherwise, I would like to work with him on my next purchase which will be at years end if I decide to stay in the bimmer family. As a result of Mr. Runyun’s intervention, I upgraded my rating from one to three stars.
I have a solution for all those who still have outstanding issues with this dealership. Do yourself a favor and reach out to Tim Runyan.
Based on my experience, it comes as no surprise Markel has a paltry Unilocal score because the trend shows Markel has a long history of ignoring their customers.

Great Communication, I would recommend them to anyone thinking about making the drive to anywhere else. When I bought my car from Markel, I felt like I was part of the family. They took great care of me, didn’t over charge me, and made sure I was comfortable with the purchase. Every time I come back for service they all remember me and make sure that I am comfortable. Thanks Tony…

Since first dealing with Markel BMW, i have owned two other BMWs — 07′ 5 series and 09′ X5 (v8). During that time, i have dealt with 3 dealerships and service departments since that time, and i can say that Markel BMW was the WORST BMW dealership I ever had the displeasure of dealing with.
Please dont think that their service is «normal» to BMW. It is not! Go to Lincoln or another city and experience what a REAL BMW dealership is all about!

The service department is a complete disappointment. My first experience included an oil change and they failed to secure the skid plate underneath my suv so that when I drove down the road it fell off scraping the pavement. Newest problem involved spark plug replacement totaling over 400.00 and that wasn’t the problem. I don’t have any confidence in them at all, although they make all kinds of promises when you purchase a vehicle from them.

Since coming into Omaha, this place has always been quick, fair, and precise in helping me out! THANKS STAFF! My BMW is a good car and I want to keep it that way. Thanks for all the tips, and going through my needs with my car.

I’ve had a great experience at Markel BMW because of one man, Greg Friesen! If you want a BMW, talk to Greg! I frequented the dealership before he worked there and let me tell you, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Just imagine me 5 years ago, 22 ish, boyish looks, just over the puberty hump, of course the salesmen are going to think «this stupid prick, he’s just going to waste my time»… We’ll Greg gave me the benefit of the doubt, and he ended up making a $ 60k car sale. And that’s when a business relationship for a lifetime was made my friends… No matter where I choose to live in this beautiful country, I will always be buying my BMW’s through Greg.
My family has obtained 3 cars from him as of now and whatever negativity you may have towards dealerships or car salesman, Greg will be upfront with you, regardless of what he says, even if it may be detrimental to the sale.
My dad really liked the 6 series cabriolet and when he asked how it does in winter, Greg simply said «horrible!» lol, he could have said, it’ll do just fine, we’ll set you up with a nice set of winter tires, blah blah blah, but instead of making a sale on a $ 90k car, he was totally honest, something that not many people can attest to these days, salesman or not. The service department is top notch as well.
Bottom line: If you want a BMW in Nebraska/​Iowa area, talk to Greg!