The importance of spare keys

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

Q: Did you hear about the guy from [insert desired country here] who locked himself out of his car with his family stuck inside?
A: They starved to death within a few days.

I'm here every Thursday night folks! Please take care of your bartenders!

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I had the displeasure of driving a Mercedes, a friend of the family's let me take her for a spin, and I absolutely hated it! I may be a country bumpkin for saying this, but all I need is a good Silverado.

 

[Gollnick]

Driving a Mercedes is like driving a tank!

Well, it's the only tank in its class that achieved acceptible or better in all National Highway Safety Administration tests and, it's a tank that goes zero to sixty in six seconds, stops on a dime, and corners like it's on rails...

 

[Gollnick]

hehhehehhhe, this is why i carry a strider. every time i lock myself out of the apt. i have to climb a tree and pry open a window. i guess that sort of counts as a spare key right?

Actually, if you were to carry a Dark Ops knife, you wouldn't need a spare key. You could just cut through the skin of your airplane... er, I mean car. Even if your car has Comm Bloc body armour, you could still get in.

 

[cockroachfarm]

...The remote unlock is part of TeleAide. They can track and disable a stolen car too.

Must only be on the newer models. Is that a yearly "service contract" you purchase from Mercedes with a new car, like GM's 'OnStar'?

(I've owned 14 MBZ's and I wasn't even aware that TeleAide existed.)

 

[Gollnick]

Must only be on the newer models. Is that a yearly "service contract" you purchase from Mercedes with a new car, like GM's 'OnStar'?

(I've owned 14 MBZ's and I wasn't even aware that TeleAide existed.)

TeleAide is MB's "OnStar" equivilent. It's has been standard equipment since 2000 or 2001. It is a subscription service after the first year.

The "helpful" operators that you talk to when you press the help button are anything but helpful. Generally downright rude. You pay $250/year just for service. It's something like $1.50/minute to use it. I've actually given up on using it. The operators are variously rude and incompetent. I keep the basic subscription because of the unlocking service if I should ever need it (which I have only once since the "central locking system" makes if very difficult to lock yourself out), the airbag monitoring (the big issue for me), and the stolen car location service. As I recall, they can also make your parking lights flash for five minutes or some such thing and sound your horn for you too if you forget where you car is in a large parking lot which could be useful.

As I said, I primarily keep it for the airbag monitoring service. A friend of mine got himself a new E-Class about a year ago (I never even got to see this car) and, just weeks after he got it, a person ran a red light at high speed and t-boned him bad. He had the quintessential TelAide experience of waking up to hear the TelAide operator on the speakerphone saying "Are you alright?" They'd already located the car by GPS and dispatched emergency services. TeleAide also unlocked the car doors which helped the rescue people a bit, sort of a nice touch. TeleAide stayed on the line until the rescue people told them that they had him on the way to the hospital. The trip to the ER was a routine precaution; he was basically uninjured. They even called him at home later just to check up on him. The rescue people said he'd probably have been a lot worse off if he hadn't have been in a Mercedes.

 

[cockroachfarm]

...The "helpful" operators that you talk to when you press the help button are anything but helpful. Generally downright rude....

Sadly, I've found the entire Mercedes "experience" to have tarnished substantially over the past 10 years or so - especially at the dealership level (sales and service). And as I said, I speak from experience - 14 models have been part of the family "fleet" since the early 70's. Nowadays, it seems to be a hit or miss proposition - we have a local dealership in Clearwater that is nothing if not fair - it treats ALL customers like dirt. Then, there's the dealership my son has been taking his ML-320 to while he's been living in L.A. (Beverly Hills Mercedes). He said everyone who works there treats him like royalty, EVERY visit.

Believe it or not, my BEST dealer/manufacturer experience has been with a Range Rover HSE 4.6 I had for four years. I remember driving to our home in Florida one year when a rad hose burst immediately after we had crossed the border. Of course no local auto place had a rad hose for a LR product and I couldn't find a local tow truck operator who wanted to tow me to the nearest LR dealership, about half an hour away.

Since I was desperate, I decided to call the toll-free number on the Land Rover "Roadside Service" card in the glove box ( a service that had expired over a year ago when the factory warranty expired.) I figured if someone answered, they could at least give me some advice on what to do next.

Well, someone answered all right! When I explained to the Service Consultant that my "Assistance" plan had expired over a year ago but that I was stranded and could use at least some advice, this woman replied: "Sir, that doesn't really matter. You are a Land Rover owner and of course we will take care of you." She then ordered a flat-bed from a local tow service and they took us to the nearest Land Rover dealership, about 35 minutes away. While we were enroute, she notified the dealership that we were coming and could they please give us priority service because we were travelling. When we arrived at the dealership (it was a busy Saturday), the Service Manager had already asked one of their local customers to give up their service appointment so that they could look after us and get us on our way. When the work had been completed, the telephone operator called us again to make sure that we had been taken care of and we were ready to continue on our journey.

Now that's what I call "Customer Service". (And, personally, I have found the same kind of attitude in EVERY Land Rover dealership that I have used in Canada and the U.S.)

Now - if they could only match the build quality of their product to that level of customer service........ Oh, well.

 

[Gollnick]

I like the car basically. I love the dealer; Mercedes Benz of Portland. They're great. They do treat you like royalty. And the service area is truly spotless. "Technicians" in white lab coats, etc. The car porters all wear white gloves so they don't leave fingerprints in your car. It's all very nice.

But Mercedes Benz national sucks! I mentioned this once to the dealer. Their response was, "Oh, don't call them. They're horrible. If you have any questions or comments or need anything, CALL US! We'll take care of you."

So, from a customer service point of view, Mercedes is basically depending on their dealers.

They have a 1-800 number you can call if you have questions or anything. The average hold time in my experience is about 20 minutes and the people are outright rude and incompetent.

I once dialed a wrong number and happened to get Ford's customer care line by accident. It did not even ring. They answered before the first ring. "Hello, Ford Customer Care."

"Ah what?"

"Ford Customer Care. How can we assist you today?"

"I'm sorry, 'Ford Customer Care?'"

"Yes sir. I can answer any question you may have about your Ford vehicle."

"I'm sorry, I must have a wrong number."

"Oh, that's quite alright. Please call back if you ever have a question about a Ford Vehicle."

"I don't have a Ford. Sorry."

"I can locate a dealer for you... send you literature?"

"No thank you."

"Have a nice day... and do call back if you ever have any questions about any Ford Vehicle."



The best I've ever experienced, though, was the GE Answer Center. My GE dishwasher in the kitchen when I lived in Iowa made a terrible noise. I had no manual or anything, but there was a sticker on the side of the door with the GE Answer Center number. So, I gave it a try. The person who answered listened carefully, asked intelligent questions, and then asked, "Are you at all handy?"

"I'm an engineer."

"But are you handy?"

"Well, I think so."

"Do you have a Phillips screwdriver?"

"Yes?"

"Then let's do this..."

And he explained to me how to take off the front panel and adjust the water pump. He took me through the whole process on the phone. I was utterly amazed. When I expressed that when we were done and the machine was purring nicely -- a fact that he insisted on confirming by having me hold the phone up to the machine -- he replied, "I'm throughly trained on all GE products including jet engines... except locomotive engines and nuclear reactors... and I got to locomotive class next month." Since then, whenever I've had a question about a GE product, I've called the answer center and gotten excellent service.

 

[sygyzy]

I am surprised none of you have any newer cars that have chips built into the handle of the key. I can't carry a spare in my wallet. It just won't fit!

 

[comet]

I duct tape a key to frame of my truck (under the front grill) then I always have one with me.

 

[Yvsa]

I am surprised none of you have any newer cars that have chips built into the handle of the key. I can't carry a spare in my wallet. It just won't fit!

Sure you can. We bought a new 2005 Toyota Camry SE last November. It also has a chip embedded in the keys, we received two such keys and what Toyota calls a "Valet key" that has no chip, just a plain key.
I'm not sure of the role the valet key has but has something too do with a valet parking your car and not being able too access the trunk or glove compartment I think. I need too read up on it some more too fully understand its role.
I'm pretty sure that you have too disable the alarm and starting apparatus though.
Reading a new car owner's manual these days is an education unto itself!
It took me a week too get through it all and I really need to read it again to get its full effect. :grumpy:

We also received a "Credit Card" key that is basically a piece of plastic the same size as a credit card with a key cutout. The "key" has too be cut at Toyota on their machine using one of the embeded chip keys.
Our salesperson didn't know how too use it when we first bought our car but we were in for an oil change just last week and she fixed us up then.
I asked for and received an extra credit card key so both my wife and I could each have one.

If I were in your position I'd be asking the dealer if there wasn't some way to be able to carry a spare key on my person.

 

[craigz]

"I'm throughly trained on all GE products including jet engines... except locomotive engines and nuclear reactors... and I go to locomotive class next month."

What's that, Mr. Bauer? You say that terrorists have sabotaged your reactor, the coolant temperature is rising, and the core is about to melt down? I think I can help you, sir. Do you have a Phillips screwdriver?

 

[Fisher of Men]

I usually just punch the window in with my fist whether it's my car or my home.






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Just kiddin. I thought it would make for a fun post though.

I don't have any spare keys anywhere. I think I better change that

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[weldon]

My favorite lost key incident wasn't a lost key, but a broken key. Oregon (sorry for all of you who live there) has this asinine law that you can't pump your own gas.... I guess I'm incompetent as soon as I cross the border into Oregon (I know there is some thinking about creating jobs...) Anyway, flew to where my sister was going to college and helped her drive home for the summer. I was sleeping so we didn't stop for gas in Idaho and needed gas in Oregon. We stopped at the gas station and the attendant proceeded to break the key off in the door for the gas tank. Luckily my sister had a spare, buried in her stuff in the back and it only took us 20 minutes to get to it. When I travel now I always have a spare key for the car I'm driving.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

What's that, Mr. Bauer? You say that terrorists have sabotaged your reactor, the coolant temperature is rising, and the core is about to melt down? I think I can help you, sir. Do you have a Phillips screwdriver?

So did he die or what? I can't sit still for this show, but I watch anyway .

 

[Gollnick]

My favorite lost key incident wasn't a lost key, but a broken key.

Some people think it strange that I carry two identical house keys side-by-side on my keychain. But keys do break off sometimes. I once had one break off on me and it took me several hours to deal with the problem. For $5, I now carry two. If the first breaks off in the front door lock, I'll let myself in the back door with the second.

 

[Gollnick]

"Hello, GE Answer Center. How can I help you?"

"Allah be praised! We have taken over the reactor center and want to sabotage the reactor to melt down."

"I'm sure I can help you with that. What model of GE reactor is this?"

"Ah, it's a GE123."

"Ok, I'm throughly trained on the GE123. First, we need to bypass the safety system. Are you handy?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a phillips screwdriver with you?"

"Ah... ok, Abdul's got his Leatherman with him."

"Good. Now remove the cover below the main control panel..."





An hour later...

"Hello, GE Answer Center. How can I help you?"

"Bond here. The reactor's been sabotaged, the coolant temperature is rising, and the core is about to melt down."

""I'm sure I can help you with that. What model of GE reactor is this?"

"Ah, it's a GE123."

"Ok, I'm throughly trained on the GE123. First, we need to re-enable the safety system. Are you handy?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a phillips screwdriver?"

"Fortuantely, my cufflink converts into one."

"That'll do. Let's remove the cover plate from below the main control panel..."

 

[sygyzy]

Sure you can. We bought a new 2005 Toyota Camry SE last November. It also has a chip embedded in the keys, we received two such keys and what Toyota calls a "Valet key" that has no chip, just a plain key.
I'm not sure of the role the valet key has but has something too do with a valet parking your car and not being able too access the trunk or glove compartment I think. I need too read up on it some more too fully understand its role.
I'm pretty sure that you have too disable the alarm and starting apparatus though.
Reading a new car owner's manual these days is an education unto itself!
It took me a week too get through it all and I really need to read it again to get its full effect. :grumpy:

We also received a "Credit Card" key that is basically a piece of plastic the same size as a credit card with a key cutout. The "key" has too be cut at Toyota on their machine using one of the embeded chip keys.
Our salesperson didn't know how too use it when we first bought our car but we were in for an oil change just last week and she fixed us up then.
I asked for and received an extra credit card key so both my wife and I could each have one.

If I were in your position I'd be asking the dealer if there wasn't some way to be able to carry a spare key on my person.

My valet key has the chip too (thick). If it didn't, how could your valet start the car?