Last week I took my MINI to MINI of San Diego for her first service, a little bit overdue thanks to a business trip that got in the way. As well as getting the oil change done I wanted them to rotate the tyres (at a $14.95 expense) and check out the operation of the passenger seat.
It is rare that I have anyone sitting in the back because, well, I don’t know many pygmies or small children. But the one time someone wanted in the back it was very hard to make the passenger seat back fold forwards, unlike my past MINIs (and the driver’s side on this one) where that just happened when you pulled on the side tab.
About twenty minutes into the appointment, a technician came out and told me that the cable was over stretched and this being 2013 that means a whole new seat base. They had one in stock but it was a 90+ minute job on top of the one I already had going so I said I’d come back another time for that.
Time passed in the lounge and eventually I was called to get my key. While doing the tyre rotation they had found wheel locks but no key, the place in the tyre change toolkit moulding was empty. So they used their universal key to remove the locks and do the rotation but since they couldn’t in good conscience lock my wheels back on with no way for me to get them off, they put new locks on and made sure to give me the key. And, as a consequence of this “fault” by MINI, they waived my $14.95.
Very impressed with my first service visit, a mile ahead of my experiences with Brecht. Only complaint I have is that the TV in the lounge is always showing some Bourdain documentary where he is eating disgusting things, last week he was cooking with pig blood. Everyone waiting was grossed out.