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I got priority 19, and asked if it could be lowered, or even changed to 10. Was told no, everyone gets 19 at their dealership. Probably more common than most people want to accept based on all the questionable info pasted on the interwebs.
Moral of this story... NOTHING good in life ever comes out of using Twitter.
Let’s face it. Nothing untrue was said in the tweets. Dealership probably embarrassed it’s taking over a year to build a truck and seriously, you can’t call a customer and tell them why it’s taking so long. Any of you that have a business know that if a customer orders something or buys something they are not going to sit around months wondering when it will come with no communication. Look at how many folks on this site are constantly checking with their dealers about the status of their order. They want some kind, NO, they deserve some kind of time line. It’s just good business. A lot of businesses are using this “pandemic “ as an excuse or reason for bad business practices. Yes, there are shortages in certain areas, transportation issues because people don’t want to work, using the virus as an excuse. And we could debate politically forever but this forum is not the place. It’s getting a little old. The OP did nothing wrong. She posted an email she received. As Jack Nicholson would say to the Ford dealership, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH “.
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Because it's good customer service to keep your customers informed, especially when dates slip. I think you own a business (from other posts, I apologize if I am getting you confused w/someone else), yet you don't understand the importance of this?
In my previous career, I worked on a sales team w/a large corporate client. If there was bad news to be delivered, I made sure they were told the reason why, that we were upfront about it w/no games or lies. I do understand that it is impossible to give a huge number of clients the same kind of hand holding, but there ARE ways to be more upfront. Forty years ago (before social media), dealers and companies could be and were more obtuse. With how fast information can be spread/discussed, that is no longer a good business strategy. All one needs to do is to look here at MTC with the HUGE number of "my dealer said" where the dealer was spouting bullsh*t. A different and better customer communication strategy is required.
I say this as a Ford stockholder. I own stock now and back in 2009 put MY MONEY at risk buying Ford paper (bonds) at 20 cents on a dollar because I believed in them and their ability to survive when most thought that they along with GM and Chrysler would be no longer.
This isn't about "coddled" customers...its about a good modern customer communication and support strategy.
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I ordered in June and just last week got a build date (March 28th). I have reached out to my dealer once by email (and received a response), but otherwise received zero communication from them...and that is exactly what I want/expect. While I'm not sure I'd block OP (putting myself in the shoes of the dealer), I'm confused as to what they were hoping to accomplish. Tweeting about a dealership not being proactive about reaching out to you is petty at best.
tweeting in general is stupid. I have had customers threaten bad online reviews if I didn't do this or that for them. Some of the review platforms are getting better at ferreting out these types of people but there are countless people who give no thought to trying to destroy your business by using social media.
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If any of the negative Nellies unhappy with the original poster actually read his " After 7 months with no contact," they have never been a manager/owner of a successful operation. Happy customers don't tell many people, unhappy people tell everyone. Complaints are a normal part of any business, how they are handled, is determined by management. Show me an automobile sales operation where all the sales personal are just so overwhelmed with new buyers that they can't call and commiserate with a current waiting for the delivery, customer? A quick call saying--- "it's still in the queue to be built ASAP but shortages are delaying everything and would you like me to help you find something else or just keep waiting"?--- That's how you keep a mad Ford corporation customer, a happy dealer's customer! Lazy sales personnel are that way because of poor management./dealers. Easy to replace them than get customers!
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I want to know that my dealer didn't screw up my order.
I want to know that the change I made was made correctly.
I want a few weeks notice to arrange financing so I can see what kind of rate my credit union will give me, to compare to whatever the dealer offers.
If I had something from Ford saying "your truck will be delivered July 20th 2022, we will update you if anything changes" that would be sufficient for me....but I understand under current circumstances that's not practical. Since the dealer apparently didn't input my email properly, I'd like a place where I can do that with Ford instead of having to check the order tracker for changes over and over.
In other words I'd like Ford to program their computers to communicate the information I can find from the order tracker. I don't think that's asking too much.
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Sure, that would be nice, above and beyond, but not expected. How often do you want your dealer to call you that nothing has changed? They know as much as you do. I haven't heard anything from my dealer since August, and I haven't left negative social media posts about it. If they had something that needed my attention, then they will reach out.
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I am sorry to tell you that allocations are based strictly on travel rates (broken down to individual models) and are followed exactly by the manufacturers as dealers have successfully sued manufacturers in the past for unethical allocation practices (like reps taking bribes to give dealer A more cars than dealer B or even the wrong mix of cars). So dealer past sales history and available inventory + incoming units is how the allocations are calculated on the available units being produced... It kind of insures that dealers in major markets will always get more inventory than dealers in smaller markets. This of course is an over simplification of how the system works as other geographical/demographic factors play in like more AWD to the north, more P/Us in Texas than say N.Y. etc. For the most part the allocation system works well and is (mostly) fair...
You can get this info from Ford corporate who will confirm your order
...by calling and waiting on hold for 30+ minutes. Did that, twice because my dealer didn't change my Ecoboost to a hybrid, they reordered. Ford wasn't able to figure out that the Ecoboost canceled and the hybrid ordered on the same day by the same name at the same small dealer were related--just that my order was on dealer hold. (there was nothing wrong with my actual order, only the one I canceled)
I want a few weeks notice to arrange financing so I can see what kind of rate my credit union will give me, to compare to whatever the dealer offers.
Ford is nice enough to give the VIN tracking feature and this forum has even provided methods for tracking your Maverick in training. What more could you want?
In my case, all it tells me is what I ordered and when I ordered it. Dealer said it has a build week of Feb 28, Ford order tracker doesn't confirm that. I had to ask the dealer to get the VIN so I could check on my own, and I didn't ask until about a week after I started seeing the big batch of Lariat Lux Hybrids like mine getting scheduled for Feb 28. Based on the number of people whose build dates got pushed back, it's pretty likely mine was too...but I've no simple way of discovering that.
In other words I'd like Ford to program their computers to communicate the information I can find from the order tracker. I don't think that's asking too much.
It is asking too much, I've special ordered three brand new vehicles, this is the first time I've ever seen a manufacturer do this. I just don't see the value in the things your asking for from Ford's point of view, you just sound like a needy customer.
If it were just me, then no, I don't expect them to reprogram their systems. It's a bunch of us. Many of us have zero communication from Ford, I'd like a way to at least get the standard email notifications. It's an expensive item that I need to prepare for, that I can't prepare for very far in advance of delivery, that will be here at some unknown time at least 6 months from when I ordered. There's some incentive for a shady dealer to "have a hard time contacting me".
I'd like about half the level of communication that I routinely get for a $12 Amazon roll of string that will show up at my house in 3 days with no further action needed on my part.
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I've had a VIN since December 3rd. NO INFORMATION is populated on it as there is yet to be a window sticker generated and the scheduled production week keeps shifting.
And you sound like someone I would never want to do business with.
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