Problems with an '08 Escape Hybrid order - need help!

[ice-capades]

I place the ordder in June but didn't get a DORA until July. They told me they didn't have allocation to place an order.

 

Allocation has nothing to do with a Dealer's ability to place an order, whether it be a customer's "Retail" order or an order for stock. Dealers can place orders for whatever and as many vehicles that they want. Allocation is only the number of vehicles for a model line that Ford agrees to schedule for the allocation period. If a Dealer doesn't have clean, buildable orders in the "Unscheduled Order Bank" on time, Ford will schedule a Dealer's stock order or a Ford "Suggested" order that meets the vehicle commodity restrictions in effect for that week.

 

Ford's regional offices post a notice weekly for dealers about the commodity restrictions for that week's vehicle scheduling. Vehicle oders not meeting those restrictions, regardless of order type, cannot be expected to be scheduled. For customer "Retail" orders, it's important that the dealership representative keep the Ford Zone Manager apprised of unscheduled "Retail" orders. It can make a difference! The first priority for vehicle scheduling are "Retail" orders followed by "Demo" orders and then stock orders.

 

Dealers can order as many vehicles as they want but it's the allocation that determines how many vehicles get scheduled based on the Dealership's allocation.

 

For my Dealership, I order vehicles on a weekly basis so that I know that the vehicles in my current "Unscheduled Order Bank" meet that week's commodity restrictions. Customer "Retail" orders are given the highest priority as it's in the Dealership's best interest to deliver those units as soon as possible in order to earn additional, futiure allocation. I prioritize customer "Retail" orders based on the order date so that those orders scheduled in the order that they are received.

 

I hope that this helps!

Edited July 22, 2007 by ice-capades

[dfs]

Allocation has nothing to do with a Dealer's ability to place an order, whether it be a customer's "Retail" order or an order for stock. Dealers can place orders for whatever and as many vehicles that they want. Allocation is only the number of vehicles for a model line that Ford agrees to schedule for the allocation period. If a Dealer doesn't have clean, buildable orders in the "Unscheduled Order Bank" on time, Ford will schedule a Dealer's stock order or a Ford "Suggested" order that meets the vehicle commodity restrictions in effect for that week.

 

Ford's regional offices post a notice weekly for dealers about the commodity restrictions for that week's vehicle scheduling. Vehicle oders not meeting those restrictions, regardless of order type, cannot be expected to be scheduled. For customer "Retail" orders, it's important that the dealership representative keep the Ford Zone Manager apprised of unscheduled "Retail" orders. It can make a difference! The first priority for vehicle scheduling are "Retail" orders followed by "Demo" orders and then stock orders.

 

Dealers can order as many vehicles as they want but it's the allocation that determines how many vehicles get scheduled based on the Dealership's allocation.

 

For my Dealership, I order vehicles on a weekly basis so that I know that the vehicles in my current "Unscheduled Order Bank" meet that week's commodity restrictions. Customer "Retail" orders are given the highest priority as it's in the Dealership's best interest to deliver those units as soon as possible in order to earn additional, futiure allocation. I prioritize customer "Retail" orders based on the order date so that those orders scheduled in the order that they are received.

 

I hope that this helps!

 

 

Great input - Do you agree that the dealership should have told this customer that their order would not be scheduled until they had production allocation, instead of letting them believe they would see the vehicle in 6-8 weeks? It appears that they chose not to tell the customer that their order could be delayed for multiple reasons - no/low allocation, at risk vehicle line (medium), assembly plant down, etc. Or is it, as one of the sales people implied, "how are we expected to know what Ford would do with the order?"

[mbagsb]

Great input - Do you agree that the dealership should have told this customer that their order would not be scheduled until they had production allocation, instead of letting them believe they would see the vehicle in 6-8 weeks? It appears that they chose not to tell the customer that their order could be delayed for multiple reasons - no/low allocation, at risk vehicle line (medium), assembly plant down, etc. Or is it, as one of the sales people implied, "how are we expected to know what Ford would do with the order?"

 

10 weeks and counting... order still isn't scheduled. IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN HELP?!

[ibinubu12]

I sympathize with you. In June of 1988, my mom placed an order with Jack Demmer Ford in Wayne, Michigan for a 1989 Ford Probe. That was June of 1988. Weeks went by, she kept calling, they said they couldn't get them, they were in such high demand. My mom wrote a letter to Ford management in late 1988, and promptly got a call from Demmer Ford. They didn't apologize, they were angry she wrote to Ford! Anyway, time went on and the car got delivered. IN MAY OF 1989! Thats a 10 month order. So delays are nothing new to Ford. Although I sincerely hope your Escape gets built quickly!

[mbagsb]

Priority 10 is about as good as you can get. The long wait is to be expected considering it's a new model, and how small the production numbers are. Hell, there are a couple of people that have posted on this board that claimed to have driven a couple of states to purchase them.

 

 

Last update I got was that the reason it hasn't been scheduled is that the dealer I placed the order through is "one of the smaller dealers" in the region and as a result, it may take a long time for them to get allocation. Meanwhile, there is a dealer in the same city who is getting a regular stock of vehicles, not attached to customer names, that you can buy off the lot. I had the dealer do a search, but they can't find one, and I have no way of doing it myself. I have a deposit down so I can't just walk over to the next guy to get it done either.

 

I understand your system but at the end of the day, you have a customer is getting screwed.

 

I was talking to guy who works for a well known industry publication and he told me that Ford is constantly holding dealers over a barrel with product lines that are dogs if they want fulfillment on the orders that they have in hand with end consumers.

 

Where's the leadership from Ford who "monitors this board" to help explain how that makes sense? Ever hear of lifetime customer value? Ever hear of the basic management tenet that explains how it is exponentially more expensive to find a new customer than it is to keep a customer you have? Jeeze, I'm not even a real customer yet - since I don't have the car - and this is already a terribly disappointing experience.

[ernestb48104]

I know you don't want to hear this, but here it goes. IF I was having this experience I would walk into the dealership ASAP demand my deposit back and go somewhere else. Cause if they are not going to do things right from the get go, why would you continue working with dealership? Now mind you had they been forthcoming from the beginning, or called and say we screwed up, blah blah.

 

They didn't so, get your deposit back and walk.

[Deanh]

just got a Hybris order of mine in yesterday...initial order date 5/11..so that means turaround for a retail order was 12 plus weeks..........they ARE taking a LONG time....your scenario may be different however....