POLL: sold order priority, allocation problems

[ford4v429]

the one big weakness...and perhaps the cause is dealers slamming in bunches of ficticious orders on prime merchandise.........

 

hadnt checked this thread in a long time...

pasting from a few posts up, one possible way to prevent what Deanh mentions:

 

<<The only way to really fix the problem would be non-refundable deposit, name on the order, requirement that first titling can ONLY go to name on order, or car gets returned to general allocation(to discourage shady dealer from 'increasing allocation' on the sly).

Maybe ford wont do it, but ask anyone that wanted a 05 in a 'allocation poor area' how they felt about seeing florida cut in line for months - even on freakin stock orders. >>

[fmorriso]

hadnt checked this thread in a long time...

pasting from a few posts up, one possible way to prevent what Deanh mentions:

 

<<The only way to really fix the problem would be non-refundable deposit, name on the order, requirement that first titling can ONLY go to name on order, or car gets returned to general allocation(to discourage shady dealer from 'increasing allocation' on the sly).

Maybe ford wont do it, but ask anyone that wanted a 05 in a 'allocation poor area' how they felt about seeing florida cut in line for months - even on freakin stock orders. >>

I'm for the non-refundable deposit idea and the part about the vehicle can only be delivered to the person on the order. I'd also throw in guaranteed price protection. Maybe then I (and several others) would not still be waiting nearly six months for a vehicle that I see others have already taken delivery on (exact same specs by the way) nearly two months ago.

[Ray-NYC]

Fast Forward to 2010 and This is all still the same with the 2011 Mustangs.

[chiefstang]

Fast Forward to 2010 and This is all still the same with the 2011 Mustangs.

 

<sigh> No, Ray. The Mustangs are on hold for an undetermined issue.

 

The only thing that hasn't changed is people who obviously know more about the car business than the people in it.

 

Armchair crybabies, if you will.

[PTRocks]

<sigh> No, Ray. The Mustangs are on hold for an undetermined issue.

 

The only thing that hasn't changed is people who obviously know more about the car business than the people in it.

 

Armchair crybabies, if you will.

 

Actually, a large number of cars are on hold because the wrong coolant label was applied, a bunch more got striped when the "delete" option was specified. Still others have noisy timing chains, and a handful have an engine tick. QC is doing a very good job of making sure these cars with issues don't end up in the customers hands.

 

What has changed is the way companies (other than Ford) handle their logistics. The majority of manufacturers/vendors now offer some form of order and shipment tracking. While the process of building and QC'ing a vehicle is much more complex than for other products, customer service isn't. Because of the improvement in logistics and shipping, people are now used to being able to obtain up-to-date information about the status of their order. In the particular case of the 2011 Mustang, there is a disproportionate number of customers who have custom ordered their cars.

 

These people have waited for information about their order while others who ordered later have already taken delivery. This is wrong. If a car is being held, the customer should have a reasonable expectation of getting specific, useful information. Right now, Ford has completely dropped the ball in this regard. Neither customers nor dealers can get any information about their orders. As a result Ford's reputation is taking a beating on the Internet forums, rightly so in my opinion.

 

Ford is losing sales now. This is going to get much, much worse once the Fiesta comes out. As I recall, the marketing people have twigged to the fact that they are trying to attract a new type of customer, and because of the immediacy of the Internet, Ford has ONE CHANCE to get it right (Ford's words). If the debacle that has been the Mustang production/hold/shipment info black hole isn't fixed in time for the Fiesta launch, then all of the hard work that has been put in to market the car will have been wasted.

 

Since the Fiesta is a new platform being built at a newly rebuilt facility, it is normal to expect that there will be extended QC holds etc. Ford cannot afford to fail to keep the customers who've placed orders properly informed. The appropriate answer to "Where's my car?" should be "We're sorry, but our quality assurance people have determined that the wrong coolant-type label has been applied to your car. Since using the wrong type of coolant can damage your engine, we are working with our suppliers to expedite the printing of the correct labels so they can be installed. Because of design and production lead times, we unfortunately expect that it will be three more weeks before we will be able to get your car to you. Please accept our apologies for the delay, we hope that you will appreciate our efforts to ensure your car meets your expectations as delivered."

 

That response is INFINITELY better than the canned responses now being offered to potential Mustang customers.

 

The customer knowing what's wrong with their car makes Ford look diligent. Not getting any information makes Ford look incompetent.

Edited June 11, 2010 by PTRocks

[fritzOSU03]

Actually, a large number of cars are on hold because the wrong coolant label was applied, a bunch more got striped when the "delete" option was specified. Still others have noisy timing chains, and a handful have an engine tick. QC is doing a very good job of making sure these cars with issues don't end up in the customers hands.

 

What has changed is the way companies (other than Ford) handle their logistics. The majority of manufacturers/vendors now offer some form of order and shipment tracking. While the process of building and QC'ing a vehicle is much more complex than for other products, customer service isn't. Because of the improvement in logistics and shipping, people are now used to being able to obtain up-to-date information about the status of their order. In the particular case of the 2011 Mustang, there is a disproportionate number of customers who have custom ordered their cars.

 

These people have waited for information about their order while others who ordered later have already taken delivery. This is wrong. If a car is being held, the customer should have a reasonable expectation of getting useful specific information. Right now, Ford has completely dropped the ball in this regard. Neither customers nor dealers can get any information about their orders. As a result Ford's reputation is taking a beating on the Internet forums, rightly so in my opinion.

 

Ford is losing sales now. This is going to get much, much worse once the Fiesta comes out. As I recall, the marketing people have twigged to the fact that they are trying to attract a new type of customer, and because of the immediacy of the Internet, Ford has ONE CHANCE to get it right (Ford's words). If the debacle that has been the Mustang production/hold/shipment info black hole isn't fixed in time for the Fiesta launch, then all of the hard work that has been put in to market the car will have been wasted.

 

Since the Fiesta is a new platform being built at a newly rebuilt facility, it is normal to expect that there will be extended QC holds etc. Ford cannot afford to fail to keep the customers who've placed orders properly informed. The appropriate answer to "Where's my car?" should be "We're sorry, but our quality assurance people have determined that the wrong coolant-type label has been applied to your car. Since using the wrong type of coolant can damage your engine, we are working with our suppliers to expedite the printing of the correct labels so they can be installed. Because of design and production lead times, we unfortunately expect that it will be three more weeks before we will be able to get your car to you. Please accept our apologies for the delay, we hope that you will appreciate our efforts to ensure your car meets your expectations as delivered."

 

That response is INFINITELY better than the canned responses now being offered to potential Mustang customers.

 

I've got to agree with PT on this one. This is the first car I've ever ordered and it's been one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever dealt with. I ordered on 3/20, the car was scheduled to be built on 4/15, and it was assigned an ETA of 5/6. Problem is, it so happens, that 5/6 is the same day that it was delivered to area 51 where it STILL SITS TODAY! Even today the CSR at Ford claims my ETA is 5/6. Hello?! It's June 10th, are you telling me that the car will be delivered next year or did someone drop the ball? I'm sorry for this rant but I'm to the point of walking away and I'm buying with a z-plan. For a loyal, z-plan customer that is willing to purchase a car sight-unseen, I'm being treated somewhat poorly.

 

Oh, and by the way, you might want to consider that those "Armchair crybabies" in this case are Ford's most loyal, enthusiastic customers.

Edited June 14, 2010 by fritzOSU03

[Kahdir]

I would like to see a system based on a "first come, first serve" basis. Customers come first in the retail business. Don't force a paying customer to hunt down a dealer based on size/allocation. The rest will work itself out... Take Walmart for example: A store in a major city vs. one in the middle of nowhere.... both have access to the same inventory, both stock their shelves based on demand, but If I order something online, I can have the item shipped to the store of my choosing to pick-up. Size and traffic of that store are irrelevant.

[Ray-NYC]

<sigh> No, Ray. The Mustangs are on hold for an undetermined issue.

 

The only thing that hasn't changed is people who obviously know more about the car business than the people in it.

 

Armchair crybabies, if you will.

 

 

Well I didn't read the entire thread. I skimmed through the posts and got a general feel on the topic. With that, I should have been more specific on my comment. Internally things may have changed at Ford. On the outside, it doesn't "look" that way. Yes, I know about the QC holds. We've had many valuable contacts from dealships and at the plants and others "in the know" passing on whatever they could back at The Mustang Source. I'm aware of why Ford is holding my car. For others that don't live on the web, all they see currently is Stock cars at dealerships and the car they/we ordered the day the banks opened are no where to be found. THe general lack of customer service/consideration, or whatever term you wish to use, is still out there. I, personally, was never looking for explanations of the holds, just status on a realistic ETA, so I can properly prepare for my car. I'm spending just south of $60,000 (I ordered a Shelby), I'm refraining from driving my '06 GT to keep the miles down for trade-in. I applied for my loan based on my, now long past, original ETA; that has since expired, i paid the small fee to extend that rate and it will expire again next week. WIth lack of an ETA, I cannot make a proper decision on how to handle the loan (there's more to it as I'm an employee of the bank, so it's not just go to dealer and sign papers like many can). However, to that, What about the guys with GT's that have now missed out on 0% rates that expired June 1, despite being some of the first orders in?

 

I work in a department where Customer Service is crucial. If someone fails to respond to customer inquiries, or blows a deadline or ETA without update and explanation, heads roll... People get fired. This is for a few days or a week. We, with Ford, are going on weeks and months - dealers know nothing, CSR, knows nothing, so I return to my original comment with a caveat - FROM THE GENERAL CONSUMER'S point of view, not much has changed.

[chiefstang]

I've got to agree with PT on this one. This is the first car I've ever ordered and it's been one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever dealt with. I ordered on 3/20, the car was scheduled to be built on 4/15, and it was assigned an ETA of 5/6. Problem is, it so happens, that 5/6 is the same day that it was delivered to area 51 where it STILL SITS TODAY! Even today the CSR at Ford claims my ETA is 5/6. Hello?! It's June 10th, are you telling me that the car will be delivered next year or did someone drop the ball? I'm sorry for this rant but I'm to the point of walking away and I'm buying with a z-plan. For a loyal, z-plan customer that is willing to purchase a car sight-unseen, I'm being treated somewhat poorly. 1ZVBP8AM0B5108710.

 

Oh, and by the way, you might want to consider that those "Armchair crybabies" in this case are Ford's most loyal, enthusiastic customers.

 

Sorry, Fritz. The comments were aimed more at the posts in the original thread. That being said, I didn't realize that the Mustang had been held that long. We got a few in initally,and have some that have been in hock for about two weeks, but it sounds like you're being more than patient.

 

Understand that your dealer is most likely not being told much either. Much of this is to keep word from getting out of "quality issues", but believe me.... I wish I could tell my customers something as well.

 

In the end, nobody else is getting them either, so you'll still most likely be the first guy on the block with the new hotness. I'm sure you'll get your car soon. Good luck!

[fritzOSU03]

Sorry, Fritz. The comments were aimed more at the posts in the original thread. That being said, I didn't realize that the Mustang had been held that long. We got a few in initally,and have some that have been in hock for about two weeks, but it sounds like you're being more than patient.

 

Understand that your dealer is most likely not being told much either. Much of this is to keep word from getting out of "quality issues", but believe me.... I wish I could tell my customers something as well.

 

In the end, nobody else is getting them either, so you'll still most likely be the first guy on the block with the new hotness. I'm sure you'll get your car soon. Good luck!

 

It's ok, I also apologize for my frustrated rant. I've been in the dark for a while now. My dealer has actually been fairly good to me and I know that they're as in the dark as I am so I've left them alone to do their work. As one of my fellow forum members so accurately worded this situation, "You can't sell cars based on emotions and then not expect those emotions to come into play when those cars aren't delivered in a reasonable amount of time." Is my car sitting in area 51 for as long as it has reasonable? I suppose that answer depends on which side of the computer you're facing.

 

Something I failed to mention before; Kudos to Ford for making a car that is far superior to anything comparable that is on the road today and for making sure that these cars are flawless. All anyone wants right now is to be informed considering the magnitude of making the decision on such a large purchase.

Edited June 14, 2010 by fritzOSU03

[chiefstang]

All anyone wants right now is to be informed considering the magnitude of making the decision on such a large purchase.

 

 

THAT'S the issue...

 

<where's my nail on head emoticon?>

[Deanh]

I've got to agree with PT on this one. This is the first car I've ever ordered and it's been one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever dealt with. I ordered on 3/20, the car was scheduled to be built on 4/15, and it was assigned an ETA of 5/6. Problem is, it so happens, that 5/6 is the same day that it was delivered to area 51 where it STILL SITS TODAY! Even today the CSR at Ford claims my ETA is 5/6. Hello?! It's June 10th, are you telling me that the car will be delivered next year or did someone drop the ball? I'm sorry for this rant but I'm to the point of walking away and I'm buying with a z-plan. For a loyal, z-plan customer that is willing to purchase a car sight-unseen, I'm being treated somewhat poorly. 1ZVBP8AM0B5108710.

 

Oh, and by the way, you might want to consider that those "Armchair crybabies" in this case are Ford's most loyal, enthusiastic customers.

if its built and awaiting shipment, my guess is a problem/ or issue has been realized so ford is holding every single one until said issue is adressed, it does happen every now and then....My Fiesta ( due 6/14 ) is STILL in Mexico, no issues I think, but they are being "batched and held"...another practice Ford institutes of late to make sure they are released issue free.....

[Deanh]

THAT'S the issue...

 

<where's my nail on head emoticon?>

Dont know about you Cheif, but if youve ever utilized Fords "Dealer ask Ford" on line answer service it SUCKS...shockingly USELESS with a pre-determined cop out answer of "Contact your Zone rep"......and the reps are clueless as well...infuriating.

[Max_Focus]

Dont know about you Cheif, but if youve ever utilized Fords "Dealer ask Ford" on line answer service it SUCKS...shockingly USELESS with a pre-determined cop out answer of "Contact your Zone rep"......and the reps are clueless as well...infuriating.

 

Well it's good to know that customers aren't treated any better, getting the "Contact your dealer" answer repeatedly.

 

Who does the zone rep contact? :P And why do I suspect whoever engineered this solution probably drives a BMW?

[fritzOSU03]

if its built and awaiting shipment, my guess is a problem/ or issue has been realized so ford is holding every single one until said issue is adressed, it does happen every now and then....My Fiesta ( due 6/14 ) is STILL in Mexico, no issues I think, but they are being "batched and held"...another practice Ford institutes of late to make sure they are released issue free.....

 

Yeah, my dealer claims they were told by their rep that it's sitting due to a missing a-pillar trim piece. Considering they're still manufacturing, it would be nice if they'd slap one on my car and send it out.

Edited June 14, 2010 by fritzOSU03

[fritzOSU03]

The following is an email that was received yesterday by one of my fellow forum members. To me, this is just plain wrong when there are dealer stock cars everywhere.

 

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding the order status of your 2011 Ford Mustang. We regret that our dealer personnel were unable to meet your expectations in this matter. Please be informed that the retail orders for the Ford Mustang will be shipped/delivered late July.

 

They are going thru a new inspection process and the vehicles will be delivered after meeting the inspection needs.

 

Our sincerest apologies for the delivery delay of your vehicle. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding in regards with this matter.

Edited June 14, 2010 by fritzOSU03

[mettech]

Dont know about you Cheif, but if youve ever utilized Fords "Dealer ask Ford" on line answer service it SUCKS...shockingly USELESS with a pre-determined cop out answer of "Contact your Zone rep"......and the reps are clueless as well...infuriating.

 

After hearing the Ford Zone Rep during a three way conversation with the owner of my local Ford dealership, I question why any dealership would sale Ford products.

 

Ford QC should also be introduced to the Zone Reps personnel.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Gotta say l would gladly wait a whole year for a British Spec RHD Mustang made in the US if l could order one through a Ford dealer in the UK. But Ford can a wait a million years for me to order a Mundane Mondeo from my local UK Ford Dealer, l will never ever want one sad to say.

[fritzOSU03]

I'm not trying to make problems for anyone but this is why more information needs to be available. I stopped by another dealer (not the dealer I ordered from) four weeks ago and took these pictures of a regular dealer stock 2011 V6 Mustang.

Edited June 14, 2010 by fritzOSU03

[akirby]

The solution here is simple - don't build customer orders until the quality holds are over with. Let the dealer stock be the ones that get held.

 

My guess is they didn't anticipate these cars being held this long.

[Deanh]

The solution here is simple - don't build customer orders until the quality holds are over with. Let the dealer stock be the ones that get held.

 

My guess is they didn't anticipate these cars being held this long.

and my point, instead of tap dancing give STRAIGHT answers.......if theres an issue, or they are being held for inspection just to make sure quality is ok, then LET THE CUSTOMERS AND DEALERS KNOW EXACTLY THAT....

[akirby]

and my point, instead of tap dancing give STRAIGHT answers.......if theres an issue, or they are being held for inspection just to make sure quality is ok, then LET THE CUSTOMERS AND DEALERS KNOW EXACTLY THAT....

 

I AGREE!

 

(WHY AM I YELLING?)

[Deanh]

I AGREE!

 

(WHY AM I YELLING?)

LMAO...I WAS!...hahahahaha....heres another...why give an ETA if its no where near accurate?.....ARRRRRRG!, my Fiesta, due 6/14...oh thats today...is STILL DRINKING MARGUERITAS AND EATING HEAD TACOS!

[akirby]

EATING HEAD TACOS!

 

???

 

Not sure I want to know..........

[Deanh]

???

 

Not sure I want to know..........

meat comes from the jaw bone.....