Enhanced Order tracking

[usedboxman 2]

Please Ford, I would like to see an updated vehicle tracking system.  It would be great to get  updates  emailed to buyers for each step in the ordering , Ordering confirmation ( showing all options ordered , so buyers can correct any mistakes or omitted items with the dealer )   Vin assignment , scheduling  build week  ,  built , shipped, rail car #  Etc... 

This would save a great amount of phone calls to dealers from buyers for information that is available to dealers but not directly available to  the buyers of  retail custom orders.

 

[ice-capades 1,767]

9 hours ago, usedboxman said:

Please Ford, I would like to see an updated vehicle tracking system.  It would be great to get  updates  emailed to buyers for each step in the ordering , Ordering confirmation ( showing all options ordered , so buyers can correct any mistakes or omitted items with the dealer )   Vin assignment , scheduling  build week  ,  built , shipped, rail car #  Etc... 

This would save a great amount of phone calls to dealers from buyers for information that is available to dealers but not directly available to  the buyers of  retail custom orders.

 

 

This has been a topic of discussion for a long time. The best source for information is your Dealer as dealerships have 24/7 access to the Vehicle Visibility system that provides the most up-to-date information for all order status, scheduling, production and shipping updates. Unfortunately, not many dealerships are good at communicating with their retail customers.

 

Below is the information on a pilot program that Ford started with the 2020 Mustang EcoBoost & 2020 Mustang GT retail orders.  

 

INFORMATION
GOTD - Built To Order Automated Email Pilot

 

ACTION REQUESTED

• Input Customer Email Address Information For 2020MY Retail Mustang Orders in the WBDO Order Input Screen
• Providing the Customer Information Will Enable the Customer to Receive Automatic Status Updates Pertaining to Their Order

SUMMARY

• Vehicle Status Updates Will Be Automatically Emailed to US Retail Mustang Customers and Dealership Personnel
  • Includes: 2020MY Mustang GT & Mustang EcoBoost Variants
  • Does Not Include: Shelby GT350/GT350R or Shelby GT500 Variants
  • Includes Retail Order Types: #1, A, X, & Z Plans
• Vehicle Status Updates That Will Be Automatically Emailed:
  • Order Confirmed
    • Vehicle Visibility Status = Unscheduled
  • Week of Vehicle Production Scheduled
    • Vehicle Visibility Status = Scheduled to Week
  • Vehicle Built (Inc. ETA Range estimate)
    • Vehicle Visibility Status = Released
  • Vehicle On Its Way (Inc. ETA Range estimate)
    • Vehicle Visibility Status = Shipped

• Customer Information “Pop Up Box” Has Been Added to WBDO Order Input Screen
  • Information Collected Will Be Used to Email Vehicle Status Updates to The Customer

You'll never see Ford give customers direct access to modifying retail orders, scheduled or not. 

[usedboxman 2]

I do not think that  the customer needs to modify orders directly but if there was a way to check the order online ( like a virtual VOC ) after it was placed, mistakes and omitted items could be corrected at the dealer before being surprised and disappointed  at delivery. if i did not visit these forums , I would have never known  to ask for a VOC,  and after receiving it  found a mistake and had it corrected on my order.  Would not have been real happy at delivery  if the mistake was made.

[ScottK1 1]

Tesla has proved that online access can work just fine.  Ford does need to catch up, as does everyone else.  He who is first (or second) will get public credit.  Imagine if Ford made it as easy as Tesla?  Consumer Reports would be all over it.  The customer should be able to make corrections without pestering the dealer.  I agree that dealers would disagree with that, but but most people want to avoid dealers, with regards to sales.

[ice-capades 1,767]

On 1/9/2021 at 9:29 AM, usedboxman said:

I do not think that  the customer needs to modify orders directly but if there was a way to check the order online ( like a virtual VOC ) after it was placed, mistakes and omitted items could be corrected at the dealer before being surprised and disappointed  at delivery. if i did not visit these forums , I would have never known  to ask for a VOC,  and after receiving it  found a mistake and had it corrected on my order.  Would not have been real happy at delivery  if the mistake was made.

 

The dealership should have given you a copy for approval prior to submitting the order to Ford. Our dealership not only provides a copy to the customer but requires them to review it and sign their approval of the vehicle specifications before the dealership will submit the order to Ford.

[ice-capades 1,767]

7 hours ago, ScottK1 said:

Tesla has proved that online access can work just fine.  Ford does need to catch up, as does everyone else.  He who is first (or second) will get public credit.  Imagine if Ford made it as easy as Tesla?  Consumer Reports would be all over it.  The customer should be able to make corrections without pestering the dealer.  I agree that dealers would disagree with that, but but most people want to avoid dealers, with regards to sales.

 

You can't compare Tesla's direct sales to franchised dealers. Ford's actual customers are the dealerships that orders vehicles. 

[Izzy Mandelbaum 3]

1 hour ago, ice-capades said:

 

You can't compare Tesla's direct sales to franchised dealers. Ford's actual customers are the dealerships that orders vehicles. 

 

I think that is Scotts point.

 

The MFR - Dealer model is really a terrible one for the modern age.

 

I am not pretending that it will change, or would be easy to change, but it is not efficient any longer.

[ice-capades 1,767]

1 hour ago, Izzy Mandelbaum said:

 

I think that is Scotts point.

 

The MFR - Dealer model is really a terrible one for the modern age.

 

I am not pretending that it will change, or would be easy to change, but it is not efficient any longer.

 

The franchise laws are well established and protected by the many court decisions upheld to date. 

[akirby 11,064]

3 hours ago, Izzy Mandelbaum said:

 

I think that is Scotts point.

 

The MFR - Dealer model is really a terrible one for the modern age.

 

I am not pretending that it will change, or would be easy to change, but it is not efficient any longer.

Ford has 3000 dealers and at least 60K dealer employees doing sales and service.  Centralizing that much work is not only expensive but logistically challenging.  Tesla can get away with it due to low volume.

[ScottK1 1]

6 hours ago, akirby said:

Ford has 3000 dealers and at least 60K dealer employees doing sales and service.  Centralizing that much work is not only expensive but logistically challenging.  Tesla can get away with it due to low volume.

That is exactly my point.  Get a single point of contact for all orders.  Parse the credit out to the local dealer.  And the local dealer gets the service part.  Customer service scores on orders would be much higher with only a centralized pool of experts handling all of them.  Look across the forums and  you see so many people annoyed with their dealer-ordering process and lack of transparency.  There is no excuse for that. Some local dealers are inept and/or blocking transparency on purpose.  I don't know what this dealer allocation thing is about, but custom orders should be first, across the system, and regardless of dealer.  And apologies to dealer reps on this thread, but you guys are the excellent ones.  Some of your peers are the worst.

[usedboxman 2]

12 hours ago, ice-capades said:

 

The dealership should have given you a copy for approval prior to submitting the order to Ford. Our dealership not only provides a copy to the customer but requires them to review it and sign their approval of the vehicle specifications before the dealership will submit the order to Ford.

 

I wish all dealerships would take such care in placing customer orders.  However from the many complaints on various forums, sadly  it seems like your dealership is the exception.  

[OffRoadRN 0]

On 1/18/2021 at 5:07 AM, ice-capades said:

 

The dealership should have given you a copy for approval prior to submitting the order to Ford. Our dealership not only provides a copy to the customer but requires them to review it and sign their approval of the vehicle specifications before the dealership will submit the order to Ford.

 

I got a copy of the order preview which I was asked to sign and return, even still the order was submitted incorrectly after I signed off on it. I did not find a way of reviewing the order myself until almost a month after submitting. I was never provided a copy of the DORA/VOC, although I did get my VIN a week after the order was submitted. 

 

By the time I figured out the order was incorrect it was so close to the "in production" period that my dealer felt it necessary to place a second order with the correct options. My initial order was corrected and the window sticker I eventually got showed this, but all of this could have been avoided with a little more transparency and communication through the ordering process. I know a lot of dealers are great with transparency and communication, but plenty are not.

[Flying68 68]

When I ordered my 2012 Explorer, I had them send me a copy of the order.  Glad they did as it was completely wrong.  I had wanted an AWD, they ordered a FWD.  There were several options that were missing as well.  They corrected it.  The last two vehicles I got were dealer stock, our MkC they found from another dealer to match our exact specs.  The Expedition I found myself on the internet.