For PolarBear an Jeff
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,378
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From: nebraska
For PolarBear an Jeff
I was just curious if the dealers have any input to Ford or GM on what there customers are telling them. Likes an dislikes about particular vehicles. So they can make changes at the factory or in redesigning vehicles. Do the techs have any input to the companies to let them know whats working an what isnt. This might be a stupid question. But curiosty has got the best off me.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,728
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
How the heck did I miss this thread? It's not a stupid question at all. The answer is going to be fairly lame, but the question is good. Back when GM and Ford ruled the earth, it was hard to imagine companies that were less receptive to customer input. They pretty much figured, if they built it, they would come. And, for decades, they were right.
This is the new age. Toyota and Honda got where they are, in a large part, by simply listening to their customers (and potential customers) and building what the majority of them wanted. GM and Ford are getting much better- there's a Dealer's Council where we share input and concerns from customers,and they really do track those 1-800-fixmyford phone calls. Could they do better- you betcha.
Service gets tracked much more closely, through warranty claims. and they're much more responsive to design changes from this side of the biz.
This is the new age. Toyota and Honda got where they are, in a large part, by simply listening to their customers (and potential customers) and building what the majority of them wanted. GM and Ford are getting much better- there's a Dealer's Council where we share input and concerns from customers,and they really do track those 1-800-fixmyford phone calls. Could they do better- you betcha.
Service gets tracked much more closely, through warranty claims. and they're much more responsive to design changes from this side of the biz.
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 93
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Having read this, I couldn't keep myself from remembering the taurus I own.
The "door ajar" light stays on from some mechanical problem, actually just a small piece of plastic. And I was so surprised to find that generations of ford tauruses produced over more than a decade have this same potential problem. And the taurus users all know how to solve that, by spraying lubricant into the latch.
And this is one of the many problems. Such like the PS pump whining problem. I more than once recognized that a taurus was coming from my behind just by hearing the familiar whining sound. Ford is great, but they definitely didn't achieve that from listening.
The "door ajar" light stays on from some mechanical problem, actually just a small piece of plastic. And I was so surprised to find that generations of ford tauruses produced over more than a decade have this same potential problem. And the taurus users all know how to solve that, by spraying lubricant into the latch.
And this is one of the many problems. Such like the PS pump whining problem. I more than once recognized that a taurus was coming from my behind just by hearing the familiar whining sound. Ford is great, but they definitely didn't achieve that from listening.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,746
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From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
I think GM and Ford pay lip service to the "listen-to-the-consumer" thing, but in the end it's the bean-counters that rule. Otherwise, Ford wouldn't have had to spend $2500 per engine to replace a bad set of $20.00 head gaskets in hundreds of thousands of 3.8 V6s. All large corporations wil do the politically-correct thing by SAYING they pay close attention to what their customers think, but once again ACTIONS speak louder than words.
