The following is a letter David sent to Ford's Customer Relations Center, their Chairman of the Board, and one of their VPs. To my knowledge, no one ever contacted David in response. Typical.
Ford Customer Relationship Center
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48126
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
You may recall a letter that I sent a few months ago (see “April 16…” below).
In this letter I referred to a number of issues regarding my Windstar. Since then, other than obligatory calls from the Customer Relationship Center, I’ve not received any satisfaction or any resolution to my Windstar’s recurring problems. Now I write because I believe it’s important that you recognize just how INCOMPETENT and DISRESPECTFUL your staff is.
After being put on hold with a Customer Relationship Center operator for upwards of 15 minutes, I was finally able to discuss my Windstar problems with one of your representatives. In explaining my case to what essentially amounted to deaf ears, your “representative” repeated over and over the same phrase. “I’m sorry that we are unable to help you. Blah Blah…” My simple question to this “representative” was “…are you telling me that you are unwilling to stand by your product and help solve my problem?” Her robotic response was the same every time – a short, sweet, well composed catch-all phrase that is programmed into all of your representatives when they realize that they cannot (will not) help solve a problem and stand by your product. As I predicted in my previous letter, your Customer Relationship Center is nothing more that a pricier version of an auto-responder that says “Thank you for your interest!”
Although this futile conversation pretty much met my low expectations hence, nothing much to grumble about, (see how Ford Corporation’s INCOMPETENCE and DISRESPECT for its customers has lowered the standards of what a customer expects when she drops $18K on your product?) I was going to just let that one go.
However, what really prompts my letter is the way YOUR Newins Ford of Bayshore Manager treated me when I met with him regarding the fact that my power steering failed (yes, yet ANOTHER problem) while I was driving one day. Please read, even YOU might be fascinated by a story of rude, employee who’s currently succeeding his climb of your corporate ladder.
When I brought the Windstar in for this new problem, I decided to videotape the “beep, ding, lock” issue that you’ve been aware of for a few years for your manager to see and better understand the severity and continuation of my initial problem. His response was essentially “big deal”. When expressing my concern for my children’s and my safety, he told me that I was “stretching the truth.” When explaining that I’ve paid over and over for a problem that has not been solved, he explained that when “you go to a doctor, you pay your co-payment for every visit even when the illness may not be remedied.” Such thinking is embarrassingly flawed yet typical of what I’ve come to expect from Ford. Although I am sure SOMEONE up the ladder has already grasped the lunacy in such a statement, I’ll respectfully explain: Ford builds each Windstar with identical parts placed perfectly (imperfectly?) in their places to make a “MINIVAN”. When our MINIVAN becomes “ill”, we bring it to its MAKER so the MAKER can easily DIAGNOSE and SOLVE the “illness.” We, as humans are made by God. We are completely individual – no two the same - and we do not get to go back to God, Inc. when we have problems with our bodies. We go to a third party (Doctors) to solve the mysteries of our bodies. You get the idea – I hope!
At any rate, what was most outrageous about this exchange was how the manager treated me prior to explaining his weak metaphor. When telling him that I’ve paid numerous deductibles and have yet gotten the problem solved, he replied, “I have a good metaphor to explain this, but I don’t have the time to get into it.” Essentially, he felt that I might not understand his metaphor. Perhaps his supreme intellect might go right over my head. Why on earth would he concoct such an explanation if he felt it too difficult for others to understand? Or, perhaps he felt that I specifically might not understand because I am a woman? That is for him to explain, but nonetheless, I felt his general attitude whether it was apathetic, arrogant, sexist, or all three to be just plain offensive.
Today, we are trying to schedule yet another appointment – since the “power steering visit”, the fluid leaked and we have to have THAT corrected again. With a long drive to South Carolina scheduled later on this month, it is our hope that we will get both problems fixed so that we can travel in a vehicle that will not let us down; however, Newins Ford now is reluctant to provide us with an interim vehicle so that they may spend the proper (and well-deserved) amount of time and energy in meeting our safety needs. Presently, they are not returning our calls.
In closing, my question again goes to you, Ford Motor Company – WILL YOU STAND BY YOUR PRODUCT AS YOU CLAIM? WILL YOU ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLE ON WHICH WE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WILL OPERATE SAFELY FOR US AS YOU CLAIM?
Thus far, you’ve failed us miserably, yet we are still hopeful that there is a modicum of pride left in you to satisfy us – loyal customers (remember, we also own a Focus!) of the past 4 ½ years.
STILL Very Disappointed and Curious to See if You Might Try to Win Over a Customer,
[sig removed]
Cc: newins ford;
William Clay Ford, Jr., Chairman of the Board;
James G. O'Connor, Group Vice President, North America Marketing, Sales and Service
Sent: April 16, 2004
Ford Customer Relationship Center
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48126
Dear Sirs/Mesdames:
I have a twofold problem;
1) My Windstar has what seems to be an electrical problem where the dome light, the electric doorlocks and the warning bell intermittently flicker, jingle, and generally drive us nuts whenever we use our heater during cold months. We've brought the vehicle in numerous times, but the problem still persists. This problem is most troubling because when it occurs at night, the flickering dome light interferes with outside vision and puts me and my two children in danger. In fact, we've had a number of near misses when the light suddenly turned on at night, transforming our windows into mirrors and making it impossible to judge distance and nearby objects. The second part of my problem has prompted me to write this evening.
2) The dealer that we've worked with on this problem (Newins Ford, Bayshore, New York) has not been able to even remotely solve our problem, yet at the same time has gladly accepted our money (deductible) for not solving said problem. This is very disconcerting because we’ve even taken time out of our day to take a Newins staff mechanic (Jimmy) for a ride to demonstrate the virtual carousel/disco effect that we get when driving our car. Jimmy got a good understanding of what the problem was so we made an appointment, (the 3rd or 4th for this very problem), paid our $50 deductible ($60 and change after taxes) and the next day, the problem was worse than ever. I brought the van in one more time, paid the $50 deductible ($60 and change after taxes), and sure enough, the problem still persists.
Additionally, whenever I try to contact the people at Newins regarding this problem, they happily put me through to voice mail as if to avoid me. When it’s close to 4:30pm I can assume that they must have a foot out the door after a grueling day of dealing with customers who thought they actually were to receive a decent product for the money that they pour into the Ford coffers. I rarely speak to a live person there yet they seem to easily contact me when they need my $50 deductible ($60 and change after taxes).
I think I am making it quite clear that I am extremely disappointed with your product and demand something done in order to make my drive safer. After all, I purchased the Ford Windstar based solely on the fact that it bragged the highest safety ratings at the time (I’m sure your competition has caught up in that category – clearly you’re no competition to them in any other category).
I have been too good a customer for Ford. I also own a Focus (hold your laughter until the end, please) and have had numerous problems which is well documented by your recall record for this “product”.
In short, Ford should be ashamed of its hideous product and customer service (check that – “customer RELATIONSHIP” – the word “service” implies accountability whereas “relationship” means “pay someone to setup an email autoresponder that says ‘thank you for your interest!’”).
I look forward to any response whatsoever. Just promise me that I don’t have to pay $50 ($60 and change after taxes!) to read “thank you for your interest!”
Very Disappointed and Curious to See if You Might Try to Win Over a Customer,