DJHJD

DJHJD

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Saturday anger and rage

First, I pick up my computer this morning to find an email from the sales manager of David Taylor inviting me to trade in my car. After all, it's got 36,000 miles on it. Almost.

They'd probably whack me for the broken windshield.

Such an opportunity invites reply! And here it is:

Dear Mr. DeSerf:

Thank you for your email inviting me to again do business with David Taylor.

I must compliment Michelle Gertner very highly. She's excellent at follow-up, has a terrific attitude and is wonderful to work with.

However, my experiences with David Taylor, aside from dealing with Michelle, over the past two years have been universally negative in the extreme. I had a dreadful sales experience with your former internet sales manager two summers ago, which prompted me to buy the Bonneville which you've invited me to trade in. With the Bonneville, I've had an ongoing service nightmare that has had me in more than six times for warranty repairs that were not done, not done correctly, damage done to my vehicle repeatedly, and a universal character of denying and defending - telling me that the problem was in my own mind.

Right now, I have a moonroof that was replaced by David Taylor two weeks ago and makes more wind noise than it did before replacement. The service advisor and the service manager have communicated that this is a normal condition and that I am too picky. However, the moonroof, when vented, makes less noise than it does while closed. Six people, including a David Taylor customer, have ridden in the car and have been speechless or derisive about how David Taylor's service personnel have characterized my experiences. I have an exhaust rattle under the hood that David Taylor's service department "can't find," but that people traveling in my car can hear and feel.

After these many fruitless visits, each time requiring time away from work and days without a car, all we can do is make jokes about my imagination being so vivid that it comes with sound effects. I have been again invited by your service manager to go on a test drive to review my complaints. When last at your store, the shop foreman acknowledged that the moonroof made a lot of noise, and told me that it was as good as they could do. Two days later, your service advisor told the GM representative that I was only hearing wind noise. That man has lied repeatedly about the condition of the car and how things were handled - there is no more credibility on the part of your service personnel.

I decline another opportunity to take time away from work, be treated with deference, have nothing accomplished and have the car returned to me in a lesser condition than it was put into your hands as the bailee.

In my more than twenty-five years in business consulting and behavioral counseling, it is clear to me that such behavior in a business structure comes down from the attitudes and the character of those at the top. My experience with sales in 2005, and my experience in service demonstrate that David Taylor does not have a culture of customer service, but is out to maximize yield in each day's transactions regardless of the future cost. GM as an organization also endorses and encourages this behavior, at least at the lower levels. I expected a different experience at a Cadillac franchised store. My experience has been different only in that the indifference I encountered at Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick stores is sugar coated with a veneer of politeness and more attractive surroundings.

Even GM's factory representatives are only capable of repeating David Taylor's defensive transfer of blame to me; albeit with a perky and cheery voice.

My experiences at David Taylor have caused me to question whether buying another GM car after being a loyal and frequent GM buyer since 1978 would be in my best interest. As appealing as the 08 STS is to me, I must look at other, less interesting choices based on how I know I would be treated by GM and its franchisees.

You will please remove me from any future David Taylor promotional mailings or contact. I wish you the best, sir, but I can't say that I hold much confidence in a successful future at David Taylor based on its owners' and managers' business practices and beliefs.


The other outrage and recommendations will be in a follow-on post. I need to make some coffee.

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