Warning, this may get long.

There have been several (or more) posts stating that GM does not care or is not listening. I want to refute that.

When I got back from taking delivery of my car at the museum I wrote a letter to a senior individual at the top of the GM chain. In the letter I expressed my complete satisfaction with the Corvette and the museum delivery. Also I much I enjoyed the factory tour and the great attitude of everyone I met on the tour. I also made factualy mention of several shortconmings with the local selling dealer and that "customer service" was not in their playbook.

I really felt the letter would be read by someone at a lower level and filed. Well I was worng. Yesterday I got a very pleasent and unexpected call form the Executive Assistant for the CEO. He had been asked by his boss to contact me. We had a most enjoyable conversation and it was clear they are really interested in making sure that customers are happy with the product and the service. He asked specific, not scripted questions and it was a good exchange that lasted over twenty minutes. It gave me a chance to state again my complete satisfaction with the car ( no I did not mention the front license plate holder as that has been beaten to death) the museum delivery , the factory team and expierence and yes with the support Marvin Johnson gives to the Corvette community.

He also asked if I had gotten the "Purchase and Delivery" Survey and I said yes and I had attached a two page letter to it complementing people that did good and identifing the local dealer short falls.

Bottom line as I told hiim, this is my first Corvette and the first GM car I have bought since 1980. I am completely satisfied with the vehicle and the turn around in the GM attitude toward customers and quality. Too bad some local dealers have not gotten the word. Won't be my last corvette good Lord willing.

 

I too had a very positive experience with purchasing my C6 and with the car itself. In general however, I think GM is much better responding to compliments than complaints.

 

GM as a corporation does care, albeit for selfish reasons but that is the nature of business. It is the local level dealerships that are the problem. A lack of training, investment in the latest equipment technologies and the failure to establish the right corporate culture are some of the reasons. GM might be well served to allow Corvette owners to take their cars directly back to BG for major issues and let the people that actually understand the car, repair it. And, it's not just GM. Even a Toyota can become a nightmare if the dealer support/expertise isn't there. I think manufacturers should establish a system of travel technicians who can be on call for dealerships dealing with major issues and without the knowledge to correct them. It may cost them some major dollars, but perhaps there would be a greater tendency towards repeat buyers and GM could stop some of these costly rebate/incentive programs and get cutomers based on the old fashioned ideas of quality and service.

 

Too long to read

 

I agree with the positive experience about the car, but the dealer seervice and attitude is dismal at best. In fact the BEST dealership experience I have recieved was from a Ford dealer in Franklin, Tennessee. The sales and service experience was at such a high level, I traded both my regular transportation vehicles, (BMW and GMC) for new ford products. That speaks to how valuable the dealer is when tring to gain and retain sales and loyalty.

Sad to say that since then my experience in Florida with dealers has been poor at best (Chevrolet and Dodge).

 

 

Wait until you have a problem that you can't get resolved. Then see if that individual will call you.

 

Please give us the name and address, I'd like to equally share my satisfaction. Thanks.

 

Tom:

I agree. Take into consideraton the pulley issue alone. If GM has to recall this car due to a fatal injury(s), it will cost them big time bucks. If they installed such a system, as you mentioned above, to have travelling techs, they could prevent or at least cut the number of potential injuries/fatalities. This is a great idea. The service would be much better at the dealer level. The repair on the pulley was posted the other day and it looked like a 50 + process. Having a technical assistant on site to help with repair on the Vettes would be invaluable.

 

I think all manufactures struggle with the franchise system. I know in many states the franshise owner has a lot of power vested in them legally. I think in TX there was an attempt (partly sucessfull for a while ??) stopping manufactures from publishing prices on web sites (I could have some facts wrong here it has been a while). There are limited tools that manufactures can use to "force" good service. Chevrolet, in general, is not designed for the level of buyer who buys Corvettes, they are in the very price concouse low end. They sell on price vs. the competion not on sales know how or customer service.
Not sure it is in GM's interest to sell Vettes on the basis of service. Why spend the money - the car sells itself.

 

Boy, ain't that the truth

Further, it is their best interest to get people to mark favorably the after market survey - this pushes them on various forums to appear that Corvette drivers have little, or no, complaints.

 

I'm of the opinion they don't care and the overall result is that they have been loosing market share over the last 6 years. Their whole approach to customer service has been a forced issue due to the foreign car makers delivering great rides, styling and excellent service. I believe if there weren't any outside pressure to GM for instance we would still have the same attitude of the 70's and 80's. This will be my second Vette but I was really thinking hard about a Acura RL...The Vette won out because I just loved my C5...but GM was very slow with the recall for instance on the steering lockout problem. They new the Vette had this problem but waited for the problem to really rear its ugly head before the recall. I was out with my wife for lunch and had the lockout occur...I received a recall two months later. I spoke with a friend of mine and he had his Vette down south on a short driving vacation and had the same problem. I think if it wasn't for Dave Hill championing the Vette, GM would have reduced the car to a muddled mess. My opinion of course.

 

Indeed purchasing a new car is always a positive and fun time, until something goes wrong. There are always 2 sides to every coin im afraid!

 

This is my 5th vette-four of them special ordered. I live in the 3rd largest city in the country with 16 dealerships which treat corvettes and their customers no better than any other GM product even though the car is twice as technical and customer are twice as informed.
Took me seven dealership visits just to get hold of a sales brochure which I was told was not to be handed out. The service reps(for warranty work only-as I do my own service) like to place their metal clipboards on the hood to fill out the service order and then roar to the back of the used car lot to park the car alongside the pickups and Cavaliers. Buy the service manual set and read up before having anyone touch it-even if just to get the right fluids. You'll get the idea to avoid any dealer or GM contact after the third or fourth vette.
I despise GM, their attitude, and support. I drive my vettes on a high speed track and absolutely love the car. I wish engineering would provide the customer interface. Why can Marvin provide information to vette lovers but GM won't-they don't care. Thanks Marvin

 

I feel the same way. The dealer I am working with to buy my first Vette seems to treat me a like an 18 year tire kicking' kid. The GMBuyPower was great to chat with, but this senior salesperson has jumped in and is now my contact. Don't care for him much. Seems a little pushy - want wants my to make a quick decision about the car. I keep telling him it's a Vette and it's $50K! It's a big decision!
I like to go to another local dealer - but this was the only one that will except a GMID Cert.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/newr...&p=1549972114#

 

 

I had an interesting experience when I purchased my C6 last November.
The first dealership I visited had one in the show room and treated me the same as the GM dealerships I remembered from 20 years ago. Not well.

The second dealership was a large dealership with lots of vettes and reminded me of the treatment that I had grown to appreciate and expect from Porsche and Mercedes. No BS it blew my mind. Everything about this operation was first class and truly unexpected.

I have communicated this experience with GM. I have since gone in for service once and have found that this was not just a dream. Too bad that I had to drive 45 minutes and past a few of the other dealerships to get this quality of service. I believe GM is really trying and up to this point I continue to be encouraged.

Yes, I have communicated this message with GM. If you have something to say you should tell them they need to know.


antoniopaolo

 

It is sad that so many have a hard time finding top notch service on a American car in America. Why is it that the Americans are not leading the way in this(service) for its own people? The car is wonderfullll but if US auto makers do not step up their service game unfortunately many will convert to imports simply for this reason. The US can do it they just need to stop talking about it and do it.


Thanks

 

Interesting replies to my post.

For JF Taylor, I warned you it would be long.

For those that commented "Wait until you have a problem" I don't disagree, and I fully expect to have some problems as it is a complex mechanical machine. I also am not neive, and do realize that some dealers will hassle me over repairs. Read my comments on the selling dealer and there are many like that who have not learned that times have changed. That being said in my forty plus years in both the military and the civilian business world I have always taken time to compliment those that do more than expected and most do. Likewise I will firmly voice my concerns when required. Many years ago I filed suit against Ford Motor Company, represented myself in court and won. I don't want to do that ever again and look at the positive side that such action was a one time occurance.

So far, with the exception of some issues with the selling dealer, this buying expierence has been great and I have had the opportunity to meet some nice folks that were very positive and wanted to say thank you . Sorry if it struck some people the wrong way.

 

I had an unhappy experience with my dealership and said so in my reply to Gm's survey. I did receive a telephone call which left a voice mail number to return the call. I did return the call. The woman who answered the call was very pleasant, but said that I should talk to the person who originally called me because the case file number that I gave her, which was left by the original caller, had been closed. She transferred me to the person's voicemail and I left a voice mail for the original person who called. Her message said that she would return calls within twenty four hours. I received no return calls, but on my third call to GM I got the original person. She listend to my story, said she understood my concerns, but that only the dealer could resolved them. However, she offered me two years or 24,000 miles of oil changes and tire rotation for my trouble. She said she would send me a certifcate which I could use at any GM dealership.

I guess that's better than nothing. Still waiting for the certificate. It's only been a week.