An open letter to George Blankenship regarding Tesla "Customer Service"

[Derrick]

George,

My brother and I started our business 30 years ago. Through all of the ups and downs we remained steadfast in our commitment to "customer service excellence" for both internal and external customers. While the overall market in our business (DVD's ) is headed the way of the horse buggy, we have managed to outlast nearly every one of our competitors due to our unwavering commitment to this core philosophy. At the expense of any modesty, I'm proud to tell you that our customers have always loved us and many of our employees have been with us since we started (they continue to teach us by modeling what great service is all about).

I have never met you or Elon in person but it seems apparent to me that Tesla shares a similar passion regarding its customers. It is evident in the people you employ and it is evident in the quality of customer care - before, during and after the sale. I have read hundreds of the messages on this board and despite some early growing pains, they are all testament to this. I have yet to find anyone, even those that overcame some serious issues, with anything but the highest regard for Tesla. Your ability to grow seems only to be outmatched by your commitment to an amazing customer experience.

You guys could be selling chopsticks on mars and be successful, IMHO.

I encountered a serious personal problem that I shared with Tesla. You could have handled this any number of ways. You chose to answer me personally and immediately with a very generous solution. I cannot tell you how helpful this was for me and my family. While the details are private, the real help you provided me and the good will that you deposited is something that I will continue to "pay forward" for a long time.

Am I effusive? you bet. In a sea of poor to mediocre customer attention, it is refreshing to all of us to see Tesla make this a priority.

Am I a paid shill, a stockholder or someone with a lot of time on his hands? I am none of these. I am simply a customer that has been blown away and consider it my obligation to spread the good feelings I have about Tesla to anyone and everyone that will listen. You have earned it.

Thank you,

Derrick



PS - Readers, how do you feel about the Tesla customer experience?

 

[dsm363]

I agree. Everyone I've ever dealt with at Tesla has been friendly and helpful. There are plenty of growing pains and they have made mistakes but they almost always come back and address the issue in the best possible way. No company is perfect and they do have to make a profit but their overriding force always seems to be the customer. If Tesla can keep this focus, I'd rather deal with them than the traditional dealership any day.

Great job on the letter.

 

[gaswalla]

This is great to hear. I have to agree that the commitment to customer service is a priority. There are times when things fall through, but it never appears to be accepted practice, but rather hiccups from a start-up company.

My experience: I took delivery and learned that the incorrect software was installed (non-tech package installed in a tech-equipped car). I received a personal call from the VP of service who assured me that he would personally take care of the issue by the end of the day. He gave me his cell phone number if I had any questions. He personally called me 4 times that day as Tesla HQ remotely installed update after update. When all was done, he followed up a half hour later to make sure all was good, and said, "now, you can enjoy your new car." That was awesome. It's called "service recovery" in the industry, and it builds loyal customers...