Reductio ad absurdum is used to demonstrate a point. It is an effective and perfectly legitimate logical device.
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Change from alcantara to cloth on PUP???
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Reductio ad absurdum is used to demonstrate a point. It is an effective and perfectly legitimate logical device.
MotoEvCA
Member
While many believe this conversation has been overwrought and worn thin, I am glad this event has happen relatively early for Tesla and can be used for good if the company chooses to do so.
Most people who manage corporate brands understand it is hard to put a dollar value on consumer good-will. Especially when customers (without payment or consideration) choose to be ambassadors to the brand. This blog site is testament to thousands of owners and potential Tesla owners who have a positive affinity to the brand, the vehicles, and / or the mission of the company.
However, it does not take much to lose that customer good-will through short-sighted actions and I hope managers / employees of Tesla on this blog site take these commentaries back to the workplace.
- Communicate in advance product specification changes online or through press releases (where most appropriate) as standard practice
- Be clearer in product specifications and follow industry best practices (noting where pictures do not represent the actual production vehicles)
- Consider the implications of using Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates as a tool to provide features / functionality because the company overpromised or could not meet internal deadlines. If what was once promoted as feature for consumer benefit winds up being seen as a Tesla fix-it-up tool the company relies upon for overpromising and under-delivering, OTA could backfire against Tesla.
Look forward to taking delivery of my Model 3 in 2018...
MotoEvCA
Member
Yes, I believe that this headliner kerfuffle is most likely due to a breakdown somewhere in internal comms, with no bad intent behind it.
I would like to believe @bonnie works for Tesla because (not trying to make this personal) to routinely have the ability to understand/know the motivations for the behavior of the company infers one to have knowledge the rest of us do not have.
I can understand the feeling of wanting to see actions in the most positive light but when numerous posts have very little facts and tons of feelings, a reasonable person can say (without making it personal) speculation is rife and facts are not present -15K+ posts notwithstanding.
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bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
Because this thread is FULL of facts as to why this happened. Just swimming in 'em.
Seriously, all we know is the outcome. We have 38 pages of speculation. But I'm the one you call out. And I'll speculate it's because MY speculation doesn't agree with you.
edit: I'm curious as to why you don't think I should have an opinion (I never stated anything as fact, but only as to what I believed to be true), but those posts believing it must be deliberate and planned to hoodwink customers go unremarked by you.
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OK so I got a surprise call from a very nice Tesla executive rep about this whole situation. I've been a bit vocal about this so I think they partially singled me out. She said she had a direct line of communication with Teslas executive team including Elon and they're working to gauge our thoughts and figure out how to respond.
She couldn't say exactly why the headliner was changed because she didn't know herself, but was looking for feedback. I said if it's a vendor cutoff issue that's fine but they should probably communicate that, and if it's a price thing they should at some point offer Alcantara as an option for extra money.
She said internally it's not Alcantara but synthetic suede, and that Tesla was trying to avoid another press release on the topic, but that Tesla plans to reach out to those who already configured their Teslas with the expectation of synthetic suede to try to make it right with those customers. It's unclear what happens to those who haven't configured, I assume we still get premium textile with no alternative option even at a price. I know this doesn't do too much to explain why the change happened but it shows what Tesla is thinking going forward!
I also told her how I was considering another MX but I've been a bit upset that they've removed a bunch of options from it, and that this removal in particular was kind of a straw that broke the camels back on that end (for all you MX-ers).
She couldn't say exactly why the headliner was changed because she didn't know herself, but was looking for feedback. I said if it's a vendor cutoff issue that's fine but they should probably communicate that, and if it's a price thing they should at some point offer Alcantara as an option for extra money.
She said internally it's not Alcantara but synthetic suede, and that Tesla was trying to avoid another press release on the topic, but that Tesla plans to reach out to those who already configured their Teslas with the expectation of synthetic suede to try to make it right with those customers. It's unclear what happens to those who haven't configured, I assume we still get premium textile with no alternative option even at a price. I know this doesn't do too much to explain why the change happened but it shows what Tesla is thinking going forward!
I also told her how I was considering another MX but I've been a bit upset that they've removed a bunch of options from it, and that this removal in particular was kind of a straw that broke the camels back on that end (for all you MX-ers).
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MotoEvCA
Member
I do think some of the back and forth here revolves around how different people approach these situations. Some assume best intentions, and some do not. If you assume best intentions, it's likely that you see this as a communication breakdown or maybe just a situation Tesla didn't think would be a big deal to consumers. If you are the type who thinks people are often out to get one over on you, you're more likely to think Tesla is bait-and-switching.
I fall into the former camp, not just with Tesla but across the board. This is often repeated at my kids' school as well - assume best intentions from the teachers. After more data comes in, you can make a decision on whether your initial assumption was false, but in my opinion it's a much more positive approach to life.
I fall into the former camp, not just with Tesla but across the board. This is often repeated at my kids' school as well - assume best intentions from the teachers. After more data comes in, you can make a decision on whether your initial assumption was false, but in my opinion it's a much more positive approach to life.
insaneoctane
Well-Known Member
I can't help but feel like Tesla is merely covering their a$$ here, legally. The few customers that took delivery of the new "Honda"-liner before this all fell apart are easy fixes. I'm more concerned about the almost 1,000 per week they are still cranking out and their corresponding future owners that have not heard ANYTHING about it. Trying to not have a press release? Please! I think that cat is already out of the bag...it's damage control time folks! I might be in the minority, but the only fix that I can think of is they ought to offer Alcantara to anyone who reserved under that assumption and still wants it. They should also change their press photos and be clear about what the product really is going forward...
Now, if you really want to see the ~30% reservationists who care drop lower..... Well offer anyone who reserved under the assumption that they were getting Alcantara headliner and pillars to wait for the supply chain team to procure more and deliver as promised.... At a later date. I suspect the ~30% would drop to <10‰ under those conditions AND Tesla did kinda the right thing.
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MotoEvCA
Member
I fall into the latter camp and when mentoring children, I encourage them to use critical thinking which included not listening to what people say TODAY but observe past behavior and most importantly assess motivation (especially when money and property are concerned). Past behavior correlates highly to future behavior.
Many people think when they tweet Elon (I want my alcantara back!!!) that the actual billionaire is sitting in his living room responding to tweets real-time. Reality: A 23 y.o. communications major college grad fresh out of school is documenting journaling the 400th tweet of the day to the account.
We live in an age where everyone wants to receive white-glove treatment and made to feel special. Smart marketers know how to exploit that need.
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
I suspect that many buyers may not care, although some inevitably will.
Electrek has photos and evaluation of the “Honda-liner” (as a Honda guy I find the use of the Honda brand in a perjorative sense actually pretty funny).
A closer look at the Tesla Model 3’s controversial new headliner
Tldr; It looks fine, Dogecoin. Much crypto.
Do you really assume good intentions by GW Bush, BH Obama, and DJ Trump? All three of them? Cuz that's what across the board means.
If so, I salute your openmindedness. And if not, I salute your perspicacity.
Not legally, but covering for sure. Standard damage control. Regardless of how they got into this mess, any business has to do what it can to minimize the damage.
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
I did not see the parallel between a change in trim material and a fundamental change in the power source of the vehicle. It can be effective, but in this case it certainly did not hit that mark for me.
I do. The difference is in who they are attempting to help with those intentions. The villian very rarely sees themselves as one. I can see good intentions and still disagree with the intent or implementation, and I have disagreed with all of your examples. (Some more than others.)
Well, you may be a small minority, but I do commend your openmindedness. We can discuss the nature of good and evil another time in a different forum.
I have no interest in Tesla's intentions here. For me, it's about competence. When will I get my Model 3, and will quality be adequate? Headlinergate is an ominous portent.
I absolutely do try to assume best intentions until I get data that tells me otherwise. But let’s keep political figures out of the discussion.
Did it cause you to doubt their competence when the synthetic suede was removed from the top of the dash without notice, or when the premium lighting was dropped from standard without notice? I wonder what is different about this particular running change versus any other.
Some people (probably not you) may be upset just because it is a change at all, for instance.
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