Is happy customer a priority at Tesla?

[20140emission]

I think not. I traded in my MS after spoken with the rep at a showroom. I gave her my referral code to obtain my 1000 supercharge hour and proceeded placing my order for a 2019 M3. After delivery and I looked high and low and found nowhere I got the 1000 free charging miles. I emailed "Customer Support". I was told the code was not attached to my order since I did not use the "referral program" to place my order and there is NO WAY they could retroactively add my free charging hours. I contacted the rep whom I provide the referral code and was told because I placed my order online myself, I did not get the free charging miles.
Now, a reasonable company which cares a little about customer satisfaction would just say, okay, stupid rule. We will give you the free charging time. Not this one. The only word I can describe the company culture is "arrogant". No enough for me to say I will never buy from them again but it is rather irritating.

 

[super20g]

The only word I can describe the company culture is "arrogant". No enough for me to say I will never buy from them again but it is rather irritating.

Don't worry, spend some time with service and you will get there.

That's pretty silly though, 1K supercharger miles isn't anything at all... I'd transfer 1K to you if I could...

 

[Grassright]

I think not. I traded in my MS after spoken with the rep at a showroom. I gave her my referral code to obtain my 1000 supercharge hour and proceeded placing my order for a 2019 M3. After delivery and I looked high and low and found nowhere I got the 1000 free charging miles. I emailed "Customer Support". I was told the code was not attached to my order since I did not use the "referral program" to place my order and there is NO WAY they could retroactively add my free charging hours. I contacted the rep whom I provide the referral code and was told because I placed my order online myself, I did not get the free charging miles.
Now, a reasonable company which cares a little about customer satisfaction would just say, okay, stupid rule. We will give you the free charging time. Not this one. The only word I can describe the company culture is "arrogant". No enough for me to say I will never buy from them again but it is rather irritating.

1000 miles = 250 kWh = around $20-30 bucks. While it's rep's fault, take it easy man. Not a big deal.

 

[SeaOtter]

Closer to $100 in California at 34-40 cents a kWh. Your point still stands though, a minor thing to be worried about. OP is also not wrong, it really doesn’t seem like Tesla gives a *sugar* about the post purchase experience.

 

[OCR1]

1000 miles = 250 kWh = around $20-30 bucks. While it's rep's fault, take it easy man. Not a big deal.

But the same could be said about Tesla’s handling of the situation. Why irritate a good customer over $30 and have them go off and make negative posts in a forum? Tesla should find a way to strengthen their relationship with their customers when the customers reach out to them. Every time a customer reaches out for something Tesla has the opportunity to further enhance the relationship and encourage more referrals and repeat business.

And yet they piss the opportunity away to save $30.

 

[Knightshade]

Tesla is selling cars faster than they can build them.

As long as that's true they have little incentive to learn how to be a "real" company as far as service and customer support goes.

 

[OCR1]

Tesla is selling cars faster than they can build them.

As long as that's true they have little incentive to learn how to be a "real" company as far as service and customer support goes.

This is true. But demand could soften with a moment’s notice based on many external factors outside of Tesla’s control.

Turning around a service organization from where they are now to where they need to be could take years. So waiting until the demand softens to begin the effort is not a wise move on Elon’s part.

 

[Grassright]

Turning around a service organization from where they are now to where they need to be could take years.

So you have the answer already.

 

[vickh]

This is true. But demand could soften with a moment’s notice based on many external factors outside of Tesla’s control.

Turning around a service organization from where they are now to where they need to be could take years. So waiting until the demand softens to begin the effort is not a wise move on Elon’s part.

I agree. Following rules is more important to Tesla (and I work for a bureaucracy so I understand) A service org. has to be more flexible

 

[Dan203]

At this point they have the luxury of being arrogant because they are basically selling every single car they make as fast as they can make them. Once demand dies down and all the enthusiastic fanboi sentiment fades away then they'll have to become a more customer oriented business.

This is where real competition would help. If there was a real viable alternative to Tesla on the market they'd have to actually compete on more than just their technology. Then customer service would get more attention.

Unfortunately based on what we just saw at Frankfurt Tesla is going to be the only real game in town for a few more years. Sure Porsche might push Elon to make the Model S a little faster, but we're talking about $150k cars there. There is simply nothing, from any manufacturer, that competes with the Model 3. You've got sh*tty eco boxes like the Bolt and the Leaf and you've got a couple of super expensive options like the eTron and iPace that kind of compete with the Model S. But nothing in the middle. We need a BMW 3 EV or a Mercedes C class EV to really compete with the Model 3, and there doesn't even seem to be one of those on the horizon.

 

[vickh]

At this point they have the luxury of being arrogant because they are basically selling every single car they make as fast as they can make them. Once demand dies down and all the enthusiastic fanboi sentiment fades away then they'll have to become a more customer oriented business.

This is where real competition would help. If there was a real viable alternative to Tesla on the market they'd have to actually compete on more than just their technology. Then customer service would get more attention.

Unfortunately based on what we just saw at Frankfurt Tesla is going to be the only real game in town for a few more years. Sure Porsche might push Elon to make the Model S a little faster, but we're talking about $150k cars there. There is simply nothing, from any manufacturer, that competes with the Model 3. You've got sh*tty eco boxes like the Bolt and the Leaf and you've got a couple of super expensive options like the eTron and iPace that kind of compete with the Model S. But nothing in the middle. We need a BMW 3 EV or a Mercedes C class EV to really compete with the Model 3, and there doesn't even seem to be one of those on the horizon.

I agree, nothing competes with the 35K price point. The 330i PHEV comes close, but I wish hybrid pioneer Toyota would get their act together w/ lexus evs. Looks like they're going with Hydrogen though

 

[shinytop]

A dealer model allows deals to be offered by a dealership. The on line ordering and the use of order advisers limits the ability to give something to an prospective buyer. See what happens on this forum. Somebody posts about a "special" deal they were offered and a hundred readers with orders already placed or thinking of ordering suddenly start asking for the "special". If I were Elon I would make sure the web site included all specials or offers with any limitations clearly stated. Then allow no deviations by order advisers. The bitter feeling happens when someone feels they were denied something "somebody" got. Or when an OA offers something outside the norm. Clear offers, clear buyer agreements and owner satisfaction with the process will go up.

The surest way to get your "feebie" revoked is to post about it where everybody and their neighbors ask for the same thing.

 

[Dan203]

I agree, nothing competes with the 35K price point. The 330i PHEV comes close, but I wish hybrid pioneer Toyota would get their act together w/ lexus evs. Looks like they're going with Hydrogen though

I don't know why Toyota is so hell bent on sticking with Hydrogen. It's a failed experiment, move on. No one wants to have to pay 2x the price of gas for another liquid that's made from fossil fuels.

 

[PACEMD]

Tesla stores are not dealerships and the folks who work there have no method for being flexible with the rules to make you happy. To use the referral code I had to have the Tesla folks place the order rather than doing so myself on line. Is it silly that they cannot/will not add the referral later? Sure. But the structure is different from that of a dealer. There are advantages and disadvantages to that structure. With our new TRD 4-Runner, after we agreed on a price, I asked them to throw in all-weather floor mats. They did. They are not going to lose a sale over such a thing and the decision is entirely up to the dealership. Tesla is not going to add floor mats to the defined price. They have no structure to do either that or to negotiate the price. It is what it is, different from dealing with a dealership. I like it. It's very clear.

 

[TeeEmCee]

But the same could be said about Tesla’s handling of the situation. Why irritate a good customer over $30 and have them go off and make negative posts in a forum? Tesla should find a way to strengthen their relationship with their customers when the customers reach out to them. Every time a customer reaches out for something Tesla has the opportunity to further enhance the relationship and encourage more referrals and repeat business.

And yet they piss the opportunity away to save $30.

$30 is retail, they save the cost, presumably a lot less.

 

[Grassright]

Tesla stores are not dealerships and the folks who work there have no method for being flexible with the rules to make you happy. To use the referral code I had to have the Tesla folks place the order rather than doing so myself on line. Is it silly that they cannot/will not add the referral later? Sure. But the structure is different from that of a dealer. There are advantages and disadvantages to that structure. With our new TRD 4-Runner, after we agreed on a price, I asked them to throw in all-weather floor mats. They did. They are not going to lose a sale over such a thing and the decision is entirely up to the dealership. Tesla is not going to add floor mats to the defined price. They have no structure to do either that or to negotiate the price. It is what it is, different from dealing with a dealership. I like it. It's very clear.

You can use referral code yourself online. It's pretty easy.

 

[PACEMD]

You can use referral code yourself online. It's pretty easy.

Not when buying an inventory P3D-. Inventory P3D- vehicles are not listed online as viewable to customers, just sales folks. Sales has to place those orders and include the referral.

 

[OCR1]

Not when buying an inventory P3D-. Inventory P3D- vehicles are not listed online as viewable to customers, just sales folks. Sales has to place those orders and include the referral.

The trick to make this work is to place an order online using the referral code for a similar vehicle and then have the Tesla rep match your order to the VIN of the P3D-. That preserves the code on your order but still allows the rep to assign the car you want.

 

[PACEMD]

The trick to make this work is to place an order online using the referral code for a similar vehicle and then have the Tesla rep match your order to the VIN of the P3D-. That preserves the code on your order but still allows the rep to assign the car you want.

Sure, or just have them place the order. They have to do the work anyway, just do it right from the start. Rather than ordering a vehicle you don't actually want.

 

[OCR1]

Sure, or just have them place the order. They have to do the work anyway, just do it right from the start. Rather than ordering a vehicle you don't actually want.

That’s what is causing the problem in the first place. The reps are not using the referral link to place the order because they use their internal ordering system. Then they tell you that they will add the referral code after the fact. But the referrals don’t get processed properly and the referral desk denies them because the original order was not placed using the referral link. The reps are not aware that even though they can add the code in their system that the codes are not being honored so they will tell you the code is in the system. Don’t go there. It just won’t work no matter what the reps tell you.