Model S Delivery Issues and Communication Concerns

[aviators99]

I tend to share your perspective. As a group, we are probably among the most affluent of Americans, with much to be thankful for. Things tend to go our way. When they don't, some get a bit petulant.

I want an oompa loompa NOW!

 

[Doug_G]

Personally, I have had so much poor quality communication from Tesla that it has me worried about the company.

As I've mentioned before, I have personal experience with something similar - thousands of customers simultaneously wanting instant service from a small team. They probably hired enough people to handle the job if everything went relatively well. The problem is things didn't go entirely well, so suddenly everyone wants (and deserves) an update, but everyone calling at once overloads the workers to the point where they are simply unable to cope. Once you tip over that threshold it is hard to recover.

I don't have any concerns about the long term. This will settle out. It's just short-term pain, and I'm quite certain that this is much more painful for them than it is for us.

 

[Norbert]

Correct. This is the "Issues and Communication Concerns thread, where people discuss their issues and concerns. When looking for perspective that would be in the "Perspecitve" thread, if one would wish to start such.

And for being reasonable, we'd have to start a "Reasonable" thread?

 

[vfx]

...
... when all is said and done and you get the car, you'll forget 'this' ever happened. And when all your family and friends get to ride in your car, they'll forget too.

Interestingly it has become a badge of honor. Showing the Roadster, I'm often (still) asked. "How long did you wait for it?" Me: "Nine days short of two years!"* And say it proudly. It's like being part of a special club of unique souls that went though a lot to accomplish a goal. Like building a house or doing a 26K mud run. Like you tell your kids they have no idea of what is to come. The pain is worth it.


*Actually only a year of that was beyond the promised delivery date but adding in the scheduled wait time makes it seem like I suffered for this cool car even more. It's martyr good.










+1 Norbert!

 

[Timothy]

Interestingly it has become a badge of honor. Showing the Roadster, I'm often (still) asked. "How long did you wait for it?" Me: "Nine days short of two years!"* And say it proudly. It's like being part of a special club of unique souls that went though a lot to accomplish a goal. Like building a house or doing a 26K mud run. Like you tell your kids they have no idea of what is to come. The pain is worth it.


*Actually only a year of that was beyond the promised delivery date but adding in the scheduled wait time makes it seem like I suffered for this cool car even more. It's martyr good.










+1 Norbert!

Well, after your showing me your car at Earth Day in 2011, I stopped at the dealership the next week, saw a car on the floor I just had to have, bought it, and had to wait an entire week to have the wheels changed before I could pick it up and drive it away. Now THAT is really suffering!!!

But I don't love the car any less for all the pain!

 

[JRP3]

On top of that, they risk hurting the very company that is trying desperately to please them.

You don't hurt a company by pointing out what they need to improve, in fact you help them. If it's a good company that is. If not, they are doomed anyway.

 

[Norbert]

You don't hurt a company by pointing out what they need to improve, in fact you help them. If it's a good company that is. If not, they are doomed anyway.

Depends on how you do it, especially if it is a company in a position as Tesla is. For example, the $7500 tax credit surely helps Tesla getting to a profitable level, and that also depends on public support for the tax credit. Many industry experts do say that Tesla is doomed, though I'm not sure about "anyway". It's also one of the most "shorted" companies.

 

[Jaff]

Very true JRP, but the venue of this forum (versus communicating your material concerns directly with Tesla) coupled with the fact that "over the top" language is often used, results in many posts that are sanctimonious and embarassing ...there is a correct way and an incorrect way for one to voice such concerns imo.

You don't hurt a company by pointing out what they need to improve, in fact you help them. If it's a good company that is. If not, they are doomed anyway.

 

[bonnie]

I've moved a number of posts to snippiness. I'm sure I missed some and equally sure that there are some that could be arguably in either thread.

Topic here is delivery concerns. The topic is not about if people should have more patience or how they say things or or or. Take that off thread, please.

 

[Tommy]

Thanks, Bonnie.

 

[JRP3]

Very true JRP, but the venue of this forum (versus communicating your material concerns directly with Tesla) coupled with the fact that "over the top" language is often used, results in many posts that are sanctimonious and embarassing ...there is a correct way and an incorrect way for one to voice such concerns imo.

Sure, but when repeated emails and calls are left unanswered, then what? Fact is a number of people have tried contacting Tesla first with no response, and then after posting to this thread suddenly they get action. Yes some people have probably been over the top at times, but not that much in my opinion. Tesla has passionate customers, which is a good thing in the long run.

 

[Brian H]

My ancestors were Oregon Trail folks, though I'm not much in dealing with travel and harsh conditions. Maybe I'm a recessive throwback to the ones that didn't make it...
View attachment 10965

I don't think you can be a throwback to non-ancestors. Lemme think about that...

 

[Smallfootprint]

From reading posts of people that have received their cars, I hope, like them, that the joy of the car will make all the ill will that has built up melt away (it already has begun to disapate). I really hope that Tesla fixes these problems, and does it soon. Having 1,000 upset guinea pig purchasers is one thing, continuing this behavior in to 10,000-20,000 regular customers surely sets off warning signals about leadership and the long term viability of the company.

I’m glad the purchasing experience is behind me, and I look forward to enjoying the car.

Did you tell your DES about your frustrations at the time of delivery? We found it rather cathartic to list our frustrations and have our DES give us the "inside story" on why each occurred. He was very honest and forthright about each case. Once we knew what was going on behind the scenes it helped melt away (but not completely erase the memory of) the ill-will that had built up. Driving the car around for a few days got rid of the rest. In the end the juice was worth the squeeze.

 

[Zythryn]

... I think I’d rather do battle with the shadiest car salesman than go through what I have been through with Tesla.
...

From reading posts of people that have received their cars, I hope, like them, that the joy of the car will make all the ill will that has built up melt away (it already has begun to disapate). I really hope that Tesla fixes these problems, and does it soon. Having 1,000 upset guinea pig purchasers is one thing, continuing this behavior in to 10,000-20,000 regular customers surely sets off warning signals about leadership and the long term viability of the company.

I’m glad the purchasing experience is behind me, and I look forward to enjoying the car.

First, congratulations on the arrival of your Model S!!
I am really sorry to hear you had such a bumpy road to this point. I would also like to see every delivery experience handled perfectly.
However, yours is probably the worst I have heard of and I am sure your story is not the norm. Many early issues have already been fixed, yet more are being fixed and continued improvements, I am sure, will continue. All good companies continuously improve, and I believe Tesla to be a very good company. Although, in your case I certainly understand why that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[dsm363]

I can truthfully say that purchasing a Tesla Signature Model S has been the most frustrating and unsatisfying purchasing experience in my entire life buying anything from a gumball all the way up to real estate. It was a combination of many things - the overpromising/underdelivering, changing the rules of the game midway through the process always to my detriment, repeatedly setting up expectations only to see those expectations unfulfilled, the poor communication, and sometimes the lack of just plain old courtesy and respect. This whole purchasing process has been full of disappointment. No matter how hard I try to rationalize, make excuses for Tesla and try to give Tesla the benefit of the doubt, in the end it still annoys me to see reservations with sequence numbers 800, 900 or 1,000 after mine get their cars weeks before me. Additionally, not getting any updates for two weeks from a high ranking Tesla rep even after he volunteered to keep me informed every step of the way is just inexcusable. I’m quite certain if I got the same treatment from Mercedes, BMW or whatever luxury car maker, I would have cancelled my order and never been a customer again.

Some on this board probably perceive me as negative, but really I’ve never had anything bad to say about the only thing right in this purchase experience: the car itself. I never got caught up in the lack of console debate, tactile buttons vs. touchscreen, creep, lack of luxury features such as accident avoidance or dynamic cruise control, retractable door handles..or whatever. My only gripes have been with the experience of buying the car, not the car itself.

I understand that Tesla is attempting to set up its own distribution network from scratch which is a daunting task, but they should have been better prepared.

I hope Tesla solves all of its “purchasing experience” problems. It is ironic that one of the reasons for Tesla not wanting to have the traditional dealership model was to provide a better and different car buying experience. Tesla certainly did provide a different purchasing experience, but it certainly wasn’t better. I think I’d rather do battle with the shadiest car salesman than go through what I have been through with Tesla.

Having said all that, my car S#69/VIN#499 has finally arrived. It was delivered yesterday(But how’s this for being the ultimate tease: Tesla did not provide me with temporary registration, so I can’t drive the car yet unless I want to risk getting it impounded.).

From reading posts of people that have received their cars, I hope, like them, that the joy of the car will make all the ill will that has built up melt away (it already has begun to disapate). I really hope that Tesla fixes these problems, and does it soon. Having 1,000 upset guinea pig purchasers is one thing, continuing this behavior in to 10,000-20,000 regular customers surely sets off warning signals about leadership and the long term viability of the company.

I’m glad the purchasing experience is behind me, and I look forward to enjoying the car.

Enjoy the car. Sorry you didn't enjoy the experience but it almost seems like we're dealing with 2 different companies the way you describe things. While communication isn't where anyone (including Tesla) would like it at this point, I'd hardly say that they lack courtesy and respect. All the communication I've had with them has been nice and respectful. Anyway, getting your car a few weeks after people ahead of you while not ideal shouldn't be a major deal considering you live in Hawaii and they had to put it on a ship. If you lived in California and all they had to do was put it on a truck, I'd agree with you. Other than the delay, I'd say this was one of my better purchasing experiences. Definitely better than going to a dealership and being pitched a bunch of up-charges at the sale. I also bet someone from Tesla contacted you during that two week period to update you after you'd tried to call and e-mail them multiple times as you said. I can't believe there would be radio silence from them on something like this. Did you really hear nothing from a single person at Tesla over the last two weeks when you had called them and left them e-mails?

For better or worse, we're on the bleeding edge with this whole process so definitely write out an e-mail with the things you'd like changed or the paperwork that was missing with your delivery so future Hawaii owners have a smoother delivery process. Congrats.

 

[aviators99]

I can truthfully say that purchasing a Tesla Signature Model S has been the most frustrating and unsatisfying purchasing experience in my entire life buying anything from a gumball all the way up to real estate. <SNIP>

Jkam,

I have been following your story since the first hiccup, and while I've been frustrated by my own experience (which hasn't been terrible; just not what I'm used to), I've been even more upset about how you've been treated. Considering things like your reported broken promises to your reported complete untruths ("your car is on the boat"), I guess I assumed that Tesla would somehow "do right by you" and offer *something* in the form of concession based on what has happened. But based on your missive, I'm guessing that nothing of the sort has happened. That is *really* disappointing. I suppose that I will be like everyone else and forget about the process once I get my car. But Tesla should not take that for granted for everyone. There is a line that they crossed with you, where *someone* needs to be reaching out and becoming personally involved in making you happy. This should have been done early on with your problems, and since that failed it should have been even more important now.

 

[Arnold Panz]

JKam, I feel your pain and can understand your frustration. I think, under the circumstances, you've done a great job of separating your feelings about Tesla's customer service from the car. Over time, I think the car will definitely be worth the heartburn you went through with getting it. And, I'm cautiously optimistic (based on Roadster owner experiences) that customer service for owners will be far better than what many of us experienced pre-ownership. For whatever reason, Tesla's communication to people waiting for cars is simply not where it should be, and although ostensibly getting better, it clearly has a long way to go.

Enjoy the car, and hopefully over time your resentment will abate. I've taken the attitude of forgiving, but not forgetting, although my issues were a fraction of what you've dealt with.

 

[Beavis]

Enjoy the car. Sorry you didn't enjoy the experience but it almost seems like we're dealing with 2 different companies the way you describe things. While communication isn't where anyone (including Tesla) would like it at this point, I'd hardly say that they lack courtesy and respect. All the communication I've had with them has been nice and respectful. Anyway, getting your car a few weeks after people ahead of you while not ideal shouldn't be a major deal considering you live in Hawaii and they had to put it on a ship. If you lived in California and all they had to do was put it on a truck, I'd agree with you. Other than the delay, I'd say this was one of my better purchasing experiences. Definitely better than going to a dealership and being pitched a bunch of up-charges at the sale. I also bet someone from Tesla contacted you during that two week period to update you after you'd tried to call and e-mail them multiple times as you said. I can't believe there would be radio silence from them on something like this. Did you really hear nothing from a single person at Tesla over the last two weeks when you had called them and left them e-mails?

For better or worse, we're on the bleeding edge with this whole process so definitely write out an e-mail with the things you'd like changed or the paperwork that was missing with your delivery so future Hawaii owners have a smoother delivery process. Congrats.

There are a few of us that have had the same experience and feel the same way. My second delivery window closes today and I haven't heard a peep from them. My email from a few days ago has not been returned and I haven't had an update in 3 weeks. Meanwhile, Sig waiting list cars are being delivered. If there was any real competition for Tesla, I would have definitely cancelled my order and never looked back.

This isn't a early adopter issue. It's basic customer courtesy and I am being taken for granted. They should give me proactive updates, show some urgency, apologize, and throw me a bone. Instead, I don't think they give a sh!t.

 

[brianman]

@dsm - Regarding "nice and respectful" (your assessment) vs. "lack of just plain old courtesy and respect" (JKam's), I think you're talking about different things even though the wording is similar. I think he's talking about currency and correctness of information, while you're talking about personal communication skills, tone, and language. Kroneal's post reinforces the distinction.

My point is that I think your experiences aren't necessarily that different from each other.

 

[dsm363]

There are a few of us that have had the same experience and feel the same way. My second delivery window closes today and I haven't heard a peep from them. My email from a few days ago has not been returned and I haven't had an update in 3 weeks. Meanwhile, Sig waiting list cars are being delivered. If there was any real competition for Tesla, I would have definitely cancelled my order and never looked back.

This isn't a early adopter issue. It's basic customer courtesy and I am being taken for granted. They should give me proactive updates, show some urgency, apologize, and throw me a bone. Instead, I don't think they give a sh!t.

I hear you. Sorry you've had such a rough go. Getting the car definitely makes things a little better but doesn't make up for lack of communication. Have you tried calling Tesla for an update? I think it has more to do with understaffing at this point and lack of proper systems to monitor and track communication than the employees not caring. I've received e-mails from Tesla well past 10PM local time so I know at least some of them are working almost all hours of the night.

- - - Updated - - -

I just called the ownership phone number and got an immediate response. If you've been e-mailing a particular named person's e-mail address or your delivery specialists and not getting a response, it could be due to many reasons. They suggested e-mailing the general ownership e-mail address or calling and they'll try and answer within 24-48 hours during the week. That e-mail goes to the entire team and you'll have more eyes looking at it.