Tesla Survey
Tldr: Tesla and I need to go to therapy for communication issues.
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Wow. Where do I begin?
I would like to preface this by saying that this is NOT directed at ANY service/delivery center. I have been treated with the upmost respect by everyone at Springfield and other locations. If anyone is reading this from a Delivery Center, I warn you, proceed at your own risk. I am about to be brutally honest and I have some harsh words. If this IS directed to a Delivery Center, I advise you to direct it to the correct parties which is TESLA HEADQUARTERS AND THE GUY WHO MADE THE DECISION TO KEEP CUSTOMERS IN THE DARK ABOUT AN $80,000+ CAR!
I will begin.
To whom this may concern,
I ordered my Model S Refresh on January 28th, 2021. I was told deliveries would begin in late February to Early March, 2021 AD. I emphasis AD because those days came and went, both physically and on my profile. I was even told that my car would be delivered soon and in order to KEEP my place in line I would have to apply for financing, which I did. My credit was pulled by every conceivable bank. This was in February…. After applying for financing, I was told to upload my insurance, but without a VIN, it served difficult, so I was told to upload my existing insurance. I did everything that was asked and then the myserteous happened… Silence.
I was not just the lack of noise type of silence. It was the LOUD kind of silence. The kind of silence that I’d expect from my in-laws not from a company that I am paying to receive a product from. The problem wasn’t that I was kept in the dark regarding my future (still yet to be delivered) car. The problem was and still is that Tesla Employees don’t even know or have ANY clue what is going on! And that is NOT their fault! I cannot even imagine the kind of phone calls they have been receiving about this lack of communication. The lack of communication is so bad that even therapy is out of the question on how far gone it has become.
In late May after several Trade-in offers expired and money lost on the value of my current car, I was finally given a date for delivery. Still no VIN, but hey, I’ll take what I can get, right? June 1 - 30th. I was told to apply for financing again. I did, and my credit again was pulled 7 times and did not consolidate into one hit. My score dropped 25 points. That time it was my fault. I should have waited for a VIN.. but as the saying goes.. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… strike three.
After being approved a second time. My delivery date range magically disappeared. Just like my virginity, it was gone too soon. I didn’t even have enough time to relish in the glory of having a date! At this point, my emotions went to the gutter. I found myself photoshopping and editing code on the website to make it LOOK like I had a date. It was getting out of hand. I was caught several times by Family Members refreshing my page countless times. They had to sit me down. An intervention they called it. All of this suffering and still no date.
I called and called and it got to the point that Tesla Employees wouldn’t even look at my account anymore. They just told me “it is what it is”. I felt like I was part of the mob and I was about to taken out for my persistence in wanting this car.
Where am I at now?
7 months later and still don’t have a delivery date or VIN. My second round of financing expired days ago. My trade in has lost value since the first appraisal. I started drinking Teslquila in hopes to appease the powers that be. But alas, it is not working. Most nights I sit in solitude, endlessly refreshing a page that will not refresh.
To wrap up.
Delays can happen. They do happen. It has happened. They are acceptable and common. Especially during a chip shortage.
What is not acceptable is leaving customers in the dark. Not allowing them access to information. Misleading them into having their credit pulled. Putting dates and removing them from profiles. Delivering cars to customers who ordered AFTER others (in some cases, way after).
If Tesla is to be successful, which we all hope they are, something needs to change. Communication needs to change. Policies on how customers GET information need to change. Believe it or not, if I want to get a hold of my Sales Advisor, I have to call the main line, get a hold of someone at a Call Center, put in a request to have my Sales Advisor call me and pray it gets through. That is no way to handle a customer experience. Tesla cannot rely on the “cool” factor of their car to keep customers in line. At some point in time, the experience will wear on people and it will reflect onto sales. Patience will run out and the games will hurt Tesla and not help.
I am a repeat customer. Not one time over, not even two times over. I have 9 Tesla’s attached to my account. 6 cars taken delivery in my family and 3 orders waiting to be filled. Yes, Tesla has me hooked. But if you think I am writing for my own benefit, you’d be wrong. I am writing on behalf of everyone, past, present and future customers. I am writing on behalf of Share Holders, investors, buyers, owners, explorers. If they all had the same experience I had, things do not bode well for Tesla.
I don’t expect a response. I actually expect this to be read, forwarded and filed away into some obscure folder never to be read again. I am not sure if that is wrong, right or just plain sad.
I hope things can change. In any relationship, communication is the hardest part. Ignoring is easy, but acknowledging there is an issue is the hard part. We are all in this together.
On behalf of myself, online customers, friends and family, we are open to change and we hope things can turn out better for both us and Tesla.
Sam
Edit: The deed is done.
First?! If ever my car arrives...
