Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable

[mrmage]

This is only about the Say question. Nothing more.



Reality:



Doesn't exactly have the same zing, now does it?

Again, it's not good. But hyperbolic FUD that exaggerates the situation is never warranted - anywhere, let alone in the highly public, highly reported on environment of an earnings call.

Earnings calls are not complaint boxes. They're a place to ask professional questions. Want metrics to hold Tesla to account for service and communications improvement? Just ask for metrics to hold Tesla to account for service and communications improvement. It's not hard. You don't have to berate them and exaggerate to get it.

Not good?! This is *horrible*. Because it means:

"Among Tesla customers who need support, 1 in 6 find service to be exceptionally poor, and 1 in 8 find it impossible to schedule an appointment on the phone. This doesn't even include the people who find service to be very poor, poor or subpar."

How is the question about many customers experiencing issues hyperbolic? 1 in 6 means thousands or tens of thousands of customers every quarter experience this. A happy customer tells 3 people. An unhappy one tells 10 people. Just counting the blue in the face, yelling, screaming desperate customers may dissuade more than half the buyers.

After the initial purchase and euphoria of owning the car, the long tail is all about customer service and support. The large base of customers becomes a liability if 50% of the people tell 10 other people how bad the service is.

I googled Tesla service and looked at what people were saying here.

Guide to Find the Best Car Brands | ConsumerAffairs

For the last year, Tesla is dead last. Looking at review chronologically since April, Tesla rates 1.6 stars vs the second worst auto OEM which is around 3 stars. This is despite very high satisfaction for Tesla cars, which means service is far below the 1.6.

 

[StarFoxisDown!]

I wonder if the Macro's were to improve to their high's of the day, would Tesla break out or get capped?

 

[printf42]

The Chinese

I have the same feeling, being on the ground of GF3 would have much stronger psychological impact on your investment thesis than watching YouTube videos.

 

[AlexS]

I wonder if the Macro's were to improve to their high's of the day, would Tesla break out or get capped?

options volume is set today around 260, so it will close slightly lower or slightly higher

 

[X Fan]

Interestingly, Tesla seems to have recently changed their service appointment system. I just went through it yesterday and it seems to actually, really be impossible to schedule a service center visit by calling them now. Attempt to do so and you get an automated message saying to schedule via the Tesla app. Of course, if you go to the Tesla app, it automatically only gives mobile service options. If you want a service center appointment, that seems to only be possible now via your account on the website(which, bizarrely, doesn’t have an option for mobile service ). I assume that at some point, that final loophole will be closed and there’ll just be no way to schedule for a service center.

EDIT: By the way, if anyone is wondering, I specifically need a service center because Mobile Service already tried and failed to fix my autopilot issue. After a few attempts to get an update, the mobile tech finally suggested I get a proper service center appointment(I don’t really blame him for that. He has to go around fixing people’s cars, it doesn’t make sense for him to endlessly follow up on larger issues).

Wow, this is a service fail...

I used the APP last month to schedule service at the Charlotte service center for my newer X while in NC. As you stated, I also checked and now I'm only able to schedule mobile service. I presume they're using mobile similar to a level 1 help desk who then determines if your vehicle should be escalated to the service center (level 2).

Delays, delays, delays...sigh.....

 

[LTC_RRR]

Thank you. Just because I'm old doesn't mean I'm dumb.

I'm a few months short of 80 and just finally got my LR AWD M3 - loving it. I just must remember to occasionally take my ICE car out of the garage to keep from getting square wheels!

 

[jerry33]

Wow, this is a service fail...

I used the APP last month to schedule service at the Charlotte service center for my newer X while in NC. As you stated, I also checked and now I'm only able to schedule mobile service. I presume they're using mobile similar to a level 1 help desk who then determines if your vehicle should be escalated to the service center (level 2).

That is not how mobile service has been for me. They call and ask for clarification on the problem then they determine if they can fix it on site or if it needs to go to the SC. The last time I used it was February and it was an SC because of the annual service. No extra wait time.

 

[gene]

I'm a few months short of 80 and just finally got my LR AWD M3 - loving it. I just must remember to occasionally take my ICE car out of the garage to keep from getting square wheels!

I'll wager you will have that ICE car sold withing 2 weeks.

 

[Ratanpara]

One thing regarding the “Max pain” effect - I wonder if there might be less than normal pressure from this on Tesla stock in particular due to the peculiar amount of short interest in Tesla.

That is to say the big institutions who might try to move a stock price on a big option expiration date to maximize their unhedged option positions might have trouble selling sizable amounts of stock since they have lent it all out to short sellers?

Anyone think this is possible? (Pure speculation on my part)

Market is much more complicated, I have seen TSLA behaviour on expiry day very predictable to highly unpredictable, theoretically it’s easy to short on expiry day, short it then buy
a call , but then there is market maker , I don’t know how conversations take place between market maker and Mutual Fund wants to accumulate stock within price range.

 

[TNEVol]

The survey was designed to capture how much that Say question was FUDdy hyperbole. Based on the results so far, it clearly is. That's not that communications and service aren't areas Tesla should focus more on - of course they are. But by far most people don't have the hyperbolic extremes represented in that Say question. As things stand (25 responses), only 16% find it "exceptionally difficult" to communicate, 0% find it normal to have 5 hour waits stuck in phone loops, only 4% have ever had that happen (only one respondent), only 12% agree that it's nigh impossible to schedule service by phone, and only 8% have experienced "service hell".

Should Tesla do more to improve communications and service? No question. But no FUDdy hyperbole on the (very public, very widely reported on) ER calls, thanks. It doesn't take FUD and hyperbole to ask a question. Just something like:

"Most customers would probably agree that the two primary areas where Tesla could most use improvement would be communications and service times. You stated that this was a priority back in Q1. How have your efforts fared, and do you have any metrics that show progress in this regard?"

Karen I was the single 5 hour phone loop response but I included various attempts and no call backs received over a 2 day period. I am not mentally and emotionally able to be on hold for 5 hours. Also with the same simple problem I submitted 2 email inquiries which were to be handled in 24 hours.
I got a response (reboot lol) 2 weeks later after I had already contacted local service and had a software update

I don't want to either minimize the problems nor exaggerate the issue.

 

[LN1_Casey]

This. I bought a Model 3 LR/AWD (for purely altruistic reasons of course ) and a neighbor bought a 911. I get the vibe from him that maybe he feels one-upped.

That's because he was. Only thing more obvious would have been the P trim.

 

[LTC_RRR]

day aint over yet.

I would have thought that $420 would be the new high bogie

 

[SOULPEDL]

Hey, anyone watching TSLA stock? Just sayin...





Made ya look!

 

[LTC_RRR]

I'll wager you will have that ICE car sold withing 2 weeks.

Naw - I just can't take the massive depreciation hit

 

[SOULPEDL]

Bollinger Band ride today still??

 

[MarcusMaximus]

Another interesting datapoint I just(a few minutes ago) discovered: If you get a service center appointment scheduled(via the webpage), that opens up new phone system options when you call into that service center, one of which allows you to immediately be connected to a person(!) in it.

I'm starting to get the feeling that when I get to the service center, I'll find a huge threatening boss standing in the middle of the parking lot and, after fighting him and beating him, my issue will be resolved.

 

[MarcusMaximus]

Bollinger Band ride today still??

What does the BB look like currently? 'Cause we're this close to breaking $260...

 

[ntam]

Someone bought 20,000 contracts of Aug 16 50 put for $0.03 at around 7am. Must be after the Brian Johnson update that Tesla doesn't need to raise capital until 2020. I wonder if it is Mr. Toilet trader's order!

 

[Mobius484]

The collective agrees then, we are officially high at 420.

Wouldn't new highs be $400?

I would have thought that $420 would be the new high bogie

 

[kengchang]

How Ford could eat Tesla's lunch in the next 2 years -
Anton Wahlman