Damage to Brand Reputation
Discussion
I was contacted by the BM of a dealership. They had an issue with a windscreen. I cannot put in any specifics because it's still unresolved and may even go legal.
Condensed:
Client buys used car (about a year old). Takes it to another franchised dealer local to their home for software updates (point being, the car becomes known to the dealership). At a later date, the car returns with a windscreen issue. Dealership investigates and struggles to find anything obvious with the glass or the fitting. The glass is genuine, OE. While this is going on, customer is put in a loan car.
During the investigation it transpires that the windscreen was replaced recently by a company approved/recommended by the client's insurer. Client refused to take it back to them (as bizarre as this sounds) and manipulated the narrative to a 'your service has been poor' and expects dealership to sort the issue on that basis. Dealership kicks back and say no, so client escalates and the issue becomes a 'CEO level complaint'.
CEO calls BM and basically instructs to make the problem go away. The investigation is still ongoing (fact finding) and the BM is taking the stance that client is a brand customer and therefore is willing to help with the matter but is reticent to assume any liability (rightly so). Client is threatening to make noise and in the background, CEO does not want any negative press on social media.
Meanwhile, the loan car was returned with damage. Client is also refusing to pay for that.
Does this smack of something more to it, or are businesses that worried about damage to brand reputation? I cannot get my head around it. The windscreen was fitted by A N Other. It's for them to sort out. Surely any bad press will highlight that? Is standing their ground foolish under this perceived threat?
Condensed:
Client buys used car (about a year old). Takes it to another franchised dealer local to their home for software updates (point being, the car becomes known to the dealership). At a later date, the car returns with a windscreen issue. Dealership investigates and struggles to find anything obvious with the glass or the fitting. The glass is genuine, OE. While this is going on, customer is put in a loan car.
During the investigation it transpires that the windscreen was replaced recently by a company approved/recommended by the client's insurer. Client refused to take it back to them (as bizarre as this sounds) and manipulated the narrative to a 'your service has been poor' and expects dealership to sort the issue on that basis. Dealership kicks back and say no, so client escalates and the issue becomes a 'CEO level complaint'.
CEO calls BM and basically instructs to make the problem go away. The investigation is still ongoing (fact finding) and the BM is taking the stance that client is a brand customer and therefore is willing to help with the matter but is reticent to assume any liability (rightly so). Client is threatening to make noise and in the background, CEO does not want any negative press on social media.
Meanwhile, the loan car was returned with damage. Client is also refusing to pay for that.
Does this smack of something more to it, or are businesses that worried about damage to brand reputation? I cannot get my head around it. The windscreen was fitted by A N Other. It's for them to sort out. Surely any bad press will highlight that? Is standing their ground foolish under this perceived threat?
What you seem to have highlighted here is Not all customers are good ones, some act in a dishonest manner and wield the threat of reputation damage to get companies to comply no matter if it’s warrantied or not.
As I see it -
Return customers car in the condition it was delivered - ‘fault’ still present .
Get loan car back - bill for damage .
Move on.
If customer is ill advised to pursue it further present facts and stand your ground .
As I see it -
Return customers car in the condition it was delivered - ‘fault’ still present .
Get loan car back - bill for damage .
Move on.
If customer is ill advised to pursue it further present facts and stand your ground .
Online reputation is so important now and many customers will know this and in some case take advantage of it.
I also remember a car salesman many years ago (before the internet!) telling me that used car customers were always the most demanding and had expectations way beyond new car customers. It was always a difficult balancing act between trying to agree with them but also reminding them that it wasn't a new car and no-one knew what had happened to it previously.
I also remember a car salesman many years ago (before the internet!) telling me that used car customers were always the most demanding and had expectations way beyond new car customers. It was always a difficult balancing act between trying to agree with them but also reminding them that it wasn't a new car and no-one knew what had happened to it previously.
An unusual one yesterday.
Four year-old car returned for a software update and a couple of snags. Customer mentioned two chips on the windscreen and asked for the windscreen to be replaced. He's had the car for about a year and says he only noticed the chips (which look like they've been messed about with) a couple of months ago.
He's kicking off and making threats if the windscreen is not replaced by the dealership at their cost.
Sales manager called me to see if there was anything I could do to make the damage look better. On one hand he's offering a gesture to a brand customer but on the other, is he pandering to an unreasonable demand by offering something, ie, the repairs?
I did manage to re-repair both chips (some definitely had a go at some point and made a shyte job of them) and they've gone from being visible to hard to spot. Somehow, I get the feeling the customer will still want a windscreen, regardless.
Four year-old car returned for a software update and a couple of snags. Customer mentioned two chips on the windscreen and asked for the windscreen to be replaced. He's had the car for about a year and says he only noticed the chips (which look like they've been messed about with) a couple of months ago.
He's kicking off and making threats if the windscreen is not replaced by the dealership at their cost.
Sales manager called me to see if there was anything I could do to make the damage look better. On one hand he's offering a gesture to a brand customer but on the other, is he pandering to an unreasonable demand by offering something, ie, the repairs?
I did manage to re-repair both chips (some definitely had a go at some point and made a shyte job of them) and they've gone from being visible to hard to spot. Somehow, I get the feeling the customer will still want a windscreen, regardless.
Sounds like another misguided customer. They come in with strange ideas on what should be done, probably based on made up facts or some other idea put into their head from their friend/facebook/insert another and the dealer is just managing the situation to keep the customer happy i.e. you can't educate stupid, spend a few quid and make the problem go away, quietely. Perhaps that way you keep the customer happy enough to buy another car in the future.
I'm struggling to fathom the brass neck it must take to demand a new windscreen from a dealers for stone chip damage.
Only situation I would be talking to the supplying or franchised dealer would be if it were self-evident that a failure was due to poor installation or "not fit for purpose" (i.e. incredibly premature failure).
Only situation I would be talking to the supplying or franchised dealer would be if it were self-evident that a failure was due to poor installation or "not fit for purpose" (i.e. incredibly premature failure).
RicksAlfas said:
Online reputation is so important now and many customers will know this and in some case take advantage of it.
The game's changed, hasn't it!For many years many years ago, I designed and artworked the holiday brochures for a fabulous company called The Travel Club of Upminster. the company was founded by Harry Chandler in the 50s and one of the first package holiday operators. They opened the Algarve and Menorca as holiday destinations for Brits.
Harry was a proper old-school east-end lad done good in the same mould as Alan Sugar but with a more pleasing demeanour. He would bend over backwards to resolve issues with customers. If there was a problem with a hotel or villa while they were there, he'd fly out to resolve it himself. He'd refund without hesitation and offer huge discounts for next year. All quite rare occurrences. But occasionally, he'd get the usual moaners who go on holiday with the aim of finding something to complain about. He could spot these a mile off and had great pleasure in banning them from ever taking a Travel Club holiday again.... and sharing their names in the Travel Trade Gazette (the trade rag).
He died a few years before they launched their first website and I do wonder how he would have faired with things like Trustpilot and Google Reviews. Not well, I fear.
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