Ford targets Customer Service

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Sinead Phipps

We've been quite clear that this is not a quick fix for us but we're working on ALL the elements that have an effect on a consumer's experience with our brand. We appreciate the interest and the lively discussion, but I'm not going to get into detailed discussions or debates about the CRC or dealers or any other single element of what we're working on as singling out any of them is unfair.

In relation to the one-sided conversation element, it is very tricky for us to say anything about individual cases. It is generally deemed ok for a consumer to say what they want about a brand but the same principle doesn't apply in reverse. We also have privacy issues we need to be mindful of. Just one example: we had someone who was unhappy with their vehicle post a negative comment on our Facebook page some time ago. The comment itself was very inflammatory and when we investigated it, we knew for a fact that the person involved had not been honest with how they said they had maintained and used their vehicle, which was what had led to the issue. The thread generated a lot of replies and started to take on a life of its own so we posted a reply that we'd been in contact with the dealer and someone would be contacting the customer soon. It was pretty generic and didn't give away anything - yet a number of people replied saying how inappropriate it was that we'd said anything and "didn't this violate privacy laws". Those people obviously knew nothing about privacy laws but it just goes to show how careful we have to be when responding in the public domain to any particular issue.

The only thing I can really say in response to this topic is what we said in the article: we're working on it as fast as we can. Some elements of what we're trying to do will take time but we're on the right path.

It's not fair Sinead... not fair at all. People these days just want to hate one thing, and love another. But for some reason sheeple and the media just want to rap on Ford all the time.

I can feel your frustration in this post. And I'm sure you and the other clever thinkers at Ford are working up a plan to fight the brand back into popularity... or at least indifference. So keep fighting the good fight, and we look forward to seeing more updates from you in the near future.