Jun 16, 2022
I thought I'd share this here. Mostly for selfish venting purposes looking for like-minded folks that may be experiencing the same grief. I sent this on Monday, June 13th to [email protected] . Haven't heard anything yet but don't expect to either. If anyone has a better email, let me know.
My original order was a MY 21 OB 4DR 4cyc/MIC/leather/lux/tow in Antimatter Blue. When bumped to MY 22 I switched to OB 4DR/V6/MIC/leather/lux in Red Pepper.
Subject: You Can Do Better
Message:
To Whom It May Concern,
At this point, I’m not sure if there is ANYONE at Ford Motor Company that has ANY concern about their Bronco customers, but I’ll give it a try.
I paid my $100 to reserve a Bronco in October of 2020. I placed an order as soon as it opened in February of 2021. I was bumped to a MY 22 in October of 2021. I finally received my “In Production” email on May 13th, 2022 (VIN 1FMEE5DP8NLB32047). And that is where it sits…..and sits…….and sits. I’m connected with my dealer and have spoken to him several times. He is as frustrated as I am from the absolute lack of communication from the manufacturer to the dealer. But I digress…..
The purpose of this letter is not to rant about the frustration I personally have experienced (see above), but the utter disappointment I have in Ford Motor Company. My grandfather spent his career next to Henry Ford as one of the first graduates of the Ford Trade School. My entire family has owned Fords for as long as the vehicles have been in production. At least a dozen of my close relatives either are currently or have spent their career at one of the Ford plants in Detroit. My father is a Ford historian and gives lectures around the state of Michigan. I was raised in metro Detroit. I am a Ford shareholder. Therefore, I am not focused on my selfish desire to get my Bronco as soon as possible, but more so that Ford is letting down so many other customers like this.
You can do better…..you HAVE to do better.
I’ve worked in supply chain management for over 15 years. 10 of which were spent at Polaris Industries. I am familiar with the dealer/manufacturer model. However, your foray into personalized orders direct from the factory has not appeared to be as well planned out as you thought (or at least I assume there was a plan). So far, reviews of the Bronco itself have been wonderful (short of the V6 valve glitch), so the vehicle is helping ease customer frustration. And frankly, a week ago when I read about the critical engine failure issue, I was seconds away from writing Ford Motor Company off for good. Selling my shares and vehicles, and completely separating myself from Ford. The sad thing is that I chose to keep waiting because I couldn’t stand to think of the Bronco finally delivering to the dealer and someone else buying it. I’m disappointed it has come to this.
And you know as well as I do that I am far from alone.
Here's my suggestion….spend some money and allocate resources to a dedicated support team for Bronco, Mustang and Lightning. You will only need this added expense to get you through this challenging time. This team should field calls, emails, and chat inquiries from order holders and they should have specific knowledge of the status of your vehicle (not just the information from “Where’s My Car” which is all they have today). Your dealers and a broken "tracker" cannot be your only channel of communication.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO OFFER DIRECT FACTORY ORDERS, YOU HAVE TO OFFER DIRECT CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!!
If this isn’t possible, at the very least, give your dealers better information. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, you are killing your dealers’ reputation in their communities.
I’m not sure if it’s the current management that is responsible for this debacle, but it HAS to be fixed. Please, help restore the Ford name and find a way to better serve your faithful customers.
Thank you,
Craig N.
Bronco Order: 1950
VIN: 1FMEE5DP8NLB32047
My original order was a MY 21 OB 4DR 4cyc/MIC/leather/lux/tow in Antimatter Blue. When bumped to MY 22 I switched to OB 4DR/V6/MIC/leather/lux in Red Pepper.
Subject: You Can Do Better
Message:
To Whom It May Concern,
At this point, I’m not sure if there is ANYONE at Ford Motor Company that has ANY concern about their Bronco customers, but I’ll give it a try.
I paid my $100 to reserve a Bronco in October of 2020. I placed an order as soon as it opened in February of 2021. I was bumped to a MY 22 in October of 2021. I finally received my “In Production” email on May 13th, 2022 (VIN 1FMEE5DP8NLB32047). And that is where it sits…..and sits…….and sits. I’m connected with my dealer and have spoken to him several times. He is as frustrated as I am from the absolute lack of communication from the manufacturer to the dealer. But I digress…..
The purpose of this letter is not to rant about the frustration I personally have experienced (see above), but the utter disappointment I have in Ford Motor Company. My grandfather spent his career next to Henry Ford as one of the first graduates of the Ford Trade School. My entire family has owned Fords for as long as the vehicles have been in production. At least a dozen of my close relatives either are currently or have spent their career at one of the Ford plants in Detroit. My father is a Ford historian and gives lectures around the state of Michigan. I was raised in metro Detroit. I am a Ford shareholder. Therefore, I am not focused on my selfish desire to get my Bronco as soon as possible, but more so that Ford is letting down so many other customers like this.
You can do better…..you HAVE to do better.
I’ve worked in supply chain management for over 15 years. 10 of which were spent at Polaris Industries. I am familiar with the dealer/manufacturer model. However, your foray into personalized orders direct from the factory has not appeared to be as well planned out as you thought (or at least I assume there was a plan). So far, reviews of the Bronco itself have been wonderful (short of the V6 valve glitch), so the vehicle is helping ease customer frustration. And frankly, a week ago when I read about the critical engine failure issue, I was seconds away from writing Ford Motor Company off for good. Selling my shares and vehicles, and completely separating myself from Ford. The sad thing is that I chose to keep waiting because I couldn’t stand to think of the Bronco finally delivering to the dealer and someone else buying it. I’m disappointed it has come to this.
And you know as well as I do that I am far from alone.
Here's my suggestion….spend some money and allocate resources to a dedicated support team for Bronco, Mustang and Lightning. You will only need this added expense to get you through this challenging time. This team should field calls, emails, and chat inquiries from order holders and they should have specific knowledge of the status of your vehicle (not just the information from “Where’s My Car” which is all they have today). Your dealers and a broken "tracker" cannot be your only channel of communication.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO OFFER DIRECT FACTORY ORDERS, YOU HAVE TO OFFER DIRECT CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!!
If this isn’t possible, at the very least, give your dealers better information. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, you are killing your dealers’ reputation in their communities.
I’m not sure if it’s the current management that is responsible for this debacle, but it HAS to be fixed. Please, help restore the Ford name and find a way to better serve your faithful customers.
Thank you,
Craig N.
Bronco Order: 1950
VIN: 1FMEE5DP8NLB32047
jon1drfl, Hobgoblin
Last edited by a moderator:
Jun 16, 2022