Open Letter to Ford Motor Company

[hf995]

Dear @Ford Motor Company ,

I'd like to express my profound disappointment with the quality of customer service I have received from your social media team on this site. Despite your persistent requests for me to DM my VIN and dealer information, the outcome has been nothing short of frustrating and disheartening. Each time, I am eventually directed to a 3rd party call center representative who lacks any official affiliation with Ford. These representatives seem to be mindlessly reading from a script, devoid of any genuine interest in providing real solutions or possessing the fundamental knowledge required for addressing vehicle maintenance and repair concerns. The generic "Buyback Request Template" they offer is a clear indication of their apathy and indifference.

It difficult to believe that Ford would even entertain the idea of considering a vehicle buyback in such circumstances. Regardless, when I dared to inquire about the possibility of Ford covering the associated expenses tied to acquiring a new vehicle, I was met with silence. Such a dismissive response is both insulting and unacceptable.

I expect better treatment and prompt action. Instead of the futile and pointless DMs, I expect a PUBLIC response from your company, outlining a concrete way to connect with a genuine Ford Motor Company employee—one who possesses a thorough understanding of the issues at hand and possesses the authority to implement a viable solution. My patience is wearing thin, and I refuse to tolerate this level of negligence from a company as "reputable" as Ford.

Transparency and accountability are not mere buzzwords; they are the minimum standards that customers like me deserve. I urge you to rectify this situation immediately and show a genuine commitment to customer satisfaction. Your failure to address these matter promptly will not go unnoticed, as I will share my experiences with others, including fellow Bronco Sport owners, who may be facing similar issues.

I expect a satisfactory resolution to my concerns, trust that you will take this matter seriously and work diligently to restore my faith in Ford's dedication to its customers. At this stage, I must confess that it is difficult for me to ever consider purchasing another Ford vehicle again in the future. This experience has severely damaged my trust in the brand.

Respectfully,
Hal

Sponsored

 

[Deleted member 6350]

Good Luck Hal.

 

[Colonel Angus]

I always had a feeling the social media rep on this site was a Bot. Now I'm positive.
Hal, I'm with you 100%. After how I was treated when I purchased my BS. I lodged a formal complaint and obtained a case number. I also was waiting for the Customer Satisfaction Survey which I never received. Only to find out later that it is just sent randomly to new car purchasers. How lucky is the dealer I bought my Bronco from?

 

[Arcee]

Calling the Ford Customer Relationship center at (800) 392-3673 may yield better results than trying to work with an alleged Ford rep on this site.

 

[hf995]

Calling the Ford Customer Relationship center at (800) 392-3673 may yield better results than trying to work with an alleged Ford rep on this site.

I appreciate that... Ultimately, my DMs here led to the "Ford" social media team opening a telephone and email case for me with a "Ford" rep with the title "Customer Experience Specialist - PV Team." I assume "PV" refers to their level of automotive knowledge, which seems to be "Pretty Vague!" Those are the folks who ultimately told me that my only recourse was the "Buyback Request Template."

Regardless, I'll give your number a try and see if it gets me to anyone different.

Thanks!

 

[Barry S.]

Dear @Ford Motor Company ,

I'd like to express my profound disappointment with the quality of customer service I have received from your social media team on this site. Despite your persistent requests for me to DM my VIN and dealer information, the outcome has been nothing short of frustrating and disheartening. Each time, I am eventually directed to a 3rd party call center representative who lacks any official affiliation with Ford. These representatives seem to be mindlessly reading from a script, devoid of any genuine interest in providing real solutions or possessing the fundamental knowledge required for addressing vehicle maintenance and repair concerns. The generic "Buyback Request Template" they offer is a clear indication of their apathy and indifference.

It difficult to believe that Ford would even entertain the idea of considering a vehicle buyback in such circumstances. Regardless, when I dared to inquire about the possibility of Ford covering the associated expenses tied to acquiring a new vehicle, I was met with silence. Such a dismissive response is both insulting and unacceptable.

I expect better treatment and prompt action. Instead of the futile and pointless DMs, I expect a PUBLIC response from your company, outlining a concrete way to connect with a genuine Ford Motor Company employee—one who possesses a thorough understanding of the issues at hand and possesses the authority to implement a viable solution. My patience is wearing thin, and I refuse to tolerate this level of negligence from a company as "reputable" as Ford.

Transparency and accountability are not mere buzzwords; they are the minimum standards that customers like me deserve. I urge you to rectify this situation immediately and show a genuine commitment to customer satisfaction. Your failure to address these matter promptly will not go unnoticed, as I will share my experiences with others, including fellow Bronco Sport owners, who may be facing similar issues.

I expect a satisfactory resolution to my concerns, trust that you will take this matter seriously and work diligently to restore my faith in Ford's dedication to its customers. At this stage, I must confess that it is difficult for me to ever consider purchasing another Ford vehicle again in the future. This experience has severely damaged my trust in the brand.

Respectfully,
Hal

Very disappointing. I've been very impressed with Ford’s monitoring of this forum and offering direct involvement in resolving difficulties. Sorry to hear it's not working out that way. Fortunately, I've been very happy with my dealership service.

 

[R W NORRIS New Mexico]

I called FORD regarding to my 22 BS and all that happened was the "REP" called my dealer and told them I needed service. So the Dealer told me he had enough "Drama" and never wanted me back on his property. You see, I told them "they had damaged" my vehicle and that I wanted my $750 refunded that they charged me for a repair on a BS with 5K miles. When I outlined the facts to the Owner, he agreed and directed the refund. Out of town owner, so the "Manager Locally" refuses to service my car now. Not even an oil change. So I have filed a complaint with the Attorney General's Office and they, the AG, cannot get a response from the Dealers Manager. So now, for warranty service it is a 5 hour drive each way to a Ford Dealer. No I don't live in Cleveland where there are 25 Dealers, I live in New Mexico where things are a bit distant. FORD has NOT responded to me once from this or any other site or telephone call that I have made, So I understand your situation and support YOUR side. You spend 35K on a car and expect the manufacturer to take care of you, when in fact the Dealer simply hopes you don't have KY Jelly. Best of luck to you and please let me know if you get anywhere with your complaints. Rodger

 

[Uncle Buck]

Hal,

While we have not experienced the problems you have had, I must say this is an extremely well written message that Ford Motor Company should have some live human being with some level of authority to help you respond to in VERY short order.

I wish you the best of luck. As a longtime devoted Ford owner, this is both disappointing and distressing. I hope you will keep us apprised of their response, or lack thereof.

-Buck

 

[ScottyD]

When I bought my 2013 Fusion Platinum it had nothing but problems with the infotainment system. Like randomly rebooting/crashing while driving. It was bad. I wrote an email to the CEO expressing my total disappointment that a brand new vehicle could come so poorly executed. I got a phone call back from Executive Customer Support the next day. They then called my dealer, and caused absolute panic there. They were all terrified that a guy who just bought a Fusion would end up having corporate contacting them. They even asked me "Who do you know there?!". I made it clear it had nothing to do with the dealership, they have no control over the software in the car. Needless to say about two week later I dropped the car off for an early release version of the new software to be installed. The rebooting/crashing problem was solved but none of the other ones were. So I'm not saying you should write an email to the CEO, but in my case it worked.

 

[hf995]

When I bought my 2013 Fusion Platinum it had nothing but problems with the infotainment system. Like randomly rebooting/crashing while driving. It was bad. I wrote an email to the CEO expressing my total disappointment that a brand new vehicle could come so poorly executed. I got a phone call back from Executive Customer Support the next day. They then called my dealer, and caused absolute panic there. They were all terrified that a guy who just bought a Fusion would end up having corporate contacting them. They even asked me "Who do you know there?!". I made it clear it had nothing to do with the dealership, they have no control over the software in the car. Needless to say about two week later I dropped the car off for an early release version of the new software to be installed. The rebooting/crashing problem was solved but none of the other ones were. So I'm not saying you should write an email to the CEO, but in my case it worked.

Thanks for sharing that’s. I’m definitely considering a comprehensive email and letter to senior Ford Management. That said I did respond to Ford’s automated post service survey after my last appointment and apparently it quickly got back to the dealership and they were relatively displeased with my negative assessment of their performance, and shared their feelings about that with me. Now feels like they’re “slow walking” my issues now... This was the body of my survey response:

“I am highly dissatisfied with the level and quality of service provided at this dealership. My vehicle has been plagued with internal rattling and creaking sounds, which were confirmed by the dealership as early as three days after I took delivery of the vehicle. Despite multiple attempts to fix these issues, they have remained unresolved. To add to my frustration, the most recent service appointment took over three weeks to schedule due to a lack of loaner vehicles, only to have my vehicle returned with the sounds still present and several internal trim components disassembled or improperly installed. I was shocked to find that my front driver door finish was also damaged while it was in the dealership's possession. This is completely unacceptable, and I cannot fathom why the dealership would think it's appropriate to return a customer's vehicle in such a condition.​

​

While the dealership has acknowledged their deficient work and the damage, none of the issues have been addressed. To seek resolution, I took another test drive with the dealership's Principle in charge of service and one of their mechanics. They, too, acknowledged the persistent sounds, but as of July 26, I've been informed that they need time to research the specific build of my vehicle to determine the necessary parts. However, no timeline for this research was provided, and despite sending an email requesting an update on July 31, I have received no further communication from the dealership.​

​

I appreciate the friendly and sympathetic demeanor of the dealership's Principle when communicating with me, but kindness alone does not resolve the critical issues with my vehicle. It's disheartening that despite their understanding, no concrete steps have been taken to address the problems. I expect the dealership to take immediate action, provide a clear timeline for resolution, and keep me updated throughout the process. As a loyal customer, I believe I deserve much better treatment and service than what I have experienced so far.”​

​

 

[Dude]

I wasn’t going to respond but now I am to provide a balanced alternative view.

First of all, your letter is very well written and your message comes across clearly. I get the sense of what you are going through and your level of frustration (but only you know the full scope of your situation so in no way is my response to minimize what you are experiencing).

Your letter mentions the following and all of these I also have direct experience with:

1. “(Ford’s) social media team on this site”

2. “3rd party call center representative who lacks any official affiliation with Ford”

3. “A way to connect with a genuine Ford Motor Company employee, one who possesses a thorough understanding of the issues at hand and possesses the authority to implement a viable solution”

Alternative viewpoints for anyone reading your post as well as the comments to your post:

a) The @Ford Motor Company ‘social media team’ has been extremely helpful to me after I learned what their role was and how best to use them. I will point out here that since their role is not well documented, how can anyone assume what they do or to criticize what they do or do not do. Without knowing their role, what they do and what they cannot do, one cannot assume what they can do for you. As I said, they have been extremely helpful.

b) Similar for the 3rd party call center representative. What they do and how best to use them has to be determined in order to set anyone’s expectations when they are contacted. I wish they could do more but I understand their role and limitations.

c) In the vehicles Owners Manual, Ford clearly documents the “Customer Assistance” Section and this section has to be read carefully. This section includes alot of information… while the pic I added below is a just a subset, reading this section is imperative. The dealership is listed first and Ford’s contact numbers are provided for assistance. And the escalation process is provided.

I do not believe this Section mentions the ‘social media team on this site” meaning in Forum’s as that’s not an official channel.

I could add more especially about #3 above (as I was one of those people but for a different auto manufacturer) but I’ll stop here.

I do hope the escalation process defined in the Owners Manual will be helpful to others. And I sure hope the issues OP (and others) are having can be speedily resolved to the owner’s satisfaction!

 

[Mark S.]

I wasn’t going to respond but now I am to provide a balanced alternative view.

Communication must be both ways to be effective. Perhaps it's time for Ford (and other manufacturers) to add information about online manufacturer representatives to their owner's manuals so customers know what to expect.

 

[NMhunter]

RW Norris, I've had good service from Power Ford on my Superduty 6.0. They were the recommended dealer for "Bullet Proofing" my diesel.

I purchased my BS from Melloy Ford in Los Lunas, and have been very happy so far (just free oil changes). They seem to want repeat customers.

 

[Jmuns]

When I bought my 2013 Fusion Platinum it had nothing but problems with the infotainment system. Like randomly rebooting/crashing while driving. It was bad. I wrote an email to the CEO expressing my total disappointment that a brand new vehicle could come so poorly executed. I got a phone call back from Executive Customer Support the next day. They then called my dealer, and caused absolute panic there. They were all terrified that a guy who just bought a Fusion would end up having corporate contacting them. They even asked me "Who do you know there?!". I made it clear it had nothing to do with the dealership, they have no control over the software in the car. Needless to say about two week later I dropped the car off for an early release version of the new software to be installed. The rebooting/crashing problem was solved but none of the other ones were. So I'm not saying you should write an email to the CEO, but in my case it worked.

This is a great way to get things done. Execs don't like getting bad news from customers, especially in days of social media and quick access to blasting a company's bad service/quality/products.

I had a Samsung fridge that broke and the local tech they sent to me documented manufacturing defects that caused the problems and shorted out a bunch of components. Samsung refused to pay labor and wanted me to pay for parts even though it was still under warranty. Their customer service team gave me the runaround for a month. I sent emails to every C-Suite member, posted on Twitter tagging them, sent Linkedin messages, and reported them to the BBB after I had enough one day. The following day I got a call from an assistant to the VP of sales in USA and within a week had a full refund plus expenses I incurred while the fridge was broken for a month.

Sometimes you've gotta make noise to be heard. Just make sure you have all your documentation, timelines, correspondences, etc and present your case.

 

[13MikeH]

I wasn’t going to respond but now I am to provide a balanced alternative view.

First of all, your letter is very well written and your message comes across clearly. I get the sense of what you are going through and your level of frustration (but only you know the full scope of your situation so in no way is my response to minimize what you are experiencing).

Your letter mentions the following and all of these I also have direct experience with:

1. “(Ford’s) social media team on this site”

2. “3rd party call center representative who lacks any official affiliation with Ford”

3. “A way to connect with a genuine Ford Motor Company employee, one who possesses a thorough understanding of the issues at hand and possesses the authority to implement a viable solution”

Alternative viewpoints for anyone reading your post as well as the comments to your post:

a) The @Ford Motor Company ‘social media team’ has been extremely helpful to me after I learned what their role was and how best to use them. I will point out here that since their role is not well documented, how can anyone assume what they do or to criticize what they do or do not do. Without knowing their role, what they do and what they cannot do, one cannot assume what they can do for you. As I said, they have been extremely helpful.

b) Similar for the 3rd party call center representative. What they do and how best to use them has to be determined in order to set anyone’s expectations when they are contacted. I wish they could do more but I understand their role and limitations.

c) In the vehicles Owners Manual, Ford clearly documents the “Customer Assistance” Section and this section has to be read carefully. This section includes alot of information… while the pic I added below is a just a subset, reading this section is imperative. The dealership is listed first and Ford’s contact numbers are provided for assistance. And the escalation process is provided.

I do not believe this Section mentions the ‘social media team on this site” meaning in Forum’s as that’s not an official channel.

I could add more especially about #3 above (as I was one of those people but for a different auto manufacturer) but I’ll stop here.

I do hope the escalation process defined in the Owners Manual will be helpful to others. And I sure hope the issues OP (and others) are having can be speedily resolved to the owner’s satisfaction!

Well said. We live in an age of SERVE ME. Read the damn manual. It's FILLED with information, that's why it's an owners manual. Yep it's frustrating when you have vehicle problems. My daughter had a VW. Problems. My son has a dodge. Major electrical, harness problem. Knock on wood, every Ford I've owned...consumable issues only. Tires, oil, etc. I feel for dealers and techs sometimes.??