2013 F-350 Ford "Customer Satisfaction Program 13B08".........yeah, right

We got a letter yesterday from Ford Motor Company informing us of this supposedly great thing they are doing for us called the "Customer Satisfaction Program."

The letter states that:

"At Ford Motor Company, it has been our goal for more than 100 years to provide customers with high-quality dependable products.  In order to maintain these standards, Ford Motor Company is providing a no-charge Customer Satisfaction Program (Program Number 13B08) for your vehicle...."

The next paragraph is titled "What is the issue?"

And it states:

"On your vehicle, the rubber hose section of the transmission oil cooler line assemblies may have been built with uncured rubber which may result in a leak.  A leak in the transmission oil cooler line may cause a rapid loss of transmission fluid, resulting in gear slip and may also result in damage to other transmission components."

OK.  Are you following this?  Just after stating that for 100 years Ford has been providing "high-quality dependable products" the letter says that they provided a substandard product which could result in our transmission failing in our brand spanking new vehicle that only has 500 miles on it.

So, which is it? 

This is clear double-speak. 

The next paragraph is titled "What will Ford and your dealer do?" 

"In the interest of customer satisfaction (bold-face is added by me), Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to inspect the transmission oil cooler assembly for uncured hoses.  If any of the uncured hoses are found, the transmission oil cooler line assembly will be replaced free of charge (parts and labor) under the terms of this program.

This Customer Satisfaction Program will be in effect until December 31, 2013, regardless of mileage......."

Later in the letter it states:

"Please call your dealer without delay and request a service date for Customer Service Program 13B08..."

So, I have until December 31 (6 months), but I should call "without delay."  hmmmmmmm.

More double-speak.  Ford, which has been building this same model truck for years, installed a part that could make the transmission to fail, and the solution is that I am to take the truck in to get it serviced.

Problem?  I live on an island.  The ferry fees will cost $25.  The gasoline to get it to the Ford dealership will cost another $30.  It will require a day of my time because I will need to remove the camper from the pickup and then re-install it.  Otherwise the ferry fees will be $60.

Here is another aspect to the "Customer Satisfaction Program."  Later in the letter is this statement:

"Ford Motor Company wants you to have this service action completed on your vehicle.  The vehicle owner is responsible for making arrangements to have the work completed.  Ford Motor Company can deny coverage for any vehicle damage that may result from the failure to have this service action performed on a timely basis. (bold-face is added by me) Therefore, please have this service action performed as soon as possible.

So, I call up Ford Motor Company to see if I can have someone on the island do the inspection for it, and then Ford reimburse me for paying an island mechanic.  After all, it is a "Customer Satisfaction Program" isn't it? And that way it won't cost me an arm and a leg and take an entire day of my time. The costs for the mistake will be borne by the company making the mistake.  Seems rather straightforward to me, I guess.  From what I read, it takes just a few minutes to do the inspection to see if the proper hoses have been used.  And then if they weren't, the expense and time of taking it to a Ford Dealership for correction would at least be necessary.  As it is, I would invest all of this time and money for something that might not even be a problem. 

Well, of course it's not that easy.  After talking with two different people, I find that actually Ford cares little about my "Customer Satisfaction."

Both Vicky and I (and many others) have read a book called "Being Wrong:  Adventures in the Margin of Error."   If you haven't read it, you should.  Schultz (the author) reviews a lot of research on making errors and learning from them.

In the book the author talks about how hospitals and airlines have improved a lot because they don't deny when they have made mistakes, and by acknowledging them freely (and apologizing) they not only have learned more easily how to avoid them, but also how to make things better for them and their customers.  And it creates good will and actually results in fewer lawsuits.  Of course it does--people appreciate honesty. 

Ford Motor Company should read this book.

Because this "Customer Satisfaction Program" is actually doublespeak for "Ford Messed Up And We Are Going To Create An Inconvenience For You So We Don't Have To Pay for Expensive Repairs to Your Transmission While It Is Still Under Warranty" Program. 

C'mon guys.  Just admit you screwed up.  On a brand new 46K truck you installed a defective part, and you are going to make me pay money and lose a day of my time to correct your mistake.

This is disappointing.  Ford should and can do better.  And the patronizing way that the company assumes we are all stupid enough to fall for it because it is dressed up with the doublespeak of "Customer Satisfaction Program" will create the impression that there are other misleading statements that are being dressed up to be something different from what they are.

So, I'll ask it:  What other misleading statements have you given us?  

So much more good-will could have been created by a letter that was an apology.  Because an apology is what is warranted.  And then when I called to inquire about being compensated for the amount of money it is going to cost me, Ford could have offered to pay the ferry fees and reimburse my fuel costs. (send me some coupons for oil changes or something).    I could handle losing the day of time it will cost me if Ford had gone half-way for us.

But there is not a single sentence in this letter that even comes close to an apology or even an acknowledgement of the inconvenience that this mistake may cause its customers.  

And instead of an apology, I get a threat that my warranty will be invalidated if I don't act in a "timely basis" upon the "Customer Satisfaction Program."  A threat as part of a "Customer Satisfaction Program?"   And where did I sign something that said my warranty depended upon me spending time and money to fix Ford's mistakes?  

Would that have been all that hard to do, Ford?  To say, instead:  "We are sorry, we messed up, we need your help, and we'll do what we can to make this as easy for you as we can."

Although this never should have happened in an expensive vehicle like this one was, I can handle someone making a mistake.  We all do.  What I can't accept and still have the same trust in this vehicle and company is not admitting it and therefore dealing with me in an honest manner when it happened. 

Read the book, Henry.