Merry Christmas

Dinette Cushions

While enjoying a wonderful Saturday evening with my wife in downtown Seattle for dinner and a show, I had to wonder.

We have often  commented about how uncomfortable the dinette area in the trailer is.  The cushions don't have much support and they tend to slide all over the place.  While sitting in a booth at Etta's it occurred to me that there is something better.  The booth at Etta's has a nice curved back and base with alot more support than the cushions in my trailer.  I understand why the cushions are flat in the trailer considering the fact that the dinette doubles as a bed.  But I found the curved, supportive cushions at Etta's to be much easier to sit with.  Very comfortable, leather covered and the distance between the table and my belly wasn't much different.

I am thinking this might become a do it yourself project.  Since we don't use the dinette as a bed that often, more comfortable, supportive cushions would be an asset.

Thanks for dropping by.

How Many Times Must You Contact Me

As you already know I worked in the automotive business my whole career.  I understand all the ins and outs of the business and I have often mention the CSI (Customer Service Index) reports that many manufacturers use to grade their dealers as well as the dealers personnel.  I personally believe there should be more concentration on loyalty and less on what was done or how it was done at the service or sale visit.  What should be important to the manufacturer is the loyalty the customer has for the brand and whether or not they intend to tell others as well as purchase another vehicle from the same manufacturer.

Of course the customers percepetion of service definately influences this decision but many times the manufacturer uses questions that unless the customers gives a perfect ten score the store and their contact gets thrown under the bus.  Many times the manufacturer ties incentives to the "10" score that can make or break a dealerships year.  Profits are not as high in dealerships as some would have you believe.  You must push a lot of steel out the door and have them come back for service and parts in order to remain profitable. 

Questions like, comfort of the waiting room?  What if you didn't wait?  Should you leave it blank?  Or as many do, fill it in with an eight, because you never give tens.  Time the process took?  It didn't take any time, I filled out a parkout envelope, dropped it in the key drop and left.  Should I give it a ten because it was quick?

You get the general idea.  On to the next item, how many times should a dealership contact you after you have had service work done at their service facility?  I took my Silverado into a local Chevrolet dealership on Friday the 28th.  I made an appointment on line and gave the specifics as to what I wanted done.  I arrived at the dealership in the early morning hours before I had to be at work down the block and left the truck parked out in the service drive.  I asked that the truck be done by 3:00 o'clock p.m. so I could pick it up.  I had no further contact until I arrived a the appointed time and found the cashier who found my invoice, explained it to me, took my money and sent someone to retrieve my truck.  It took all of five minutes of personal contact with the representative of the company and I was on the road heading home.

I expected a survey and I got one via email on Saturday.  I filled it out and sent it back.  Shortly after that I received another email thanking me for filling out the survey.  Sunday I recieved another email supposedly from the dealership service manager thanking me for my business followed by an email from the service advisor who wrote the repair order again thanking me for doing business with him.  Keep in mind, I never met either of these two individuals during the whole process.  Then yesterday my phone rings showing a number I don't recognize and it is a taped message again from the service advisor thanking me for my business.

I appreciate being noticed but one survey and one thank you is enough.  Don't send me additional emails or call me with taped messages.  If you want to call, you call personally.  That means more to me than a taped conversation.

I'll get down off my soap box now.  Thanks for stopping by.