Another example of Poor Corporate Support (GM)

[ZubenElGenubi]

Back in August, I sent an email to Pontiac marketing asking for their participation in our 2nd annual SouthCentral Meet. It went something like this:Quote, originally posted by Zuben's email »From: *********@ev1.net Sent: 8/9/2006 04:56:28 PM To: cac@pontiac.com Subject: Pontiac Vibe Owner Assistance ------------------------------------------------------------ What is the Nature of your concern? : Request for Information Message :I am requesting Pontiac's marketing and corporate participation in our Second Annual SouthCentral rally for Pontiac Vibe owners. I am a senior member of a forum for Pontiac Vibe owners & enthusiasts called "Generation Vibe" (also known as "GenVibe"). I am organizing our Second Annual South Central rally at Sewell Pontiac in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, October 28, 2006. ...We think this is a great opportunity for Pontiac to gain publicity - both locally and nationally through our website. We also find that events like this are very good selling & educational tools. While Sewell Pontiac is providing event-specific needs (i.e., space, refreshments, some parts/service discounts), we would like Pontiac corporate to provide additional support in any form possible (ex., marketing, Pontiac accessories and/or licensed products, display banners/posters). The dealership has limited resources in this area, and I believe Pontiac could help make this a major event. ......and so on.TODAY, November 17 (100 days AFTER I sent the email and 20 days AFTER the event), I finally get a reply:Quote, originally posted by Pontiac's email »Dear Mr. Ray, Thank you for contacting Pontiac and for your interest in the Pontiac line. We appreciate the time you have taken to write us. Due to an extremely high level of interest in our exciting line of vehicles, Pontiac has experienced minor delays in responding to customer emails. We apologize if this delay has caused you any inconvenience in your research. For future reference regarding auto events, please contact GM R Works at (313) 967-9600 extension 9355 or you may email them at http://www.gmrworks.com. For updates regarding the Pontiac line, please continue to visit the Pontiac website or contact your preferred dealership. If you are not familiar with a local Pontiac dealer, you may locate one under 'Dealer Locator' at the same address. We hope this information has answered your question. At Pontiac, we strive to provide outstanding customer service. If we can be of any further assistance please email us or call 1-800-762-2737 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., Eastern Time, seven days a week. Thank you for contacting Pontiac. Sincerely, The Pontiac Marketing Team http://www.pontiac.com/ You have received this email advertising GM products and services in response to your recent request for vehicle information. To opt out of receiving future email messages from General Motors please visit http://www.gmcontactpreferences.com. General Motors Corporation, 100 Renaissance Center, 482-MAR-100, Detroit, MI 48265 Pontiac supports Buckle Up America. We encourage you, your family and your friends, to always Buckle Up. If GM expects any kind of improvement in customer loyalty, you'd think decreasing response time would be one of them. It's not that I was expecting them to participate (although I'd hoped they might), but that I was sent a canned response after the event ended really ticks me off.

[GrayFox]

way to go Pontiac....

[Mrizzle05]

WOW! that sucks.... this is what kills the love of a pontiac now a days!Subaru... FTW!

[KNINE]

[ At Pontiac, we strive to provide outstanding customer service. ]Really???? They have a funny way of showing it.

[GrayFox]

I think they're trying that reverse phycology thing

[Mrizzle05]

No... its becuase ther customer service is SOOOO great that they cant get to you till waaayyyyy after your request "Due to an extremely high level of interest in our exciting line of vehicles"Haha... this is just sad they try and say your not worth it in a nice... FAKE like email.

[NascarXprt]

Quote, originally posted by ANO_Vibe »I think they're trying that reverse phycology thing and its not working..... yea, GM what are you thinking!!!!

[MailGuy!]

Notice how there is not one thing in their response that touches on the issues you raised? Oh wait. They said, "Dear Mr. Ray." I don't think they even read the email.

[ragingfish]

Sadly, this is not new for Pontiac.I've emailed them multiple times over the years and their responses are always canned. They're one of the WORST offenders when it comes to pissing off the customer with a half-butted reply to a legitimate question.

[DopeVibeGT]

Maybe you should have contacted Toyota.

[jake75]

Many years ago I had a problem with a 1977 Buick bought new - it kept blowing ignition coils. The dealer could not figure out why. I wrote GM thinking that they might have seen this before and could tell me what was wrong. In my letter I explained that the dealer was unable to determine the cause. I got a form letter back telling me that the best place to go to resolve the problem was my dealer. That ticked me off. The next GM I bought was my 2003 Vibe (26 years later) and then only because it was a Toyota at heart. So most of my car buying life has been spent boycotting GM prioducts because of that stupid response. Serves them right!

[jimincalif]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »That ticked me off. The next GM I bought was my 2003 Vibe (26 years later) and then only because it was a Toyota at heart. So most of my car buying life has been spent boycotting GM prioducts because of that stupid response. Serves them right!Yeah, I had the same experience with Ford. Learned my lesson though, I stick with the Japanese brands. Currently have a Toyota, a Nissan and a Vibe (aka Toyota). Fax, snail mail, or email, they are better off not responding at all than those stupid canned non-responses. I've had better responses from a Senator!

[DopeVibeGT]

I'm a loyal GM guy, no matter what the customer service is like from the HQ. I have never had trouble with my GM car that the dealer couldnt handle, so no need to contact GM. My Grand Am runs flawlessly to this day, with 166K miles on it.As for 'foreign' brands, the Vibe is my first one and the only reason is because it's a Pontiac/Toyota. The only 'Japanese' car I would consider buying and probably would if I made enough money would be an Evo MR, only because the US doesnt make anything close to it's performance.