Mr. John Larson
General Manager, Buick-Pontiac-GMC
Mr. Mark-Hans Richer
Pontiac Marketing Director
Mr. Christopher Ayotte
Solstice Brand Team
We feel the time has come to make bold, affirmative, and unprecedented steps to support the Solstice launch. These steps are now needed to preserve Pontiac and GM's intended goals of the Early Order Program, and the Solstoice program in general.
1) All First 1000 buyers that have not taken delivery should be contacted, preferably by phone but email at least, with the exact location and status of their car. Not a general statement but infomation on their actual car. Making unreliable guess-timates of delivery is not needed, just factual status infomation.
2) All dealerships with First 1000 orders should be visited in person by Pontiac or GM of the highest possible and practical level, Regional General Manger, Regional Sales Manager, Regional Marketing Manger-Pontiac, or if needed Zone Manager. A discussion with Dealer Principal and Sales Mangement should take place over the dealerships pricing plans for the Solstice.
3) All dealerships should be contacted in the most efficent manner by their Area Sales Manager. A review of Solstice allocation amounts, order banks, and review of accessing the VOMS system to aquire infomation should be done. A review of signed buyers agreements should be completed and where missing, or where no price is indicated, they should be completed as soon as possible for review.
4) Dealerships should be required to keep a list of allocation amounts, current orders preferenced, order bank orders and preference priority listing. This infomation should be available and provided to every Solstice buyer and prospect.
5) GM must review the policy of not publishing target production weeks for launch vehicles. This infomation is being given out over the phone by customer call centers, why not make it availalbe to the dealerships?
6) Buyers with sold orders in VOMS should be sent letters of price protection.
We have and will continue to support this car and GM and Pontiacs attempts to delivery the best product possible. We just deserve infomation never required by GM's ordering processes before because of the unique situation presented by the Solstice demand.
Members of SolsticeForum.com
This idea was given to me by a friend on the forum, and it is a great letter to pontiac. I would prefer to extend it to all GM products, as well as the pricing structure, but this seems like a good place to start.
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"Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."
Mark Twain
I'm starting to wonder if Pontiac/GM 'gets it' - the Solstice just doesn't fit the mold of what GM has done in the past. This situation where cars are left to languish for weeks and weeks in shipment just doesn't make any sense
Why would you let years of hard work by hundreds (thousands?) of people, multi-millions of dollars, and one fabulous vehilcle go down the drain over a SIMPLE logistics problem?
Simple - yes! Will it cost a few dollars - yes. But if GM has to go above and beyond and start shipping these three at a time (on small car haulers), I think it will pay in the long run (and they OWE it to the customers that took a leap of faith by buying this car - most without ever seeing one in person, let alone ever driving one).
A bad first impression is a difficult thing to overcome.
Think outside the box (you did it when the Solstice was concieved ) - how much effort could it take to set up an owner pick-up program at the plant? The money saved (in shipping) could be used to pay for the prep fees or offset the increased shipping cost for using less rail and smaller shipments.
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...sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape, every nerve aware...
Please disuss as everyone sees fit. I was considering splitting the discussion off from the original thread, but thought it would be best to keep it together. Hopefully GM will consider following some of these suggestions, and providing Solstice consumers with more information about their orders.
Last edited by Fformula88 : 10-01-2005 at 05:10 PM.
I was thinking that I would check the other dealerships in the area and find the ones that are only charging MSRP as Pontiac requested. Then notify Pontiac HQ of which ones are doing what they want and which ones (HIATT PONTIAC) that are not. Pontiac can then offer them the chance to change their tune, and if the don't, then pull their allocations and move them to the closest dealers that are selling at MSRP and notify the person that ordered the car that they won't have to pay $5,000.00 over MSRP. The offending dealership would then not be allowed a solstice for two years.
__________________ Deep with everything except XM (My better half is a local Radio DJ),born on 27 Sep, VIN 102244 (Thanks for the info Cricket!) Her name is Helia, a minor greek sun goddess. I drove her home on 30 Nov 05. WOO HOO!!! Custom license plate "MYSUMMR" That's My Summer (Solstice) for those who can't figure it out.
FYI folks, some of you may know that I have a direct pipeline into VERY upper level GM management. After I read the complete thread which by the way is very good end-user feedback, I copied it and passed it on to the general manager of Pontiac.
Thank you Marvin, and everyone else in the forum for their ideas.
The name of the game for Corporate America and for that matter any businness is to keep their customers first and foremost SATISFIED and to that end keep information fresh and open
__________________ Aggressive GXP at $25,995.00 shipping of $600, Manual Transmission.
Options:
Air, $960; Chrome Wheels, $545; PCQ, Premium Package (Leather), $525; Radio, 6-Disc with MP3, $495; Monsoon, $395; Premium Acoustic Headliner, $150; and Sport Metallic Pedals, $115; all totals $29,180.00. No XM/OnStar and NO Spoiler. MODS (RKSport/Magnaflow dual exit exhaust system, K&N filter, Ventureshield.
First 1000. Aggressive with everything, NO XM/OnStar. SOLD
~~~~~~~ NASSOA
Founding member
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You're very welcome. You would all be surprised as to how little information and feedback makes it up to the top people in charge. So much is filtered at the "mid-level" management stage that guy's like John Larson who I personally know is very much interested in knowing what's going on, never get the true story from the streets.
I applaud everyon'e participation is this effort to intelligently identify and communicate the key issues reflected in the everyday posts by the forum.
I have typically been a non-poster on the majority of topics; however, its time that I lend my support to this very deserving cause.
My wife and I have been patient buyers throughout this order and wait process. We have seen some input from GMHQ and greatly appreciate what has been provided to date. It is important to our family to properly manage our finances and the purchase of a new vehicle has been responsibly worked into our game plan. As time goes by, factors change: Interest Rates have been climbing, other new vehicle models are becoming available, and vehicles that were beyond our pricing structure are now becoming available in the "slightly used" market.
I must admit that we have begun to look at alternative vehicles - mainly due to the "black hole" effect on the GMHQ side.
A big thanks to all of you (including those in possession of their cars but who are championing the current underdogs) who strive to better "our" company (GM) as we all have a financial stake in its success.
FYI folks, some of you may know that I have a direct pipeline into VERY upper level GM management. After I read the complete thread which by the way is very good end-user feedback, I copied it and passed it on to the general manager of Pontiac.
Marvin
Thanks Marvin. I knew we kept bumping your other thread up for a reason.
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Mysterious / Black Leather / Chrome / all other options except On Star and smoker pkg.
Ordered: 8 Sep Delivered to dealer 15 Dec(Watched her come off the truck)
Will you be in Denver for the 2009 Summer Solstice?
12
Wicked 2009 Solstice GXP Coupe on order 24 October 2008
100%
) - how much effort could it take to set up an owner pick-up program at the plant? The money saved (in shipping) could be used to pay for the prep fees or offset the increased shipping cost for using less rail and smaller shipments.
