Reputation Management is a big business these days because companies understand the importance of maintaining it.
Ironically, when an established company becomes complacent, they tend to get cocky. This is a contributing factor when famous icons of their industry become obsolete.
The following illustrates the resemblance between what a customer may have written to General Motors in the 80s and when Roger Smith was CEO.
GM’s attitude and approach to customer satisfaction rapidly contributed to its loss in market share. We all know this because Japanese carmakers picked up a lot of it, first for their quality and second for their embrace of customer service. Could it be possible that Honda Motor Company is going the route that GM did in the dark days of the 1980s?
Quality remains high, but what about taking care of the customers? Read on…
An Open Letter to Honda:
I recently received a notice from you regarding a necessary safety recall for my 2024 Honda Accord. Upon my inquiry, the service department stated that you would need up to six (6) hours to fix the problem. Additionally, there would be no loaner car — or any form of transportation to a location while waiting for work that needed to be performed.
While just getting a lift 2 miles down the road would have been an adequate courtesy (so I could be near a place to eat a decent lunch) while waiting, your representative stated that “we were still on our own.”
So let me understand:
The safety recall was to address an issue that your company caused. And while you agreed to replace a faulty part, we were still left to fend for ourselves during this inconvenience?
Making the Dealerships Hold the Bag:
In my disgust, I posted a review of the Honda dealership with a 1 Star rating. However, I received a polite call from their representative who explained “that Honda corporate is placing this burden on the dealerships.”
After expressing how much I was previously satisfied with the dealership’s previous service, I sympathized with their dilemma and am revising my original review. The attitude and the actions of Honda Corporate are misguided.
Not only have they alienated their customers, but they have in the process, given a black eye to the dealers who represent them.
This reeks of the attitudes that American automotive companies displayed throughout the eighties when they lost so much market share and customer loyalty — never to return.