Just received "Orders Starting Soon" / "We'll Be Sending an Invitation Soon" email

[ldavenci]

Understand you and your business was in a different position, and apparently based on some principle rather than market demands - good on you.

But for any business that sells a product, and have loyal, repeat, significant, customers, are you saying they all should equally prioritize relatively unknown, unprofitable, customers?

That sounds unrealistic to me; or, at the very least, a critique that would apply equally against the vast majority of sales businesses, not at all singling out Ford as being somehow unique or uniquely unfair in this way.

Bedsides, your business appeared to take orders and fill them first-come/serve.

Ford’s reservations , are/were absolutely peppered with blaring disclosures that they were not an order and provided people with no type of guarantee about receiving any truck, ever.

To say Ford shouldn’t have meant what they said seems a little … I don’t know …. Much?

Good argument and outlook, but....Let's use Apple, for example.

Would it be fair that, if Apple were releasing a new product, outside of marketing purposes, that people who were willing to wait in line for days, in a free market for said product, went out into that line and randomly started selecting people when the premise communicated was to wait in line for your first-come, first-serve 'opportunity' to purchase your product?

You are correct that Ford does protect themselves by stating it's not an order, it's an opportunity to purchase, but the marketed intent is that if you are willing to trust us (Ford) to produce the vehicle they are showing, they are willing to allow you to purchase this vehicle earlier than those who are not willing to sign up, pay early. That's all I'm pointing out. I don't care that I have to wait or that I'm not first...but I do believe you need a bit more transparency as to when one can expect to be given that opportunity...other than 'not this year, we'll let you know next year...we'll keep you posted. Reservations are very beneficial to the manufacturers from a production planning, cash flow mgmt, perspective. That is part of the give and take.

Would you deem a customer unprofitable because they only buy three vehicles their entire life but are willing to pay the same amount for the vehicle as the customer who would buy 30 vehicles? Def. no saying all businesses should equally prioritize customers. But let's be honest, This is not a Ford GT that will only be available to a select few and marketed that way which only a few can afford. This vehicle represents a paradigm shift in automotive technology for the masses in which you cannot have the same practices as a Ford GT. I did have a business with a highly sought-after product. My objective was to communicate when the product was coming and could be reserved with cash down and delivered that product based on order list priority. That's it. A list gives you the info you can make your decisions based on. Whether right or wrong, it was straightforward and communicative.

I didn't say Ford was wrong. I said they could do a better job of communication and transparency. I'm not dumping my order and look forward to getting my vehicle. It would be nice to know if it would be before March 2025 tho..lol.

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[cvalue13]

I didn't say Ford was wrong. I said they could do a better job of communication and transparency. I'm not dumping my order and look forward to getting my vehicle. It would be nice to know if it would be before March 2025 tho..lol.

All fair, and appreciate the patience in response. In other threads I’ve expressed my personal believe (based upon only deduction and inference) that Ford is intentionally being just-so in its communication and transparency (in short, following modern exclusivity marketing that requires making the maximum number get and stay in line, while delivering relatively little product.)

Which is to agree with the basic observation that Ford’s methods and communications have been vague and at best half-informative.

How else would so many people stay in line?

when the premise communicated was to wait in line for your first-come, first-serve 'opportunity' to purchase your product?if you are willing to trust us (Ford) to produce the vehicle they are showing, they are willing to allow you to purchase this vehicle earlier than those who are not willing to sign up, pay early.

This here is as little as we appear to depart in views.

I personally understood the “reservation” process to be Ford only as serious about providing any vehicle in any order as was a reservation holder’s commitment to purchase any particular vehicle.

Put differently, a $100 refundable deposit that requires absolutely no commitment to purchase any particular vehicle on any particular time I instinctively understand to create a mirrored obligation in return.

For an individual to have felt they had zero obligation to purchase anything at any time, and in return Ford would be at all obligated to provide a vehicle to each and every such individual, is to me unrealistic expectation.

The frustration is understandable - who is to blame, how much, less clear

 

[ldavenci]

I love conversations like this. Agreed-upon differences in opinion are healthy!

I do believe there is an unduly heavier expectation that Ford shoulders when it comes to the marketing and sales of a newer vehicle. You are correct; Ford is being 'Just-so' in protecting against unreal expectations being set. That is the nature of the business. I just read an article about this restaurant that had a class action lawsuit brought against them for limiting the amount of beef they were allowing in an all-you-can buffet. That is a clear case of a company trying to manage expectations but not altering the marketing to meet the expectation (not the same scenario, but similar customer frustrations).

As a side thought, what's your feeling on an operation consisting of the following.:

• We are producing the F150 Lighting.
• We are only producing 2500 for the first 6 months of the 2022 year, in which if you pre-order early, we will choose 2000 purchasers based on order number and date. 500 will be picked randomly. We will keep everyone on the list to order for the 2023 year.
• For 2023 we will produce 80,000. 50k will go to preorders on a first-come, first-serve basis. The other 30k will be at random, as we have orders for well over 200k
• 2024 we will produce and sell on a first-come, first-serve basis depending on your order date and number.'

This way everyone is very clear on the process and knows upfront that there is a chance to receive early, but not guaranteed based on order volume and production schedule...not a dealer with 0 info guesstimating on Fords behalf.

Thoughts?

 

[ldavenci]

All fair, and appreciate the patience in response. In other threads I’ve expressed my personal believe (based upon only deduction and inference) that Ford is intentionally being just-so in its communication and transparency (in short, following modern exclusivity marketing that requires making the maximum number get and stay in line, while delivering relatively little product.)

Which is to agree with the basic observation that Ford’s methods and communications have been vague and at best half-informative.

How else would so many people stay in line?




This here is as little as we appear to depart in views.

I personally understood the “reservation” process to be Ford only as serious about providing any vehicle in any order as was a reservation holder’s commitment to purchase any particular vehicle.

Put differently, a $100 refundable deposit that requires absolutely no commitment to purchase any particular vehicle on any particular time I instinctively understand to create a mirrored obligation in return.

For an individual to have felt they had zero obligation to purchase anything at any time, and in return Ford would be at all obligated to provide a vehicle to each and every such individual, is to me unrealistic expectation.

The frustration is understandable - who is to blame, how much, less clear

I swear our conversation is being reviewed. Did you get this?

 

[ldavenci]

And if you did, did you see the survey questions they are asking?

 

[Doughecka]

I can confirm I got this email on 8/8 and then the order email on 8/11!

How did you answer the survey? I wonder if choosing a more expensive option gets you bumped to the front.

 

[bmwhitetx]

How did you answer the survey? I wonder if choosing a more expensive option gets you bumped to the front.

I'm pretty sure the survey picture just posted by someone else was a different email altogether that went out today and is the subject of another thread (apparantly for folks that are way down on the list). The guy you quoted got the Order Soon email that is the subject of this thread. So two different e-mails, Ford is busy!

 

[bmwhitetx]

I have two reservations with different email addresses and dealers: a Day 2 and a Day 153. The Day 2 reservation did not get this email. The Day 153 reservation got the survey email. Sounds like I'm not ordering soon for either.

 

[Maquis]

I just got the survey mail as well. Claims to be used for “production planning”, but possibly also order invitation prioritization?

 

[bmwhitetx]

I just got the survey mail as well. Claims to be used for “production planning”, but possibly also order invitation prioritization?

Interesting. So you got both the Order Soon and Survey emails? Besides the survey email - you posted earlier the Order Soon email. Did you have more than one reservation?
(FYI, there is another thread on the Survey email.)

 

[mattb]

i have one reservation and received both emails.

the survey said getting a 2023 pro was very unlikely. i said pro anyway. that' s probably the end of it for me.

the least good "how has the process been" answer was poor. i chose poor.

 

[ivan256]

I just got an e-mail with a survey asking what configuration I plan to order.

It also asked how likely I would be to reserve a Ford vehicle in the future if the reservation fee were one of several higher amounts or non-refundable, and which other EVs I have reservations for.

 

[Maquis]

Interesting. So you got both the Order Soon and Survey emails? Besides the survey email - you posted earlier the Order Soon email. Did you have more than one reservation?
(FYI, there is another thread on the Survey email.)

Yes, one reservation, both emails. The various threads are hard to keep track of - there are (or were) at least 2 about the survey.

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

i have one reservation and received both emails.

the survey said getting a 2023 pro was very unlikely. i said pro anyway. that' s probably the end of it for me.

the least good "how has the process been" answer was poor. i chose poor.

I feel like they needed another option below poor.

Don't let Ford bully you into buying more truck than you want. I also was Pro or nothing, by the time these trucks are readily available there will be enough competitors that you will get what you want for what you want to pay.

 

[ivan256]

i have one reservation and received both emails.

the survey said getting a 2023 pro was very unlikely. i said pro anyway. that' s probably the end of it for me.

the least good "how has the process been" answer was poor. i chose poor.

I chose XLT+, and it did NOT say that it was unlikely - or anything else about availability.

Also, I was able to go back and forth and choose other options and change my mind.

The model selection page showed the ER battery as an option for the XLT and Lariat non-plus models, but if you selected those the larger battery wasn't available on the options page of the survey.

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