Ford's communication around this is unbelievably bad

[Socoldinthed@yahoo. com]

What happened yesterday should cost several people their jobs, what a cluster. None of us know what is going on, the dealers don't know what is going on, and nothing is communicated. I've seen several dealers, including mine, that didn't have anything schedule yesterday. Also what a joke that they made such a huge deal out of your reservation timestamp only to piss all over that on day 1 of scheduling. I've seen several people with my exact build post build dates and their reservations are days and even weeks behind mine. If their goal is to piss people off, they are on a great track.

Ford is moving away from the traditional FIFO system to their new improved FISH system. (First In Still Here) They are the a Master of FISH and rumored to be the next tile sponsor of the Bass Masters Tour.

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[Badmommallama]

I'm just going to say, Thanks, @ZackDanger I feel like you are on point with all communications I have received from Ford and how I interpreted everything they have put out. Many people seem to also forget that the supply chain in general is a hot mess right now, nor seem to understand the logistics involved considering all of the dealers, their allocations and which dealers are going to see action first.

Truly first world problems playing out all over this forum.

 

[FishKzor]

I was not led to believe I would be receiving an estimated scheduled build time from Ford until mid-May. So I am not angry I have not received one in mid-April, and am happy for those that have.

 

[HotdogThud]

Do you really want to challenge me to a citation contest?

When I was a kid, we had a Chevy Citation. I think I win the citation contest, homeslice.

 

[Diydner]

I think it boils down to this… Why was Priority Orders created?

I understand there are “mistakes” where a customers reservation fell off and they had to create a new one. But with instances like this, I would have expected a Ford representative to have the ability to go into the new reservation timestamp and adjust it to the old one with proof.

IMO, priority orders just gives the dealership an ability to “auction off” a faster delivery. Not saying that’s what happened, but likely.

Personally, it makes no difference to me either way. I’m a late oct my22 reservation holder. Just my observation

 

[WyoBronc]

I actually edited my post from "assumption" to "conclusion" because I felt the first was too aggressive.

What I disagree with is the conclusion that what we've seen this past week is evidence that Ford did not follow the process as they have outlined for months now. They could never fulfill orders in strict timestamp order, and never promised to. They've been abundantly clear that generally speaking, earlier timestamps would be built before later ones... but I never read or heard them say that we shouldn't expect later reservations to be built before earlier ones.

We're literally in the very first batch of orders, and just because a "late" reservation at some dealer (even a very late one) got scheduled ahead of an "early" reservation at another dealer, I don't believe is a sign that anything untoward is happening.

Now, once we get a few weeks in, and we get enough data to plot a more valid statistical distribution, I personally will feel much more confident in concluding whether Ford is keeping to their word or not.

I can appreciate that, and thank you for your edit. My rumblings may indeed prove to be premature, but sunlight is the best antiseptic, and thus far we’ve all been kept in the dark.

For a company like Ford, that in and if itself is inexcusable. They have done a poor job at communicating to this point and continually leave customers speculating and making assumptions do to a lack of clarity and openness.
When people are left to their own devices and interpretations it should come as no surprise that circumstances are what they are and trust is fractured.

Hopefully, Bronco will be as advertised and this shitty rollout will be a distant memory when I’m on a two-track trail deep in the boondocks looking for a hard to get to honey-hole, with a cane pole, a grass creel, a Yeti full of beer and my dog Bocephus riding shotgun with the doors and roof off. Time will tell.

 

[Badmommallama]

@wvmtneer your butthurt is noted. #crymeariver

 

[Crush0205]

My dealer is sticking to his original statement that the next communication will be sometime during May. I've also asked a simple questions like where do I fall in the mix of other reservations, priority number etc. The only answer I get is that I should get a MY21 and oh yes you've got an early reservation. At one point he tried to tell me that they had 400 reservations so I have no clue. I would truly like some legit communications with an estimate on when I might expect to see my vehicle. I'm really starting to feel like we're all getting strung along. What's the point of a reservation if it truly doesn't mean anything????

You and I are in the same boat. My dealer has been nothing but terrible, I've had to ask at least 3-4 times for them to just tell me where I fall in their order bank, and finally got told I'm number 7. BUTTT they still haven't told me (even though I've directly asked) total orders or how many allotments they were given by Ford. All I've been told is "sometime after August maybe, possibly, most likely". Does anyone know if it's too late to switch dealers?

 

[ZackDanger]

I think it boils down to this… Why was Priority Orders created?

I understand there are “mistakes” where a customers reservation fell off and they had to create a new one. But with instances like this, I would have expected a Ford representative to have the ability to go into the new reservation timestamp and adjust it to the old one with proof.

IMO, priority orders just gives the dealership an ability to “auction off” a faster delivery. Not saying that’s what happened, but likely.

Personally, it makes no difference to me either way. I’m a late oct my22 reservation holder. Just my observation

There was a theory that Ford was able to start production roughly a week or two early, and instead of redoing all of the estimated delivery scheduling they had started planning to share with everyone in May, they came up with the "priority order" idea to fill that extra production immediately, and keep to their May timeline for delivery estimates.

It may have been envisioned to pick later reservations more or less by random and thus, wouldn't really affect anyone's general delivery estimate. Plucking reservations out here and there over 12 months of builds has a very small impact on scheduling, vs trying to accelerate the entire 12 months up 2 weeks.

That way they can get a week or two's worth of production in without having to adjust the entire MY21/MY22 around.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[WyoBronc]

TOTALLY DISAGREE!

Ford has said all along that people who converted to orders would get their preliminary build time estimates in May. That's what I was expecting all along. The fact that Ford has started scheduling production and is letting early builds know about it, is a good thing and an acceleration in the timing of notifications. Chill and stop whining. We should all be happy with the progress and Ford's communication.

I stand corrected......thank you Ford, may I have another.

 

[Drex]

...

Now, once we get a few weeks in, and we get enough data to plot a more valid statistical distribution, I personally will feel much more confident in concluding whether Ford is keeping to their word or not.

I can answer that for you right now. Ford is keeping their word, they just change what their word is at their whim. The lion's share of reservations were made before Ford invented the allocation wrinkle, until then people believed it was first come first served (within reason). Went from one line (that folks paid $100 to get in, a good faith gesture that was not reciprocated), to a line at every dealer to dealers being able to sell or give away a jump to the front of the line still later.

It was obvious this was going to happen once allocations were added (although perhaps not to the extent seen so far), however to claim that Ford was consistent and has kept their word with the original contract (money was exchanged for a place in line to order with the stipulation that they would be filled in approximate order) is in no way supported by facts. They are unilaterally changing the fulfillment of that original contract (their lawyers were smart enough to give extra Pass Points as compensation for modifying the contract and our continuing to wait implies acceptance), so here we are. While some might be indifferent to the changes, those that are not most assuredly have the right to grumble about the actual changes, acceptance aside.

 

[Vigor]

Looking better by the minute...

I feel sometimes I weigh in on things I have no business weighing in on, or that it really isn't needed. But I do it anyway and sometimes regret it later. But one thing about me is i will ALWAYS be honest, blunt, and try and be logical/objective.
Here, as in most things, I see both sides.
The perception of this is that Ford communicated a certain method of determining who got what that was mostly based on res timestamp. But with a few of these to cover the "what if's" : ****

And those asterisks leave a lot of wiggle room and interpretation that frankly we will never fully understand and Ford doesn't need us to.
Yes, lacking clear communication has been an issue.
Yes, unforeseen demand, commodities, global shortages have happened that change the game.
Yes, it is reasonably unfair for a timestamp of Nov to be built before a Day 1 with the same config.
Yes, it is also reasonable that people will feel miffed, cheated, played that are in that situation.
Yes, people want to be heard and have their opinions/feeling at least accepted, maybe not agreed-upon.
However:
Ford, in the end, sells us a product. Anyone who has had to do any production scheduling or management on any scale can appreciate the colossal clusterfk that all of the variables in this equation throw into the mix. Honestly I'd hate my job if I were in their shoes. Because with every single VIN assigned there are going to be thousands of other people who are bypassed. And if any of those thousands are aware, it will be mutiny on the HMS Bounty.
The entire global chain of every single thing is affected by what started with Covid. Everything, everywhere. In every sector. This is the absolute worst time ever, barring some global war, that Ford could have picked to try and roll something of this magnitude out.
Not a fanboy, but my hat is off to them for continuing the fight and even being able to get anything at all out in a reasonable amount of time.
Sometimes, even if you feel like you have been done dirty, it helps a helluva lot to stop for a minute and take walk in the other person's shoes. After being totally logical and true to the perspective, then pass your judgment.

In the end I do not think it is fair to the day 1 guy who has the same build as the Nov guy. But maybe it was the situation with having to pick a build that made more logistical sense for Ford and that dealer vs. just screwing some random Day 1 guy because they could.
For whatever reason, it's done. No amount of complaining is gonna change it.
We either accept it (not necessarily like or agree with it), or we jump ship and stick it to them by not buying it.
That's pretty much your choices.
I think they are doing the best they can to do what they can, when they can, in the best way that makes sense from their perspective.
I want mine now.
I am happy for those that are getting them now even though I am not.
I am reasonable enough to realize thigs above my understanding happen and reasonable enough to realize that when my time comes, it will come. And I will be overjoyed when I do get that email. Even more so when I open that door for the first time and hit that Start button.
It might be good to take a mental or emotional break from the forum for a bit while this shakes out for a lot of you.
I respect most of you heavily, and understand we are all humans with human reactions. But sometimes you just have to realize you are pissing upwind and step back. And putting yourself through the mental anguish is doing more harm than good.

I'll talk with anyone, anytime who needs an ear or a shoulder.
I'll be respectful and honest as long as you do the same, if you ask my opinion.
But putting out here in the open is just asking to be point-counterpoint arguing and hurt feelings all day, every day.
All the love,
-Dave.

Very well stated sir

 

[j_marinelli]

Some of you can go make a baby, starting now, and give birth before your bronco is delivered.

Don't encourage reproduction. Some of the people on this site do NOT need little thems running around

 

[Mustang Mike]

Calm down .. what happened yesterday will happen every Thursday for the next 1.5 years. Orders are pulled every Thursday from the order bank.

And next week a bunch of peeps will be HAPPY and some will still be angry and then it happens all over again the following Thursday.

This was my main question as I (along with many others) have a busy life and don’t have the time or desire to constantly check for a VIN email.

To the original post about the very poor communication issue, this will unfortunately fall on the backs of the salesmen and that’s a highly variable info source depending on their overall bronco order understanding and added individual dealer agendas (some aren’t honest).

The original email outlining yesterday’s build schedule email could have broken it down a bit better & given more than just the “starting April 15” information even adding something to the effect of “and each Thursday afternoon thereafter” would have been a nice bit of information to know?

Again with regard to communication, isn’t this supposed to be the role/job of the Bronco Nation? I don’t think it would take much to have a them get a bunch of bullet points about the roll out, the reservations and the recent email together and shoot a quick cheesy video about more than just what size takeout drink cups fit in the cup holders. So far as I see it we (the customer) get more information here in Bronco6G from a hand full of informed dealer employees, customer photography and occasional tweets from MrLevine.

I don’t know the solution & Ford Motor Company is so big that I imagine the leadership & workers are all in their own little silos with many departments not know what the other department upstairs is doing so then we’ just have to wait and see who wins at Bronco Bingo!

 

[Bertbronco]

wa wa wa wa whammmm bulance

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