- Joined
- Jun 10, 2022
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 17
- Location
- Rochester, NY
- Vehicle(s)
- NA
- Your Bronco Model
- Outer Banks
- Thread starter
- #1
This post is intended to address Ford's failure to timely fulfill Bronco orders and failure to meaningfully communicate with order holders.
I reserved a Bronco on 8/3/20, and placed my order on 2/18/21 for a 4-door OBX with MIC. On 10/28/21, I converted my order to a soft top on the recommendation of my Dealer salesperson who advised that doing so would speed up the timeline on when I would receive the vehicle (sigh). Ford originally provided me a with 12/20/21 build date. Thereafter Ford delayed my build week five separate times (indeed, at one point Ford delayed my build week twice in less than a 48-hour timeframe), until it was finally changed to the week of 3/14/22. To the extent the Tracker can be relied on (it cannot), my Bronco has been “In Production” since 3/18/22. Similarly, at one point my ETA was 4/7-13. That ETA has since been delayed at least 3 times (that I know of) to 6/3, 6/8, and most recently 6/23. I have no confidence that my 6/23 ETA will hold.
I enjoy working with folks at my Dealer; they are good people who are not all responsible for Ford’s abject failure to deliver. But my Dealer rep tells me Ford gives him no information. The Manager of my Dealership tells me Ford gives him no information. Said Manager called his Ford rep on my behalf – and then relayed back to me that his Ford rep had no information. I’ve repeatedly called Ford’s Customer Service who initially provided the (scripted) response that I should speak with my Dealer as the Dealer would have the pertinent information. I then proceeded to explain that I have done so, countless times, and they do not, in fact, have any information. But alas, Customer Service then tells me that they too have no information. Instead, they typically then refer me to Marketing HQ (I’ve spoken to three different individuals there over the past month) and, none of them have any information either with the exception of the aforementioned (and completely unreliable) “ETAs.” Making matters worse, on some calls the Marketing HQ representative tells me my Bronco is not on chip hold. On other calls they tell me that my Bronco is, in fact, on chip hold. One Marketing HQ representative told me that the “ETA” is when my Dealer will receive my Bronco from Ford. Yet on a separate call with a different Marketing HQ representative, I was told that “ETA” signifies only when my Bronco will ship from the plant. When I point out these inconsistencies and seek to reconcile them on calls with Marketing HQ, I get non-answers.
What I do hear a lot about when speaking with Ford reps, however, is the party line about difficulties they’ve experienced producing these vehicles in a timely fashion due to COVID and supply chain disruptions. Do you know who else has experienced pandemic and supply chain disruptions? Practically every significant manufacturer in the world! And as someone who professionally counsels business and manufacturers, particularly in navigating those COVID/supply chain disruptions in the past couple years, I am personally unaware of any significant manufacturer who has failed so abysmally as Ford.
But let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that all of Ford’s present challenges were unforeseeable and let’s further assume Ford’s inability to mitigate those challenges, in the years since they did become known, could also be excused. That which no pandemic, chip shortage, trucking delay, etc., can excuse is Ford’s absolute failure and breakdown in customer service and communication. Ford’s failure to communicate with at least this order holder is astonishing. And the lack of information Ford makes available to its customer service and Marketing HQ personnel is shocking. Among the questions I’ve put to them – on multiple occasions:
What is even the point of providing customers with a Build Date that doesn’t hold? Why even bother providing ETAs that don’t get met? Is Ford proud of its meaningless and infuriating Tracker?
I have a hard time accepting that a Company as long-standing and successful as Ford has been historically is actually this inept at operations and customer service. Rather, at this point, I am beginning to suspect that Ford took its 150K+ ’21 Bronco orders *knowing* that Ford could not timely fulfill those orders, so it could reflect high demand on its books or to achieve some other share-price motivated purpose.
It is difficult to comprehend the good will Ford has lost as a consequence of this process. No amount of flags, hammocks, or swag can make up for the complete lack of trust and confidence I now have in the Company.
To be clear – all of the people with whom I’ve actually interacted about this order process – my Dealer salesperson, the Dealer Manager, the customer service personnel at Ford, the people at Marketing HQ – have been professional and courteous (and also apologetic). None of this is on them. But someone at Ford is responsible for this botched rollout. Again, even if Ford’s inability to secure parts and timely complete builds could be completely excused, there is no valid excuse for the Company’s horrendous customer service and lack of communication.
For those of you who have already received your Bronco – I’m happy for you and hope you enjoy the vehicle. I'm envious of your posts and pics. For those of you who advise it's worth the wait - I hope you're right. But for those of you who, like me, continue waiting – regrettably I don’t see this situation improving until those individuals at Ford who do have information and are in a position to provide more transparency are properly motivated to take accountability and address the situation.
I reserved a Bronco on 8/3/20, and placed my order on 2/18/21 for a 4-door OBX with MIC. On 10/28/21, I converted my order to a soft top on the recommendation of my Dealer salesperson who advised that doing so would speed up the timeline on when I would receive the vehicle (sigh). Ford originally provided me a with 12/20/21 build date. Thereafter Ford delayed my build week five separate times (indeed, at one point Ford delayed my build week twice in less than a 48-hour timeframe), until it was finally changed to the week of 3/14/22. To the extent the Tracker can be relied on (it cannot), my Bronco has been “In Production” since 3/18/22. Similarly, at one point my ETA was 4/7-13. That ETA has since been delayed at least 3 times (that I know of) to 6/3, 6/8, and most recently 6/23. I have no confidence that my 6/23 ETA will hold.
I enjoy working with folks at my Dealer; they are good people who are not all responsible for Ford’s abject failure to deliver. But my Dealer rep tells me Ford gives him no information. The Manager of my Dealership tells me Ford gives him no information. Said Manager called his Ford rep on my behalf – and then relayed back to me that his Ford rep had no information. I’ve repeatedly called Ford’s Customer Service who initially provided the (scripted) response that I should speak with my Dealer as the Dealer would have the pertinent information. I then proceeded to explain that I have done so, countless times, and they do not, in fact, have any information. But alas, Customer Service then tells me that they too have no information. Instead, they typically then refer me to Marketing HQ (I’ve spoken to three different individuals there over the past month) and, none of them have any information either with the exception of the aforementioned (and completely unreliable) “ETAs.” Making matters worse, on some calls the Marketing HQ representative tells me my Bronco is not on chip hold. On other calls they tell me that my Bronco is, in fact, on chip hold. One Marketing HQ representative told me that the “ETA” is when my Dealer will receive my Bronco from Ford. Yet on a separate call with a different Marketing HQ representative, I was told that “ETA” signifies only when my Bronco will ship from the plant. When I point out these inconsistencies and seek to reconcile them on calls with Marketing HQ, I get non-answers.
What I do hear a lot about when speaking with Ford reps, however, is the party line about difficulties they’ve experienced producing these vehicles in a timely fashion due to COVID and supply chain disruptions. Do you know who else has experienced pandemic and supply chain disruptions? Practically every significant manufacturer in the world! And as someone who professionally counsels business and manufacturers, particularly in navigating those COVID/supply chain disruptions in the past couple years, I am personally unaware of any significant manufacturer who has failed so abysmally as Ford.
But let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that all of Ford’s present challenges were unforeseeable and let’s further assume Ford’s inability to mitigate those challenges, in the years since they did become known, could also be excused. That which no pandemic, chip shortage, trucking delay, etc., can excuse is Ford’s absolute failure and breakdown in customer service and communication. Ford’s failure to communicate with at least this order holder is astonishing. And the lack of information Ford makes available to its customer service and Marketing HQ personnel is shocking. Among the questions I’ve put to them – on multiple occasions:
- How many Broncos are currently “In Production”?
- What is the holdup in the completion of my build? Is it a chip hold or is the delay on account of some other part?
- How many other Broncos are similarly on hold? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands?
- How many Broncos that are “In Production” for whatever reason and due to be completed before mine?
- What is Ford doing to resolve those issues?
- Did Ford order new chips or seek to source them elsewhere and, if so, when?
- Assuming Ford has sought to procure additional microchips, did Ford order enough to fulfill its current backlog of “In Production” orders?
- When does Ford expect to start receiving those chips?
- How is Ford prioritizing the build of Broncos? FIFO? Is Ford prioritizing orders placed through certain dealerships over others?
- Is Ford really going to reopen its order banks for the Model Year 2023 before clearing out the backorders?
- Is Ford going to start producing new orders before fulfilling the prior orders?
- Without even seeking a specific date – does Ford reasonably think I’ll receive my Bronco in Q3? Before year end? By mid-2023?
What is even the point of providing customers with a Build Date that doesn’t hold? Why even bother providing ETAs that don’t get met? Is Ford proud of its meaningless and infuriating Tracker?
I have a hard time accepting that a Company as long-standing and successful as Ford has been historically is actually this inept at operations and customer service. Rather, at this point, I am beginning to suspect that Ford took its 150K+ ’21 Bronco orders *knowing* that Ford could not timely fulfill those orders, so it could reflect high demand on its books or to achieve some other share-price motivated purpose.
It is difficult to comprehend the good will Ford has lost as a consequence of this process. No amount of flags, hammocks, or swag can make up for the complete lack of trust and confidence I now have in the Company.
To be clear – all of the people with whom I’ve actually interacted about this order process – my Dealer salesperson, the Dealer Manager, the customer service personnel at Ford, the people at Marketing HQ – have been professional and courteous (and also apologetic). None of this is on them. But someone at Ford is responsible for this botched rollout. Again, even if Ford’s inability to secure parts and timely complete builds could be completely excused, there is no valid excuse for the Company’s horrendous customer service and lack of communication.
For those of you who have already received your Bronco – I’m happy for you and hope you enjoy the vehicle. I'm envious of your posts and pics. For those of you who advise it's worth the wait - I hope you're right. But for those of you who, like me, continue waiting – regrettably I don’t see this situation improving until those individuals at Ford who do have information and are in a position to provide more transparency are properly motivated to take accountability and address the situation.
Sponsored
