The Plan & Offer - Stephens Auto Center's Mid Atlantic Bronco Connection

[Gamecock]

I still don't believe stacking orders is going to help, from what I've heard from Ford. I truly don't think any dealership is going to receive thousands of Broncos. If I thought it would work, then I'd just email my 65k people in my database and offer to pay all of their reservation fees, and then pay them to buy their Bronco back from them after they took delivery. Then just stack them on the pre-owned lot. I could bill them out at net, collect sales tax, title, etc, still buy them back and sell them at some profit because of supply shortage. I just don't think it is going to work that way by stacking hundreds and hundreds of reservations. They're just going to get pushed way out.....they've already prepped us for that possibility with the current scenario.

We shall see. Ford had a plan...now changed the plan and put a formula in place. Maybe they change it again to your point. As a consumer or dealer you just have to plan as well as you can for what they say they are going to do....even though as we just saw they can change that and back of their commitments based on what dealers are doing. I think it’s less likely they change again now that they’ve released their formula for allocations to dealers.

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[Bimmerxi]

Please don’t lie; no where do I say that I didn’t want “Granger to get earlier allocations”. I was making the point that no dealer should have been rewarded here, Ford should just go in order of reservation....like they said they would. Since Ford tried to schew things to the big dealers and game the system against smaller dealers in smaller markets, including Granger, I’m all for them trying to rebalance now that Ford has tried to screw their reservation holders. It should go in (approximate) order like Ford marketed. If not, this is pretty brilliant way for Granger to get their share regardless for their customers. Since I’m at Stephen’s, I could get screwed by Ford buckling and going out of order to reward big market dealers. If they can rebalance like Granger in some way, I’m all for it.

I have been trying to research this whole new plan that supposedly Might delay some peoples orders in smaller markets. In reading some news from Ford and talking to a few dealers. I still think the orders are going to be filed in the order that they were received pending supply chain issues. the allocations are what is going to the dealers in 2022. I believe Ford is still filling orders first and then dealer allocation second. I could be wrong though????

 

[Lcubed]

was there a question in there?

 

[soonerbronco]

Forgive me if Stephens has already answered (I did search for it).....

Assuming the first batch of reservations are ready to order on Dec 1 (the first eligible day to order, I think) and the commodities are available.......will Stephens commit to placing the orders in same chronology as Ford reservation time stamps?

If not, what system will Stephens use to determine build order?

BTW. Granger has already committed to placing their orders by Ford reservation time stamp......

 

[Wahoowa]

Forgive me if Stephens has already answered (I did search for it).....

Assuming the first batch of reservations are ready to order on Dec 1 (the first eligible day to order, I think) and the commodities are available.......will Stephens commit to placing the orders in same chronology as Ford reservation time stamps?

If not, what system will Stephens use to determine build order?

BTW. Granger has already committed to placing their orders by Ford reservation time stamp......

My potential switch is dependent on the answer to this question. Maybe I missed it, but don’t believe Stephens has clearly addressed it.

 

[ReeceMann]

Just changed my reservation to @StephensAutoCenter John is great, extremely knowledgeable, very responsive and candid/transparent. Now to start planning the road trip home!

 

[Gamecock]

My potential switch is dependent on the answer to this question. Maybe I missed it, but don’t believe Stephens has clearly addressed it.

They did email reservation holders and say they would do their "absolute best we can to get the deliveries in order of the reservations (timestamp). "

Obviously, with Ford botching this and changing the game, that's about as good as they can do I would think. I feel comfortable that Stephens will do the right thing based on my interactions with them. Ford went back on their commitment here and added in a lot of uncertainty, but it seems Stephens is doing what they can to be fair.

 

[Carolina Jim]

Stephens will do the right thing based on my interactions with them. Ford went back on their commitment here

There's 2 ways to read the tea leaves. Once the allocation process ends and Ford has ACTUAL allocated dealer orders in-hand, I suspect the build sequence will closely follow reservation time stamp.

The monkey wrench comes in to play because some dealers will totally ignore reservation sequence in deciding what customers will fill their allocation.

 

[JPNC]

My potential switch is dependent on the answer to this question. Maybe I missed it, but don’t believe Stephens has clearly addressed it.

I believe @Granger Ford said they input all the info and it is sorted by Ford, but I could be wrong. @StephensAutoCenter

There's 2 ways to read the tea leaves. Once the allocation process ends and Ford has ACTUAL allocated dealer orders in-hand, I suspect the build sequence will closely follow reservation time stamp.

The monkey wrench comes in to play because some dealers will totally ignore reservation sequence in deciding what customers will fill their allocation.

Your second point is yet another reason to go with @StephensAutoCenter or @Granger Ford. Based on interaction by these two to date I would trust that they would actually make effort to process orders in the most fair way. Others...not so sure.

 

[StephensAutoCenter]

We are going to place orders in the reservation timestamp order, HOWEVER, and I've done a lot of thinking about this, a lot of that will depend on the customers to make sure they B&P then order, otherwise, there's no way for us to input the information. So, that being said, that takes us to another issue, still partially dependent upon the above.

Let's say that the first 30 (I used this analogy today with a customer on the phone) reservations we have as customers, immediately place their order in the same order as the timestamps and we follow up, get the orders confirmed (unlikely, but this hypothetically speaking). Ok, now, let's skip a few and say the 40th timestamp places their order, then 31, 32, then 45. By order placement, 1-30, 40, 31, 32, 45 would be the first 34 in-line. That's not in timestamp order, that's in order-placement order.

So, my thoughts are, it would fall back to Ford to rearrange the deliveries/builds, based on the timestamps, after a certain date. Say Ford sets a deadline of Jan 14th (arbitrary and strictly hypothetical) to be the last day that orders can be placed in order to maintain positions in the build/delivery based on timestamps. So that would mean, regardless of what order the orders are received, the folks with reserves making their orders prior to Jan 14 would be guaranteed timestamp order by Ford.

The above two scenarios are possible, neither of which do we as a dealership have any real control over.

The only thing I can guarantee is, and this is STRAIGHT FROM OUR DEALER PRINCIPLE (OWNER): We will not be "picking and choosing" which orders are to be fulfilled first. We're going to do everything in our power to try and maintain the original timestamp order, which is to say, we'll not be putting one reservation in front of the other because of "friends and family" or profit potential. We know how much these vehicles mean to this community.

All of the above being said, please be patient with us when the orders are placed. We'll be swamped with orders and answering questions, there's only a select few of us at the dealership that will be handling your Bronco orders, so bear with us when the time comes to get the info to you about your new ride.



/john

 

[Wahoowa]

We are going to place orders in the reservation timestamp order, HOWEVER, and I've done a lot of thinking about this, a lot of that will depend on the customers to make sure they B&P then order, otherwise, there's no way for us to input the information. So, that being said, that takes us to another issue, still partially dependent upon the above.

Let's say that the first 30 (I used this analogy today with a customer on the phone) reservations we have as customers, immediately place their order in the same order as the timestamps and we follow up, get the orders confirmed (unlikely, but this hypothetically speaking). Ok, now, let's skip a few and say the 40th timestamp places their order, then 31, 32, then 45. By order placement, 1-30, 40, 31, 32, 45 would be the first 34 in-line. That's not in timestamp order, that's in order-placement order.

So, my thoughts are, it would fall back to Ford to rearrange the deliveries/builds, based on the timestamps, after a certain date. Say Ford sets a deadline of Jan 14th (arbitrary and strictly hypothetical) to be the last day that orders can be placed in order to maintain positions in the build/delivery based on timestamps. So that would mean, regardless of what order the orders are received, the folks with reserves making their orders prior to Jan 14 would be guaranteed timestamp order by Ford.

The above two scenarios are possible, neither of which do we as a dealership have any real control over.

The only thing I can guarantee is, and this is STRAIGHT FROM OUR DEALER PRINCIPLE (OWNER): We will not be "picking and choosing" which orders are to be fulfilled first. We're going to do everything in our power to try and maintain the original timestamp order, which is to say, we'll not be putting one reservation in front of the other because of "friends and family" or profit potential. We know how much these vehicles mean to this community.

All of the above being said, please be patient with us when the orders are placed. We'll be swamped with orders and answering questions, there's only a select few of us at the dealership that will be handling your Bronco orders, so bear with us when the time comes to get the info to you about your new ride.



/john

Thank you John, appreciate your follow up and transparency.

 

[StephensAutoCenter]

When this is all done and over with, at some point, I highly anticipate the words "John from Stephens" and "Stephens Auto Center" to be used as an example of "how to" handle these new vehicle reservations that other manufacturers go with.

Speaking of which, if any of the manufacturers want me to give a presentation on ethics and morals in today's dealerships, contact my dealer principle, I am sure he'll be happy to contract me out for seminars ;p


/john

 

[jonwithanelcamino]

When this is all done and over with, at some point, I highly anticipate the words "John from Stephens" and "Stephens Auto Center" to be used as an example of "how to" handle these new vehicle reservations that other manufacturers go with.

Speaking of which, if any of the manufacturers want me to give a presentation on ethics and morals in today's dealerships, contact my dealer principle, I am sure he'll be happy to contract me out for seminars ;p


/john

Great job, John. I don't think you could have spelled it out any better. Will people find questions to ask and things to nitpick in what you said? Sure.

But I think you've helped the majority feel better or get clarification about a process that is a bit murky and really is out of the control of the dealers and customers. Your communication and transparency make the unknown more palatable. I hope this helps people choose your dealership, like @Granger Ford because of it.

 

[Carolina Jim]

but this hypothetically speaking..........That's not in timestamp order, that's in order-placement order.

John....I totally understand your point.

Perhaps this is an opportunity to clarify with your Ford rep. Because if "order-placement order" becomes the organizing factor for build sequence, the implications extend well beyond your dealership.

Thanks

 

[soonerbronco]

clear as Tennessee mud.....but I do appreciate the reply. Thanks for your transparency.

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