Ford Buyer Survey

yooperdave · Jan 9, 2009

When I bought my F150 the dealer made a HUGE deal out of expecting a 'perfect' score from me when Ford sent out their survey.

Does the salesman get a bonus from Ford if he gets a perfect score?

I learned today that the dealer never sent in my title paperwork to the state so I could transfer the plates from my old truck. The truck is around 4 weeks old, with the temporary license about to expire. I called and e-mailed the dealer last week to follow this item up - but to no avail. I spent my morning at the DMV all to find out that I was not on the system, nor could I produce a title for the new truck. The DMV stated that the paperwork usually takes about a week for the dealer to send out the paperwork, and for the DMV to enter it into the system.

I am thinking Ford should know about the runaround the dealer put me thru. Maybe thru my feedback, the dealer might change his way of doing business. The dealer offered no financial offer of good faith to partially correct the problem when I showed up after being rejected from the DMV.

How important are these surveys to the dealers and salesmen?

TIA

Yooper Dave

Dargo · Jan 9, 2009

They can be important. However, if by chance your dealer is in financial trouble and just hasn't paid off his floorplan note on your truck because he can't and is floating on the cash, a bad CSI report would have about as much of an impact as peeing on the upstream side of the Hoover Dam and expecting to overwhelm it with the new influx of liquid. If he is doing that, he's what they call 'out of trust' and is in big trouble already. A bad survey would mean nothing. Hopefully that's not the case. I'd just call them and tell them that you are on the way down to pick up your C of O and to please have it ready for you when you get there. If they can't have it ready, there is a problem.

shvl73 · Jan 9, 2009

I'm not sure what impact it has on the dealer's relationship with Ford but, my salesman and his sales manager made it clear that anything less than "very good" on the survey was not acceptable to Ford. Prior to that disclosure, they ask me if I was satisfied with my shopping experience at their dealership, and I was.

Diamondpilot · Jan 9, 2009

My neighbor had the same exact thing happen when he bought his new truck. This is not a Ford problem or a dealer problem, its the accounting department who is holding things up. Anyway his truck was a diesel and he raised heck and told them he was going to give them a bad review. They drove the paperwork over to his house, gave him a check for something like $35 to take care of the late registration fee in our state, and gave him coupons for 2 free oil changes, about $75 each on a diesel.

I would call them and demand to talk to the manager, get him or her to commit to bringing the necessary paperwork to you, and demand something for your inconvenience of going to the BMV a second time.

Chris

LarryRB · Jan 9, 2009

Being from a family who were Chrysler, Dodge and IH truck dealers 50 plus years, I agree with Dargo.... They guy is out of trust... It can happen to any dealer and happen easily, it isn't something dealers like to have happen to them either,, Circumstances can create a problem at times,,

yooperdave · Jan 16, 2009

I got the survey from Ford, and told them like it is.

Where the dealer was exceptional, they got credit.

Where the dealer performed poorly they got to hear about that as well.

When I told my salesman about the screw up (prior to the survey), he knew of my dissapointment, and I was not going to hold him hostage via the survey. He had the power to fix the problem and he elected to point the finger away from himself to someone else at the dealership whom I also talked to previously. Not a good concept for customer care.

Bottom Line: I did not have an exceptional experience, and the dealer did not get an exceptional survey.

The dealer did spend lots of time with me explaining how I should give them an exceptional survey result - even during the screw up. I only wished they would learn to do their job properly and the rest should take care of itself.

Yooper Dave

mjarrels · Jan 16, 2009

When I got my Ford truck survey, I had only owned the truck for about 4 days and maybe driven it twice! Hard to answer most of the questions without experience with the truck!

mark

Jimbrown · Jan 16, 2009

I do not know how it affects dealers but for a GM service dept the surveys affect the year end bonus and the salary for the next year. My chevy dealer service dept has a sign right on the wall they claim it affects their salary by as nmuch as 50%.