Nov 2, 2012
clmason I'll cut to the chase. I am a Tesla shareholder and enthusiast. I want nothing more than to see Tesla succeed. Today I went to the new store at the UTC mall in San Diego. I sat in the floor car with my father (who drives a Panamera) and Mother (who drives a BMW 5). They both have heard me espouse Tesla for over a few years, yet this was their first experience seeing the car.
They were impressed with the car... but... all four of us (3 mentioned + my wife) we appalled at the utter snobbery of the Tesla employee who "helped" us. When asked how we could test drive, he said we could "not have a test drive". He said test drives are "only for reservation holders". He did not explain, I had to pull info out of him. I tried to give him a chance to explain that (as i understand from my own research) Tesla was ramping up and that test drive cars were not available in large quantities and thus test trive capaicty was limited. He did not allude to this. He stuck with his explanation that to even get a test drive one needs a reservation, and with a collar pop we were not good enough for further discussion or explanation. His attitude was snobbish to say the least. I'm disappointed.
My parents are in the buyer demographic but they were totally turned off and not impressed.
End of rant... I hope Managment can change this snob culture ASAP.�
Nov 2, 2012
Zzzz... The part I quoted is funny.
Rest of your post is sad.�
Nov 2, 2012
Sparky Probably best to let the store manager know (unless he was the store manager). Snobbery is one thing but misinformation about the Model S is actually worse.
Before I had a res# I called the local Tesla store a couple of times and went in once. The manager was always the most relaxed and up front. Plus he truly seemed to empathize with my wish to test drive, said he would call me when he had a slot (he estimated it would be about 3 months) and said he totally understood my desire to drive before the deposit. Made me feel like a king while telling me to "go to hell"; sales 101.�
Nov 2, 2012
brianman If he wasn't the store manager, definitely pass along the information to the store manager. In person is best, because people remember visuals from conversations better than a voice on the phone. If you'd prefer though, on the phone is useful too.
If he was the store manager, I would contact one of the ownership advocates via e-mail to pass along this information. I can PM you some contacts if you need some addresses. (I've annoyed at least 4 Tesla folk so far.)
Last point on both avenues:
Without additional information (from customers), sometimes Tesla can only assume people are "doing fine" in their role as representatives in the stores. If we want to get the situation resolved, we need to speak up. If it was a company I didn't care about, I'd just say "screw 'em" and move along. But it sounds like you care about Tesla (though tempered recently), so help 'em get better by kicking the bad folk to the curb.�
Nov 3, 2012
SCW-Greg Yeah that totally sounds like a one off, bad day, or a mishire. Heck, I'd venture to say half the folks here on TMC will come down and pummel this person for you.�
Nov 3, 2012
Zythryn I am sorry to hear you had such an experience. In 2 1/2 years of dealing with Tesla I have never once had a hint of this attitude.
I agree with the others as far as letting the management know.
That being said, while I think you getting that type of attitude is wrong, I also think it is even more wrong for you to claim the entire company as having a 'snob culture' based on one bad experience with one employee.�
Nov 3, 2012
Doug_G I've never had an experience anything like that. Obviously Tesla made a hiring mistake, or at least a major training mistake. I'd complain to the store manager, and if that doesn't work go directly to George Blankenship. This is NOT what he wants the store experience to be like.�
Nov 3, 2012
bonnie Really a surprise to read about this - I've only heard of positive experiences. I have no doubt that someone from Tesla will read this thread and will follow up. That's not been my personal experience of how they do business.
I'm sorry you and your family had such a negative experience.�
Nov 3, 2012
NigelM I agree with what others have said. In my experience there is no snob "culture" at Tesla but it sounds like you experienced a bad one-off situation. My wife had a few blood-boiling run-ins with the receptionist at our Doctors office until it got to the point she wanted us to change Doctors (although ours is great!). She finally told the Doc about his receptionist and he was appalled at how his staff had been working, promising to change it immediately. Moral of the story: one employee is often not a reflection of organizational culture but you gotta give feedback.�
Nov 3, 2012
ipdamages I had two very negative experiences in my initial interactions with Tesla. The first was a salesperson who lied to me about the Roadster when I was in the market. He told me there were only 14 cars left and I had two days to buy one because they were all going to be shipped to Europe on Sept 30, 2011. In fact, there were over a dozen other cars available and none of the US cars are even legal for use in Europe. The second was what I would call snobbery in the service department.
Happily, I was contacted about each of these by a Tesla customer advocate, and each of these situations was dealt with in a very effective way. PM me if you want more details, but suffice it to say that Tesla as a company cares very much about its reputation and customer service - for the exact reasons you describe. There will always be exceptions, but I encourage you to provide the feedback to help them improve and not hold it against the entire company. Sadly, first impressions are lasting, and I sure hope your experiences going forward are far better.�
Nov 3, 2012
clmason All,
Thanks for the feedback and I appreciate the comments. I will say that I believe this is a "bad apple" situation and I'm not implying the entire company/all the stores have this problem. As far as emailing Tesla, I believe they read the forum and this will get some visibility.
As a shareholder, I have vested interest in seeing that they execute well, and I believe they will. Growing pains exist beyond production, I hope my feedback on this forum will help them identify other areas for improvement make apple sauce of the bad apple, fix the snob culture, and pick up more of an Apple Store friendly culture. I would suggest Tesla/George B. work on a few scripts for the common questions so that Store employees don't have the opportunity to put their foot in their mouth, like we experienced. Of course, mystery shoppers will find all the faults, I'm sure they will get to this, the sooner the better IMO, as the stores are popping up like mushrooms.�
Nov 3, 2012
strider Apple is the LAST company that Tesla should be emulating for customer service. Apple HATES their customers. I would rather go to the dentist than an Apple store. Apple invented snob culture and act as if they're dong you a favor to help you. I had a broken trackpad on my MBP and made an appointment at the Apple store for a repair. I was literally 2 minutes late and he punk at the front said that I would have to reschedule. Yes, I should have been on time but Apple has never been on time when I've been there on time so it's not like I'm throwing them off. Anyway, I'm sorry you had a bad experience at a Tesla store. I have only had stunning interaction over the 2 years I've been involved with them. But please don't use Apple as a model for customer service!�
Nov 3, 2012
clmason All due respect, Apple did not become the most valuable company in America by having poor customer service. However, for the sake of discussion, which company, do you believe, provides exceptional customer service?�
Nov 3, 2012
jerry33 Well, Apple's best customer service happens when you call in. I've never been too impressed with their store service. I am concerned about Apple now that the bean-counters have taken over--the problem is that there isn't really any other choice. Hopefully, they will overcome the bean-counter syndrome.
The best customer service I've ever experienced was from SGI before they went C11. You actually got to talk to a knowledgeable person who tried to solve the problem rather than someone who could barely speak English (or your local language), reads from a script, tells you to reboot, and gets yelled at if they are on the phone with a customer more than three minutes.�
Nov 3, 2012
strider Apple has done well because of their great products, despite their poor customer service. Their stock valuation was also built on an expectation of continued perfect execution of great products. but to answer your question, I would say Tesla and also my bank, USAA. Whether I use e-mail or phone they answer quickly and the person I get can solve my problem.�
Nov 3, 2012
efusco In case it hasn't been clearly said, an email to George Blankenship is in order here. He needs to now about these variances. Losing potential customers because a representative doesn't know how to politely deal with people that are potential buyers is not acceptable.
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Well, I think you're going to find your opinion of Apple in the minority. My experiences with them have, universally, been outstanding in every way. They've broken their own rules to make things good, they've been polite, quick, responsive and informative. I have innumerable friends who report similar satisfaction with multiple anecdotes to coincide such as "I dropped my iPhone, ran over it with the car, it was 2 weeks outside of warranty and I walked in and they handed me a brand new one." Those sorts of stories go on and on. While I'm sure there are anecdotes of bad experiences too, just like this thread with Tesla, I'm confident that those are exceptionally rare.�
Nov 3, 2012
Citizen-T I was once in a store with the intent of dropping $3500 on a mac book pro. I was told to wait over in a corner and someone would be right there to help me. I waited 20 mins until it was clear that I had been forgotten, so I got someone's attention on my own and told them what I wanted. They returned with a box and as I stood in line I asked for a second time if this machine was definitely the glossy screen. "yes, absolutely".
Later when I got home I was just about to cut the tape on the box when I noticed in tiny light gray text it said "anti-glare".
So I got the store on the phone and told them they got me the wrong machine. The woman on the line told me to bring it back and she would fix it. I asked if she could check to make sure that they definitely had the configuration that I wanted, she checked and confirmed that they did. So I made the trip back to the Apple store and explained to yet another "Genius" the events of the day. They went into the back to get my machine. Surprise, they didn't have it.
So, I settled for another cheaper configuration and went to do the exchange. Then the guy tells me that because I had financed my purchase, they might not be able to exchange them, but the could definitely give me a gift card.
I wish I could say that this was an isolated event, but the truth is that in every Apple store I go to every single time, I find the same snobs spreading misinformation to the poor people that come in there looking for help and (as was said above) acting like they did you a favor.
I too dread the days when I have to go into an Apple store for more than just to play with the latest toy.
I do not understand how they became the most valuable company in the world, but it wasn't for their customer service. As best I can tell it was through a combination of making shiny things and a unique sort of brain washing.�
Nov 3, 2012
sp4rk I could not agree with you more! They are all design, and I loathe their stores, having to deal with the gauntlet.�
Nov 3, 2012
bonnie In defense of Apple, I've never had a negative experience in the stores. I wish I could say the same for a Best Buy or other big box stores when shopping for computer hardware. Typically I'm ignored.
Here's a story & you draw your own conclusions as to why: When I had my consulting business, I took a new employee (Andrew) to buy him a new computer, along with my son, into Best Buy. A salesperson came over immediately and began talking to Andrew, asking what he was looking for. Andrew looked at me, and I answered. The salesperson then asked him more questions, each time Andrew would look at me and I would answer. It was comical. Anyhoo, Andrew finally said to the salesperson, "Who do you think is paying for this purchase today?" The salesperson said, "You." ... nope, try again. And then he looked at my 17 year old son! Seriously. I started laughing & said "you just lost a sale".
While that has not been an uncommon occurrence for me, it has never once happened in an Apple store.�
Nov 3, 2012
sp4rk In Apple's defense ... the only saving grace IMO is their laptop ... I use one ... ugh ... spent a ridiculous amount of money on it ($3,000?) ... only because ... it is lightweight ...
Lightweight.
As in, you look at all the other companies out there ... they are lightweight but their power supplies are bigger and heavier than the laptop.
I travel a lot and need power and as little weight as possible. Only reason I went for theirs ... and should I add I use Windows on it!
We are so off topic ... surprised I've not been admonished yet.�
Nov 3, 2012
NigelM Anyone been to BestBuy lately? They introduced a new system where someone stands around with a clipboard and takes names so that all customers get seen in rotation. Seems like a good idea right? I just wanted to know if they had an advertised item (an $800 desktop) in stock because I couldn't find it on the shelves and I was told by the slackjaw (is that word acceptable?) in the blue shirt that that he wasn't allowed to get involved in technical questions (huh?) but that he would put my name on the list for a sales person to answer me. How long would that take I asked? "15-20 minutes right now..." was the answer. I didn't wait.
P.S. I bought the same item for the same price at Sams Club but got a free 21" LED screen with it as a bundle.�
Nov 3, 2012
kevincwelch I've been to three separate Tesla stores. I've only encountered one individual who was a complete and utter snob. I would say that this one encounter was an anomaly but I can see how it would definitely turn an individual off, and it is very unfortunate that it happened.
The only thing that I find interesting about Tesla store employees is the distinct Millennial nature that is pervasive throughout the stores. One would think that they would institute a shaving policy and insist that employees keep their cell phones in their pockets.�
Nov 3, 2012
NigelM IMO the whole thread is about service and I think the point is that we can all have different service experiences depending on who we encounter. Poor companies often have no real service process. Good companies have service processes but you're always at the mercy of a moody sales assistant. Great companies encourage a service culture and weed out staff who don't live up to expectations.
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Wouldn't that be snobby? :wink:�
Nov 3, 2012
kevincwelch No...presentable!�
Nov 3, 2012
ahimberg back on topic to tesla stores, its been hit and miss for me too. I had been to the original seattle store and the bell square gallery around 6 times total, half of those times someone actually talked to me (there is a salesperson I have seen almost every time but never gotten their time). First experience was really good (but they became a regional manager or something and haven't seen them again), later visits they seemed very unresponsive to any feedback.. tesla will do the right thing for their customers, if enough people want it -- I was there telling them what I wanted, but got some bonus remarks along the lines of enough eco-hippie-vegetarians would also want my preference of non-leather -- assuming i'm not in that demographic?
of course its easy to construe things in any direction you want, but as a reservation holder, stock holder, etc I haven't gone away impressed either. It is going to be interesting how tesla manages their future as they move from the high end to more mainstream in pricing, this may matter a lot more if they get a rep for the snooty.�
Nov 3, 2012
jerry33 Well, salespeople are salespeople. Generally they switch from one job to the next frequently--three years in the same sales position is a very long time. The few really good ones get promoted (like the one you mentioned). The more salespeople that Telsa has to hire, the less selective they can be. Also, Tesla's now big enough that they likely have an HR department which does the hiring. Usually HR folks don't know beans about the job and just look at past history. The ideal Tesla salesperson would be someone without a sales background but that's not likely how the HR department will see it.�
Nov 3, 2012
ahimberg true, I may have a delusion that a sales position for a car should be different than one for an ipad given the difference in cost -- but there probably isn't as much. Unfortunately talking to Tesla HQ is just as hit or miss now that the company is getting huge.�
Nov 3, 2012
Doug_G The local sales manager or service manager (depending on the position) is most definitely involved in the hiring process.�
Nov 3, 2012
joefee +1 on both the email to George & Apple cust. service
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FWIW � I've been many times to stores in SoCal, Denver & Seattle and always a good experience at Tesla Stores !�
Nov 3, 2012
GeorgeB Hi everyone,
Thanks for the feedback. Those of you who know me understand how seriously I take things like this. We go to great lengths to hire great people in our stores. Yes, we have an HR department who does recruiting for us, but after interviewing with an HR recruiter, a store manager, an assistant manager and the regional manager, I then personally interview every single store person before they get hired. Even every part time Product Specialist. If there was anyone on the floor who was snobby, it is my fault. The buck stops here.
As for the "blend of people" in our stores, we try really hard in every store to build a team that has someone with a "technical background", someone with an "environmental background", and someone who has come from a "retail background" in another company with a high service level focus. We try to hire a good gender mix of men and women and we always try to include a soccer mom or dad on the team to balance the age groups. This is an extraordinarily hard blend to achieve but we try to do so in every single store. In order to achieve this blend, it sometimes means having someone who is an engineering student in college who also enjoys surfing, or someone who is a bit earthly looking on the outside. I personally have no issue with this at all. We absolutely want everyone to appear clean and professional, but I believe a little facial hair is not an issue if the person behind it can discuss the merits of Li-ion batteries vs lead acid batteries in a positive an un-intimidating way if a customer wants to. I believe in "the person behind the look" more than I focus on "the look." I believe in a professional appearance at all times, but will never look to fill our stores with Stepford Wife, robot-like salespeople. I want real people who are passionate about customers, Tesla and our mission. That is what I focus on, and that is what I believe our team represents.
I do not believe anyone on the floor should be doing personal emails or anything else on their mobile phone while on the display floor. Thanks for the heads up on that. It is being addressed worldwide as we speak by John, our vp of sales and Ana, our head of training and store experience.
As for the "snobby attitude", this is totally unacceptable. I have no excuses to put forth on this issue. It is unacceptable and there are no reasons that I could possibly put forth to try and explain this. The UTC store is new and all but two people are new to the company...no excuse. The manager, Peter, was hand selected for the San Diego store and has an incredible track record of customer service since joining Tesla and in his career prior to joining Tesla. He will be devastated that this happened in his store, but he is a consummate professional and will address it immediately.
As for test drives, this is a damned if you do, damned if you don't issue. I'm glad the message given was correct...that we are currently doing test drives for "reservation holders only." This in and of itself is often seen as being snobby. I hear about it all the time. At the same time, I also get messages from reservation holders saying it's not fair that anyone without a reservation can get a test drive before they do. This is a very fine line to walk, but we are trying our best to do so everyday. We have a limited number of test drive cars. Some stores do not even have one. The test drive cars we do have are used almost exclusively for reservation holder test drives. We backfill empty slots, when we have them, with people who have just made a reservation or who are ready to make a reservation and the only thing standing in their way is a test drive. It is a very fine line to walk, but one we walk everyday. Absolutely no excuse for being snobby, but this is often times seen that way.
Clearly this is an important issue that I take very seriously. Thanks to those who brought this to my attention and thanks to those who chimed in that have received consistently good service in our stores. Most of my job everyday is spent dealing with the good, the bad and the ugly. I can't fix the bad and the ugly unless I know about it, so thank you for sharing. The bad and the ugly are what take up most of my day and early morning hours each day... but it's always nice to hear there is some good happening too once in a while
I'll get on this right away. I stand behind our Manager, Peter, at UTC as being a great manager and a great leader. I'm sure this will not be an issue going forward.
GeorgeB�
Nov 3, 2012
ckessel In an organization of any size, there are always a few bad fits or simply someone that had a bad day. The fact my experiences with Tesla personnel have been pretty universally fantastic, especially with the stress levels this year, says a lot about the overall character of the folks they bring on board. Kudos for focusing on the individual and not "the look". Obsession with shaving or such as image smacks of an attitude from the 60's complaining about those crazy Beatles for not getting a haircut. Professional appearance is a broader scope than a single acceptable look.
The test drive issue is obvious a tough one and I suppose the only option is careful messaging, maybe something like:
"We can add you to the list for test drives, but I have to be honest right now almost all slots are going to reservation holders as we strive to make sure each has a chance to drive the car before signing their final contracts. We do get slots open from time to time, but it could be a while."�
Nov 3, 2012
markwj +1
I've had 1 good experience (telephone call to replace out-of-the-box broken iPhone), and 99 bad. As a customer, the impression I get is they don't care. The reality is probably more that they are having problems scaling up.
IMHO, Apple has succeeded so well because their products are so simple and reliable you generally don't need to use their customer service.
Back on topic: every interaction I've had with Tesla has been a joy (with the possible exception of having to hand the final big cheque over to pay for my car). They seem to have the balance right in Hong Kong.�
Nov 3, 2012
spleen Thanks George as always for chiming in.
And FWIW, I've always had good service at my local Apple store. There have been times when I knew more than the Genius who was helping me did but I had all the time to research my issue before coming in whereas the Genius had to field my questions on the spot without any special preparation so I don't hold that against them. The Store has always been willing to work with me on my issues that I've had. I'll also say that it's been a rare situation where I've had to bring back any of my Apple products for a problem so I count that as a plus as well. I think that Tesla using a model of sales involving education and demonstration, rather than high pressure sales tactics, is a good way to approach car sales - whether we call this the Apple Store model or something else.�
Nov 3, 2012
kevincwelch I don't think it's an obsession at all. Please don't reduce my comment to that statement.�
Nov 3, 2012
gg_got_a_tesla It's great that Tesla is striving to be the perfect agile startup with good folks like GeorgeB listening to us customers, reacting quickly to problematic situations and setting things right. Kudos!
I've always had a great experience visiting the Menlo Park and the Santana Row stores. I had recently posted a report too on Alex Frank, Dani Schumacher and Dan treating my family in a memorable fashion at Menlo Park when my wife test drove last month.
Tesla, keep it up!�
Nov 3, 2012
ckessel I had no idea the comment was even made here. I just saw George's note on it. If you made the comment, sorry my opinion on it bothers you, but I think focusing on such things is absolutely ridiculous. I remember in one post-interview meeting with a really talented engineer one of the manager folks said "he looked scruffy" (the fellow had a short 1/4" beard) and didn't want to hire them. We lost out on a talented guy due to such antiquated concepts of the "professional" look. I maintain the same sort of beard (fortunately was hired before the manager in question), so such things really gripe me.�
Nov 3, 2012
kevincwelch I wasn't focusing on one issue, but whatever...different strokes.�
Nov 3, 2012
NigelM That post, and the fact that it exists at all, sums up the Tesla culture for me. Less than 24hrs after the complaint, there's a down to earth response from the VP, Sales & Ownership Experience that says it's being dealt with. Hard to think of another company where you would get that sort of response. Tesla hasn't been perfect and won't always be perfect but in my experience they try darn hard to get things right and to fix things that go wrong.�
Nov 3, 2012
Babylonfive +1 and thanks GB�
Nov 3, 2012
dmckinstry
I've only been to the Seattle and Bellevue stores twice each and Park Meadows (Denver) once.
All times it's been a pleasure.�
Nov 3, 2012
xhawk101 My experience at Miami store has always been impeccable. I am impressed with the caliber of the staff.
from my Samsung galaxy s3�
Nov 3, 2012
Arnold Panz Absolutely agree. But I think we've gotten a bit lucky because at least two if our sales managers got promotions after time in our store (Will and Maria), and the current group (headed by Graham) is awesome, and I have just as good conversations with the service guys there.
There was one guy, very early on, who came from a car sales background and pulled the "better reserve a Sig fast because they're running out!" routine on me, and I called HQ about it, and never saw the guy again. I couldn't be happier with the folks in Dania.�
Nov 3, 2012
brianman I've been to Bellevue's store at least half a dozen times and downtown Seattle twice. Apart from not getting my keys handed to me (�
Nov 3, 2012
vfx On one hand, when Tesla is GM sized we may not see this type personal response. On the other hand, this is such an impressive display from a senior Tesla executive that it's time to buy more stock in the company!�
Nov 3, 2012
Vger GeorgeB, just had a great experience of the "retail background" person at the Bellevue store. My wife and I were driving our Roadster all the way (450 mi) from far eastern WA state back to our home in BC. We had a brief window in the afternoon, where we needed to charge the Roadster and wanted to try for a test drive for both my wife and I. I had driven at GET AMPED Fremont, but not a Performance, and my wife had not driven at all.
We called the store from the road in the AM, and after a bit of resistance from the first person we spoke too "we do not do test drives on holidays (it was Halloween) [what??]", Ali Milrood got on the phone and took charge of the situation immediately. She booked us a perfectly-timed slot, did the drive with us herself, and developed great rapport with my wife, which really "amped" my wife's confidence driving and her enthusiasm for the car. Great hire. Ali is a great example of your criteria working!�
Nov 4, 2012
ModelS1079 Folks, this is management at its very best. I may drop medicine and apply, just so I have a chance to sit and be interviewed by George.
Bravo!�
Nov 4, 2012
dsm363 Thanks GeorgeB! I've had nothing but positive experiences from the Chicago, Seattle, Houston and the Santana Row locations so far.�
Nov 4, 2012
jerry33 Thanks GeorgeB. I've never been to a Telsa store, and because of where I am it will probably be a very long time before I will have the opportunity to visit one, but I certainly appreciate your response.�
Nov 4, 2012
dpodoll David at Dania rocks
+1 We were flying into Fort Lauderdale for a weekend. Called David at Dania and asked if we could stop by the store for a test drive. Not reservation holders at the time...he set us up for 10 AM the day we landed. Great experience. Reserved #13045 two days later.�
Nov 5, 2012
artsci I've visited two Tesla stores, both twice, done test drives once at each one, and the staff have been absolutely first rate. No snobbery of any kind encountered.�
Nov 5, 2012
ElSupreme This is something that I personally believe is the best way to go. Having stupid petty rules like "no scruff" don't promote professional appearance. I used to look rough on Saturday mornings, because I was really really hung over, at my retail job when I was in college. And I was almost always clean shaven. When I came in on a Monday after a weekend of mountain bike racing I normally had scruff but was generally much more professional looking.�
Nov 5, 2012
vfx I believe Disney Parks dropped the facial hair ban a few years ago.�
Nov 5, 2012
JakeP I have been to NYC, Chicago, Menlo Park, Santana Row and Denver stores, and I have seen nothing but utter professionalism, dedication, enthusiasm and genuine care for the customer and the product. The staff are incredibly helpful across the board, and have even responded to follow-up questions via phone and email after I left the stores.
The capabilities and vision of Model S made me buy the car; the quality of every Tesla employee I met at the stores and Get Amped events made me go long on the stock. If that isn't an indication that Tesla is doing the right thing with employee selection, I don't know what is.
I can't guess what happened to the OP here, maybe it was a bad employee, maybe a good employee having a really bad day, or maybe even just customer disappointment at getting the answer they didn't want to hear was clouding the perception. But this is a definite exception to the rule from everything I have experienced.�
Nov 5, 2012
aznt1217 Props to Mr. Blankenship for even reading the thread. Even more praise for replying. Reminds me of Steve Jobs emails.
For the people who had bad experiences, can we take a step back before reaching overarching generalizations? These individuals are human beings and we have no idea what transpired in the day and their personal lives or what current responsibilities they are juggling at that very moment. Perhaps your own approach is precieved as hostile and one doesn't recognize it.
In defense of Apple, their service has been impeccable on my end. I give a lot of credit to these employees as you have many customers who don't know their hands from their butts asking questions constantly and you have no choice but to help. I'm not saying that bad customer service is allowed but I'm just saying there are many factors to consider.
To the OP on the test drive for reservations only. I had the same response but, I put down a deposit and drove it because it was refundable. I was also given the reasons Mr. Blankenship stated. The customer base of the Model S (aka stereotyped BMW/MB drivers) WANT exclusivity. If anybody can drive it, that hurts the marketability of the Model S. I got it 100% and I dropped my 5k, then got my refund and wrote my write up which was excellent.
To give you some background. I have a horror story for you. I was serving at the restaurant I work at. A customer ordered fries. Ate about half of them... Then he called me over. I asked what was wrong and he said these are no good. I need all these to be the same size. I CANNOT make this up. What would you have done?
Is the customer always right? In that case no, but I decided to suck it up. Put gloves on went into the kitchen and cut the fries from the potato myself and cooked them for him. You can't expect everybody to go the same lengths (especially if they are exhausted).�
Nov 6, 2012
Larry Chanin George,
For what its worth my wife and I have visited a couple of Tesla stores several times and have attended a number of Tesla events and after having interacted with Tesla employees at many levels we have never experienced a single Tesla employee who was snobby.
Nevertheless, I for one appreciate you taking the time to address the original poster's concern.
On another subject will you be visiting for the Miami Beach store opening celebration this Thursday?
Regards,
Larry�
Nov 6, 2012
Citizen-T George,
Wish that I had a Tesla store here in Raleigh to experience this legendary service. Hint, hint.�
Nov 26, 2012
RLP I've always had great experiences at the Bellevue store. The first time I visited, prior to making a reservation for the Model S, Ali Millrood spent a lot of time with me telling me all about the features of the car. The second time I came in, I made a reservation and scheduled a test drive...again the employees were very friendly, no snobbery whatsoever. Ali took me on two test drives in the following two weeks, once with my parents who were in town from Montana. We were all very impressed with Ali's knowledge of the car. Even though we arrived a little late for the test drive, she took us on an extra-long drive through a beautiful area where we could really see how the Tesla performs. Ali is fabulous! I highly recommend the Bellevue store.�
Nov 26, 2012
Rodolfo Paiz Agreed with the first part. On the second... I've read quite a few Steve Jobs emails. The man was clearly a genius, and just as clearly an insufferably arrogant human being. I know you meant it as a big compliment, I just wanted to add that not everyone will see it that way.
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I hate the people in Miami... yeah, right. Snicker. :wink:
Will, Maria, and Graham are all first-rate and have been very valuable front-line representatives for the company. I've been very happy to deal with them. Same goes for the service staff, all of whom "represent" Tesla just as much, or even more... especially the guy who spends nearly a whole day servicing my Roadster just three feet from my desk. All great people in Miami.
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Yup... crystal clear. I'm absolutely committed to the company I run and the things I already do, so I wouldn't do it. But I gotta say: when one can choose to work only with the very best, a post like this one makes one want to work for or with Tesla to ensure their success. I'll have to settle for supporting the company by buying an S, an X, and some stock.�
Nov 26, 2012
DaveT 1. I agree with the OP that not being able to test drive a Model S before putting down a reservation is a turn off for some (and maybe many) people. I think this should be remedied.
2. I understand that there aren't many cars available for test drive and there's limited staff on hand as well.
3. But I think there's nothing that "markets" the Model S better than a test drive. Sitting behind the wheel as you firsthand experience the handling and acceleration. It's quite an experience and more people should test drive the car over time.
I wonder if the solution is to charge for a test drive. Maybe from now until end of February charge $100 per test drive. Then after February (with more test drive cars available and most reservations holders will have test driven the car) reduce the test drive charge to $50. Of course, reservations holders can test drive for free. After several months, Tesla management can see if it's wise to remove the test drive fee altogether.�
Nov 26, 2012
DaveT I was talking my previous post over with my wife and had a few more thoughts:
1. Current reservations holders would test drive for free of course.
2. $50 test drive fee might be more reasonable (for 20 minutes). The $50 test drive fee would be fully refundable if person puts down a deposit within 6(?) months. (Or it could go into the deposit)
3. Giving test drives to as many people as possible (even non-Model S buyers) should be Tesla's #1 marketing priority for the next year or so. Beef up staff and cars, and let as many people drive as who are willing to pay the $50 test drive fee. Get as many people to talk about the experience as possible. I think an important target market for gen3 would be the younger car fanatics... many of them into BMW 3 series, Lexus IS, etc. Get as many of these guys into the store as possible to test drive the Model S and they're be salivating for the Gen3 and they'll be talking up a storm for the next 3 years.�
Nov 29, 2012
TD1 I think it would be a horrible move to charge for test drives, that creates a very greedy image of Tesla.
Im sure Tesla will make more test drive cars available within the next months.
It think the best solution now is to offer the test drives only to reservation holders, and explain that due to very high demand for test drives (creates higher value for the brand if the customer hears that) all the test drives slots are booked out but They can give tesla their contact details and as soon as there will be a slot free tesla will call them.
I think that would be the most elegant solution and people would understand it way better.
Just telling a customer "no you are not allowed to sit in this car unless you put down 5k" will/is sounding very arrogant to the most people because they don't know all the details about that whole situation that we know�
Nov 29, 2012
vfx Agreed.
The prom is lack of cars. Not money.�
Nov 29, 2012
Hobiemon Here is my experience. I'm from Vancouver, BC and yesterday on a whim, decided to head down to Bellvue Washington to the Tesla store at the mall. I had taken Cyber Monday to the max and had ordered a Tesla S,never having seen an actual vehicle, thought I should at least sit in one. Arriving at the store just before noon, we were greeted promptly even though there were several other customers. When they finished they asked if we had any questions of which there were many. My wife asked if there was a possibility of a test drive and as luck would have it there was an opening later that afternoon. After sitting in the store vehicle we went for lunch and returned later for our drive. Allie our test drive person answered all our inquires and then some. Very knowledgeable and confident. Now the drive-WOW! The test drive nailed it for me. I had the Tesla grin all the way home and well into the next day. I was elated with my experience and confident I had made the right decision after all my research. I will be a Tesla ambassador for sure. I am also looking into working at Tesla here in Vancouver in any capacity, that's how dedicated I am. Thanks to the great people at Tesla Bellvue!�
Nov 29, 2012
brianman Welcome to the forums! Glad your experience at the Bellevue store was in line with mine.�
Dec 4, 2012
mibaro2 I am a Tesla enthusiast and a Tesla stock holder. I want Tesla to succeed, and seeing George's comment here lets me know I made the right choice.
My first experience at the Tesla store was great. They were very good at answering questions, and gave great customer service. I put down my reservation for a testdrive. I was told that they would be in touch in about 2 weeks and let me know when my testdrive would be.
I waited 3 weeks without any call or email from them. So I called them. They scheduled me right away for a testdrive later that week. No explanation was given as for why I wasn't contacted.
The first impression in the showroom was great, but the follow-up was lacking. They did not seem too concerned with when reservation holders received their testdrive. My wife was not happy. I am more understanding of the growing pains with a new company, and I'm sure I'll be happy with their customer service during and after the testdrive.
I hope I was the exception and they have kept other customers in the loop.�
Dec 24, 2012
ohmslaw Took a test drive at Santana row last week. Reserved a car today (after bringing my wife back to look at the car). Yay!�
Dec 24, 2012
vfx Congratulations to the happy threesome!�
Dec 24, 2012
brianman Welcome aboard, here's hoping your wait is bearable!�
Dec 28, 2012
gerbs Literally the exact experience I had in Santa Monica here. I was in the market for a luxury sedan and found myself interested in getting the Model S. I was renting a car without having to pay for it; so not in any particular rush to HAVE it, but I was definitely going to order something that week, so I was a hot sale waiting to happen); ordered a BMW instead the next day.�
Dec 28, 2012
Krugerrand A few of things;
Nobody 'sells' Model S cars. So, regardless if you were a 'hot' sale or not, nobody is going to 'sell' to you. You would be required to ask your own questions and then execute the buy (in this case, put in a reservation) yourself. Certainly, you could have asked additional questions on how to reserve, and I'm quite sure they at the SM store would have happily complied.
There simply aren't enough Model S in existence for people to get test drives just because they've 'stopped by' the store. It's not snobbery to not allow you a test drive and it's widely known that preference to test drives go to reservationists. It's also widely known that if you call ahead, state you're seriously considering reserving, but need a test drive to pull the trigger, that the Tesla stores are most accommodating of finding a day and time for a test drive.
Some people will find offense in just about anything. I, personally, can't be offended by anyone unless I 'choose' to be offended. But if indeed, they treated you that badly, you do Tesla and the individual/s who offended you a disservice by not doing something about it, like reporting it to the manager, or some other upper level management person.
Enjoy the BMW.�
Dec 28, 2012
brianman Welcome to the forum. I hope you'll stick around even if not at the OCD level of some of us.
If you're willing to share, can you list some info on the BMW specs you went with? It's interesting to hear "real buyer" decision-making.�
Dec 29, 2012
Electric1 I hold a reservation, in large part because of the car and what it is and what it stands for. I also hold that reservation in part because of the exemplary service provided to me by Jeff Liu (mgr-White Plains/Westchester NY) and his staff. I have a crazy time schedule and Jeff always does his best to accommodate my needs. Jeff works hard and long hours (He has even returned/taken my calls as late as ten at night) and his dedication shows.
When this company succeeds, it will be because of folks like Jeff.�
Dec 29, 2012
gerbs
I didn't want a test drive. I wanted to sit inside the floor model and see how the touch screen worked. That's all it would have took; then I would've asked where I can sign up. Literally it would've been that easy.
Seeing the screen in person, and then already doing my research about the technology, the styling (making sure the headlight outline/tails are LED, etc... little things like that which were important to me) was enough that I was already "sold." I didn't need to test the car prior to ordering it.
I politely asked the gentleman if I could sit in the car, with the Tesla booklets in my hand, and he looked at me like I was some kind of f**** *******. He said that only serious buyers could sit inside and that "looking at it would have to be enough."
This may not have been a deal breaker, but get this - while I was having this conversation with the sales guy, some 18-20 somethings was getting out of the floor model. Absolutely pathetic.
I'm not arguing anything, it doesn't seem like anyone on here really is. It's just how this brand selectively chooses what their image is. It's a shame and unfortunate, but it will hit them poorly in the end.�
Dec 29, 2012
Krugerrand I can see your position from what you've typed here and it's a shame that a potential owner was offended and left with a bad taste in their mouth to go buy an (inferior :tongue
I'm not easily put off by a scenerio like this, though, and I could think of a million different ways to handle someone like this. True, it's not your responsibility, but I'm against people getting away with this kind of behaviour in the work place, period.
The manager of the SM store would probably like to hear about this, and if the guy was the manager, then George Blankenship would probably like to hear about this. Again, I know it's not your responsibility to inform higher ups of this treatment, but it would be a great service to Tesla.�
Dec 29, 2012
bonnie For what it's worth, I'd say this is NOT how Tesla operates overall. Consider that I've been treated extremely well by Tesla on 100% of interactions ... and I'm in my late 50s. So I don't believe that 'this is how this brand selectively chooses what their image is'. And most people on this forum are not in the age group you call out, either.
I agree with krugerrand - you will do Tesla a service if you choose to escalate your experience. Please consider it.�
Dec 29, 2012
Ravarju Tesla Store Experience - worn Model S floor model
"I want nothing more than to see Tesla succeed."
I've had absolutely great experiences with the sales reps on each of my visits to the Oak Brook IL store. Today I placed my order after three visits and a test drive.
After ordering, I sat in the showroom Model S and grew concerned. The interior hasn't held up well. The front panel to the glove box has come off, the center slide over the cup holder was broken off, a plastic cover on the passenger seat slide-bar was off, and a lifting of the floor-mat brought the carpeting with it from floorboard. I know these cars get a load of traffic and abuse, but it caused me to question its durability or quality. I felt bad for the sales rep that tried to explain it away. I'd think since this is a critical point for many to place their order, that the service reps would keep these floor models in top shape. At this price-point, we're used to certain amenities, level of quality and service. In the span of 5 minutes, I was questioning each.�
Dec 29, 2012
jerry33 The cars they have now in the store are the first "practice" cars they made on the production line. I don't believe they had all the final materials when they were built. The only concern is the location of the B pillar because that's something that isn't going to be changed.�
Dec 29, 2012
UMD86 I have always questioned the quality of the Model S interior. They need to spend more money and upgrade the carpet, the seats and the interior headroom area. I was very dissappointed in the base model. I got the performance for that reason. I wish they had used Mercedes interior supplier. I get the whole minimalist concept but the interior makes a big difference.�
Dec 29, 2012
NeedToDrive I also had a negative experience in Santa Monica - it was just one person though. On other visits I've generally been treated well. In this particular case, I was sitting in the back of the floor model trying to decide whether the head room was enough without the pano-roof. One of the last decisions I needed to make so I could finalize on the MVPA. After less than a minute, one of the staff told me I had to get out since others were 'waiting'. Given that I squeezed the visit into my already tight schedule, I was very annoyed.
In any case, I think the problem is not training or personality flaws as much as the original strategy in placing the stores in the first place. Namely areas with high foot traffic -- something the Santa Monica store gets a lot of. Think of it, 100's of people milling about wanting to look but 98% of them really couldn't buy even if they wanted to. How is the staff to know the difference? By the end of the day, I'd expect even the most well mannered individual will become less congenial in order to move the throngs along. Contrast that with Mercedes or BMW stores where the numbers are lower and the percentage of potential buyers is much higher. I remember one store where a nice spread was laid out with free coffee and treats for the potential customers. Something like that wouldn't last 15 minutes at the Santa Monica store.
Although I understand the desire to inform the general public, I think the strategy is doomed. Spending this amount of money is nothing like buying a computer -- even taking into account the Gen III lower price. The circus atmosphere is a real turn off and very distracting to me. I'd really rather be selecting/buying my cars at a location designated just for that.�
Dec 29, 2012
jerry33 Given that every time I go into an automobile dealership I want to take several showers afterwards to remove the slime, I'll take the "circus atmosphere" any day. Perhaps there are dealers that are not that way, but I've never experienced one yet.
However, the real secret of the Telsa store model is the online ordering system. Same goes for the Apple store. The Apple store personnel have never impressed me that much with their knowledge (which is close to zero) but if I need something trivial (like a cable) it's a convenient place to go. Any serious purchasing is always done online. Once I did try to purchase a system at an Apple store, but after waiting for forty minutes I was told they didn't have time to sell me one--so I made my $20K business system purchase online. My fault really, I should have known better than to go to a brick and mortar store and expect actual results.�
Dec 29, 2012
brianman When visiting stores, please get the name of the employees that provide you a notable experience -- good or bad. Ideally follow up with the store manager, but definitely get the person's name and mail one of the general teslamotors.com addresses so that they can reward good and correct bad representation.�
Dec 30, 2012
huntjo Agree that you should document the name of any personel that treated you with disrespect. If nothing else, you will add credibility to these experiences. As it is, I can see how customer service could discount your criticisms as invalid or made up to try to smear the company. The vast majority of experiences I have heard of are positive, and I have never seen them turn away someone from sitting in the car based on age or dress. Teen aged looking gang-bangers and grey haired golfers alike are all treated equally well in the Denver store. I am young-looking and have been to the store in jeans and t-shirt. When I meet new staff there they are always polite, helpful and yet I can tell they are surprised to hear that I am a signature owner rather than simply some kid poking around the store looking at mechandise out of casual interest.
Since there is more than one report of poor treatment, I can't assume that these are all made up. There may be in fact some bad representation out there, but there also may simply be a misinterpretation by a few store visitors. With proper documentation of the incident and perpetrator and escalating it higher within customer service, we can see if it is a culture problem or certain individuals that may be educated, re-assigned or fired. Remember, test drives are limited because the number of drivable cars is limited. Each store has maybe one road-tested vehicle available to them, and they usually try to arrange test drives with advance reservation rather than on the spot.�
Dec 30, 2012
AnOutsider We may also be seeing a tone or conveyance issue. If the rep states this in an apologetic and sympathetic tone (Oh, I'm so sorry, but due to how few cars we currently have available during the ramp-up, we're supposed to reserve test drives for reservation holders waiting on a test-drive before configuring their cars) vs a more dismissive tone (You can only drive if you have reservation.) that can make all the difference.�
Jan 2, 2013
Robert.Boston I wonder if Tesla should set up a reservation system for time at the store, like Apple has slots at the Genius Bar. People who plan a trip to the store (and, therefore, are presumably serious potential buyers) can be flagged in this way, provided a dedicated associate, and provided ample time with the car. Walk-ins would, of course, be provided courteous interaction.
I spent about four hours hanging out in the Natick MA gallery on 12/31, while my kids were off shopping. "Circus" is an apt term. I can see how challenging it would be for an associate to guess who was a serious buyer or not. One young guy I chatted with, pushing a baby stroller and dressed unassumingly, turned out to be comparing the MS to his M5 -- not something I would have guessed, but because I had the time, I could turn that into a good conversation (helps to be an owner, too, rather than an associate). It would surely help to have some sorting mechanism, but even that will be hit or miss. Another gentleman I talked to had popped over to the mall while his Audi was getting an oil change at a dealership nearby. We went for a drive in my car -- I think he won't be buying another Audi! Again, not something that the Natick folks could do, as they can't give test drives.�
Jan 7, 2013
c041v This what exactly what was said to me by the manager of the Bellevue, WA store (I forgot to get her name, D'oh) when I booked my test drive last week. I am not a reservation holder. I called ahead a few days to ensure I could get a test drive so I wouldn't be disappointed after making the drive down. She was not overly pushy on asking me to make a reservation, but I believe her exact words were "the test drive is used to 'pull the last stop' on any potential customers who are thinking of making a reservation." Which, I think is fair given the fanfare, limited availability and, demonstrated results of the product.
As for the experience itself - it was fantastic! I booked the first slot of the day on 31-Dec. We arrived shortly after Bellevue square had opened and were the only people in the store. There were two reps in the store at the time, although I know the manager was not one of them as she had mentioned on the phone she would not be working that morning. I ended up dealing with Sean (Shawn?) who was a fairly laid back mid-20's guy. He answered all of my questions quite well, mind you there weren't many overly technical ones. I did manage to get him to tell me that they had produced between "2500 and 3000" Model S' in 2012, so take that for what it's worth. He also alluded to the crazy hours everyone was working over the holidays to make as many deliveries as possible, and that there would be a bit of a break for them in the new year.
I was told the tester is a quasi-production car, and some features such as the Panoramic roof were disabled. There was some wear on the seats, but I can only guess at how many people have been in that car. I'll save my test drive experience for another thread, but it was very, very good.
Overall, very positive experience. The staff seems pretty passionate and reasonably knowledgeable. I do however realize that being the only people in the store is probably a rare circumstance. My parents stopped by the Toronto store the other day and sent me pictures. Circus is an apt term.
I suppose it's worthwhile mentioning a bit about my parents' experience at that store as I doubt either will post it on here. My stepfather was quite impressed with the store itself, he liked the swatches and optional wheels, nice to be able to actually see and touch the finishings. He did not however have the best experience with the store's staff. He mentioned waiting some 20 min while an employee and a potential customer (Not sure if he was a Reservation Holder) were sitting in the unlocked S. Eventually he came over to the window and asked if the employee was ever going to get out. The employee responded with something like "Well, I work here." to which my stepfather responded "Well, there's a number of us here that would like to get the opportunity to sit in the car." the employee then got out and several other people filled the car. I chided my stepfather for not getting the employee's name as I mentioned that feedback from these experiences gets good exposure on the net and may help prevent potential customers from getting the wrong idea about the company.
I would throughly agree that it must be difficult for employees to distinguish potential customers from curious folk who have no intention of purchasing, perhaps this is a consequence of Tesla's retail model. Judging by appearance can be a costly mistake and I would think that if the store is quite busy, employees should limit themselves to 7-10 min for in-car experiences.
Note: I was somewhat surprised at the overall dimensions of the car. There was a Trade-in Roadster in the corral and I guess I had never quite realized how big the MS actually is. I find myself visualizing every Panamera I see on the roads as a Model S these days. The two must be pretty comparable in size.�
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