I had time to write it but not proof read it. Please be forgiving!
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Previously on, Sam’s Tesla Experience…
This was a 3 hour ordeal and I am condensing it to a short story. Basically a TLDR for a 3 hour story.
I emailed my delivery specialist asking if I wanted a Plaid would I get it sooner, to which prompted a phone call to me within 5 minutes. After a short back and forth, we left off with them trying to “find me a LR available for pickup soon”. I hung up not expecting anything. To my surprise I got a phone call 20 minutes later saying they found a Midnight Silver Metallic with Black Interior ready for pickup next week! The downside? I would have to pay an extra $10,000 because I am “changing my config”… No good for me. Just based on principle. I emailed back that I would be in first thing on Monday morning to finalize.
Opening scene: Monday morning.
9:30am I am already driving to Springfield. I did not even receive a response from the team about my “finalization” comment. Already on my way. Whatever happens, happens. All I can do is my input and the rest I leave up to Gd. Years of practice, I decide on how I want to go in. Upset, angry, happy, sad, emotional. I decide on happy and silent. I realize again that the people I am about to speak to and meet have no control over what happens from HQ. They are as in the dark as we are, I need to be respectful of them and how much they have to deal with.
I walk in. Ask to speak to the two people on the email chain. I was told to wait in the lounge. I remember what I was taught. Show your interest. Don’t appear distracted. Give yourself and they will have no choice but to give back. Remember, they are there for the customers. If the customer shows disinterest, they can show the same. Give what you want to get. So I give respect and my time.
They both come out and I am sitting down and I say nothing.
https://i.gifer.com/1Q4I.gif click that for the inspiration of this move… They say it. “You’re upset about the price”. Once again I say nothing. “I really wish there was something we could do but our hands our tied”. Reading his tone I understand that he is telling the truth, at least halfway. His hands are tied but I know he can try. I just need to get them to try and fight for me. I know my place and my place is that these are the highest people in the chain I can get to in person. I need them to want to fight for me. Which is a hard ask people I’ve been a PITA for around 8 months.
Now the information side of things. Keep in mind, this pertains to East Coast. I am not privy to any other region, just the region I was in. The information that was shared with me was done so in a way that is obvious to them but what was expected by many of us. Again; The info is based on the region I am in not nationwide.
I was told that 19” rims have been non-existent. The same applied for white interior. Only person known to get a white interior in the region was Marques Brownlee. And we can only “guess” how he pulled that off. Was also told that he was also pissed at poor communication.
Configs they’ve seen. Black/MSM exteriors and black/cream interiors. More black than cream but cream exists. They are prioritizing people willing to pay the extra $10k or new orders. Focus is on profit this quarter.
This is when I really started speaking. Knowing I haven’t spoken this entire time, I made sure it had a powerful impact and meaning. Choosing my words carefully I said… “What the fu…” Just kidding..
“I cannot justify making me pay $10k increase for a car that I’ve been waiting for, for 8 months+. On top of that, this isn’t even the car I want. I wanted white interior. (Knowing it wasn’t an option) if you had a white interior, I’d gladly pay the $10k increase but to pay it for a car that I just don’t want just so I can have it sooner, I can’t in good conscious do that”. Back to silence.
I can see that I am starting to make them feel uncomfortable and that was NOT my goal although that often happens when I go Larry David on people. I take a step back and remember who I am speaking to and what my actual goal was.. To get them on my side.
I told them I’d consider paying the extra $10k if I was able to see the cream. Maybe I’d like it. I could not justify the $10k increase for a black interior. They went in the back to check if there was one nearby. They told me that there is a customer car nearby but they need 20-30 minutes to get it here. I said no problem, I’ve got time.
They brought the car to the front and damn was it nice but I just couldn’t commit to the cream color. It has the “old person” stigma that I just couldn’t get passed. I would never hear the end of it from my friends. But damn was it nice. We spent 30 minutes talking about the car and making them laugh and just generally having a good time. Which was the goal! When people like you, it’s much easier to ask for things.
One of the reps had to step inside for a minute so now I can speak to one of them one on one. I can be more honest and sincere without the pressure of watching my words. I tell him that I really didn’t want to spend another $10k just to get a car I didn’t want sooner. He told me that he understood me and that his hands were really tied. I stepped things up.
I told him “Let’s go inside and crunch some numbers. Let’s see what’s available and what we can do”. Now I am back to the 2 reps. I could not go another minute without mentioning the people who supported my letter and the pain they were in as well. Telling them that I am not the only one and while I was here for my car, we need to do better for every single person who placed an order back in January and even before!
I am now one on one with the other delivery specialist. We are talking and I said let’s just see what’s in the area and what’s available. After 30 minutes of searching he says this to me.
“I don’t want to change the config on your order and then tomorrow they start shipping white interiors. Then you would be really locked in with the $10k increase”.
Now that I understood. Changing it once after waiting 8 months but playing games and going back and forth is not okay and should not be okay. So I made a suggestion. A dumb one and DO NOT DO THIS. In front of him I placed a new order. I said, look for a black/black with this order number. Leave the other one alone, if you find a car great, if you don’t then the white/white remains intact. He asked if I was sure and that I would be losing $100 order deposit. I told him I’ll do whatever it takes to get this car and I hope you see that and can do the same for me.
He told me that before I do that, let’s look at the internal system. Do I have a soft-date. I haven’t had one for a while and it’s said August just recently. Upon checking, his face started to smile in disbelief. He could not show me but the date was mid-October build date. BUILD DATE. I asked him how this is possible if my account said August. Without revealing how, I confirmed that this is happening just yesterday and not just to me. Systems update daily mainly in the early morning EST. So whatever changes were done on the backend would not appear until tomorrow. I knew many people were about to be pissed off but could not say anything until it was done. I’ll fight in WW3 but I do not want to start it.
After having placed the new order and his word that he would try and see what he could find. I believed him. I believed him because he stayed with me and he did not kick me out. He did not rush me out or tell me that he had another meeting. And even if he did had to step out, he came right back. Remember guys, these people are just like us. They want to do what’s right and in some cases they can and some cases they cannot. They deserve a lot of credit for having to deal with our *sugar* because people higher up don’t care. He told me that he’s sent countless letters to corporate asking for communication for THEM to tell us. They did that because they know that customers fuel their company and that leaving us in the dark is bad.
I left feeling better. Knowing that I was heard. Knowing that they gave me the time. 8 months wrapped up in 3 hours. At this point even without a VIN. My faith in the company restored, just from these 2 people.
1 hour later, I got a phone call saying that they found me a car. He told me that he fought his regional director. To waive the $10k was not easy and most likely cannot be duplicated or replicated. It was a tough fight and from what I am told someone, somewhere is losing that $10k (not personally but regionally). He told me that it was not an easy phone call and it required some pushing. Reiterating to me that their priority was delivering cars with the higher profit margin. A company has to make money, I understand but not like this. He completely agreed.
Within a few hours I had a VIN, my bank loan finalized and a delivery date setup for Tuesday.
With all of this done for me, I did not feel right without mentioning again those people who came behind me on this forum and supported my effort. It was not just about me but about supporting a company and forcing them to do better on behalf of us. I believe the emails we all received this morning was a result of the letter we signed. I believe it. If it’s true or not is a different question but I believe it. And believing it ensures that the next time crap like this happens we’ll be there to remind them, whoever it is, that we have a voice and our concerns matter.
If we sit back and do nothing, the results will be just that.. nothing. Remembering you have a voice is one of the most important things in life and it will serve you well. You may not always get what you want and I went in yesterday fully expecting absolutely nothing. But I went in anyways because I know who I am and I know that my voice matters.
Having said all this, NOTHING means ANYTHING until a VIN is assigned and a delivery date has been set. I even have a VIN right now but I was told not to do anything until around 3 days before JUST to be SAFE.
Thank you to everyone who stood by me from the beginning. I appreciate the support and continued support.
Onto the next issue… FSD BETA!!
Just kidding.
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