"Ford tops in quality survey"

[Falc'man]

Ford tops in quality survey
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

Ford Motor Co.'s newest automobiles had fewer problems than any other manufacturer -- including Toyota Motor Corp. -- according to a new survey of initial quality, details of which were obtained by The Detroit News.

It was the first time ever that the Dearborn automaker beat its arch-rival in the survey, which was conducted for Ford by the RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills. The study also put Ford in a dead heat with Toyota in customer satisfaction.

"We've been tied with Toyota before, but it sure feels better to be on the top!" wrote Bennie Fowler, Ford's global head of quality, in a memo to employees Friday, a copy of which was obtained by The News. "We can all be pleased with the progress we have made in quality, even as we face external and internal challenges in a tumultuous climate. Our progress has come as the result of our union partnerships in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, along with the work of dedicated teams in manufacturing, product development, purchasing, marketing, sales, service, legal, IT and others who follow disciplined, standardized processes."

RDA's research is used by a number of automakers, both foreign and domestic, and has historically tracked closely with other independent research by firms such as J.D. Power and Associates. Its second quarter study showed new Ford, Mercury and Lincoln cars and trucks had 1,185 issues per 1,000 vehicles. Toyota had 1,215 problems, while Honda Motor Co. had 1,291.

Both Toyota and Ford had an 80 percent positive customer satisfaction rating, Fowler said.

The results come a year after he vowed publicly to seize Toyota's crown as the quality leader among full-line manufacturers in the United States. But Ford has found that its quality gains have still not convinced all consumers that its products are on par with those from its Japanese competitors.

Fowler said more work is needed, particularly on the luxury brand, which faces even tougher competition.

"There is more work to be done," he said." We want nothing less than to be the highest-quality automotive manufacturer year over year!"

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090...quality-survey

[4Vman]

2 hrs old and no comments? its amazing how quiet Ford "good news" threads are...

Great news for Ford.

[snappy]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

2 hrs old and no comments? its amazing how quiet Ford "good news" threads are...

Great news for Ford.

yeah its great news .
But does not mean much for us down under.

[Dave R]

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11267325

There's a couple more comments there.

I'm impressed with how Mullaly is steering Ford right now and I think they are in a great position for the future. These results are great and Ford needs to advertise them over there. Alot of Americans see the domestic automakers as cheap and nasty when it comes to quality, but they have made huge improvements.

[WindsorXR]

If they done a customer satisfaction survey in Australia i think Ford would be fairly poor.
With the exception of a few Ford dealers, you'd have to say majority don't do the Ford Motor Company justice. It annoys me so much.

Should be some type of quality/customer control for dealerships.

That's my opinion anyway.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by snappy84

yeah its great news .
But does not mean much for us down under.

Dont worry the FG falcon has improved customer response to quality surveys.. I know ive got 2 and compared to my BA/BFs the build quality is much much better... :lookedat:

[duaned]

:

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by BSSXR8

If they done a customer satisfaction survey in Australia i think Ford would be fairly poor.
With the exception of a few Ford dealers, you'd have to say majority don't do the Ford Motor Company justice. It annoys me so much.

Should be some type of quality/customer control for dealerships.

That's my opinion anyway.

You are on the money, they held one this year. Ford and Holden ranked last.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...1-2702,00.html

[WindsorXR]

How bout that!

I'm appauled at some of the stories I hear. And i hear a lot, coz I work out the Proving Grounds for Ford and everyone thinks it's my fault!!hehehe.
I just sorted have to look away and remind myself that it's the dealers, not the manufacturer.

[Ohio XB]

First, I'd just like to say that this reporter seems to be the only one that actually reports "just the facts" and doesn't put his own spin on it to sway how you view the information. That is so rare anymore. I am familiar with his name.


I am interested to see how Ford advertises this. They may wait for J.D. Power to come out with their survey because that is the one that people know, even though RDA's surveys usually matches Power's survey.

Still, Americans will not hear, or believe, that Ford could ever be ahead of Toyota. Ford has given them reason to think this, but they have for the most part corrected the cause, as evidenced by the survey, but Americans will think the survey is flawed. It will take at least 3 J.D. Power surveys in a row showing Ford's quality above Toyota before many Americans will even say "What's that you say?"


Steve

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by BSSXR8

If they done a customer satisfaction survey in Australia i think Ford would be fairly poor.
With the exception of a few Ford dealers, you'd have to say majority don't do the Ford Motor Company justice. It annoys me so much.

Should be some type of quality/customer control for dealerships.

That's my opinion anyway.

Originally Posted by snappy84

yeah its great news .
But does not mean much for us down under.

Indirectly it means alot.

Ford US's success is paramount to us, the quicker they turn things around the less pressure there is on the locals with respects to funding and development.

Specifically, what they're doing correctly over there would (should) be used as a model here.

[WindsorXR]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

..........

Specifically, what they're doing correctly over there would (should) be used as a model here.

Yes, It "Should" be. But it will take a lot of time to overhaul the dealerships system and the way they treat customers.

This survey is good for the Ford Aus, but our main problem lies with the dealerships in my opinion.

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by BSSXR8

Yes, It "Should" be. But it will take a lot of time to overhaul the dealerships system and the way they treat customers.

This survey is good for the Ford Aus, but our main problem lies with the dealerships in my opinion.

Poor quality will lead to poor dealership experiences. Fix the source of the problem and it's more than likely these experiences will diminish.

[DJR-351]

Sorry guys but this dont intrest me at all...

What are we doing here, do we grab any bit of poss press then carry on as though we are better than BMW, AUDI, MERC, FERRARI, LAMBO.........or GMH....

I just cant understand this getting a bit of positive press stuff then carrying on as if we are world leaders....

Bring on the flames fer christsakes.......

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

Poor quality will lead to poor dealership experiences. Fix the source of the problem and it's more than likely these experiences will diminish.

Very good point....

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

Poor quality will lead to poor dealership experiences. Fix the source of the problem and it's more than likely these experiences will diminish.

Pretty much, you don't need to claim for a warranty job when there is nothing.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

Poor quality will lead to poor dealership experiences. Fix the source of the problem and it's more than likely these experiences will diminish.

At the same time, higher quality vehicles will mean less warranty claims - which is bad news for the dealers who make alot of money off repairing vehicles under warranty. So right now, dealers will be selling less cars and making less off warranty items in the service dept. Not a good time to be a dealer!

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

At the same time, higher quality vehicles will mean less warranty claims - which is bad news for the dealers who make alot of money off repairing vehicles under warranty. So right now, dealers will be selling less cars and making less off warranty items in the service dept. Not a good time to be a dealer!

Funny, they're not repairing them now. No model will be 100% fault free. But increasing reliability goes a long way.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Funny, they're not repairing them now. No model will be 100% fault free. But increasing reliability goes a long way.

Indeed, increasing reliability will keep the customers loyal and helps alot with brand image which Ford is slowly recovering after the crap-storm it's been through in recent years.

It was documented with Mercedes Benz that this year warranty related work has gone down 30% due to more reliable cars. Ford North America surely has a larger potential improvement as far as reliability goes.

[Ohio XB]

Last year Ford announced working with dealerships to explore and develope new avenues of income as the increased quality of new cars actually impacted the dealer's bottom line in profit. Because increased quality reduced (global) warrantee repairs by over $1 billion US Ford was working with the dealerships to find a way to replace that income, which they had grown to rely on.

So yes, better quality reduces repair department profits, but Ford is mindful of this and is not sitting idley by.


Also, this report is in regards to full line manufacturers, meaning companies that produce all classes of cars, not in comparison with a company like Porsche.

Steve

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

At the same time, higher quality vehicles will mean less warranty claims - which is bad news for the dealers who make alot of money off repairing vehicles under warranty. So right now, dealers will be selling less cars and making less off warranty items in the service dept. Not a good time to be a dealer!

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

Last year Ford announced working with dealerships to explore and develope new avenues of income as the increased quality of new cars actually impacted the dealer's bottom line in profit. Because increased quality reduced (global) warrantee repairs by over $1 billion US Ford was working with the dealerships to find a way to replace that income, which they had grown to rely on.

So yes, better quality reduces repair department profits, but Ford is mindful of this and is not sitting idley by.


Also, this report is in regards to full line manufacturers, meaning companies that produce all classes of cars, not in comparison with a company like Porsche.

Steve

As always, your posts always are the missing pieces in many a puzzle.

One billion $$ gained is "little" compared to quality accolades and customer satisfaction; so it's not that hard to "give that back" to dealers, giving them a little more of that pie.

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

As always, your posts always are the missing pieces in many a puzzle.

One billion $$ gained is "little" compared to quality accolades and customer satisfaction; so it's not that hard to "give that back" to dealers, giving them a little more of that pie.

Thank you. And you are absolutely right. Quality accolades and customer satisfaction (now tied with Toyota in US) are worth more than $1 billion.


Here's the article that reports Ford's warrantee improvements and global savings last year...

http://media.ford.com/article_displa...ticle_id=29800

Ford has reduced its worldwide warranty repairs costs by $1.2 billion in the past two years.
The warranty repair rate for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the U.S. is now almost 50 percent lower than it was in 2004.
Since 2005, each new model from Ford has consistently delivered better quality than the models they replaced.


That's just a blurb from the article.


I haven't found an article yet (just spent 20 minutes looking) about Ford working with their dealers to provide a way to make up for lost warranty revenue but here is an article that shows one way that is working quite well...

http://media.ford.com/article_displa...ticle_id=28606

QUICK LANE STORES FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE, STRENGTHENING FORD, LINCOLN MERCURY DEALERSQuick Lane® Tire and Auto Centers are opening at a record pace across the country, with the total number of stores topping 500 this week.

Quick Lane is providing Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers with opportunity to attract customers who don't normally return to the dealer for service, providing an additional revenue stream. Parts and labor revenue for this year is expected to reach $385 million.

Success of Quick Lane is attributed to its strong customer focus, Ford trained mechanics and genuine Motorcraft® parts.


DEARBORN, Mich., July 9, 2008 – When Bill Vann, owner of Albion Motors Ford Mercury, Inc., opened up a Quick Lane® Tire and Auto Center at his dealership in Albion, Mich., he hoped it would provide a convenience for his customers that would bring them back to the dealership for routine maintenance and maybe even a new vehicle.

Three years later, Vann says his Quick Lane business is surpassing his original expectations.

"We've been able to retain twice the number of service customers we had in the past, and we're selling three to eight new or used cars a month to customers that we've received from our Quick Lane store," he said. "The biggest surprise to us is the number of non-Ford vehicles. Almost half of our customers bring in competitors' vehicles."

Vann's success with Quick Lane is not unique. In fact, despite today's sluggish economy, Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers are opening up across the country at a record pace, with the total number of stores topping 500 this week.

"We started out with two stores in 1997, and the concept has just taken off since then," said Tom Suttles, Quick Lane business manager, who estimates Quick Lane parts and labor revenue for this year will be $385 million. "The number of franchises is growing because Quick Lane is providing dealers with a profit opportunity in an otherwise difficult market."

Due to the steady decline in warranty repairs that coincides with higher-quality vehicles, utilization of traditional service facilities at Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealerships throughout the country hovers around 50 percent, according to Suttles.

Quick Lane offers routine vehicle maintenance and simple light repair services, such as oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire rotations. Some dealers – including Vann -- build the shops into their existing facilities, while others construct standalone stores on dealer property or at offsite locations.

Suttles says Quick Lane is a lucrative business because it is focused squarely on meeting the needs of the customer.

"There are no appointments necessary. Customers receive service while they wait. All makes and models of vehicles are accepted, and the stores are open evening and weekend hours," he said. "All of those factors resonate with consumers."


According to Suttles, customers also appreciate the fact that all of the service and repairs are performed by Ford factory-trained experts using quality Motorcraft parts.

"We have better trained technicians than the aftermarket, and we use premium parts," he said. "Combine those two things with convenience, and suddenly you have convenience with confidence, and that's something that gives us a real advantage versus our competitors."

Vann agrees. "Even though Quick Lane® is separate from the dealership, it still falls under the umbrella of the dealership," he said. "People trust the quality, and that enhances the business."

And I found this as a lead in to this article on another page. It illustrates that Ford initiated this venture...

http://media.ford.com/article_displa...ticle_id=28608

In fact, despite today’s sluggish economy, Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers, launched by the Ford Customer Service Division, are opening up across the country at a record pace, with the total number of stores topping 500 this week.

Steve

[Falc'man]

Thanks again, Steve.
As bfiipursuit mentioned earlier there seems be a significant improvement with the FG range. A strong emphasis on this aspect was placed before it's release.
Also, speaking to one head tech at a service dealer he praised this model greatly as having very little problems compared to the BF.

It's a long and daunting process though, changing the mindset and perception of those who've been bitten in the past. At least this is a start.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

Thanks again, Steve.
As bfiipursuit mentioned earlier there seems be a significant improvement with the FG range. A strong emphasis on this aspect was placed before it's release.
Also, speaking to one head tech at a service dealer he praised this model greatly as having very little problems compared to the BF.

It's a long and daunting process though, changing the mindset and perception of those who've been bitten in the past. At least this is a start.

Funny thing is that its being bought by the general public and not fleets. So hopefully more good experiences will mean word of mouth advertising which is worth more then any tv ad.

[Ohio XB]

It's a long and daunting process though, changing the mindset and perception of those who've been bitten in the past. At least this is a start.

This is Ford's #1 obstacle in the US too.


Steve