DETROIT — GM issued an encouraging statistic following the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, saying that only 339 of the 439,000 cars sold under its 60-day money-back guarantee program have been returned to the company.
"That's less than 1/10th of 1 percent," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, in a speech following the auto show.
"Equally important, we're working to contact as many of these unhappy customers as possible, to find out what they didn't like about their GM car or truck," Reuss said. "We've never done that before. I wish we had, because we're learning a lot about what we can do better. And I know, because I've made a lot of those calls myself."
Last September, GM launched a new marketing program dubbed "May the Best Car Win." The 60-day guarantee was part of that program.
Reuss also said that GM launched a new "How to Help a Customer" mobile application for GM employees on January 13. "This app will allow GM smartphone users to help customers get answers to their questions, anytime, anywhere," he said. "It's just one more tool."
Reuss also called for a renewed commitment to building quality into its vehicles.
"We can no longer tolerate a culture at GM that punishes people for identifying quality concerns," he said. "We need a culture that encourages it, that celebrates it, that rewards it, and that's what I'm after."
He reiterated the automaker's commitment to the Chevy Volt and said GM is guarding against "the temptation to scale back our technology investment while we're still repaying government loans and while the market is weak."
Inside Line says: One grassroots sign that points to renewed health for battered GM. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
alman08 says:
10:00 AM, 01/16/2010
In your reporting, why didn't you find out exactly now many of the 439,000 cars sold opted out for the $500 incentive?
gmhl10 says:
08:49 AM, 01/16/2010
If you look at what kmaurer said, it goes to show you that marketing will just tell people what they want to hear and leave out some important things that'll shake that finding.
kmaurer says:
08:34 AM, 01/16/2010
GM offers a $500 incentive payment if you forfeit your return rights... I took the money, and now wish I hadn't. That might be why the number is so low.
frank908 says:
07:05 AM, 01/16/2010
I'm going to sound way unintelligent after the last intelligent comment, but, doesn't the GM president look like Gomez and Lurch from The Adams Family? With a hint of Herman from The Munsters?
firstclass says:
10:41 PM, 01/15/2010
I sill contend that returning a car will never be as easy as returning a pair of socks. But still it's a good sign and I do think GM has been making great strides since their bankruptcy. But GM is in desperate need of fresh management. The whole "let the best car win campaign" is run under the assumption that average Americans still window shop at car dealerships (most people shop online and avoid vulture car salesmen and image goes a long way). Bob Lutz's year ahead list is simple and goes without mention. Apple-pie and baseball doesn't define America anymore. GM needs to shake things up, topple a few dinosaurs and make a radical departure from current management. Anyways I hope the "shake up" last December was just a tremor of things to come.