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FixedOpsGuy
09-11-2010, 10:13 AM
To the lucky dealers that have been fortunate enough to win your arbitration case and have possibly even re-started, and to the dealers that rolled into NEWCO in an area that had a dealer shut down, here's a good question that should stimulate much talk and get some controversy...

What of the customer base?

Here is the moral (and legal) question:
Chrysler re-assigned all customers of a termed dealer. Should a roll-over NEWCO dealer have the ability to solicit former customers of a termed dealer (through Chrysler Marketing venues and campaigns) if those customers are located in the newly modified NEWCO's marketing territory? (Of course the answer is YES).

BUT, What if that termed dealer won arbitation and re-established itself? What then? Should Chrysler have the obligation to re-send assignment letters to those re-planted customers? And, what about the rollover dealers rights?

Should that rollover dealer now be in ownership of those transplanted customers? Once that customer has created a business relationship with their newly assigned dealer, All Bets are Off...Right?

All is fine with that answer BUT, here is one fact that any good legal council can argue: The new relationship between customer and newly assigned dealer would NEVER have happened if the termed dealer was not termed.(unless of normal customer satisfaction or competition reasons)

Well, Here is the answer right now...(Or, until someone does the right moral thing)...

Just as a quick refresher course, let's look at how this report is generated...

1.) Go to DealerConnect Service Tab
2.) Click On: "On Demand Service Prospector" in the Service Marketing field
3.) Once the On Demand portal opens...Click On: "Order Galley List"

Input all needed information and find these results:

At this point you will see all customers in your database that fit that profile. For dealers that are rollover dealers, your counts may include reassigned customers. And, for those dealers that are reinstated, you will not see any counts.

But there is more, the Smartlink page will pop up and ask if you would like to include those customers.

4.) Exclude Active Smart Link Customers from Chrysler Group Owners?
Answer "No"
5.) Include Active Smart Link Customers with Chrysler Group Owners?
Answer "Yes"
6.) Select "All" mileages for that section
7.) Exclude InActive Smart Link Customers from Chrysler Group Owners?
Answer "No"
8.) Include InActive Smart Link Customers with Chrysler Group Owners?
Answer "Yes"
9.) Select "All" mileages for that section
10.) Select "All" months from last service visit

And now, at this point you will see all customers in your database that fit that profile. For dealers that are rollover dealers, your counts may include reassigned customers. And, for those dealers that are reinstated, you will not see any counts.

On Demand, Smartlink, and the Owner Loyalty Program all operate based on your database and every other database from every other dealer. If a customer in your database were reassigned to another dealer due to your dealer being terminated then the newly assigned dealer will be able to solicit that customer through those Chrysler marketing methods.

If another dealer, any dealer other than the newly assigned dealer, were to establish a relationship with that customer, then that customer is now part of that dealer's database and is now part of any marketing program originating through a Chrysler venue.

All's fair in love and war.

XDCX
09-11-2010, 12:04 PM
All's fair in love and war.

Wow, that is a mess.

When Chrysler terminated the 789 they re-allocated the service customers to the neighboring NEWCO dealers. Now if a dealer is reinstated through arbitration they end up with ZERO customers - their entire service database is gone.

To me, it seems the simple solution is to transfer the customer database back to the reinstated dealer. Hopefully Chrysler and the neighboring NEWCO dealers will do the right thing....

FixedOpsGuy
09-11-2010, 12:20 PM
Wow, that is a mess.

To me, it seems the simple solution is to transfer the customer database back to the reinstated dealer. Hopefully Chrysler and the neighboring NEWCO dealers will do the right thing....

Nice simple solution right? But wait a minute. Chrysler can't do that. If that particular customer starts a business relationship with the rollover dealer (a most typical concern because these customers have been without their original host dealers for 18 months, then that customer can not be re-planted.:eek:

We need DriveDavid's opinion on this one...:confused:

So here is the reality...
A customer does business with a dealer for 20 years. Dealer gets shutdown. Customer reassigned. Customer establishes business with new dealer. Original dealer reopens. New dealer uses Chrysler funds to market to that customer using Chrysler co-op funds under a database supplied by Chrysler taken from termed dealer. Re-opened dealer attempts to use Chrysler for same marketing campaign to solicit same customer but can't without that database.

Now what?

XDCX
09-11-2010, 01:20 PM
Now what?

How's this for a solution.....

Chrysler funds a direct mail piece to the customers in question offering a Free Oil Change and lists both dealerships as locations where the coupon can be redeemed. The customer gets to decide which dealer they want to do business with and that ultimately determines where their future service offers will come from.

The solution is simple, relatively inexpensive and supports the principles of Capitalism which this country is supposed to be founded on. :patriot:

FixedOpsGuy
09-11-2010, 02:10 PM
The solution is simple, relatively inexpensive and supports the principles of Capitalism which this country is supposed to be founded on. :patriot:

Now that's a solution. Let's hope that Chrysler acknowledges and act on this very sensitive concern that affects those particular dealers involved.:)

I'm sure that the mailer will show up on "On Demand" as a .79 cent per mailer and is co-op-able for the dealer. :rolleyes:

They need to step up on this one and do a lot more than a mailer for those 32 dealers that are affected. But I like your idea.

srt
09-11-2010, 07:56 PM
Tell me why anyone would believe Chrysler would act in afair and honest manner? You have to believe in the tooth fairy if you think they will make it right. I am constantly amazed at the people who have their heads buried in the sand when it comes to this whole deal. I fully understand the idea of moving on but these people {Chrysler} have demonstrated a total lack of moral responsibility and fairness. Wake up and smell the coffee!!

G8Girl
09-14-2010, 11:35 PM
Tell me why anyone would believe Chrysler would act in afair and honest manner? You have to believe in the tooth fairy if you think they will make it right. I am constantly amazed at the people who have their heads buried in the sand when it comes to this whole deal. I fully understand the idea of moving on but these people {Chrysler} have demonstrated a total lack of moral responsibility and fairness. Wake up and smell the coffee!!

srt correctly questions "Why would anyone believe that Chrysler would act in a fair and honest manner?" I don't think that any of us that have dealt with the completely underhanded dealings (major understatement) with both Chrysler & GM regarding their terminated dealers would expect them to "truly" act in a fair and honest manner toward their reinstated dealer body.

How's this for a solution.....

Chrysler funds a direct mail piece to the customers in question offering a Free Oil Change and lists both dealerships as locations where the coupon can be redeemed. The customer gets to decide which dealer they want to do business with and that ultimately determines where their future service offers will come from.

The solution is simple, relatively inexpensive and supports the principles of Capitalism which this country is supposed to be founded on. :patriot:

I agree with XDCX's suggestion for the "minimal" solution in this situation. But unfortunately, as we all know, this will NEVER happen-- as Chrysler's actions continue to show that they will never "step up" and do the right thing.....no matter how easy the effort.

The goverments interference in both companies bankruptcies unfortunately allowed these companies to completely DESTROY the principles of Capitalism--by forcing these companies to eliminate dealers and allowed these companies to choose their "favored" dealers (completely void of performance based criteria) to go forward-- which goes completely against the principles of free enterprise & capitalism by choosing who should compete. Our country was founded upon the principles of free enterprise- and allowing businesses to be taken from one and given to another is totally UNAMERICAN.

Also, please remember that GM is only much better at the PR spin of "playing nice" with their terminated dealers than Chrysler-- and there any many wrongfully terminated GM dealers whose franchise was given to their competitor "down the street."

The StraightShooter
09-15-2010, 04:32 AM
Illegal Aliens have more rights than terminated dealers. Expect the worst.

Txflyer
09-15-2010, 04:33 AM
Also, please remember that GM is only much better at the PR spin of "playing nice" with their terminated dealers than Chrysler-- and there any many wrongfully terminated GM dealers whose franchise was given to their competitor "down the street." Agreed! GM is reportedly offering to give our stolen GM franchise to another nearby dealer IF he will make some facility upgrades that they want. :mad:

XDCX
09-15-2010, 12:03 PM
Also, please remember that GM is only much better at the PR spin of "playing nice" with their terminated dealers than Chrysler-- and there any many wrongfully terminated GM dealers whose franchise was given to their competitor "down the street."

I think you make an excellent point. GM has not been angelic by any measure and they have blood on their hands too.

That said, I do give GM credit for reinstating almost 1,000 dealers.