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- Jan 19, 2003
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- Corvette
- 2006 'Evil Stealth Black' Roadster
In the mail today, I got this letter from Chevrolet:
Nice letter, but it's basically a marketing effort intended to stem the anticipated flow of customers away from GM when the coming bankruptcy scares people away from buying from GM anymore. I imagine recent purchasers of other GM makes have received similar letters (although I'd like to read what Pontiac and Saturn customers got in their letter.) And I should add that all the legalese at the bottom of the letter somewhat waters down the sincerity, but I understand- lawyers are everywhere.
In my case, I'm so sure the effort is going to yeild them dividends. I've been giving this some thought, and my tentative response, which I shall refine and send off to that customer service email, probably tomorrow, will read something along these lines:
Mr. Ed Peper, North American Vice President
Chevrolet
Dear Mr. Peper,
This email responds to your recent letter. I'd like to thank you for informing me of the virtues of the various products in the Chevrolet line. I'm a Corvette owner, and I was rather disappointed to see it didn't get a mention, and has apparently lost its "sports car for the 21st century" status to the Camaro.
In your letter, you make the following statement:
"As a valued member of the Chevy family, I hope you can see that you're a part of a rich history and an exciting future. And we deeply appreciate your business. I'll stay in touch on all the happenings at Chevrolet."
I appreciate these sentiments, and I thank you for taking the time to communicate with recent purchasers of Chevrolet vehicles. But I don't believe it will be necessary for you to continue to keep in contact with me. As I understand GM's current situation, a Chapter 11 Reorganization bankruptcy filing is likely to occur next week- this is something I believe GM should have done in December, without taking any Federal TARP funds. If that had occurred, my feelings on the matter would be far more sympathetic towards GM.
As GM did take TARP funds, more than once, in fact, it is now beholden to the Federal Government and it's automobile "task force." The most recent report I've heard is that while in Chapter 11, GM will be 70% owned by the United States and Canadian governments. Further, the UAW will own approximately 17% of the company. I find this significantly more than troubling, particularly given that the current United States government is as wealth redistributive and anti-business as it is. The 'clean energy economy' they are promoting is, I believe, likely to manifest itself in your industry as vehicles no one is going to want to own because there is no market for them.
What you must understand about my standpoint is that even though I have always been a fan of General Motors, and the Corvette in particular, and even though every vehicle I have ever owned in my life has been a GM product, the thought of doing business with a company owned nearly 90% by a combination of government and union is simply a non-starter for me. I refuse to support that, and I believe ultimately, it will be an unsustainable business model.
This is why, for the very first time in my life, I am considering purchasing a foreign make. I believe my next vehicle purchase will likely be a Lexus or BMW product. This is why I don't believe you will need to keep me updated on the future of Chevrolet. I am not as optimistic about its future as you are, and as a Corvette enthusiast, that realization breaks my heart.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Regards,
Patrick
Dear Patrick,
For nearly 10 decades, Chevrolet has strived to earn the honor of "America's Brand." Tens of millions of customers just like you have trusted use to serve their transportation needs...and we value that confidence. That is why I am writing to you today. As everyone knows, these are turbulent times. The daily surge of headlines about the automotive industry can get discouraging. But I wanted to be certain that you know one very important fact: Chevrolet is focused on being your car company...committed to fulfilling your transportation needs in sales and service...both now and in the future.
I've had the honor of leading this Chevrolet team for more than four years...and I can assure you that our people and our dealers are committed to your complete satisfaction with your ownership experience.
We cherish our proud 98-year history. But more important, we look forward to our exciting future. And we've already begun reinventing Chevrolet to serve your needs more effectively than ever. For example, no one offers more models with 30 MPG highway or better than Chevy(1). And right now, we are reengineerinig our showroom- with cars like our award-winning Malibu...with America's Best Truck, Silverado...with the newest star in family vehicles, the 8-passenger Traverse...and with the 21st century sports car, Camaro(2).
Our 2010 Equinox will head to your local Chevy dealer this summer. And two more exciting products are scheduled to begin production next year- first is the awsome new Cruze, our new entry in the Compact Car segment, providing suprising cargo capacity and comfortable seating for five. Then, we begin production of the Chevy Volt, the world's first Extended-Range Electric Vehicle. Volt is tomorrow's hope for an energy-challenged world...and the embodiment of the new Chevrolet. And all these new products are just the beginning!
As a valued member of the Chevy family, I hope you can see that you're a part of a rich history and an exciting future. And we deeply appreciate your business. I'll stay in touch on all the happenings at Chevrolet. In the meantime, if you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact Chevy Customer Service at cac @ chevrolet.com.
Above all- thanks for letting us be such an important part of your life. And we look forward to celebrating our centennial with you in 2011.
Sincerely.
/s/
Ed Peper,
North American Vice President, Chevrolet
(1) Based on EPA Estimates. Models include Aveo, Aveo5, Cobalt, Cobalt XFE, HHR, HHR Panel, Malibu (1LT, 2LT, LTZ), Malibu Hybrid (very limited availability) and 2010 Equinox (available summer 2009)
(2) Avalable to order.
Chevy, the Chevrolet Logo, and the slogans, emblems, vehicle model names, vehicle body designs and other marks appearing in this document are the trademarks and/or service marks of General Motors Corporation, its subsidiaries, affiliates or licensors. ©2009 GM Corp. Buckle Up, America!
Nice letter, but it's basically a marketing effort intended to stem the anticipated flow of customers away from GM when the coming bankruptcy scares people away from buying from GM anymore. I imagine recent purchasers of other GM makes have received similar letters (although I'd like to read what Pontiac and Saturn customers got in their letter.) And I should add that all the legalese at the bottom of the letter somewhat waters down the sincerity, but I understand- lawyers are everywhere.
In my case, I'm so sure the effort is going to yeild them dividends. I've been giving this some thought, and my tentative response, which I shall refine and send off to that customer service email, probably tomorrow, will read something along these lines:
Mr. Ed Peper, North American Vice President
Chevrolet
Dear Mr. Peper,
This email responds to your recent letter. I'd like to thank you for informing me of the virtues of the various products in the Chevrolet line. I'm a Corvette owner, and I was rather disappointed to see it didn't get a mention, and has apparently lost its "sports car for the 21st century" status to the Camaro.
In your letter, you make the following statement:
"As a valued member of the Chevy family, I hope you can see that you're a part of a rich history and an exciting future. And we deeply appreciate your business. I'll stay in touch on all the happenings at Chevrolet."
I appreciate these sentiments, and I thank you for taking the time to communicate with recent purchasers of Chevrolet vehicles. But I don't believe it will be necessary for you to continue to keep in contact with me. As I understand GM's current situation, a Chapter 11 Reorganization bankruptcy filing is likely to occur next week- this is something I believe GM should have done in December, without taking any Federal TARP funds. If that had occurred, my feelings on the matter would be far more sympathetic towards GM.
As GM did take TARP funds, more than once, in fact, it is now beholden to the Federal Government and it's automobile "task force." The most recent report I've heard is that while in Chapter 11, GM will be 70% owned by the United States and Canadian governments. Further, the UAW will own approximately 17% of the company. I find this significantly more than troubling, particularly given that the current United States government is as wealth redistributive and anti-business as it is. The 'clean energy economy' they are promoting is, I believe, likely to manifest itself in your industry as vehicles no one is going to want to own because there is no market for them.
What you must understand about my standpoint is that even though I have always been a fan of General Motors, and the Corvette in particular, and even though every vehicle I have ever owned in my life has been a GM product, the thought of doing business with a company owned nearly 90% by a combination of government and union is simply a non-starter for me. I refuse to support that, and I believe ultimately, it will be an unsustainable business model.
This is why, for the very first time in my life, I am considering purchasing a foreign make. I believe my next vehicle purchase will likely be a Lexus or BMW product. This is why I don't believe you will need to keep me updated on the future of Chevrolet. I am not as optimistic about its future as you are, and as a Corvette enthusiast, that realization breaks my heart.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Regards,
Patrick