Computer Error RE: Confirmations/Configurations

[mini me]

If I was a betting man, I would bet Winnetou could be one that receives an oops no matter what location.

No one knows for sure when the errors began, but most likely very early on.

[Winnetou]

smart USA were not lying in that statement. They do indeed send invitations to configure according to reservation date—but they must also allocate the cars so that all dealers can have at least the minimal necessary flow. Thus, the statement provides only one of the bases for the configuration order. The other was left out.

I agree that the statement implies that the reservation date is the sole criterion, but this is not actually asserted in the wording. The omission may have been deliberate, or due to oversight.

[MercuryX100]

While I would like to buy into PAG being top-notch professionals with a fully thought-out business plan, I have become convinced they are flying by the seat of their pants on a lot of this stuff.
My dealer (smart Milwaukee) has been great for me, but seems handicapped by the same sorts of things we have noticed in our personal dealings with PAG.

[tipo158]

Originally Posted by Winnetou

smart USA were not lying in that statement. They do indeed send invitations to configure according to reservation date—but they must also allocate the cars so that all dealers can have at least the minimal necessary flow. Thus, the statement provides only one of the bases for the configuration order. The other was left out.

This is a whole other topic, but ...

That is something that they should have accounted for in their distribution model. Why doesn't MINI have these distribution problems? (Let me guess - because they don't tie people to a dealership based on zip code.)

People do buy cars from other states. I used to fly down from Seattle to California once or twice a month for work and I could have almost made a living driving new cars up here that friends bought down there.

You can't convince me dealers are getting the necessary flow of cars to be a standalone smart dealership. Seattle has a full pipe of cars and I don't know how many times I have gone by and only seen a demo car in the lot.

[Winnetou]

I did not mean to suggest that smart USA have necessarily accomplished their goals effectively. But it is a fact that with the current rate of imports, an attempt to fulfil orders solely on the basis of reservation date would have left many dealers insufficiently supplied—for certain.

To know how well they are doing at supplying cars to dealers, we would need two bits of information: (1) the requisite number of cars per unit time for a dealer to remain profitable; and (2) how close smart USA have come to supplying that number at each dealership. It is hard to tell the turn-over by driving past dealerships. Over a month ago, I happened to be driving by my local dealer, and saw quite a number of new smarts in the lot and garages (which have large windows). The next week, I happened to be driving by again, and they were all gone. I think that eager customers are quick to fetch their cars, and we all know how quickly the orphan cars are snapped up. One of the cars I saw during the first “drive-by” was an orphan that had been offered to me that very day. It was adopted within a few days. Unless one drives by daily, one could easily miss entire shipments.

I agree that smart USA should have addressed the matter of the conflict between reservation date and the need to supply dealers with the necessary flow. Perhaps if they had explained this at the outset, there would be fewer hard feelings.

But it seems to me that the larger problem, by far, is a production rate of smart cars that seems quite insufficient to meet demand. smart USA should have been ready to strike whilst the iron was hot. A reputation for a very long wait can greatly dampen consumer response. It will be even worse for smart USA if Toyota do indeed import their smart copy, the IQ, in 2009.

A significant increase in production is sorely needed. It is grotesque that, apparently, government—always the enemy of liberty—stands in the way.

[MENSA42]

Originally Posted by tipo158

What I want to know is why your concern merited a phone call from Mr. Wilshaw and my concerns on the same topic resulted in a stock response or two and then they ignored me.

i have no idea. all i did was 'contact smart' via that link on their homepage. that's all.

a couple days later i got an email saying that Dave Schembri was unavailable but that Bob Wilshaw (sorry for the earlier misspelling) would be in contact with me the next day.

don't know why I was 'singled out' or that i WAS singled out. all i know is that i spoke to him and he seemed very genuine in his concerns for the issues we have all addressed.

again, i apologize to 'bumblebee08'............guess I'M the one who should have kept his mouth shut. but i think we were both trying to accomplish the same thing.....bring some positive thoughts to this forum. he was trying to say 'look, i'm reserving now and i got configured already. maybe things aren't so bad NOW after all' while i was simply addressing those who reserved months ago and letting them know that 'smart usa has said they have a 'computer glitch' and that should you see people configuring that have just reserved, rest assured that they are doing everything they can to address the problem and resolve it'.

i certainly didn't mean any ill will towards anyone and i'm NOT out to 'get my way', whatever 'my way' is......

[meaux61]

Originally Posted by Razorback

You sure about that? According to this link His position is higher than that. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/p...ess037967.html

Well, when I spoke to him, about 6 weeks ago, he told me that he was the new midwest regional manager. THat was when they first started to go regional instead of national. Your article is from 2001.

Meaux

[Old smart]

As I see it, an early C&C isn't significant unless it is immediately turned into a build order, and we don't know that. An erroneous C&C could be held until it was slotted into its proper sequence in the dealer's area of responsibility.

[MENSA42]

Originally Posted by Old smart

As I see it, an early C&C isn't significant unless it is immediately turned into a build order, and we don't know that. An erroneous C&C could be held until it was slotted into its proper sequence in the dealer's area of responsibility.

this is true. we (Mr Wilshaw and myself) did not discuss that issue, so i can't say for sure if that is what will happen. he only mentioned that those who were "C&C"d in error would be notified of that situation.

[bumblebee08]

While we are all clearing the air here, let me apologize to Jeepster55. I guess I probably read more into your post than was actually there. It had been a long hard couple of days on a business trip and I was tired. Probably should have waited until today to post.

Anyways, to add to Winnetou's comments, I did get the chance to stop by the Lincolnwood smart center in Chicago Tuesday. They told me they are delivering about 85-90 cars a month right now, compared to Indy who is only delivering 25-45. The distribution is definitely regional. The salesman at Indy said they were not getting as many cars due to a smaller market.

In fact while I was at Lincolnwood they asked what I had ordered, and then told me I missed the oportunity to buy an orphan just like it by about two hours. They has an orphaned pure come up that nobody on their orphan list wanted. A gentleman had called in shortly before I got there looking for any smart and took it. That's just my luck! (Of course if I had taken it I might be in divorce court right now, my wife wants me to wait until mine is supposed to be here this fall)

Anyways, I just hope I'm not one of the "in errors". Hopefully smart is being honest, but I guess it's alway a possibility that they are using the "glitch" as a cover story to keep people from going off the deep end. Only time will tell, like I said last night, I'm willing to wait. I have a second vehicle to drive until my smart arrives. I "want" my smart now, but I don't "need" my smart yet.