Customer Complaints & the Purchasing Experience

December 5, 2023

By RUDY SHUKRI


I met a Tesla buyer the other day and I asked about the purchase experience, the car itself, and the service. He was very happy with it and was impressed with the handover. I asked about all the complaints that we see some people post online. He was dismissive about them and said: I got what I wanted and that it is just lame for people to do research, go through the online purchasing process, and still complain about things that are pretty normal even on more established and older brands.

Then it hit me. The usual purchasing experience heavily involves a salesperson, or what I call a product specialist, but the online transaction only involves a handover or a delivery person just to confirm the order and explain the functions and the operation after the transaction.

That mostly means that the emotional link to the product was not created (not easy to do it online) and the expectations were not managed prior to the purchase.

When I, as a customer, understand what to expect from the brand and how it fits me, why should I complain about a sticky coat hanger or inconsistent fender gaps?

What I am saying is that the relationship the product specialist builds with the buyer is key to manage expectations and, hence, reduce complaints.

Of course, I respect what Mr. Elon Musk has done and the brilliant new model to facilitate the purchasing experience by transforming it into a mobility purchase rather than a car purchase, but this is where I think the management of expectations could be improved.

“Many Tesla buyers are still buying cars, not mobility”

Many Tesla buyers are still buying cars, not mobility, and product specialists are the ones to manage the transformation.

How long do you think it would take for this transformation to happen?


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