Wednesday, 16 November 2005
NEWSFLASH: Someone at Volkswagen Grows A Brain!!
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My Volkswagen saga began way back in September. It all started with me falling in love with the VW Jetta Wagon. I spent over 2 hours on the VW website, including "building" several of "my own Jetta Wagons". In the hours and days following, I learned that these cars hadn't been manufactured in months and, according to a nice lady on the Volkswagen customer care hotline "we have them on the web page because there might be one or two on a lot somewhere". Of course, she couldn't say where. I later learned that this was because everyone at Volkswagen is completely clueless. Volkswagen has wasted hours of focused customer attention and I couldn't understand why. Were this folks at Volkswagen really idiots, or just incompetent? Inquiring minds want to know.
Since then I've written about a lot of stupid and disrespectful things VW does. Of course, all of this could have been avoided. They could have engaged me. I gave them several chances before I started writing about them. I called their customer care line. I emailed them. I signed up as a media contact. All to no avail. Apparently they don't care. What would I have said if they would have called? Well, I would have told them to take the Jetta Wagon off their web page - or at least add a note that says only a few left in stock. But no, they'd rather I continue bashing them on my blog. Either way is fine with me really. I'm just happy I'm not driving one of those lemons.
But just for fun, I check the VW site about once a week. Today something special happened...today someone at VW finally grew a brain and removed the Jetta Wagon from their website. Pure genius.
Here at The Basement, I always try to be fair. So, VW job well done. Maybe you're not stupid or incompetent, but just really, really, really slow. Probably not, but maybe.
My only question now is, why didn't someone send me an email or give me a call? Another opportunity missed.
DISCLAIMER: Someone recently suggested that I add this. I have no affiliation with VW, CP+B, Arnold, any other auto manufacturer or any other advertising agency. I am married to someone who works for a market research company, but I usually lie about that on surveys. Otherwise they don't let you take them.
Since then I've written about a lot of stupid and disrespectful things VW does. Of course, all of this could have been avoided. They could have engaged me. I gave them several chances before I started writing about them. I called their customer care line. I emailed them. I signed up as a media contact. All to no avail. Apparently they don't care. What would I have said if they would have called? Well, I would have told them to take the Jetta Wagon off their web page - or at least add a note that says only a few left in stock. But no, they'd rather I continue bashing them on my blog. Either way is fine with me really. I'm just happy I'm not driving one of those lemons.
But just for fun, I check the VW site about once a week. Today something special happened...today someone at VW finally grew a brain and removed the Jetta Wagon from their website. Pure genius.
Here at The Basement, I always try to be fair. So, VW job well done. Maybe you're not stupid or incompetent, but just really, really, really slow. Probably not, but maybe.
My only question now is, why didn't someone send me an email or give me a call? Another opportunity missed.
DISCLAIMER: Someone recently suggested that I add this. I have no affiliation with VW, CP+B, Arnold, any other auto manufacturer or any other advertising agency. I am married to someone who works for a market research company, but I usually lie about that on surveys. Otherwise they don't let you take them.
Posted by at 11:08 PM in Word-o-Mouth
