Re: Randy Berger My Answer to You About Nance

Posted by Mr.Pushbutton  On 2010/2/9 9:04:17

In 1982 I read "the decline and fall of the American automobile industry" by Brock Yates. He had one simple change that could have had a positive impact to the industry: eliminate the executive/management/tier workers car perks through the company, still give them sweethart deals on cars, but they must go through a dealership to get the car and have it serviced. Eliminate the garages that service executive cars, that are staffed with the best trained and equipped mechanics, that situation needs to exsist at every dealership.
The logic os this is that Joe car buyer in Dubuqe IA does not see GM as the shining building on the Detroit River or the tech center in Warren, they see it as the dealership on their corner. The people most able to change how that vehicle is made, and how the dealer behaves does not have to go through a dealer, they get their vehicles through the company, and many times they get company gas in the tanks, further insulating them from the hard realities. It's pretty common too for folks on this gravy train to get a brand-spankin' new car every year, two at the max, so the knowledge and concern as to how the vehicle holds up after warrenty is a non-concern to them. When I was with Chrysler I sensed a culture that in essence said "if you can't get a new car every two years you must be some kind of loser or weirdo"
I'm suprised the Gub-ment hasn't figured this out and barked orders. Then again, I'm not.