Lack of Customer Focus

[al_roethlisberger]

Check out my tome of a response on page 3 to the thread below:

 

http://wildguzzi.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=2373

 

 

What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

190 Octane wrote:

SoCal Don wrote:

If you can live with the bubbling engine case paint, 02 is the last good year.

 

I got 2.

 

 

Just curious, how many people have had the bubbling paint problem, and when does it start to show up?

 

 

 

 

Me, on a 2002 V11 LeMans... looked like leprosy.

 

 

But here's my take on the whole batch of problems, focusing on the issues specifically such as bad paint, failing clutches, disintegrating cams, etc... is missing the forest for the trees.

 

The problem is much more fundamental.

 

All manufacturers have issues like these, even the "Big 4" Japanese makes. But the difference is in how the parent company/importer handles the issue. Here is where MG's biggest problem lies. MGNA(and maybe MG itself, but I can't comment there) has no customer focus, even for their dealers, which are in effect MGNA's "captive audience" at this point.

 

To make customers happy, a manufacturer has two avenues:

 

1 - Make a perfect(or close) product

2 - Provide excellent customer service/support

 

In fact, a manufacturer *should* try to excel in both areas, but in reality if a manufacturer does an excellent job in either, the other area can slide a bit, and the customer perception can still be maintained.

 

But MG(or maybe just MGNA) has failed to excel in either.

 

Now, I will give MGNA credit for initially stepping up to the plate on some issues, like the warantee case replacement(bad paint) issue, but then their follow-through is where they fail and "drop the ball". And this is almost worse than never addressing the problem in the first place, as now customer expectations have been set, but go unfulfilled.

 

 

 

Now, we all understand that these issues costs money, both on the "front end"(impacts sales) and "back end"(warantee costs) but what I find unbelievable is that even if the enterprise was purely driven by fiscal concerns, it seems like basic business 101 that having a customer focus is the surest way to not just avoid these "upfront" and "backend" costs, but build a loyal and growing customer base.

 

For example, even with the current mechanical/QA challenges, can you imagine the impact of positive PR if MG(MGNA) had gone out of their way to take care of the owners of these bikes? New customers would be flocking to MG's new products as the word spread, instead of now being hesitant to even consider MG.

 

 

And a "customer focus" is not just the perspective of MG(MGNA) to the ultimate customer, but also to the dealers.

 

From what I understand, North American Dealers do not currently have anything like a strong "dealers association", and as such MGNA often fails to have checks/balances to incent them to actually give 100% for the dealers.

 

I know MGNA is a small operation, but then again there are what... about 130 dealers, if that? With those small numbers, in my opinion MGNA should have a personal relationship with each dealer, and have a handle on the top 5 "Critical Issues" from any given dealer/customer. The dealers can and should be the buffer/liason between the customer and MGNA, and MGNA the liason between the dealer and MG itself. Although occasionally there may be exceptions, and be a "skip level". However, if there is a real customer focus at all levels, this should be the exception.

 

I think however that most dealers are doing their part, but the breakdown is how MGNA supports them, or doesn't. Again, a lack of customer focus.

 

 

So, here's what I think needs to happen.... some of it being reiteration.

 

1) MGNA needs to adopt a customer focused strategy. And to be clear, this is not mutually exclusive of making a profit, or giving away the shop. A well executed strategy in this area is both profitable, and makes everyone happy. In the cliche of business-speak, it's a "win win"

 

2) The North American dealers need to organize. They need to form a strong dealer association, such that they have leverage with MGNA to incent MGNA to deliver to the customer and dealer expectations. MGNA hold dealers to specific standards of performance, and the dealers have to comply(and probably should) as they are a captive audience. But similarly, the dealers need a mechanism to hold MGNA accountable. It's not that I believe MGNA is necessarily "bad" or "out to get" the dealers, but it is human nature, and often the nature of business to do as little as is required, unless forced to do otherwise.

 

 

I personally can't do anything about #1, and only MG/MGNA can hopefully learn to improve here. I personally can't do anything about #2 either, as I am not a dealer and don't have a complete perspective into their relationships with MGNA, but I'd be willing to assist if I could.

 

 

A single dealer here or there dropping the brand, or pressing MGNA, currently has little effect. But an association addressing the "top 10" issues with MGNA, with appropriate sanctions if necessary, would make a difference. But there has to be a critical mass of participation for it to work.

 

That being said, I think MG has plenty of opportunities to excell if they just approach the North American market by sticking with the basics. Defects/Accidents happen, but keep your customers happy, and your business will thrive.

 

 

Are you listening MGNA? You really ought to be, because now that Piaggion has moved in, I've heard that they aren't giving many of the old-timers at MGNA the "time of day".... and that bodes ill for many there.

 

 

I hope the current staff at MGNA can hang around, but that the focus and priorities can evolve. If not, MGNA as we know it may have it days numbered, for good or ill. I believe most everyone would rather just see the issues fixed versus it coming to a house cleaning, or MG losing even more market here in North America.

 

I don't mean to be doom&gloom, but this is my honest opinion and assessment based on the limited info I have, and to clarify, it is indeed somewhat limited. So keep that in mind.

 

Cheers

al

 

 

 

P.S.

 

In regards to getting parts, and the delays... it just depends. I think that some of the parts that are cruiser based, and/or interchangeable with older models(i.e. more "generic") probably are easier to source. However, I've had delays of up to a year for body parts for my V11 LeMans, and waited nearly that long for a replacement engine case. *shrug* But to my points above, if MGNA(MG) had approached the solution in a more organized fashion, mass warantee work like the engine replacment or the hydraulic lifter recall could have been made to run as smooth as glass. They just dropped the ball. Now who are "they"... I don't know if it is MG or MGNA, but I think that if MGNA had really made it a priority to make issues like my two example run without a hitch, they probably could have. It just wasn't a priority to do so, apparently. I come to this conclusion as this is not just one case of a single part being on backorder forever, it seems systematic. Who knows though, maybe MGNA has tried to preorder all these parts to get them staged, etc(you know, like many other manufacturers do), but MG just wouldn't deliver the parts. I honestly can't say, but I am doubtful.

 

 

 

 

....and this one:

 

http://wildguzzi.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=2376

 

 

I know this won't be the popular answer, but I'd give them until the end of this month(May) to FINISH THE JOB, then ask for a refund or start a "Lemon Law" process(if your State has one). If not, find an attorney friend.

 

I tell ya, I love my bike(although it is now about 6 months in the shop itself, which in it's 3 years of ownership it has spent about 11 months)... but I've really lost patience with "the brand" based on my personal experience and what I've read elsewhere.

 

MGNA(MG?) had better get it together, otherwise at best this constant state of "going out of business any day" will continue ad nauseum.

 

 

It isn't the dealer's fault(from what you describe) and try to work with them, but MGNA(MG?) needs to start feeling more pain. Hopefully your dealer will be cooperative and help you through whatever decision you make. But in my opinion, at this point the only way to get MGNA's attention is to play hardball, and maybe that pain will incent them to improve over time. We can only hope, and perhaps hope Piaggio takes notice and/or already has a game plan to improve performance.

 

If you have to go this route, try to explain to the dealer that it's nothing personal with them, but in the end this will help them too if it can help force MGNA(MG) to get their business in order.

 

al

 

[v50man]

Something's got to change. Perhaps the entire staff of MGNA should be tossed out on their asses.

 

Obviously, they're not getting the job done.

 

Replace them with a team that comes from a successful customer-focused company -- or with a smart businessman who loves the marque as we do.

 

Too much nonsense for too long.

 

You're absolutely right when you say that MGNA should have a PERSONAL and INTERACTIVE relationship with EVERY dealer. When people feel they're being listened to -- that their concerns matter -- they work harder and can forgive the occasional trespass.

 

In the end, dealers are business people. If Guzzi continues to make it hard for them to do business, we'll all soon be the owners of "Itlaian Vincents."

 

v50