Ford moving to build to order...
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,095
Likes: 3,870
From: Maryland
Im not denigrating the value of what he does. He is denigrating the value of what I do.
Lead Lap
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,902
Likes: 1,514
From: San Diego, CA
As someone who reserved a Bronco on launch day, converted that initial reservation to an highly-optioned order when the window was open to do that, and who like tons of others has had little to no communication from Ford on when my order will get built, let's just say this Ford custom order process might not always work as well as you might wish 
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 48
Likes: 20
From: Ohio
Tesla dealerships aren't really dealerships in the traditional sense. They have showrooms so you can check out cars, but half the time, they have no cars to check out. These same showrooms have a fleet of cars for test driving purposes but if you try to buy a car, they help you build it on the website. There are sometimes a few cars in-stock as they may have overbuilt a particular spec car or if some people cancel their orders last minute but most people wait for a car that was built to their spec and get a VIN when the factory is done building them.
Also, most of the deliveries are done at service centers where actual sales don't take place. The service center just preps the car for delivery and sometimes, someone may help describe the features of the car but many times, you have to request this (maybe they just don't have enough people?). I really hope Tesla doesn't go the traditional dealer route as it was overall a much better experience overall than prior car buying experiences. I ordered the car online (like an iPhone), and when it arrived, I got a text to pick it up.
Also, most of the deliveries are done at service centers where actual sales don't take place. The service center just preps the car for delivery and sometimes, someone may help describe the features of the car but many times, you have to request this (maybe they just don't have enough people?). I really hope Tesla doesn't go the traditional dealer route as it was overall a much better experience overall than prior car buying experiences. I ordered the car online (like an iPhone), and when it arrived, I got a text to pick it up.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,285
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From: ON/NY
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,226
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
And, in fact, that's one reason why it is so difficult for Tesla to make an operating-profit, in spite of sky-high stock prices and its magnet-like attraction to so many investors. Unlike most automakers, who are not stuck with the day-to-day expenses of running individual dealerships, and leave that to privately-owned franchises, Tesla has to eat all of those costs from the company's assets.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 232
From: CA
With those differences, i don't really consider them dealerships.
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 48
Likes: 20
From: Ohio
So, these Tesla "places" are not dealerships because they sell all their cars for MSRP, which seems to go up daily, and are owned by Tesla. Also, sometimes they don't have many or any cars for sale...today.
Would it surprise you that companies like Mercedes, Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc. owned stores in high cost locations for decades? Were they dealerships? Just like the Tesla ones, they were licensed as dealerships by the jurisdiction where they were located. Maybe you just need to sell with no discounts to escape the onus of being a dealership?
Would it surprise you that companies like Mercedes, Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc. owned stores in high cost locations for decades? Were they dealerships? Just like the Tesla ones, they were licensed as dealerships by the jurisdiction where they were located. Maybe you just need to sell with no discounts to escape the onus of being a dealership?
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 232
From: CA
So, these Tesla "places" are not dealerships because they sell all their cars for MSRP, which seems to go up daily, and are owned by Tesla. Also, sometimes they don't have many or any cars for sale...today.
Would it surprise you that companies like Mercedes, Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc. owned stores in high cost locations for decades? Were they dealerships? Just like the Tesla ones, they were licensed as dealerships by the jurisdiction where they were located. Maybe you just need to sell with no discounts to escape the onus of being a dealership?
Would it surprise you that companies like Mercedes, Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc. owned stores in high cost locations for decades? Were they dealerships? Just like the Tesla ones, they were licensed as dealerships by the jurisdiction where they were located. Maybe you just need to sell with no discounts to escape the onus of being a dealership?
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 48
Likes: 20
From: Ohio
What you describe isn't true of all Tesla locations. A ton of them have no service centers and are located in the middle of a mall...they only provide information and test drives. Others, are just service centers that deliver cars also. No sales team...no information center either. You can call it what you want but fundamentally, the dealer experience is vastly different between Tesla and traditional OEMs. I honestly don't know what Ford wants to do but it won't feel like Tesla simply because there is absolutely no pressure to buy at these locations and the sales people aren't that interested in "selling" you a car. They are there to arrange test drives and answer questions.
I really don't understand why people want to spend an inordinate amount of time defending the grand Tesla experiment. They sell every car at sticker with no discount, have the lowest rated service experience in the industry year after year, and produce stories weekly of atrocities taking advantage of their customers. But, somehow this is the wave of the future?
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 232
From: CA
So, they are designated by the licensing authority in every State they exist in as a dealership but they are actually not a dealership? It goes back to the way they are run by intent. Got it!
I really don't understand why people want to spend an inordinate amount of time defending the grand Tesla experiment. They sell every car at sticker with no discount, have the lowest rated service experience in the industry year after year, and produce stories weekly of atrocities taking advantage of their customers. But, somehow this is the wave of the future?
I really don't understand why people want to spend an inordinate amount of time defending the grand Tesla experiment. They sell every car at sticker with no discount, have the lowest rated service experience in the industry year after year, and produce stories weekly of atrocities taking advantage of their customers. But, somehow this is the wave of the future?
Also, the whole discount to sticker applies because of the middle man selling the car. Take out the middle man and the car sells at invoice...exactly like Tesla. Again, i hate everything about the dealer experience.
Tesla "dealerships" are not dealerships in the conventional sense of the word. They are company-owned shops that operate under company rules from the top down. Some of them have service bays and parts-departments.....others don't, and are basically test-drive and vehicle-order facilities.
And, in fact, that's one reason why it is so difficult for Tesla to make an operating-profit, in spite of sky-high stock prices and its magnet-like attraction to so many investors. Unlike most automakers, who are not stuck with the day-to-day expenses of running individual dealerships, and leave that to privately-owned franchises, Tesla has to eat all of those costs from the company's assets.
And, in fact, that's one reason why it is so difficult for Tesla to make an operating-profit, in spite of sky-high stock prices and its magnet-like attraction to so many investors. Unlike most automakers, who are not stuck with the day-to-day expenses of running individual dealerships, and leave that to privately-owned franchises, Tesla has to eat all of those costs from the company's assets.
Wasn't really defending the Tesla dealership experience but pointing out that they have a different model and different experience. Not going to defend their service experience as i haven't really had that much interaction with them given the car doesn't really need servicing. As a purchase experience, I much prefer the Tesla online and pickup experience vs. the dealer experience of haggling and them upselling things i don't need.
Also, the whole discount to sticker applies because of the middle man selling the car. Take out the middle man and the car sells at invoice...exactly like Tesla. Again, i hate everything about the dealer experience.
Also, the whole discount to sticker applies because of the middle man selling the car. Take out the middle man and the car sells at invoice...exactly like Tesla. Again, i hate everything about the dealer experience.
dealers are there to take as much from a person as they can when they buy a car, and take as much as possible from a person when they bring their car in for service. And service is the biggest money maker in the dealership. That largely goes away with EVs - another reason the traditional dealer model will make no sense down the road.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,226
Likes: 222
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
And it's not just matter of my opinion vs. someone else's. Too many sources (and too many for me to list here) verify that Tesla loses money on each vehicle it sells....it has been doing so since the day it opened its first store.
Last edited by mmarshall; Aug 2, 2021 at 07:14 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,285
Likes: 311
From: ON/NY
So, they are designated by the licensing authority in every State they exist in as a dealership but they are actually not a dealership? It goes back to the way they are run by intent. Got it!
I really don't understand why people want to spend an inordinate amount of time defending the grand Tesla experiment. They sell every car at sticker with no discount, have the lowest rated service experience in the industry year after year, and produce stories weekly of atrocities taking advantage of their customers. But, somehow this is the wave of the future?
I really don't understand why people want to spend an inordinate amount of time defending the grand Tesla experiment. They sell every car at sticker with no discount, have the lowest rated service experience in the industry year after year, and produce stories weekly of atrocities taking advantage of their customers. But, somehow this is the wave of the future?