Comments on: Brand Perception. Does BMW Care?

By: Scot

Scot — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:22:22 +0000

Wow Angelo, what a dumb comment. The sales office had a huge BMW badge across the front door. The service centre had a huge BMW badge across the front door. The showroom had BMW signs all over the walls and the only things they sold were BMWs. As the customer, if it looks like a pig and squeals like a pig… it’s a pig. Corporate dealership/head office relationships are of no interest to the consumer. That’s for the company, to manage. The customer’s interaction and experience is on the frontline with the brand. That’s where the brand has to perform. ‘BMW AG’ (whatever that is) needs to come down from its Bavarian tower and hit the streets. Besides, the dealer simply relayed head office instructions.

By: angelo

angelo — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:40:16 +0000

this is about one particular dealership, not BMW as a corpoation, had you instead contacted BMW AG directly, the outcome would definitely have been different. As a BMW driver you should have thought this through.

By: Scot

Scot — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:18:56 +0000

Yep. Agreed. We’re in violent agreement. Excellent. Time to fix another of the world’s problems then. And maybe a donut. S

By: Papabear

Papabear — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:26:26 +0000

I am not worthy to respond to such greatness and quiver before your notions of form and function. However, it’s not the brand they need to work on, but the delivery of product and service to meet the expectations generated through the brand. But that might be what you meant to say. I can do patronising quite well.

By: Scot

Scot — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:59:44 +0000

Thanks Papabear, I don’t think I’ve been ‘hoisted by a petard’ since my headmaster used the same expression for something undoubtedly trivial some years ago… I take your point however and I certainly empathise with the pain, but I sincerely hope the brand is not bollocks and that, as one of the industry’s practitioners, I might pass on the proposed sodding. I think for brands to reach their full potential, there has to be ‘belief’ – the company and the customers have to believe in it. Interestingly, you believe in the product function (‘I want my merc back’) but not the form (‘it’s all bollocks’). BMW, Audi, Mercedes etc. will continue to manufacture and sell cars – but they will only maximise their return when form and function are aligned, because that’s how customer satisfaction is achieved. For now though, you are dissatisfied with the function (of your Audi) and we are both dissatisfied with the form (BMW/Mercedes service). In my mind, that means they both need to work on their brand… S

By: Steve Thomas

Steve Thomas — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:13:20 +0000

Joy !

By: Papabear

Papabear — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:12:53 +0000

Scot, on a personal level I offer you empathy and sympathy. But, in the cold, objective light of electronic communication I can say that you have hoisted yourself with your own petard. Your story sounds like the Brand let-down I had with Mercedes. However, our stories are more of a comment about suckers like you and me that fall for this Brand spin than anything else.

My merc was written off simply because the insurance rep felt that the carpet ‘felt a little damp’ after I had driven through a flooded road for about 20 secs. Everything on the magnificant e-class worked perfectly. I asked for mercedes to intervene and got an infuriating Customer Services spin from their UK head-office that put me through the roof. Bottom-line- they don’t give a shit. The brand is bollocks. So I decided, like you, to spurn the mercedes brand and went for Audi (such quality of build, such ‘vorsprung dur technickers’ or whatever they sprout). 2 weeks after my new A6 arrived a pidgeon hit the radiator and it was out of action for 6 weeks. The A6 is just not the same as the mercedes. I want my merc back! Sod the brand, sod the spin and sod the companies that help them, trust your own judgement. You of all people should know that! Yes, by all means help customers pitch their brand the way they want, but as a customer it’s all bollocks and not to be believed.

But I’m sorry for you experience nonetheless.

By: Scot

Scot — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:09:27 +0000

Thanks Steve. I’ve no doubt BMW’s brand guardians would be frustrated. Their challenge then, is to implement a process where they can influence and improve the customer experience. I didn’t even hear from BMW Customer Services with an explanation – just a ‘no’ handed down to the dealership. If that’s the best they’ve got, they don’t deserve the sympathy.

By: Steve Fair

Steve Fair — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:58:59 +0000

Great account, well written. Excellent usage of “betterer” too! Seems a shame that they missed a trick though – I imagine the people who spend their lives working out brand guidelines and values see things like this and feel like tearing their hair out!