To Infiniti and Beyond (with customer service and PR)
This happened to me 10 minutes ago. I received a FedEx envelope unexpectedly. It’s from Infiniti (Nissan Motors USA). I purchased an Infiniti EX in late December.
Turns out, according to the letter enclosed in the FedEx, the window sticker on my vehicle listed a “rollover sensor” as standard equipment. Two questions immediately come to mind. First, what is a “rollover sensor”? Second, if you’re going to rollover, or already have done so, what good is a sensor at that point? It’s like a Google alert that says “guess what, you’re losing your ass in the stock market”. A little late.
I continue reading the letter…Apparently they did NOT include the rollover sensor in the car, and in fact had never planned to do so. However, because it was listed as included on the window sticker, Infiniti will immediately write me a check for $2000 or BUY THE CAR BACK FROM ME. Again, questions come to mind. First, how fired is the person that included “rollover sensor” on the window sticker, and how glad is that person that they work in the U.S. instead of Malaysia or someplace where I firing squad would be readying? Second, is Infiniti just trying to buy me out of a potential class-action lawsuit? Third, have I ever seen such outrageously amazing customer service and proactive public relations?
I mean seriously. The chances that I would ever know or find out that the sensor was not included is just about nil. And even if I did find out, Infiniti could quite easily give me a free oil change and I’d be totally fine with it.
But to proactively draw my attention to it, send me a FedEx, and buy my silence for two grand? Wow. (Ironically, based on this blog post they have failed to buy my silence, but maybe this whole thing is an elaborate social media experiment by Infiniti to trigger good brand buzz around the EX).
If the Web’s ability to spread news (good and bad) like room temperature butter on a hot English muffin has resulted in this type of corporate get ahead of the curve-ness, then Viva La Web.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:36 am
This is just like back in the day with the Dodge Durango 5.9 R/T with incorrectly stated towing figures and the Mazda RX-8 with a few extra HP numbers based on a different dyno - someone found a meaningless little thing, and then sicked the lawyers on it.
It’s cool that they sent that to you, but it’s not out of the “good of their hearts”, is out of the smack-down that someone’s lawyer is about to give Inifiniti because they said they provided something when they didn’t…
Sucks to be big corporations under the magnifying glass…but hey…$2k is awesome!
May 5th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I nearly purchased an EX until, while testing out the backup camera with the salesman, I hit the car behind me. (He insisted that I continue to back up until the camera’s sensor beeped … needless to say, it never beeped.)
I went with an Audi A3 instead, and with all of the electrical problems this German-made car has had (and after hearing about your FedEx’d letter), I wish I would have gotten the Infiniti.
May 5th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Hi, I just did a google about this and found your blog. Anyways, I received the same letter, but funny thing is, I traded in the EX for the G35. I hated the EX. Anyways, I am going to try and bargain with them, perhaps possibly to lower my monthly payments by about $100, which in my scenario would be the equivalent of $4,000. What are you planning to do? Let me know what your strategies are and if you’re successful.
May 5th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
[...] Jason Baer wrote an interesting post today on To Infiniti and Beyond (with customer service and PR)Here’s a quick excerptHowever, because it was listed as included on the window sticker, Infiniti will immediately write me a check for $2000 or BUY THE CAR BACK FROM ME. Again, questions come to mind. First, how fired is the person that included “rollover … [...]
June 18th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
We received the buy back/$2,000 letter. Curious how many owners have taken the buy back and what was their experience with Nissan/Infinity? Have any owner contacted their dealership about the buy back and what did they say? How was your buy back calculated?