Hi there:
We were once satisfied Kia owners and we welcome returning to the ranks of satisfied customers!
As you read this, please appreciate how rare it is for me to post the info below:
- I am respected worldwide as a professional business Coach - I know how to help leaders get better results. Was just named in the top 100 of the top corporate coaches in the world (by the largest coaching portal).
- Last month I was the Annual Conference Chair for the International Customer Service Association, ICSA.
- In my world-class Service, Satisfaction and RetentionTeleClass and Keynote program, we introduce the Customer D-E-L-I-T-E formula
Summary: I know how to coach professionals and leaders to keep a customer satisfied, even delighted. Still, we have found ourselves on the raw end of the deal with KIA.
That said, perhaps this case study will be of help to you and others. We are quite frankly at the end of our rope dealing with Kia management
- right up to the Presidents office. Their dealer reps and mechanics are equally frustrated and openly laugh at HQ lack of support for customers and their dealer needs. In fact, our own local KIA dealer confided they closed as a direct result of examples like ours.
Here's the snapshot:
Sept 2004 - On turning the ignition key, the battery blew up under the hood. Lots of witnesses (Costco parking lot) including an off-duty police officer. Car was towed and next day KIA MADE US PAY to replace the battery! Not good customer service! The Kia President's office sits on a confirmed receipt email for 7 days. When asked, they claimed: 'forgot' to pass this exploding battery case to Customer Care.
Summary: Sept - May 2005 (yes that is nine - 9 months): the car has been in repeatedly for servicing (most recently for over 5 weeks!) as it stalls in traffic and the tachometer races without warning - many near fatal accidents. Kia calls us liars as they claim if their diagnotics don't pick up on our reported incidents - 'they are not happening' (yes that is a direct quote).
Some more facts to ponder:
Jan 2005: 1 day (specifically 25 hours) after getting the car back from yet another service check, it CONTINUES to stall and the tach races - causes the car to lurch forward without notice - Need to be very alert to brake fast enough to avoid accident. Started keeping at least 1 car length back - even at a stoplight!
February 2005: after being called liars, we started keeping a live log in the car. In just 3 weeks we documented over 60 incidents - each time with witnesses in the car at that specific time.
March 2005: Our son passes his drivers licence and we are concerned he doesn't have the experience to know how to react to this kind of car problem. Actually, nobody should ever have to!
June 2005: Kia mechanic calls to say they THINK they have found the problem - relates to corrossion under the hood. EXCUSE ME!!!! We knew to the second when the corrossion started (battery blew up) - why did it take them 9 months to figure that out. And why have we been driving an unsafe vehicle?
June 2005: we just got our car back after it being serviced for almost
6 weeks. The mechanic confides that he isn't sure they fixed it - but doesn't know what else to do!!!Now what?
We still have 1.5 years on the lease with this unsafe car. We would like Kia to release us from this lease and destroy the car (don't let anyone else drive an unsafe car)
Your help and insights are welcome.
... Paul Litwack the Capability Improvement Coach