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SOUNDBITES: FORD QUALITY
Ford Motor Company continues to deliver vehicles that are satisfying to own and drive, and has the data to back it up. The 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout study, which measures customer satisfaction in design, content and vehicle performance, shows the Ford Brand improved by 17 points and moved up six rank positions from last year. Bennie Fowler, Group Vice President of Quality attributes the come back to a commitment Ford has made in delivering great quality.
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| Cut #1: |
"The investments that we’re making in styling and design, in fuel economy and safety and just overall environmental stewardship are also things that I think that the analysis that we take back from the customers would suggest is that’s what a responsible company should be, and we at the Ford Motor Company are really taking that to heart and we’re working on our execution and I think it’s all paying off now as it shows up in the J.D. Power survey, in Consumer reports and it shows up in our own RDA GQRS survey, so it’s just great to see that we’re hitting on all cylinders as it relates to the consumers and the marketplace.” :36 sec. |
| Fowler did recognize the importance of Ford changing consumers perception of their product and why that might be one of Ford's toughest challenges. | |
| Cut #2: |
"I think it is a challenge, but I think if you look at today’s Ford Motor Company’s vehicles, in terms of the defect level is at an all time low. If you look at the designs, we have from the Ford Motor Company standpoint; they’re really fantastic designs that are resonating in the marketplace. If you look at the proportions of the vehicles, the paints we’re choosing, materials that we’re using, the fabrics that we’re using in our vehicles today, there is something really truly special about what’s happening at Ford, and I think if you add to it the Safety top picks, the focus on fuel economy, it really says that we have the total package and it’s really time for customers to come back in the show room and drive a vehicle today." :36 sec. |
| Ford, Lincoln, Mercury brands have surpassed Honda in RDA Groups first quarter and surpasses Toyota in the same study's second quarter, based on TGW/1000 or things gone wrong per one-thousand vehicles. RDA considers Honda, Toyota and Ford in a statistical tie even though Ford has fewer TGWs/1000 than Toyota and Honda. In this same study, Ford's initial vehicle quality improved 5 percent over last year and its overall customer satisfaction ranking is equivalent to Honda and Toyota. | |
| Cut #3: |
“We’ve really done quite a bit of analysis on what customers say and truly want, and I think that analysis lets our designs resonate, our processes really dictate, we have to deliver to a customer, we’re truly focused on satisfying every customer we have one-hundred percent.” :16 sec. |
| Because of this improved quality, Ford reduced its warranty costs by $1.2 billion (North America) in the last two-years and according to Fowler, that message continues to resonate throughout the company. | |
| Cut #4: |
"That commitment has been going on for quite sometime right now and is really great to see that the results are starting to substantiate that, I mean over the past four or five years you’ve seen, basically a continuous improvement in Fords quality results and this is just another point in time, which says that the commitment we have made from shop floor to the top of the house is working." :21 sec. |
| According to Consumer Reports 2009 Annual Auto issue, 70% of Ford Motor Company's vehicle received 'recommended buys.' and Fowler thinks it's time for consumers to take a second look at Ford's quality. | |
| Cut #5: |
"It’s a great time for all of our customers to come back into the showroom and drive one.” :03 sec. |