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Subaru Crew: Official SOA Presence (aka Patti)

bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
edited March 2014 in Subaru
Subaru Crew: Official SOA Presence (aka Patti)
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Comments

  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    I for one really appreciate such an attention from SOA. I'm sure most of us Subaru fans do.
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    Thank you!
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    awesome!
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Patti -- you've got your own topic now! Congratulations!

    BTW, all the terms and conditions you stated make perfect sense.

    Ken
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Patti is now a thread unto herself - a famous board owner! Congratulations!!!

    We hereby agree to the T's & C's.

    Steve
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    and you'll see 'em every time you read here. :)

    congrats, Patti.

    -Colin
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    (ala sports stadium chant)
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    So it sounds as if SOA is behind this, which is great.

    Question: How does this forum relate to other Subie forums here at Edmunds? Do we now post suggestion for future products here? Or do we continue to use the existing forum? What was the motivation for starting this separate forum?

    Bob
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    The purpose in this post was to clarify what I'm doing here. In the past, when there was a customer concern outlined, I would explain why I wasn't sharing "the other side" or what the case file said, so I asked that they put this here so it will eliminate future confusion.

    You all are wonderful and I love it here. Thanks for all of the "love"!

    Patti
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Wow! Patti gets her own office...
     virtual office with windows to the world :-)

    A very promising step taken by SoA.
    Thank You Patti... Thank You SoA

    -Dave
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    an official disclaimer, if you will... That makes sense.

    I'm still somewhat confused as to why and when to post here, however. Don't get me wrong Patti, I love to chat with you, but why would I post here, rather than in on of the established forums?

    I can certainly see posting a 'red flag' type of alert. For example: If there is a discussion going on (elsewhere) that Patti should be aware of, then posting a 'FYI' makes a whole lot of sense. In fact, for that reason alone, this forum would be worth it.

    Bob
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Keep posting at the regular places. It's just a way to not have to "type" how cases/situations are responded to when new folks join us. I hope this helps!

    Patti
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    This is great. It is an idea who's time has come at last. SoA has shown wisdom.

    Ross
  • ffsteveffsteve Member Posts: 243
    I feel better when Patti is around.
    Steve
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hey Patti now that it's Official, do you think this might be news worthy? I don't know of ANY other manufacturer that has direct contact with their user community.

    -mike
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    I'm not sure other's would care about what we're doing. Plus, what if it's a bust? Oh the shame!! (j/k)
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    On the flip side, now that there's an "official" Subaru presence, Edmunds can go to other manufacturers and encourage them to follow suit. It should be a win-win situation all around. The manufacturer gets a forum to address rumors, customer complaints, as well as getting product feedback; the owner of course benefits from these same things; and Edmunds wins big time as it solidifies it's reputation as the premier go-to auto-related web site!

    -Frank P.
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    News worthy?... I say it is.
    What if it's a bust? Unlikely it'll be, but hey, that's why PR uses the term "Pilot Program" ;-)

    -Dave
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    Do you realize what you're getting yourself into? You're just getting in deeper and deeper. You left once but you were sucked back in. There's no escape now. :-)

    DaveM
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I dunno, a subaru ad campaign something like...

    # of companies with AWD std on all their cars: 1
    # of companies with something else unique to subaru: 1
    # of companies with Reps who are available on the internet: 1

    "Subaru we are out there with you in the real world working to find out what YOU want in our cars"

    -mike
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    "Subaru we are out there with you in the real world working to find out what YOU want in our cars"

    Which in Mike's case is anything... as long as it's big, boxy and has an 8-cylinder with lots of torque! :-)

    -Frank P.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    IMO the part about respect for privacy is important, and you're walking that tight rope between helping owners while still keeping matters confidential.

    We all appreciate your presence here, and how well you balance the two. Indeed, setting the standard for other manufacturers to follow.

    To them I say: dream on! HA HA! :o)

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Is this worthy of an article in DRIVE magazine? Pattie, what do you think?

    Bob
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • fryingbolognafryingbologna Member Posts: 85
    Im press ive! Will your vast powers extend into the Great White North, Patti, or are we stuck with the contact-less Subaru Canada website?

    We might get moonroofs on our manual XTs, but y'all have Patti on your team. No contest. USA wins again!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    There used to be a guy from SOC here at Edmunds. He was never as active as Patti, however. Whatever happened to him?

    Bob
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    I believe you are referring to Greg Edwards (at least I believe that was the name). We communicated a couple of times via email and he was helpful on a minor matter. I have no idea what happened to him though.

    Ross
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    So, if Patti will be reading through the other topics, what should be posted here? Any correspondence that is specifically for Patti?

    Ken
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Anything that you want Pattie to be aware of specifically, even if it's posted somewhere else.

    Bob
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Patti:

      Welcome, and Congratulations on your own page! Between this site and the US News article, you are quite the Subaru prize.

    Mark
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    What's this about? Did I miss something?

    Bob
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Patti,

    That is wonderful news for you and for SoA. All of the other resources referenced in the article refer to Federal, state and local agencies and private, fee-for-service consumer advocates, but you are the only example cited of an actual manufacturer representative taking an active role in rectifying customer complaints.

    It speaks volumes about you and the company that is standing behind you. Congratulations - I'm sincerely happy for you!

    Ed
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    Patti,
    Nice article from USNWR. Great to have you here officially.

    Bruce
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Wow Patti!

    Excerpt from US News & World Report "Patricia Mickel... a corporate captain who's a consumer crusader in disguise."

    High praise indeed from a respected source.

    -Frank P.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/030818/misc/18help.htm
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    and well deserved, I might add.

    Patti, how did this come about?

    Bob
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    One of the men in my dept. is involved with SOCAP (Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals). They interviewed him and asked about customer complaints on the internet. He referred them to me because he knew I did "something" on the web. I spoke to the reporter and explained that it does not always fall on deaf ears and pointed out Edmunds as a good resource for consumers. I chatted a bit about what goes on here and the rest has resulted in a lot of co-workers saying "aye aye". I wish they had spoken more about this site, but I guess because it wasn't an "automotive" article, they didn't go into it as much.

    It's fun though!

    Patti
  • earthwomanearthwoman Member Posts: 47
    And we all thought you were only our Subie Goddess.

    Well, you can be both! Excellent combination of grace and assertiveness.

    Rebecca
  • corkfishcorkfish Member Posts: 537
    Just want to say that I'm very happy with the Forester XT. I've been looking for a muscle car that an adult can drive ( wouldn't embarrass me or make me look like an ego maniac) and this thing fit the bill. If the quality holds up, I'm a convert from Nissan and will buy another one in 5 or 6 years. Pass that along to your associates at Subaru.
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    I'll share your comments. Everyone loves to hear about "conquest" sales from other manuf.

    I hope you have many safe and trouble free miles. Join our chat tomorrow night here at Edmunds!

    Patti
  • grovercgroverc Member Posts: 34
    I just bought a Subaru Legacu L SE sedan two weeks ago this Saturday. I'm a consumer who buys a lot of cars -- it's where all my money goes! Anyway, I have been searching for Subaru information for some time now, and I just stumbled on to this thread. I must say, I am simply floored -- in a good way -- that Subaru has an official representative here at Edmunds.

    For what it's worth, I am 36-year-old male in Indiana. I have purchased four cars new: a Volkswagen, a Dodge, a Mazda and now the Subaru. I have also purchased one used Honda, three used VWs, a used SAAB, three used Oldsmobiles and an old MGB.

    Generally, I end up leaving automotive brands because I get so disgruntled with customer service after the sale (SAAB and Mazda have been okay). Of course, I just may be too fussy. <grin>

    The very fact that Subaru is attempting this makes me feel that they must really care, at some level, about my satisfaction.

    This is AWESOME. Thanks Subaru, and a really BIG thanks, to you, Patti!
  • grovercgroverc Member Posts: 34
    Hi Patti,

    I have a question regarding how Subaru trains sales people and dealers when interacting with customers. It seems that manufacturers will never take a stand against a dealer, yet dealers can easily sour a would-be loyal customer. Nearly every salesman I have ever dealt with knows little about the car he is selling, often misrepresenting features, and will literally say anything to get the sale. Once the car is purchased, I don't think I have ever heard back from the sales person or the dealer. Does Subatru do anything to nurture better dealerships?

    Case in point, when I bought my Subaru, my salesman insisted the car had a factory alarm, and needed no maintnenace other than oil changes for the first 100,000 miles. He actually told me this as a selling point, insisting that if I did have any other maintenenace performed it would be throwing away money! He went as far as to say, "A Subaru is the cheapest car to maintain that you can buy." Luckily, I knew what he was saying was not true the car doesn't even have an alarm). While I didn't like his untrue statements, it seemed to be on par with every other salesman.

    Now, if a manufactuer could produce a great dealer experience, I would be the most loyal customer ever. I would even overlook problems with the car if a dealer treated me like a person and not as a revenue.
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    and thanks for the supportive comments! You've made a VERY valid point. We've been working on a training initiative throughout our organization for the past 4 years. Our goal is to offer dealer training that is easily accessible, informative, and useful. While it's not exactly "required" for sales people at this time, it is being rolled into part of the "Standards" of operation that will establish a dealer as a Stellar Performer. Our Stellar Performer program will help dealers identify issues within their facility and help find ways to improve their operation. If the dealer is smart, wants to make money and retain their customer base, they are jumping in with full commitments. You'll be hearing more about this in the near future.

    We do a lot of surveys and we take the information seriously. That information is fed back to the regional offices and to the dealership for opportunities to fix the problems. The scores also role into the Stellar Performers program.

    It's a lot to explain. Suffice it to say, make sure you outline what happened in your survey! Also, our 800 center is not outsourced and the Reps. are empowered to take care of problems in partnership with your dealer, so make sure you call if you have a problem.

    Stay tuned to Drive (our customer magazine) and our web site Subaru.com for information about our latest initiatives. I'm pretty psyched about them
    and I'm not easy to please.

    Patti
  • jlemolejlemole Member Posts: 345
    You gotta love Subaru for having the foresight to put Patti on the front lines interacting with consumers on a day-to-day basis. I've now owned my first Subaru for almost a year and between the SOA website, MySubaru, Drive Mag, and Patti I am genuinely impressed at the company's desire to listen/help its buyers. This alone is reason enough for me to buy another Subaru when the time comes....right around Legacy MY05's intro!

    Patti, where can we find out which dealers are Stellar Performers, and which dealers have "Master Techs"?

    Jon
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Do I get to be "Ed McMahon" to your Johhny at the chats patti?? LOL

    Heeeeeeere's Patti!!! :)

    Hope to see EVERYONE tonight!!

    Welcome to the Subaru Crew's Weekly Chat!

    The Subaru Crew meets every Thursday at 6PM PT/9PM ET... stop by and join us to talk Subaru or anything else automotive that might come up! Hope to see you there tonight!

    /direct/view/.eea5f48

    PF Flyer
    Host
    Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
  • rangerron7rangerron7 Member Posts: 317
    The USNWR mention is a real tribute to your and Subaru's customer service commitment. It was one of the factors in deciding to buy a second Sube' when my wife needed a new vehicle.
    Thanks,
    Ron
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    it's more like me aching to be YOUR Ed McMahon - (and Juice's). Except - you can play him when you come knocking at my door with that Publishers Clearing House check!

    Patti

    P. S. - see you all tonight at the chat!

    Patti
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,396
    Patti,

    Have a great vacation!

    Jim
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    I promise to catch up quickly when I get home. Have a wonderful week everyone!

    Patti
This discussion has been closed.

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