So this is my first letter, obviously I couldn't cover everything but thought id get the ball rolling.
Dear ...
I have been given your email in regards to wanting Sir Jim Ratcliffe to see my email and hope this could be passed on with thanks.
Dear Sir Jim Ratcliffe,
I hope this email finds you well.
First of all, I would like to extend my congratulations on the Ineos Grenadier - it is an exceptional vehicle that many of us are truly passionate about, The rugged design, engineering integrity, and functionality pf the Grenadier have garnered admiration from off-road enthusiasts and vehicle lovers alike, myself included (Trialmaster delivered From Portsmouth April 23 and 30,000 miles already).
However, while there is a great deal of positive feedback from the community, there are some ongoing concerns that have come to my attention, which I feel compelled to share. The concerns are many but primarily centred around a few key areas:
1. Service Manual Availability:
Many owners have expressed difficulty in accessing detailed service manuals, which are crucial for those who prefer to perform their own maintenance, want a better understanding of their vehicles inner workings or simply live a few hundred miles from their nearest Ineos service centre.
2. Customer Service Response Times, Raising tickets etc:
Several owners have reported that the customer service experience has been far from ideal, with slow or even no response times and unresolved queries causing huge frustration, Currently, it appears that service managers are unable to order parts etc when they are needed. Instead, they are required to go through Ineos by raising a ticket, which results in delays as they wait for a response-sometimes for days or even weeks. These delays in obtaining essential parts can and have lead to frustration for both service departments and customers who are relying timely repairs and maintenance.
This indirect process, while it may have its rationale, is causing unnecessary downtime for the vehicles, negatively impacting customer satisfaction and the overall ownership experience. Allowing service managers to have more direct access to ordering parts or streamlining the ticketing process to ensure quicker responses, could resolve the issue and prevent prolonged delays.
3. Delivery Delays:
There have also been instances where parts, accessories or even the vehicle itself have not arrived on schedule, leading to a sense of disappointment among buyers.
The Grenadier has the potential to build a loyal and enthusiastic customer base, but addressing not only these issues pointed out here but many more online is crucial to maintaining that positive momentum.
I have spoken with a number of owners and gathered some of their specific questions and concerns, which they would love the opportunity to raise with you directly. I would be happy to share this feedback with your team if it could be of assistance in improving these areas.
Additionally, we would appreciate the opportunity to meet with yourself or any of your directors, so we can communicate these concerns and suggestions in person. This would provide us with the chance to address the issues in a more direct and constructive manner.
Thank you for your time and consideration, and again, Congratulations on what is a remarkable achievement with the Grenadier. I look forward to seeing how INEOS continues to evolve this vehicle and its customer experience in the future.
Kind regards
Annee Blue-Sky
What would you say if you could?
I would say that if you were to send your email to Calder in bullet-point form she would agree with most of them
Here is what Calder said...
Lynn Calder, chief executive of Ineos Automotive, insists her company’s problems are not quite that bad. But she is quick to add the car industry is “definitely not for the faint-hearted”.
“I certainly wouldn’t say it’s been the worst year of my life,” she says. “But it’s been extremely difficult. And that’s why people don’t get into the automotive business.
“The barriers to entry – the investment requirements, the complexity, all of those things – are just huge.”
Designing a car, Calder points out, is often the easiest part. It is finding a way to mass produce your vehicle that is much more difficult, coupled with building a resilient supply chain.
But Calder admits Ineos also tripped itself up with early business decisions – taken before her arrival – that she would not have made in retrospect.
For example, the company initially marketed the Grenadier as a “stripped-down”, functional vehicle – but the final version ended up boasting much higher specifications.
“We talked about this car as a farmer’s car,” she explains. “We said it’s going to be cheap and utilitarian. But over the development of the vehicle that changed – we put a BMW engine in it, for goodness sake.
“So it’s a really nice car, it’s a premium car. But it means we now need to talk about the car differently.”
Another early blunder was the company’s decision to pursue a direct-to-consumer sales model, rather than entrusting sales to dealerships.
Many carmakers have recently looked at adopting this “agency” model, used by Ineos in markets such as the UK and Germany, but Calder believes it was a mistake.
The company is now in the process of striking deals with dealers in every market so that they will take over the selling.
“It was an example of us thinking we can do something better than dealers who’ve been doing it for over 100 years,” she admits.
“Let’s just let the people with decades of sales experience do their job.”
For Calder, the answer is to stay tough in the face of obstacles – a bit like the Grenadier itself.
“To have production down at this point when we’re really gaining momentum is frustrating, for sure,” she says.
“But it’s not going to break us.” "
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