[Sugeeta]

Originally Posted by Fusion2006

This morning I was surprised to finally see a half page advert on the cover page of the Hindustan Times for the New Ford Fiesta. A good month has passed by since the launch hasn't it?

Seen the ads. since last week. They seem to be promoting the kinetic blue colour which has the max. waiting.

[mdsaab]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Been called up by the dealer to tell me that I will get the car before 15th September, 2011. I was caught up with family matters and the car booking was completely forgotten.

Many thanks to vb-saan, ghodlur, gemithomas, mdsaab, Fusion2006, Latheesh, swiftnfurious, RaguHolla, Poitive and others for your suggestions and concern.

@RaguHolla, I will write to the top management if now things do not move. Giving Ford Motors one last chance

Yes this is definately the last chance that they should get.
it's been a real long time and you still have not got your Fiesta.
and you still have to wait 3 weeks. If things don't work out, do you have a back up plan? if so what car?

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Been called up by the dealer to tell me that I will get the car before 15th September, 2011.

Giving Ford Motors one last chance

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Yes this is definately the last chance that they should get.
it's been a real long time and you still have not got your Fiesta.
and you still have to wait 3 weeks. If things don't work out, do you have a back up plan? if so what car?

That’s a good question from Mdsaab. If they don’t stick to the schedule of 15th Sep?

Maybe it’s good to look at the alternate options as well. Since you were earlier looking at C+ segment, maybe the new Jetta?

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Been called up by the dealer to tell me that I will get the car before 15th September, 2011. I was caught up with family matters and the car booking was completely forgotten.

Sugeeta,

Have you been alloted a VIN number for the booking? If the dealer is delaying the car then it must be the case that the booking must have not reached Ford at all. Just my opinion. Have you tried contacting fellow Fiesta booking owners to see if they too have been committed the same dates?

[MaserQ]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Been called up by the dealer to tell me that I will get the car before 15th September, 2011.

@RaguHolla, I will write to the top management if now things do not move. Giving Ford Motors one last chance

Sugeeta, please write to the MD himself. You are one of the few Ford loyalists who have decided to upgrade from the old Fiesta to the new one, despite the optimistic pricing. Repeat customers who have stuck around with Ford do not deserve such treatment.

Maybe you could mention Mr. Katoch in particular. Such appalling levels of customer service is simply unacceptable.

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

@RaguHolla, I will write to the top management if now things do not move. Giving Ford Motors one last chance

Sugeeta,

Looks like your woes are over. Congrats. However if things do not move even now and you decide to write to the top management of Ford, can you please copy / paste the mail text to me in a PM? I can forward it to my friend who is at the top in their marketing organogram at their Gurgaon marketing HQ.

I would not have volunteered to do this for anyone considering this guy is a personal friend (was my batchmate in Engineering) and I cannot refer every complaint to him but you have been such a Ford loyalist and even though they priced the car higher than market expectations, you are sticking with Ford. I really admired your sense of loyalty to the Ford brand. MaserQ put my thoughts accurately in the post above. I already told my friend about your situation on phone in general terms. If you need any further help, please PM me.

[Poitive]

@Sugeeta

Ah there! A member comes up to help. You are getting a direct channel into the senior management of Ford. Seems to be a good idea to plunge in and also get to know some senior fellows there, for anything that may crop up in the future.

@NoRules

Great to see this mate! It is people like you and experiences like this which make this forum special. Hope it works out well in the end for Sugeeta.

Message for your Ford: If Ford looses a loyalist like Sugeeta, it needs very deep introspection on what it is there in the market for.

[carfreak77]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Been called up by the dealer to tell me that I will get the car before 15th September, 2011. I was caught up with family matters and the car booking was completely forgotten.

Many thanks to vb-saan, ghodlur, gemithomas, mdsaab, Fusion2006, Latheesh, swiftnfurious, RaguHolla, Poitive and others for your suggestions and concern.

@RaguHolla, I will write to the top management if now things do not move. Giving Ford Motors one last chance

Sugeeta, finally you have got a confirmed date. I hope that they do not extend it beyond 15th Sept. I am really shocked with the way a loyal customer like you has been treated. I would still write to the top management about your situation. They must be atleast made aware of what's going on.
Also, I too have been seeing the Fiesta ads in the newspapers. They promote the Kinetic Blue colour which is supposedly not going to be brought into production for 2 more months. I simply cannot understand how they have gone about all the marketing strategies for this car. A friend of mine was interested in buying the car after checking out mine that he asked the dealer what is the waiting period. He was informed that there is not much of a waitlist (due to high price) but there are no cars being made and sent so delivery would be after 4-5 months. I feel really lucky to get my car when I did!
Hope you get your car way before 15th September. Please continue updating us with every new development!

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by carfreak77

I simply cannot understand how they have gone about all the marketing strategies for this car. A friend of mine was interested in buying the car after checking out mine that he asked the dealer what is the waiting period. He was informed that there is not much of a waitlist (due to high price) but there are no cars being made and sent so delivery would be after 4-5 months. I feel really lucky to get my car when I did!

There was talk on this thread before about the possible production issues in Ford. Your friend's experience adds to that speculation.

A Possibility
Ford may have been in a corner. Having announced the car, they had to deliver it. Production issues may have come into play later. Now in that situation, what could they do? They make a campaign around that issue (delayed production) and try and make it seem like a layer by layer unveiling. And well, they did manage some interest in forum circles at least. (the general public has only now started getting aware of this car). "Optimistic" pricing of this car could also probably been a result of these pricing issues - imagine the situation (and damage to reputation) if they had bookings close to the Fluidic!!!

[MAS]

Guys

Finally got the time to go for a TD of the NFS yesterday evening. Will post a detailed write-up on my experience, but first what I heard from the contact
- Ford planned to produce more petrol cars than diesel. Not sure why? Even the contact was not sure of this strategy
- Ford is trying to create an artificial demand by holding back supplies
- Current waiting period for the TDCi is 2 months.

The particular dealer I went had 110 bookings for NFS before its launch. This dropped down to 25 after the price was announced. Such delays would see numbers going down even further. Not everyone can have the patience like a few members on the forum.

[ajay_satpute]

Ford is in big trouble with the NFF IMO. First, they created all the hype and JUST unvelied the car without any technical or pricing details. Then they 'launched' the car again without price. People went and booked the car in all the excitement. Then came the shocker price and thats it. Dooms day! I know 3 of my friends who had booked NFF diesel and then cancelled the booking and went for either Vento TDi or SX4 D. Amazingly, the sales team at the showroom could not offer anything to retain these 3 customers. Helpless situation.

And now after reading Sugeeta's and others' delievery experiences, IMO Ford is losing the game even further. Gosh! I remember asking thousand queries to our dear BHPian Mustang and searching through Ford UK & US sites umpteen number of times for the all the information I could gather about the NFF. The day the price was announced, all the excitement vanished into thin air and I never spoke about or read much about NFF anywhere. Then I was going through the first NFF thread on TeamBHP and i was shocked even further after reading about the below par plastic and fitment quality.

I am no basher of Ford, infact Ford Endeavour is my most fav SUV in India and Figo was on my radar for a while, but I am disappointed with Ford's approach on NFF. They have failed completely on the strategy front. Ford had an amazing opportunity to rock the C segment, but they did exactly opposite of that.

I see hefty discounts being offered on the NFF in the near future, may be around Diwali festival and that, even though embarrasing, is the only solution. The premium charged on this not-so-premium car is uncalled for.

Would I recommend this car to anyone? Yes, probably, not sure. If budget is not an issue and if you can ignore the quality issues, then its a good choice.

No offense meant to existing or prospective owners of NFF. To each his own.

[sajo]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

If budget is not an issue and if you can ignore the quality issues, then its a good choice.

Unfortunately, these two do not go together. We can take a risk with iffy quality "only" if budget is an issue. As a multiple Tata owner, I should know.
I had hopes from the base diesel, but now I am not very sure. Till date, I havent seen a single NFF outside the showroom.

[Fusion2006]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Ford is in big trouble with the NFF IMO.

...

And now after reading Sugeeta's and others' delievery experiences, IMO Ford is losing the game even further. Gosh! I remember asking thousand queries to our dear BHPian Mustang and searching through Ford UK & US sites umpteen number of times for the all the information I could gather about the NFF. The day the price was announced, all the excitement vanished into thin air and I never spoke about or read much about NFF anywhere. Then I was going through the first NFF thread on TeamBHP and i was shocked even further after reading about the below par plastic and fitment quality.

....

I so agree with you. I had made all my plans to buy this car and spent so many hours of my life following the NFF thread here. All went out of the window when the price was announced, and firmly re-confirmed after my TD of the car.

Ford has definitely missed a chance here, once a car gets a certain image / reputation in India, it's extremely unlikely that will ever change. Even price cuts may not help. Take the Ford Fusion for example, it's a great car that I bought when they reduced the price, but it still couldn't survive in India due to poor initial launch strategy, yet apparently it's still selling well in the UK!

[swiftnfurious]

Edit:: This is why I started the post & forgot to add it.

Saw the first [for me] NFS on road today ! Ever heard of LOVE @ FIRST SIGHT ?!! What a BEAUTY! First impressions for the mere less than 5 seconds I got to watch it. [I was driving & this car came opposite to me, front 50% hidden behind the car in front of it]

1st second - "Which car is this?"
2nd second - "It's so beautiful"
3rd second - "Ohh, Its the NFS"
4th second - "STUNNING, MEAN, SEXY!" [Jaws dropped, eyes popped out, can't really keep my eyes on road !!].
5th second - Car went past, "Wish I could admire the car longer, Sighhh".

The car is definitely a head turner. In my opinion, Verna doesn't come even close in looks department to this car [Strictly personal opinion, please DON'T start a WAR over this comment. I respect what others feel about ANHV, the same way I respect my own findings & ratings. Ohh yeah, I love those different looking cars that stand apart from the cars which just blend in as any other car in the crowd].

My rating for AHNV front "looks" - 4/5
My rating for NFS front "looks" - 4.5/5

Originally Posted by NoRules

....and you decide to write to the top management of Ford, can you please copy / paste the mail text to me in a PM? I can forward it to my friend who is at the top in their marketing organogram at their Gurgaon marketing HQ.

Hats off to your attitude man !

Originally Posted by MAS

- Ford is trying to create an artificial demand by holding back supplies

The particular dealer I went had 110 bookings for NFS before its launch. This dropped down to 25 after the price was announced.

The prospective customers[if any] should kick the strategists' butts to wake them from day dreaming ! What does it have going for them to even claim a fake waiting period? Don't they realize that this strategy will backfire with the competition almost having better edge? Those people who have NOT cancelled their booking also will end up cancelling it.

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

My rating for AHNV front "looks" - 4/5
My rating for NFS front "looks" - 4.5/5

When I saw the two cars for the first time, had thought that the Fluidic looked very good from the rear. NFF looked better from the front though.

Also thought that one may get bored of the Fluidic, but the NFF design should age well. Now, when I see them, already get that feeling. Fluidic is loosing it's charm (though I must say, it has a lot of road presence). NFF seems rather interesting, though it may have to do with it's very very rare sightings!!!

At the rate Ford is going, we just may have to start a thread called "I sighted a NFF"