[Envoy4Life]

GM Uses Gift Cards to Improve Recall Fix Rate
Left Lane News
November 4, 2014
By: Justin King

General Motors has reportedly begun offering gift cards to help improve the fix rate for the ignition-switch recall.

If owners bring in their defective cars before December 1, they can choose a $25 gift card for Amazon, AMC, Applebee's, Bass Pro Shops, Red Robin, Starbucks or Walmart, according to Automotive News.

The company is under pressure to improve the repair completion rate for millions of vehicles included in the ignition-switch recall and other campaigns. The company has already fixed over half of the cars listed in the ignition-switch recall, however nearly a million vehicles remain unrepaired.

Owners are being notified of the gift-card promotion via letters in the mail, separate from the basic safety alerts that have already been distributed.

Aside from the mail campaign, which will likely be inadvertently ignored by many owners, the company is also using targeted online ads to serve as an additional reminder and help improve the fix rate.

 

[ChrisGinNC]

How could you not know about the recall? Do these people not watch Television or use the internet? If they do know, why wouldn't they bring their vehicle in? They have to be incentivized to get their deathtrap fixed.

 

[lam]

That says more about the Experience at GM dealers as a whole............

 

[goatgary]

According to another report I saw today, many dealers have put people on waiting lists, some of which have more than a hundred customers in line in front of them.
Not sure how dealers can keep up with all the recalls, in addition to the ignition switch, that cover some 30M vehicles. That equals 2 years worth of all the vehicles sold in the US by all manufacturers.

 

[Fyeoms]

I took my Vue in for the Recall before they had paperwork telling the dealership about the recall. I am first in line, that was over a month ago and they are still waiting on the part to come in!

 

[donmateo]

So my 2012 Impala has not been "fixed" does that mean I get a gift card? How do they determine this, as I really don't find the "issue" to be an issue at all given I don't put 1000lbs of stuff on my keys. Hell, for $25 gift card, I may, though.

 

[dslay04]

How could you not know about the recall? Do these people not watch Television or use the internet? If they do know, why wouldn't they bring their vehicle in? They have to be incentivized to get their deathtrap fixed.

Sometimes it's just about scheduling. I know I've been waiting for my oil change to get it done.

 

[Orbit Orange]

I just got a recall for our 2009 G8 GT ignition switch. It says they don't have parts yet for it though and I should wait until they are in. Don't think I can get that gift card. I probably won't bring it in anyway unless they want to send me a $25 gift card or until some other issue comes up that calls for service.

 

[TheBUC]

How could you not know about the recall? Do these people not watch Television or use the internet? If they do know, why wouldn't they bring their vehicle in? They have to be incentivized to get their deathtrap fixed.

My dealer told me it was a 4 to 6 week wait from the time I got on their waiting list, it's been 7 weeks now and no call.

 

[bonecrrusher]

I just took in my 2014 SS for 4 recalls... wheres my gift card?

 

[osbornk]

I would think would really make the folks who followed the rules and had the recall done already really mad. Is that a way to make customers loyal and buy another GM product?

 

[BlackGTP]

I think the chance of death is be enough of a reason to bring a car in for the recall. It's crazy that GM has to do this to get people to bring in their cars.

 

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

If GM is giving gift cards for this recall - they should give a gift card for EVERY recall they issue when the work is completed.

My 2014 Impala 2LTZ has been recalled twice since I purchased it new (now 3,xxx miles) and I've learned there is a third pending recall that I haven't receive the notice yet.

It is an inconvenience to return a new vehicle (made by the "New GM") to have it repaired under a recall - additional mileage put on the vehicle, wasted gas and the worst - wasted time.

 

[SlayerX11]

Your surprised ppl dont know about this recall? There are ppl that have no idea who the president, vice president or even who the governor of the state is let alone today is election day.

 

[sepi]

Dear Total Recall Motors Buyer,

We sold you a death trap. And we did nothing to prevent you from getting injured until the heat was on.

Please accept this $1.95 gift card as a token of our concern for your safety.

Regards

Witch Bara, An Engineer by trade and Sgt Schultz before Congress.

 

[impala02]

I would think would really make the folks who followed the rules and had the recall done already really mad. Is that a way to make customers loyal and buy another GM product?

Is it GM's fault that the customer hasn't contacted a dealer to get the recall completed? GM is under pressure to increase the recall "fix" rate and decided that $25 may help that out. Instead of being mad at GM, maybe the "folks" should be mad at the customers who have disregarded the recalls. And a $25 gesture is going to make a loyal customer switch brands? Geesh, just ask for $25 off of the

Detroit News
Karl Brauer, senior director of insights for Kelley Blue Book, said GM is taking an atypical approach to ensuring more people get their vehicles fixed.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Brauer said. “It’s another kind of break from GM’s past, putting this extra effort and resources into getting people to respond to these recall notices. It just shows a heightened level of commitment to fix these ignition switches.”

 

[1958carnut]

That says more about the Experience at GM dealers as a whole............

That pretty much sums up my feelings as well. Can't seem to get in, always booked one way or another. Which is why I've said before that at the rate things are going my next vehicle may not be GM after five in a row now. I'm about ready to tell them to go to Hell. It doesn't matter whether it's Cadillac/Chevrolet or Buick/GMC. Dealer experiences seem to be the same.

 

[paul8488]

Why not, I figure... but why try and rush people to get in if there are apparently long waiting lists? I guess they just want them in and on the list before it's totally forgotten?

 

[Citation84]

My experience has been that they don't call you when the parts are in. I;ve had to call them after weeks of expecting to hear from them. First time they told me they would call I wasn't even put on any list. Finally after I called to ask when I could schedule, the put me on the list. Then never called to tell me the parts were in. Same thing with the power steering recall.

I have been considering a Sonic but 10 years of fighting that stupid ignition switch on my ION and the power steering recall still to be done, three hour waits for oil changes, I feel like I've given GM more than their share of my good will. Who knows what sorts of recalls I could expect with a Sonic.

The Sonic is a nice package and I'm ready to try a different sort of body configuration [5 door], but the 80s style digital dash, no temp gauge [are you kidding me ?] and timing belt on the trim level I'd buy are real negatives to me. Add in the recalls already issued and the handling of the ones I've had on the dealer level dampen my enthusiasm for a GM product. Perhaps a different dealer, or an offering from a different company would be in order at this point.

Just my thoughts from my experiences, not an attempt to get in a slam at GM or start a flame war. I've had GM cars for the last 25 years. I'm not convinced the "New GM" is building better cars even though their offerings are getting better.

 

[spd98]

I got shafted on the solstice repair, and I don't like the G8 repair but they don't have parts anyway....