Cadillac offers Best Customer Service

[Flybrian]

Cadillac sits atop survey for luxury brand satisfaction

Thursday, July 05, 2007 | Don Hammonds | Link to Original Article @ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cadillac, once known as "The Standard of the World," may want to dust off that old title.

When it comes to customer service, a Business Week survey put the company third in a group of 25 "luxury or specialty" brands or companies, including those not in an automotive-related business. When it comes to cars, Cadillac outranked stalwarts such as Lexus and Porsche.

Business Week supplemented 2006 data from J.D.Power & Associates with a survey of about 3,000 Business Week readers who were asked to nominate three companies that offered the best customer service.

In the end, Cadillac was outranked by only insurance company USAA and the Four Seasons hotel chain, beating firms such as Nordstrom, Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton and Southwest Airlines.

"The fact is that most people in America wouldn't believe that an American car company would place that high. But these are people whose perceptions of our quality are based on 10, 20, 30 years ago, when frankly we weren't doing that great a job," Cadillac spokesman Kevin Smith said.

Moreover, the Business Week study isn't the only feather in Cadillac's hat. In a survey done by the Luxury Institute, wealthy customers rated Cadillac, Lexus and Acura as the three luxury auto brands that delivered the best customer experience in 2007, with Cadillac topping the list.

"It's significant to see American icon Cadillac rise solidly to achieve the No. 1 rating with highly discerning wealthy owners in our impartial surveys," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. He said the brands that were rated in the survey included Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes and Volvo.

What's Cadillac doing right?

Giving dealers lots of authority to get things done, and not being hidebound and rigid when it comes to pleasing customers, for one thing.

"What Business Week found were a lot of good comments from dealers talking about how they now have what they need the most: lots of latitude to do whatever it takes to please customers no matter what," said Dave Caldwell, Cadillac communications manager. That even includes the ability to honor a warranty that has expired.

"An important part of the luxury component is the experience part of it, it's not just about the business. The reason that brands like Ritz Carlton or Nordstrom did well on the survey is because those brands pay attention not just to the tangible elements, but to the intangibles, and so does Cadillac," Mr. Caldwell said.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'll say again, my Cadillac dealer *always* goes the extra mile for me.

[balthazar]

>>"...lots of latitude to do whatever it takes to please customers no matter what"<<

And that's EXACTLY how GM achieved 52-ish% of the market: the individual Divisions likewise set their own destinies via discretionary budgets and authoratative general managers. Hopefully this service model will be extended to the Core Divisions in other manners, and none too soon.

[Camino LS6]

>>"...lots of latitude to do whatever it takes to please customers no matter what"<<

And that's EXACTLY how GM achieved 52-ish% of the market: the individual Divisions likewise set their own destinies via discretionary budgets and authoratative general managers. Hopefully this service model will be extended to the Core Divisions in other manners, and none too soon.

[gm4life]

This is good news just like the award the DTS won for highest customer satisfaction. Cadillac has great dealer's and excellent products. Lets just keep it that way... If I have heard it once I heard this a million times... "Any man that has ever dreamed... Dreamed of owning a Cadillac!"

[big blue]

Congrats Cadillac. Now how did Acura get anywhere near the top three? So far every Acura dealer I've been to hasn't been a awe-inspiring memory or anything.

[Drew Dowdell]

This is good news just like the award the DTS won for highest customer satisfaction. Cadillac has great dealer's and excellent products. Lets just keep it that way... If I have heard it once I heard this a million times... "Any man that has ever dreamed... Dreamed of owning a Cadillac!"

my post count is only about 4,800

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

This is good news just like the award the DTS won for highest customer satisfaction. Cadillac has great dealer's and excellent products. Lets just keep it that way... If I have heard it once I heard this a million times... "Any man that has ever dreamed... Dreamed of owning a Cadillac!"

Excellent post!

Cadillac should modify it for marketing use.

Seriously GM; excellent job but PLEASE inform the consumer about this and all of your other accomplishments (This year especially has been a watershed year for accomplishments)

[gm4life]

GM should your so right Future of GM, and also they should take it a step futher and market the award the DTS got for highest customer satisfaction. All good things.

[DetroitNut90]

If Cadillac can best USAA in this survey, the results would really speak for themselves. My parents' company gets a lot of work from USAA...they're fiercely protective of their clients and will do what is needed to keep them happy.

Still, impressive work.

[Clownzilla]

If Cadillac can best USAA in this survey, the results would really speak for themselves. My parents' company gets a lot of work from USAA...they're fiercely protective of their clients and will do what is needed to keep them happy.

Still, impressive work.

I don't know much about USAA, but I know a few people that has stayed at a Four Seasons resort, and every person said that they go to insane lengths to make the customer happy (and keep them that way). Cadillac should be proud to be in these ranks, and they need to stay up there too!

[dimitri0917]

"Any man that has ever dreamed... Dreamed of owning a Cadillac!"

Cadillac should use that when they end Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit. But they should change "any man" to anyone" to keep the fairer sex off thier backs.

And Cadillac must be good if they beat Nordstrom. On more than on occasion, I bought shoes from Nordstrom, wore them once for an event, and took them back for the same value. Thats a hell of a good deal. Can you do that in a Caddy? Can't do that in a Lexus or BMW :AH-HA_wink:

[lakefire]

I am a USAA member and I have services with them in banking, loans, and insurance and they are easily the best big company I've ever worked with. I am delighted to be one of the few that is a member.

[GMman]

Great article!