Media Webchat: Fritz Henderson to Answer Media Questions
General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson will host a media Webchat right here on Fastlane next Tuesday, June 16, from 2 to 2:45 p.m. EDT to answer reporters’ questions about GM’s reinvention and other activities.
Immediately following the Webchat, Henderson will respond to consumer questions via Twitter from 2:45 – 3:15 p.m., from the @gmblogs account Looking forward to hearing from you. - Christopher Barger, Director Social Media
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Hello Mr. Henderson,
After watching the dealer hearings on Friday, I agree that GM dealerships that have consistent low customer satisfaction scores should be closed and I have no sympathy for them. Good riddance. However, I do question how GM’s closing other dealerships will have a positive influence on GM’s bottom line except to stifle competition and result in increasing the prices paid by consumers. It’s like a dominant air carrier driving other carriers out of its hub city. After the others leave, the remaining carrier can charge whatever it wants (or at least whatever the market will bear) for service out of its hub. With little remaining competition, service levels usually decline too, because there’s no motivation to provide it. Either fly us, or take a bus. Thank you.
It would be nice to see the G8 v6 and v8 become the Chevrolet CHEVELLE and CHEVELLE Super Sport respectively; they’re already sold in the Middle East and Africa as Chevys.
The Impala model line would be best used for a high-volume, mass-market, front wheel drive sedan. The formerly proposed G8 ST could be brought over as the Chevrolet El Camino.
The Reatta was Buick’s last 2-seater, but I think Wildcat would be a great name for a Sky replacement and could bring some enthusiast interest into Buick showrooms.
When are you going to update GM’s outdated and stale logo? If there is really going to be a “new GM” you have get rid of all reminders of the “old GM.” It will be tough to to think of a “new GM” if every time potential customers drive into one of your dealers they still see the old logo.
I have 2 questions (mostly i will miss the session , so asking now iself )
1) Talking GM Quality : I have a friend who owns a 2009 uplander ( Canada ), he brought it 2-3 weeks back and now he has a check engine light on ( was coming on and off and then became constantly one ) , and today he has bring it back to dealership. He dialed onstar and they said its a power train issue and the dealer said its some valve issue, and there is not cordination between onstar and dealer. Dealer fixed something but he got more confused/ upset and saying his 10 year old import never went back to dealership any time after he brought for any issues like this. He was even upset on me for recommending an american car and worried on hard earned dollars he put it on the uplander.
To be true : GM had to really make quality cars instead of saying its a perception and we changed it.How you plan to tackle this kind of issues.
2) Last day there was a speculation on the 2 mode Buick CUV. I see the video/Pic showed has a Big grill and huge front which is bad for aerodynamics and the design chief draws a big front end vehicle and talks on aerodynamics. Looks this is what happening in GM. Last day i was looking on a traverse, i don’t know why it requires that a big grill. It looks design in GM is place a grill and design around than place a theme and design around and put a grill suited for the theme.
Why GM has to carry to 100 year old bagage of grill based designs
Why not theme based designs or utilty based designs.
For example : theme ” Green aerodynamic luxury family midsize CUV” .
Ask designers to design around these keywrods and dont add buick etc because the designers prespective changes to grill when we add buick in it ( he will think grill based design ), wind tunnel designs for making it aerodynamic and t optimize, re design with learnings ,repeat the step cuple of times, deside a green power train ( ex voltec or 2 mode ), ask designers to design a luxury family midsize interior and finally intergrate all aspects and put the grill without spoiling the theme.
Mr Henderson:
I was recently car shopping for both myself and my son. We tested the Cadillac CTS-V and loved it, but the dealer was in no mood to bargain, and if fact, low balled our trade. I had to simply laugh at both the sales rep and a car company in bankruptcy who will not consider taking a small profit rather than no profit on a popular car. My son bought a Porsche Cayman and I am still up in the air. I received a propaganda mailer from GM for “owner loyalty” with a coupon for multiple “rewards” for being a good customer and noted the $1,000 did not cover CTS-V. I don’t care how “popular” a model is, I will not pay a “market adjustment” like most dealers are demanding on Camaro or have a dying company demand top dollar for their products. Sorry, but if that is your attitude, I am likely going to buy a BMW M3 (maybe a Porsche Boxster) since it is clear you do not want my business. There is no guarantee that GM will be in business next year!
Mr Henderson,
Perhaps you’d like to answer this comment from Mr. Neil Bernstein of Saint Louis in today’s New York Times:
For GM to win me back
“I have lost enough money trying its products in the past. I am not about to gamble $30,000 of my money to see whether it is telling the truth this time. If General Motors really wants to win me back, it should offer cars with a one-year money-back guarantee. I would try its products then.”
Where can we see the new Buick commercial? I’ve looked everywhere on gm.com, buick.com, youtube? Can you post it?
With the new GM, will we see the words “Mark of Excellence” finally return to the GM corporate logo?
Mr. Henderson,
I have test driven GM cars many times, but I own two Hondas – a 2000 Prelude and I just purchased a 2009 Accord EX-L V6 coupe with the 6 speed manual. Initially, I bought the Prelude because of the percieved quality difference between Honda and GM. Now, I know GM’s quality has improved vastly over the last decade, but I now prefer Hondas for their great driving dynamics instead of just quality. They feel light, quick, the gearbox changes with a quick, short, light “snick, snick”. The clutch pedal is smooth and light, and the car is very, very responsive (BMW- like).
When will GM get over the old, heavy steering feel that they think sporty drivers want or the overboosted, unresponsive power steering they think sedan drivers want? More attention needs to be spent dialing in the suspension, steering, brakes, and you really should offer more cars with true manual gearboxes (I do not buy the notion that no one will buy them because Honda makes virtually all of their cars with manual gearboxes and they fair very well with the sales of those). Your cars need more ballance, more neutral feel. If you want to be tight, don’t make the steering artificially heavy.
As far as subtle feel goes – I know what you are saying. I just love the feel of my 2000 Jetta. I am surprised at how solid it feels compared to my Mom’s 06 Malibu. GM really needs to hire some quality designers and make sure they supervise to the end for the right feel.
I am glad to hear that a name change for GM is not out of the question. I read some where that in the old days brands were concentrated on becoming the ’standard’ – think GE, American Standard, Standard Oil. Now we are in the age of brand differentiation and unique strong personalities. For a corporate manager of the GM brands – GM could stay since it is kind of hidden if you promote the brands more. I just don’t get GMC – I seems to have no reason to exist when each brand could have unique CUV’s and chevy could do the trucks. I know it has been profitable in the age of SUV just passed, but there are so many options as we move to the CUV.
Also, Chevy really needs that logo change. I think to see a cool logo on the cars would go a long way to convert us foreign car buyers.
You’re not a fan of badge engineering?! Really?! That’s all Pontiac ended up being. You need to reconsider phasing Pontiac out. It’s the one emotional passionate brand you have. Reach back to Pontiac’s rich history and design cars for Pontiac AS Pontiacs and revive the classic names and styling that resonate with it’s supporters – who are legion – and would put money behind their support if Pontiac was done the way it should be done. Whoever came up with the “G” names should be FIRED – GET RID OF THEM ASAP. What a misstep – so sad to squander all of that rich history that other car companies would kill for. Firebird Formula and Trans Am, Catalina, Bonneville, GTO, Grand Prix, Le Mans, Grand Am, Tempest, Fiero… Say those names out loud and get a clue. Bring Pontiac back or PLEASE sell it to someone who would honor the brand and know what to do with it. Or if you plan on bringing it back in the future, could you drop us some hints at least?! Give me a reason to care about GM other than my parents’ pension. I’m trying so hard to stay loyal to GM…
“I am likely going to buy a BMW M3…”
Ron, sorry, but comparing a BMW M3 to a CTS-V is quite ridiculous:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0907_bmw_m5_cadillac_ctsv_comparison/index.html
You are not a fan of badge engineering. Where were you when when GM did Enclave, Arcadia,Outlook,transverse,Chevy pickups,GMC pickups? I could name several more but I think you get the point. That being said with the Pontiac G8 being one of your best products why waste it. It is ok to badge engineer junk like the aveo or cobalt but not great products like the G8. Mr. Henderson if that is the kind thinking that the new GM is going to do then I don’t hold out much hope for GM’s survival.
“I am not a fan of rebadging.”
Dear Mr. Henderson,
with all due to respect, IMHO this is not about rebadging the Pontiac G8, since the “original” model anyway is the Holden Commodore, which anyway is sold under the Chevrolet-Brand in Arabia already: http://www.gmarabia.com/content_data/LAAM/ME/en/GBPME/001/G1/1L/1L_home.html?cntryCd=KW
Pulling over an already existing product to the US-Market I wouldn’t call rebadging. However, eliminating a true worldclass-sedan from your American portfolio is hard to comprehend for many people, even more, since I could imagine, that this vehicle would find even more potential buyers, when sold under the highly popular (in comparison to Pontiac) Chevrolet-Brand.
On August 10, 2006, Bob Lutz posted “Give the People What They Want”. I didn’t forget this headline. Why not starting a poll and let your customers decide about an afterlife for the G8, as it was done, as GM made a poll about the Beat, Groove and Trax-Concepts?
Herr Gereon,
This is what struck me in the Motor Trend review of the CTS-V: “Glitzy exterior and cabin plus some finish issues detract from premium feel, but delivers where it counts.”
It really doesn’t matter that the CTS-V beat the M5’s Nordschleife time since so few people who own a CTS would ever drive at Nurburgring.
Since most people are constrained by following the speed limits* that society imposes on us, what does matter is not performance, but the detractors of a too glitzy exterior and cabin and the fit and finish issues. There is no excuse for GM not getting those right ~ everyone sees those, while only a few elite will ever be on the Nurburgring.
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* Speed limits that apply equally whether driving a CTS-V or an Aveo.
“…what does matter is not performance, but the detractors of a too glitzy exterior and cabin and the fit and finish issues. ”
Wally, but what does count much more than supposedly existing interior fit-and-finish-issues of the CTS-V is the fact, that the Cadillac delivers obviously a considerably better fuel-efficiency than the BMW M5, whereas the CTS-V even clearly delivers more horse-powers. Quite embarrassing for BMW-engineering, if you ask me.
I have to add my 2-cents about the phasing out of Pontiac instead of Buick. While Buick is relevant in a growing market such as China, here in North America, I would fathom to say that it’s still considered a car for seniors based on it’s brand image.
I saw in a previous posting response, that Mr. Henderson isn’t a fan of rebadging. If not then what is still going on with GM’s truck and crossover platforms shared between Chevrolet and GMC.
Why couldn’t you retain the viable Pontiac Nameplate here in North America and rebadge some of the Pontiac or Chevrolet models as Buicks in other markets?
With Mr. Lutz (a real car guy) being the scapegoat and forced out, it would seem that a ‘non-car; numbers guy’ (Fritz Henderson) would be able to make changes without so much as flinching.
It just doesn’t seem thought out very well when general North American market perception about Buick may be that the cars are built well but are very boring and uninspiring. Buick seems to appeal to an older demographic of retirees – think florida – and not much else.
It’ll be interesting to see who will be running GM in a few years after the government’s interim man (Mr. Henderson) steps down from his current post
Gary,
It will be interesting to see how GM convinces the market that Buick is not just for seniors. My image of Buick now is of an old retired couple in Florida heading towards the early-bird special for dinner. I don’t know what kind of marketing campaign would ever be able to change that image in my head. Even their Tiger Woods campaign a couple of years ago couldn’t do that.
Could there be a Buick NASCAR entry in the future? (I wouldn’t recommend it, I think NASCAR carries more baggage than any good it could provide, but who knows?)