Date:         Wed, 10 Jul 1996 17:57:31 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SyncroHead@aol.com
Subject:      Re: VW Customer Relations & reality check

This thread reminds me of a story I heard once.  
A Japanese car company was doing a marketing "clinic" on one of their new
models and had invited a friend of mine to participate.  He mentioned to the
car company people that one of the thing that he would like to have them
change was the tone of the horn.  They said that they had heard this
suggestion before and would surely change the horn to better suit the tastes
of American buyers.

It got me to thinking about this type of suggestion and the way that
different car companies handle them and the way they view the car business in
general.

Suggestion:  Change the tone of the horn

Japanese response:  They change the tone of the horn & sell more cars.  After
all, that's what they want to do, sell more cars!

American response:  They promise to change the tone of the horn and forma a
committee to  examine the issue.  After two years the committee is disolved
with no one remembering why the committee was formed.  Car sales remain
static or diminish. After all, they've forgotten what they're in business to
do.

German response: 
<begin Cherman accent mode> 
 "Ve are chure zat dis iz de very best tone for a car horn undt let me tell
you vie....."  
<end German accent mode> 
Car sales remain static or diminish.  After all they don't really care about
how many cars they sell, they just want you to be convinced that they really
know what's best.


Jim Davis
87 GL Syncro
88 GL Wolfsburg