[ad#post_ad]We are about four months from the date of the first Volt deliveries, and you can just feel the excitement mounting. GM remains quiet about the rollout process and pricing but we will soon know the truth.
Chevrolet dealers in the launch markets are starting to see a build-up of information and communciation from GM to get them prepared for Volt sales and servicing. Just this week dealers became able to download an early Volt Salesperson Reference Guide. It is attached here .
I had the chance to discuss dealer certification with Volt marketing director Tony DiSalle.
How will you go about getting the first cars to people? How can you find a fair method with all these years of demand out there. Who gets the first ones?
That's another story we'll have for you at some point when the time is right. That is something we're thinking through.
All these things have potential negative backlash and you don’t want to have that?
Right. For sure. What's really key is being able to manage customer expectations and being really clear with consumers in terms of the markets that are eligible. We're going to be crystal clear as dealers go through the certification process as to which ones are authorized Volt dealers.
When do they have to start doing that, it's getting close isn’t it?
Yes it is getting close for sure. That will be much of next month as a matter of fact.
So they're going to start next month?
Yes.
Do they voluntary choose to sell the Volt or will you direct it to certain dealerships?
We will be communicating with all of the dealers in the launch markets very shortly.
Everyone gets communicated to and some will choose to sell Volts and some won't?
Yes. Based on the standards. We'll have very clear standards for the dealerships.
We should soon know all the answers to these things?
You will, and believe me we'd love to just go shout it outright now, but there's a lot here to communicate and communcaite very well and very purposefully and there's certinaly an order that we have to go through, and there's still some decisions that have to be made yet quite honestly.
Considering the high demand and low planned volume, how do you plan to manage that discordance?
The key I believe is through creating some pretty strong relationships with these intenders, communicating with them on aconsistent basis. We have a plan to do that and were encouraging as many as possible to come to Chevrolet.com to register with us so that we can communicate with them and so that everything thast ready to go public, they now.
And in terms of the product but more importantly certainly as you are inferring, the go to market timing and pricing when we're ready to make that annoucnemnt and those sorts of things. Really when we get the question today, there are two things that we tell cusomters. One is what I just mentioned, go to Chevrolet.com register with us. That's not a wait list for a car or anything like that but it makes sure that your in the know when we come out with new news so that we can get that new news to you and then secondly is contact a Chevrolet dealer and express your interest to that Chevroelt dealer for the Volt, because dealers are starting to take their own waitlists for customers right now.
So you're advocating dealers to do that?
Well yeah and they have good relationships with their customers. Its important for customers to get with a dealer and then we know the dealers are maintinging their lists for the new Volt.
Will dealers have to do special training to be able to sell the car, is it not the intention for every Chevrolet dealer to have Volts for sale?
That is correct, there wil be a certification process for delaers string with those dealers in the launch markets. But quite frankly will be to a great extent depending on the dealers willingness to meet the requirements. The certification requirement in order to be eligible to sell and service the Volt.
So you imagine 50 percent or 75 percent will actually be certified to be able to sell Volts at the end of the day?
My sense it will probably be more than that but I cant give you a specific number.
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