I got a little one in the last few months Chevrolet Bolt EV what I am satisfied with. A very simple, efficient electric car, which, by the way, will be the subject of our next issue of the car driver, aired February 18 on TVA. I have to point out that this isn’t the first Chevrolet vehicle I’ve bought as I also bought a “summer toy”, a Camaro. Two diametrically opposed vehicles that I appreciate for very different reasons.
After the purchase of a new car, a survey usually follows. What is known in the trade as the CSI (Custom Survey Index) which essentially allows the dealer and seller to score or lose points against their manufacturer.
This survey, which is sent out a few weeks after the acquisition, sometimes takes almost thirty minutes, which I am happy to take as this industry is close to my heart. If it took me that long to answer questions after purchasing equipment, I’ll honestly tell you it wouldn’t happen.
Since I own an iPhone and am also a Spotify subscriber, it didn’t occur to me to subscribe to Sirius XM satellite radio. A product that is certainly interesting if you drive your vehicle very often and don’t have a parallel subscription on your mobile device, but which – in my case – would be completely useless for me.
When a Sirius XM representative called me to offer me a package, I declined. That same week I received a letter and two emails boasting about the subscription. Then, the following week, a second call for the same reasons. A third call four weeks later, which admittedly made me raise my voice.
Because apparently no one is adding notes to the file. And then, this week, I got a fourth. Four calls, after just ten weeks of ownership since the Bolt EV was delivered to me on November 23rd, 2022.
My regret to this day is that I didn’t keep all of those letters that were sent through the post, or even those promotional emails. Mind you, I could probably find them in the trash, but my conclusion is simple. Sirius XM is a runaway company harassing anyone who buys new vehicles who can get this service. I also said to myself that if I had a collection agency, I would definitely recruit Sirius XM staff. Because they have talent. Mind you, they still haven’t convinced me.
This irritant is obviously not General Motors’ fault, although there is clearly a commercial agreement between the two companies. However, OnStar is different. The roadside assistance, navigation and location service integrated into GM vehicles. Another service that is sold by subscription and the cost of which can vary from $15 to $50 a month for things that are 90% built into your mobile phone… A technology that was once relevant and avant-garde, but to me today a bicycle lock on the door of a safe seems necessary.
Unfortunately, OnStar employees are also very stubborn. And in this case, they’re employees of General Motors. A first courtesy call, then a second one a month later. To offer us a 30-day extension of the free plan, which would also be free for an additional 60 days, on condition that you provide a credit card number. Naturally!
I’ll admit it, I pushed the OnStar button on my car which took me to service. At the end of the line (figuratively speaking) the representative unpacked all his babble at me. Again, many services, most of which can be run from my mobile device. By the way, did you know that in the event of an accident, the iPhone can detect a sudden movement or a noise and call emergency services directly? This is one of OnStar’s best selling points, whose subscriber list is shrinking by the day. If it was such an advantageous technology, don’t you think the other manufacturers would also offer an equivalent?
So here is my wish. That when we take delivery of a new vehicle, we have to authorize a company by signature to promote this type of sale to us. Because even if the service at the dealership is impeccable and satisfaction with the product is there, the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSI) I refer to at the beginning of this article can be tainted by the exaggeration these companies bother us with.