True enthusiasts: Why Chrysler should care

by Gary

I agree that loyalty is passé in the auto industry, just as it is in the rest of society....[but] A few of us own nothing but Chryslers. I have owned only Chrysler products since 1954. The total number of cars is around 40, with a dozen or more being new. Before we met, my wife owned Fords, but I talked (threatened/cajoled) her into trying a 1998 Intrepid. Her current car is a 300M and she is now shopping for a T&C. Despite a few problems with the Intrepid and the M, she has found them to be more reliable than her Fords.

I won't even rent a car that is not a domestic Chrysler. Once I had to go to 4 rental companies in the middle of the night in Mobile, AL after Dollar gave away my reserved Stratus and tried to substitute a Hyundai. I finally found the lone Intrepid available in the airport, but not until my wife was panic-stricken, embarrassed, and ready to kill me. Stupid? Of course! But that's how dedicated, or moronic, some of us are. The next time a customer tells that agent they want to reserve a Chrysler product, perhaps one will be made available. Dollar not only lost a one-time rental, they lost a return customer and bought a whole lot of bad advertising. Vote with your billfold...then spread the word.

I guess what I'm suggesting is to not be so quick to criticize the repetitious and sometimes irrational complaints of the enthusiast. Their passion is not insignificant. Not all of us might buy a new Chrysler every year, but we all perform as "bird dogs" and provide millions of dollars of free advertising for the marque. I have personally sent hundreds of people to Chrysler showrooms because of my unabashed brand loyalty and intense sales pitches. Most of those people bought on my recommendation and some have been repeat buyers. I might have purchased only 12 new cars over the years, but it has snowballed into perhaps 200-300 new car and truck sales for Chrysler. That is the result of only one person's passion.

If through arrogance and stupidity, the current DCX management loses a few thousand enthusiasts, they are actually losing tens of thousands of sales generated by them.

For more on this topic, visit the TARP web site or Toolpack's customer loyalty section.