A Little Miffed at Hyundai Customer Service

[Dogman]

Love my 4.6, and I have a lot of respect for Hyundai in general, but I received an email reply from Hyundai Customer Service the other day that has kind of put me off.

I sent a simple message to the address on their website, that they should consider making their existing crash avoidance tech available in more of their vehicles. It would have been fine if they had just humored me with a response that acknowledged my input, but they launched into several paragraphs of a semi-tirade about how they have so many great engineers and product specialists that they have a policy of not accepting any ideas from customers. I even replied that maybe they had misunderstood me, but they did not respond further.

Kind of unenlightened, IMHO, and it made me reconsider my plan to buy another Genesis.

 

[kn5owa]

Love my 4.6, and I have a lot of respect for Hyundai in general, but I received an email reply from Hyundai Customer Service the other day that has kind of put me off.

It would have been fine if they had just humored me with a response that acknowledged my input, but they launched into several paragraphs of a semi-tirade about how they have so many great engineers and product specialists that they have a policy of not accepting any ideas from customers.

This is a standard "intellectual property response" ***.

One of the big problems that large corporations have is that people send in an unsolicited idea with no contract, etc. Then they demand a million dollar royalty if they think they see that idea in a future company product.

You would have gotten the same response from any large company.


*** intellectual property: refers to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unsolicited ideas like yours.

 

[Nikgen]

This is a standard "intellectual property response" ***.

One of the big problems that large corporations have is that people send in an unsolicited idea with no contract, etc. Then they demand a million dollar royalty if they think they see that idea in a future company product.

You would have gotten the same response from any large company.


*** intellectual property: refers to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unsolicited ideas like yours.

Exactly!

 

[Mark_888]

Love my 4.6, and I have a lot of respect for Hyundai in general, but I received an email reply from Hyundai Customer Service the other day that has kind of put me off.

I sent a simple message to the address on their website, that they should consider making their existing crash avoidance tech available in more of their vehicles. It would have been fine if they had just humored me with a response that acknowledged my input, but they launched into several paragraphs of a semi-tirade about how they have so many great engineers and product specialists that they have a policy of not accepting any ideas from customers. I even replied that maybe they had misunderstood me, but they did not respond further.

Kind of unenlightened, IMHO, and it made me reconsider my plan to buy another Genesis.

You need to understand how Hyundai is structured. I assume you sent the email to Hyundai Motor America, which is the importer and distributor for the Genesis made in Korea. The customer service people at HMA do not have access to engineers in Korea, and they don't speak Korean. The customer service people you talked to only have a responsibility to handle customer problems with their Hyundai sold in the USA that your dealer cannot handle.

HMA does in fact solicit advice from customers frequently and systematically (electronic surveys) regarding the topics you mentioned at a website called www.hyundailistens.com
Unfortunately, I don't know how one becomes a member, as I was invited soon after I purchased my Genesis years ago (back when it was called Hyundai Think Tank).

My own opinion of your suggestion is that Hyundai is well-known for offering more features at a given price point than just about any other automaker. But Hyundai customers are typically more price sensitive than other competing brands (such as Toyota and Honda).

It would make more sense for you to lobby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to mandate the safety features you mentioned, as they have in the past for such things like backup cameras (by May 1, 2018), daytime running lights, antilock brakes, etc.

 

[turnne]

My own opinion of your suggestion is that Hyundai is well-known for offering more features at a given price point than just about any other automaker. But Hyundai customers are typically more price sensitive than other competing brands (such as Toyota and Honda).
.

and to your point
Since Hyundais cost less new and far less used that other cars in the same class

why would anyone expect the same level of automobile versus the cars they state they compete against in the respective classes?

Warren

 

[kn5owa]

HMA does in fact solicit advice from customers frequently and systematically (electronic surveys) regarding the topics you mentioned at a website called www.hyundailistens.com

An electronic survey is, by definition, solicited advice, as you posted, and is executed in a controlled, documented fashion.

The op's advice was unsolicited and poses the problems I mentioned above.

 

[Mark_888]

An electronic survey is, by definition, solicited advice, as you posted, and is executed in a controlled, documented fashion.

The op's advice was unsolicited and poses the problems I mentioned above.

The surveys I have been asked to take on features on hyundailistens.com are frequent and comprehensive. They first ask about various features, and then later in the survey tell you how much that feature would cost and ask if you still would want it (and pay for it). They also ask how much you would be willing to pay for each feature. There are also freeform areas where customer comments can be provided during the survey.

In addition, there are forums where opinions can be expressed, and Hyundai will see them.

Lastly, there are occasional chat sessions with HMA executives where people can directly ask questions. Several years ago, I participated in a chat session with (then) HMA CEO John Krafcek, and was able to ask him several questions during the session.

 

[kn5owa]

The surveys I have been asked to take on features on hyundailistens.com are frequent and comprehensive. They first ask about various features, and then later in the survey tell you how much that feature would cost and ask if you still would want it (and pay for it). They also ask how much you would be willing to pay for each feature. There are also freeform areas where customer comments can be provided during the survey.

In addition, there are forums where opinions can be expressed, and Hyundai will see them.

Lastly, there are occasional chat sessions with HMA executives where people can directly ask questions. Several years ago, I participated in a chat session with (then) HMA CEO John Krafcek, and was able to ask him several questions during the session.

All controlled, regimented, and documented by the host corporation - again unlike the op's situation. Precisely why he got the brush off.

 

[Dogman]

Good points on the intellectual property issues; I guess I hadn't considered that, even though my suggestion had to do with just greater use of existing tech.

I have been a Hyundai Listens member since soon after it started, but they have eliminated the member forum, and now seem to use the site mainly for polling about new vehicle features. When I emailed them about Customer Service's lack of interest in customer ideas, they just told me that they are a third party (contractor, I guess), without any influence in that area.

Anyway, guess it's much ado about nothing, but I'm still hoping that Genesis will offer an alternative to the E43 Merc coming out next year, with most of its piloting and crash avoidance tech, or I might have to defect to the "star", even though I hate to do so.

Thanks for all your kind replies.