- Hello, I'm Elena Ford,
the chief customer experience officer at Ford Motor Company.
Whether you come into one of our dealerships,
visit us on the web, call us, use the Ford Pass app,
or just need help on or off the road,
we always strive to put our customer first.
Every day, we are working hard to earn your trust,
meet and exceed your expectations and make your life better
as we've been doing for over 100 years.
We appreciate our customers and dealers now more than ever.
You are all part of the extended Ford family.
I'd like to share a story from our Georgia dealership
about how great experiences can make all the differences
for a customer in need.
(lighthearted music)
- About 11 o'clock on a morning,
we got a call from Tom Thaxton
and he was talking to our service people
and he said that he had a problem.
- My name is Tom Thaxton.
I was a licensed surveyor
in the state of Tennessee for 51 years.
- He had a survey crew that was in a Sport Trac
and it was broke down in what we call the back country.
- Our radiator had had blown up.
We had no way of getting it off the mountain.
- A tow truck's not going to make it up there.
And there's not a whole lot of help.
- I was expecting for them
to have to bring a wrecker or something in the next day.
- My service manager, what she did,
she started piecing the puzzle together
of what would be needed to help them out.
Last time I checked we didn't have
any real severe backwoods hikers in the dealership.
We were pretty busy in the shop that day
and I'm the one who said, "I'll go."
Well, when he said the middle of nowhere,
literally when you're doing surveying
for the government and the Cumberland Plateau,
you know, you're going to get heights in the 3000 range.
And the only way to maneuver around there
are old logging trails.
You can feel the tires and wheels slipping on the rocks
and as good as an F150 is, it wouldn't go any farther.
And that's where the decision that had to be made
was well, it's time to get out and start walking.
Luckily, one of my technicians said,
"Hey, take a couple of bungee cords with you.
And if you can't go any further with the truck,
strap the radiator on your back,
take two gallons of water, two gallons of coolant
and two hoses and clamps.
So I put it on my back, got out, started walking.
About a mile and a half, two miles later,
and I don't know how long,
but I actually found the vehicle
and I started working on it.
- They send somebody from the service department up
to fix my vehicle.
I didn't realize it was gonna be the owner of the company.
That was the thing that amazed me.
What I really remember the most was when the crew realized,
"Ah, we got a way out."
- Oh, we're friends for life.
No question.
He just like another son to me now.
And I never thought that I would have that relationship
with a car dealer.
- When I became a Ford dealer,
my commitment was not only to Ford Motor Company,
to my family, to my employees, also to the customer.
Those customers are calling you
because they depend on you because they trust you.
And when you're trusted the sky's the limit.
(light music)