Frustrating Delivery Process

[Agswin]

Get a guide assigned 2 weeks ago on Sept 13th, guide does not reply to any sort of text/email/phone call for a week. The day (Sept 20) we are driving to airport for vacation, he calls for an introduction. I tell him that we are going on vacation and if he knows when the R1S will be ready for pick up. He says it can be 2 days or 2 weeks, he doesn't know. I tell him we will be back Oct 4th.

Next day on Sept 21st, I get an email from Rivian stating that my R1S can be picked up "as early as Sept 18th". So, I could have picked it up before leaving for vacation if only my guide would have responded apparently.

So, I get on my account and try to schedule delivery. Their system only allows me to pick Sept 24th as a delivery date. Nothing else is available to be clicked on. So, I wait an hour on their website for the chat, chat gets on and doesn't have an answer and says my guide will contact me. Guide doesn't contact me, as usual.

I email my guide and customer service together on Sept 22 and Sept 24th, no replies.

Today I get on and try to schedule again, this time there are options up to Oct 1st but not after. I again sit on chat for an hour so I can talk to someone about scheduling. Below is our conversation.

Sponsored

 

[TxBeachRivian]

This stinks. I can see how it is so frustrating. I also found my Guide to about as useful as a 4 yr old calculus tutor. The moment my truck was at the service center, they started texting me and they were much more responsive. If you can contact your local service center and bypass the guide and chat that might work best.

 

[Andy96734]

RIV Corp Comms needs an overhaul-From today’s CS reply to my query of weeks ago re my long passed July-Sep Delivery Window; Here is the second paragraph of my reply from CS. 1st para apologizes for delay due to high volume etc. “Our previous timeline for the end of summer has changed. We will communicate your expected timeline in late October for preorder holders like yourself still awaiting a delivery update. The next communication you can expect will be by the end of September, including additional details to know what to anticipate with October’s delivery communication.” Third para the normal thanks for being a Customer etc. Round and round we go…..corp comms still a fail.

 

[SASSquatch]

While I agree that the communication in your situation has been bad, I don't think being irate and hurling profanity at your Rivian Chat person is going to solve anything. They are just trying to do their job within the constraints that they can operate within.

The chat rep said they would reach out to your guide. Did they? Has anyone followed up?

 

[kizamybute']

Typical process. Guides are assigned once they have a truck/suv in mind. But, that doesn't mean they're read to schedule delivery. Just means they know which truck / VIN # you'll be getting. It's still a process in getting the truck to the proper location / service / delivery center.

Wouldn't make any plans on delivery until they call or message you that you're ready to schedule your delivery. it will be part of your 8 step process as well. They will not schedule delivery until the vehicle is actually at the service / delivery center in which it will be delivered from, either you picking it up, or them putting it on a truck from there to deliver to your home.

Yes, it can be confusing and they can be slow to respond. So just sharing from experience.

I got the same thing. Guide called. Truck selected. They had no idea when exactly it would be delivered. Then a few days later, wham, there it was. So, until you actually hear that they're ready to schedule your delivery, plan on it being at least a week, two or even 3-4 weeks out. Once they're ready to schedule the actual delivery, you'll be able to select any date, from their soonest available date within a couple days or a week or two out if you need more time.

 

[bmcenaney]

I've had a similar, but different, experience here. Guide was assigned 9/9/22. Tried reaching out for a week and then escalated with CS. Next day, guide reaches out to me and tells me my truck is at the service center undergoing inspection. That was 9/19/22. Still no truck and no idea on when I can actually pick it up. Drove by the SC today and there it was just sitting on the lot.

 

[crashmtb]

While I agree that the communication in your situation has been bad, I don't think being irate and hurling profanity at your Rivian Chat person is going to solve anything. They are just trying to do their job within the constraints that they can operate within.

The chat rep said they would reach out to your guide. Did they? Has anyone followed up?

daresay ripping a front facing customer service rep’s head off would be a good way to get moved down the pile

 

[mini2nut]

I feel your pain but please remember that Rivian is a brand new auto manufacturer going through a lot of growing pains right now. Rivian should have this process down to a science in the next couple of years.

 

[COdogman]

I get being frustrated by Rivian’s confusing process, but treating a chat rep who has no real power or insight into your situation like that is unnecessary. If I was that chat rep I wouldn’t have helped you at all even if I had the power to…..Honestly it’s unnecessary even if you WERE talking to someone who had answers to your questions. Take a deep breath next time.

 

[AmerikanMatt]

I am frustrated also……. Rivian 100% needs to find some more transparency within their own processes and need to empower their guides to do more than provide what amounts to trivial lip-service in response to what should be fairly straightforward questions.

It’s causing them a ton of grief they don’t really need while ramping up to some pretty impressive numbers (remember they are currently delivering all three models all over the continent).

That being said……. behaving like a spoiled brat and treating humans the way you did in response is really pathetic. It kinda just makes you a bad guy and more a part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

In addition to the simple changes recommended above, I think Rivian should adopt the attitude that many restaurant owners adopted after COVID:

“If you treat our people like garbage, we won’t do business with you”.

I think Rivian would show some serious employee loyalty by telling irate customers who behave in this way “thanks but no thanks” and cancel your order.

As a shareholder, I would enthusiastically support this position, regardless of the short-term profit impacts.

OP, I sincerely hope you get and absolutely love your new truck.

More importantly, I hope you have a chance to cool off, realize that this is a first-World problem with a luxury purchase, and apologize to whom ever you “undressed” in your temper tantrum.

It’s really the adult thing to do.

~Cheers

 

[Donald Stanfield]

At the risk of beating a dead horse I too think the conversation from your end was a bit too abrasive. It's also worth noting that Rivian saves a record of every conversation you have with them in writing. I know when I first got in contact with my guide she mentioned a conversation I had with the general Rivian chat people. I was polite and so far I've had a great experience with Rivian CSRs.

I think that certain actions might push you down the list.

 

[Lysdexic]

I am going to disagree here and I am well known for my conflict avoidance. No part of the OP responses were untrue. CS doesn’t seem to know any meaningful information and the ones that should know (guides)give inaccurate info or don’t respond. Very frustrating.

Frustration is a strong emotion and how is CS ever going to know that Rivian is pissing off their customers unless the OP expresses…..some emotion. There was no name calling or personal attacks.

So, he used the “F” word. I don’t blame him a bit.

Edit: I went back and read through his chat. Yep, I agree pretty abrasive. But still, is his message untrue?

 

[jjswan33]

I feel your pain but please remember that Rivian is a brand new auto manufacturer going through a lot of growing pains right now. Rivian should have this process down to a science in the next couple of years.

Honestly I don’t get that. There isn’t really a good excuse for OPs guide to ignore him, especially if his truck is ready for delivery. That said really no good reason to swear at CS either.

 

[ads75]

There was an article from one of Motor Trends writers in July about his experience for the Rivian buying process. A lot of people in this forum blamed the writer. Seems like there is still room for improvement, especially as production ramps up.

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...-delivery-summary-complaint-motor-trend.6832/

 

[ansky]

Edit: I went back and read through his chat. Yep, I agree pretty abrasive. But still, is his message untrue?

I dont see it as a true/false scenario, just that the language and attitude were overboard. You can still get a point across to a CS rep who has literally no affiliation or knowledge with your local problem without blowing a gasket. OP had every reason to be frustrated but lashing out and cursing at a random CS rep doesnt accomplish anything. I think that's what the general thread responses have been trying to illustrate.

Sponsored