Not allowed to speak with management? Say what?!!

[Zeusy Zeus]

Rivian won't succeed if they waste money and time catering to Karens. I know there are a disproportionate number of them in the granola crowd, so that Venn diagram overlaps a lot, but those customers always end up taking more than they give in the form of time. So my ass ends up sitting on hold because you've tied up the line asking for free shit. What about me?!

Hey now no name calling it’s not nice “Hillbilly”. Great name by the way.

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[Rad_ry]

Really no reason to respond to this but sure I’ll play along. All things considered and my background (military, broken household growing up, hard financial upbringing, best friends I’ve lost along the way, and more) I would consider myself a pretty grounded person. I worked my butt off and made something out of myself and I’m doing extremely well for myself and my family because of it. Not for one second do I take anything for granted nor do I consider myself entitled. This isn’t about being “entitled” it’s about knowing you deserve more than a text through a phone for your frustrations with a company. Without going off on a lengthy explanation as to why I’ll just say we all deserve more than that period. If you think this is being entitled than jeez I would say pick yourself up from off the ground because your sense of self worth might be in question here.

Just some of my “entitled” philosophies:

Don’t make excuses for other people who simply don’t want to work and don’t want to put in the effort. This applies to all aspects in life.

Never settle for mediocre and surround yourself with positive like minded people that’s been my recipe for success and I hope everyone here can feel this “entitled” with me. Sarcasm.

I wasn't being funny or trolling, I was being honest. After reading your posts and exchanges with Rivian this is my takeaway.

"Simply put, people with a sense of entitlement think the rules don't apply to them ". This is exactly the case here. Rivian doesn't have a traditional dealership model. They have outlined the way they deal with complaints and issues, and in this case, they have considered your request for a discount on the wall charger, denied it, and won't be escalating it. However, you seem dissatisfied with what was a very polite and considered exchange by the Rivian agent.

And now you seem to conflate two issues - one your past issues with the company (which have been noted) with the new issue of the wall charger (which you have now dropped). So effectively you are reheating the old issues which Rivian has considered dealt with. But you can see how confusing this is to the agent, because they assume you are asking about the wall charger, but you have moved on from that (or should I say backwards). But then just to top it off you move on from the old issues and the now dropped charger issue to anticipating future issues, and want special access to a manager.

I wonder, have you actually taken on board any feedback from the commenters here? And have you given any thought or empathy for those on the other side dealing with your demands?

 

[defcon888]

From what I’ve seen from the outside in on this forum is a lot of defensive Rivian owners. For some reason or another I see a lot of bashing. I mean it’s the internet people are going to troll and talk crap because often times they cant in person. Whatever makes people feel better about themselves I guess.

I hope I didn't come across as being a defensive Rivian owner because I am not. We had issues prior to picking up our R1T. The guide we were assigned wasn't very knowledgeable about the financing part.

We were able to call customer service and talk to a manager. We did very very little TEXTING with our guide. Maybe call and talk with a manager instead of texting, because texting only lends itself to misinterpretation of the intent of the sender.

Best of luck with your situation.

 

[White Shadow]

• There is no Management per se like a legacy dealership, not part of their business model.

There's always a manager whether it's dealership or direct sales. Every business that has employees will have a manager. That said, it's not unusual for a manager to get on the phone with an irate customer just to listen to them vent about their negative experience. That's a normal part of business. But in this case, it looks like management has already been dealing with this particular customer in the past and isn't willing to continue doing so.

 

[Tahoe Man]

Dismissing all the entertaining interludes, car play and Android Auto are very popular among consumers, Rivian shouldn't have tried to take on a replacement themselves. Some consumers do pass on vehicles that don't offer it. But typical fanboyism the voice that is heard is, "eh do without it you idiot, I can manage just fine without it and so should you". This gets Rivian nowhere.

 

[ndmiller]

There's always a manager whether it's dealership or direct sales. Every business that has employees will have a manager. That said, it's not unusual for a manager to get on the phone with an irate customer just to listen to them vent about their negative experience. That's a normal part of business. But in this case, it looks like management has already been dealing with this particular customer in the past and isn't willing to continue doing so.

Not true, complete assumption based on your experience. Not all businesses have the vertical pyramid type structure you describe. Example of two such structures below:

Team-Based
Similar to divisional or functional structures, team-based organizations segregate into close-knit teams of employees that serve particular goals and functions, but where each team is a unit that contains both leaders and workers.

Flat (Flatarchy) Structure
Flatarchy, also known as a horizontal structure, is relatively newer, and is used among many startups. As the name alludes, it flattens the hierarchy and chain of command and gives its employees a lot of autonomy. Companies that use this type of structure have a high speed of implementation.

 

[cohall]

After reading the updated messages back and forth that you added to your first post, I just don't think you're going to get a satisfactory resolution from Rivian. Sometimes there are gatekeepers in place for good reason. In this particular case, the guide clearly states that the "managers" know of you, are well aware of your case/history/concerns, and have decided that it's not in their or the companies best interest to continue engaging with you at that level.

So I think it's time to ask yourself, is this a company you want to give your hard earned money to? If I felt like I wasn't going to receive the access or treatment that I expect from a company on a purchase of this magnitude, there's no way I'd even consider moving forward with them.

We all have different expectations, right or wrong. I personally think the level of access we have to Rivian is far better than most other vehicle companies out there (when was the last time you saw the head of design, or development, or any other key exec sit down with customers/bloggers/etc. and answer all of their questions and share what they're working on?). I don't need to talk to management if I can deal directly with the folks that are able to help me. I personally dislike not being able to talk to the local SC directly when they are working on my truck and instead have to talk to the main service folks who then send messages to the local SC who then may or may not get back to me, but I accept that it isn't their operating model to allow me to do so. But I've also had very limited issues with my vehicle, so it's not a major concern of mine.

Rethink if a Rivian is right for you, or if you'd rather be able to deal with a local dealership with management on site that can address you and your concerns should they arise.

 

[White Shadow]

I agree with the OP.

It is crazy that the customer service rep couldn't just type. "Hi. Manager here. The answer is still no." I mean this is going down via text. How hard is it for them to claim that a "manager" typed the response. The fact that they won't even lie about the response coming from a manager says a lot about their company culture.

Have you ever worked for a company that has values?

 

[White Shadow]

Not true, complete assumption based on your experience. Not all businesses have the vertical pyramid type structure you describe. Example of two such structures below:

Team-Based
Similar to divisional or functional structures, team-based organizations segregate into close-knit teams of employees that serve particular goals and functions, but where each team is a unit that contains both leaders and workers.

Flat (Flatarchy) Structure
Flatarchy, also known as a horizontal structure, is relatively newer, and is used among many startups. As the name alludes, it flattens the hierarchy and chain of command and gives its employees a lot of autonomy. Companies that use this type of structure have a high speed of implementation.

Yet there's always a manager. Always.

But let's keep this simple---There's a manager working at Rivian above the person who was responding to the customer. We already know to be a fact and that's all that matters.

 

[Zeusy Zeus]

I wasn't being funny or trolling, I was being honest. After reading your posts and exchanges with Rivian this is my takeaway.

"Simply put, people with a sense of entitlement think the rules don't apply to them ". This is exactly the case here. Rivian doesn't have a traditional dealership model. They have outlined the way they deal with complaints and issues, and in this case, they have considered your request for a discount on the wall charger, denied it, and won't be escalating it. However, you seem dissatisfied with what was a very polite and considered exchange by the Rivian agent.

And now you seem to conflate two issues - one your past issues with the company (which have been noted) with the new issue of the wall charger (which you have now dropped). So effectively you are reheating the old issues which Rivian has considered dealt with. But you can see how confusing this is to the agent, because they assume you are asking about the wall charger, but you have moved on from that (or should I say backwards). But then just to top it off you move on from the old issues and the now dropped charger issue to anticipating future issues, and want special access to a manager.

I wonder, have you actually taken on board any feedback from the commenters here? And have you given any thought or empathy for those on the other side dealing with your demands?

So rather than being honest wouldn’t I just be better to just omit everything else and just say hey Zeus Rivian doesn’t follow traditional dealership models that we are all accustomed to with literally every other company out there. Instead you go on a tangent about being entitled. Again it’s never just been about the wall charger it’s to truly find out if speaking with management is afforded to us as consumers and the simple answer is no. So if you have a problem some guide you’re never going to see or speak to in person will be the one to “guide” you along with deal with a million other things like customer orders. Atleast I hope they’re getting compensated well.

Have I given empathy to who? The people doing their job? I’m not being a rude customer I just wanted them to answer one simple question for me which they could not and just kept going in circles. Empathy? lol that’s pretty funny.

 

[Zeusy Zeus]

There's always a manager whether it's dealership or direct sales. Every business that has employees will have a manager. That said, it's not unusual for a manager to get on the phone with an irate customer just to listen to them vent about their negative experience. That's a normal part of business. But in this case, it looks like management has already been dealing with this particular customer in the past and isn't willing to continue doing so.

That’s where your wrong management never “dealt” with me in the past. That’s the whole point and I want to know if management exists if I have future concerns since past ones I had to rely on a guide to send me text messages. I think that’s pretty simple to understand no?

 

[Zeusy Zeus]

Dismissing all the entertaining interludes, car play and Android Auto are very popular among consumers, Rivian shouldn't have tried to take on a replacement themselves. Some consumers do pass on vehicles that don't offer it. But typical fanboyism the voice that is heard is, "eh do without it you idiot, I can manage just fine without it and so should you". This gets Rivian nowhere.

Seems to be the general consensus about everything Rivian with some folks on here. I’ve been part of a BMW and Mercedes community for a long time where I went to car meets and what not monthly never have I witnessed so many negative comments bashing other drivers or customers over their concerns. Basically sounds like this “take what you got and shut your mouth… Rivian is a new company you shouldn’t expect more than what you already have”. But hey what do I know I don’t even drive a Rivian yet… ?

 

[Zeusy Zeus]

After reading the updated messages back and forth that you added to your first post, I just don't think you're going to get a satisfactory resolution from Rivian. Sometimes there are gatekeepers in place for good reason. In this particular case, the guide clearly states that the "managers" know of you, are well aware of your case/history/concerns, and have decided that it's not in their or the companies best interest to continue engaging with you at that level.

So I think it's time to ask yourself, is this a company you want to give your hard earned money to? If I felt like I wasn't going to receive the access or treatment that I expect from a company on a purchase of this magnitude, there's no way I'd even consider moving forward with them.

We all have different expectations, right or wrong. I personally think the level of access we have to Rivian is far better than most other vehicle companies out there (when was the last time you saw the head of design, or development, or any other key exec sit down with customers/bloggers/etc. and answer all of their questions and share what they're working on?). I don't need to talk to management if I can deal directly with the folks that are able to help me. I personally dislike not being able to talk to the local SC directly when they are working on my truck and instead have to talk to the main service folks who then send messages to the local SC who then may or may not get back to me, but I accept that it isn't their operating model to allow me to do so. But I've also had very limited issues with my vehicle, so it's not a major concern of mine.

Rethink if a Rivian is right for you, or if you'd rather be able to deal with a local dealership with management on site that can address you and your concerns should they arise.

Absolutely thank you for your response I have debated it for a long time and I’m still on the fence if I’m being completely honest. After 2 bad delivery attempts and learning the scope of Rivian and how they operate I had canceled and given up on them. Then the new promotions came out and it peeked my interest. After months and months of asking for my initial deposit to be refunded and never receiving it I decided to try again. Now I’m on the fence again and I’m waiting to see how the delivery attempt goes. At this point I’m more curious than anything to see if the build quality of their cars (aesthetically speaking) are just that bad or I’ve had terrible luck. I learned a while back it’s not that Rivian isn’t for me it just isn’t for me right now. They are going through a lot of growing pains and are struggling to survive. So I’m taking it one day at a time and I’m not in the least bit excited to take delivery because I’ve been disappointed routinely by them. Now if they deliver and I’m happy with the condition of the car I’ll purchase it. It’s a beautiful car and I want to add a SUV to my garage. I’m hoping I’m pleasantly surprised but I’m not holding my breath. Let’s see what happens ?

 

[s4wrxttcs]

I would advise the SC about the following known issues on 2022 R1T's. I had that noise as you described, mentioned these to customer service, and they were able to resolve it. You can find these customer satisfaction campaigns on the NHTSA website.


NHTSA ID Number: 10235544

Manufacturer Communication Number: RCA-38-23-002-1

Summary

Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles that may have been built with excessive clearance space between the halfshafts and wheel hubs. In some instances, this may result in a brief noise coming from the front and/or rear of the vehicle when accelerating or decelerating that is noticeable to the customer but would not result in any changes in the performance of the vehicle. Rivian will install washers on both the front and rear halfshafts to remove the excess clearance and eliminate the noise. Rivian is launching this campaign for customer satisfaction and to ensure the quality of Rivian vehicles.


NHTSA ID Number: 10235543

Manufacturer Communication Number: RCA-38-23-001-1

Summary

Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022 R1S and R1T vehicles that may have been built with inadequate press fit force between the halfshaft splines and the wheel hubs. In some instances, this condition may result in a loss of torque of the halfshaft bolt and subsequent noise and/or separation of the bolt and wheel center cap. Without this bolt there may be additional movement of the components and/or noise but there will be no resulting changes in the performance of the vehicle. Rivian will replace the halfshaft bolts and torque them to a higher specification to improve the press fit force and bolt retention. In addition, washers will be installed on the halfshafts to reduce potential noise. Rivian is launching this campaign for customer satisfaction and to ensure the quality of Rivian vehicles.

I did have this customer service campaign performed on my Rivian, and it failed to fix it.

What's funny is the SC center said everything was in spec before and after that campaign.

 

[LivingInKaos]

I guess the part that gets me is that you make it sound like the person you were chatting with was the one blocking your access to the supervisor - but, they clearly stated that they spoke with them and gave you their reply. So, in a way, you did speak with the manager, just thru a proxy. Did you ever offer to leave a call back number for the manager to call you back? Those of us that manage other employees have other employees to take care of things that our time is not best spent doing. It sure looks like management was involved in the conversation as much as they wanted/needed to be.

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