To give consumers a better idea of where they might get the best treatment, Ford of Canada will give certain dealers a special designation starting on Jan. 1, 2001.
The Blue Oval Certified program is supposed to set clear standards for outstanding customer experiences, explains Bobbie Gaunt, president and CEO of the Oakville-based company, and "then reward Ford dealers who consistently achieve them based on independent, third-party assessments conducted by J.D. Power and Associates."
According to Gaunt, "Consumers today expect and deserve high levels of performance from both the vehicles they drive and the dealerships that sell and service those cars and trucks," and that is what the new program is supposed to encourage.
It is also extremely likely to exacerbate the ill feelings between Ford of Canada and many of its dealers, which are already extensively frayed, but we should see lots of proof of that when Ford starts to anoint or ignore different dealers.
All of the Ford dealerships across the country (including those that are suing the company for actions stemming from the disbanding of the Mercury franchise in Canada) will be eligible to compete for Blue Oval status, but it's unlikely they'll all take part.