Let me start by apologizing for not checking in lately. And I do that not because I feel I owe anyone an apology but because I’m truly sorry I don’t get a chance to do as much of this as I’d like to. And while I wish I could blog more frequently, I must admit I find it a little disconcerting that some of you seem to need me to reassure you that I still care.
The tone of some of the comments posted lately — that Bob is bored with blogging, that the GM blog is a failure, that management feels the blog has backfired, that GM is pulling out of the blog business — has been, frankly, bordering on ridiculous.
I’ve met many of the automotive bloggers at events in Detroit, Chicago and New York and I must say I’ve greatly enjoyed our meetings, interactions and discussions. And I’ve come to realize that those bloggers don’t represent the people posting comments like the above to this blog. And that people posting comments like the above, in turn, don’t represent most of the readers and posters on this blog.
In short, I am not bored with blogging, far from it. And I’m not going to let the comments of an extreme subset turn me off to it, either. I will continue to do it, whenever I can, and as long as it seems people want to read it. And by the way, GM thinks its blogs are a success, too, and will forge ahead with all of them and more.
In the two weeks since my last post, I’ve been to Illinois, North Carolina, Arizona and other locales far and near. That’s not in itself an excuse for not checking in — clearly I have the Blackberry and computer access wherever I go. But on the road I typically have limited hours and must use those tools to perform what we’ll refer to as my “day job.”
Back at home, I have a bit more time for that day job, and that includes a review of the Chevy Volt program yesterday. I was very pleased with what I saw, and we will fill you in on exactly where it’s at very soon, with an official post from the Volt team.
I’ve also had more time for driving our products, most recently the Buick Enclave, whose tomblike quiet and den-like comfort I have been greatly enjoying. And I think those visiting Buick showrooms are finding the same terrific attributes that I have.
In fact, I had a recent conversation with a mega-mega dealer who runs franchises of nearly all makes, and he gave a totally unsolicited comment to our senior management team that was music to my ears. He said, “You guys don’t realize it yet because you’re far away from it, and the press doesn’t get it yet, but what we’re seeing in our GM dealerships is something approaching shock about your new products. Customers are shocked with the quality and appeal of GM cars and trucks.”
He said there is a growing, intense awareness of an all-new GM, and an all-new product ethic. He said, “Everything that’s coming out is dynamite. Just stick with it and don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a flood of good sales or good press, just keep at it and you will win.”
This is not anyone on our payroll. He sells cars and trucks from just about everybody, and he’s in a good position to judge. It made my week, I gotta tell you.
At least it did, until he asked me why I’d given up on blogging!
Okay, just kidding — he didn’t ask that. I guess he understands the whole schedule thing.
Speaking of schedules, on a personal note, another thing I did this week was tape an episode of the NPR news quiz show “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” which was recorded at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. It was an absolute hoot to do, and it airs this weekend. Consult, as they say in the business, your local listings.