Apple Is Pushed to be Better, Tesla…Not So Much
The latest owner satisfaction survey by Consumer Reports magazine actually had Tesla ranked above any other car company in the world. And yet, this is despite recent insider information which revealed that as many as 90% of Tesla’s vehicles roll off the assembly line defective. If these are both true, what does that say about Tesla and their customers?
This story illustrates one of the biggest reasons why Tesla (TSLA) is such a different company than Apple (APPL). Apple is by no means perfect when it comes to quality, however, their customers and the tech press push them towards it by highlighting any defects in their products. They provide a valuable service in that Apple is forced to deal with quality problems quickly and learns from those problems.
When it comes to the tech press and Tesla’s customers the situation is the opposite. They lead Tesla to mediocrity by accepting the defects and giving Tesla glowing reviews anyway. By grading Tesla on a curve, Tesla is lured into thinking that they are ready for the big time when they’re really not. This allows them into thinking that they can deal with quality later and go for scale now. But for a company, overhauling your quality policies later, is like you waiting until after you’re married with kids to get your doctorate degree. The longer you wait, the more difficult it’s going to be.
Tesla’s hard core fans are in such denial regarding the low quality cars that they drive that they actually take umbrage at Americans for “putting down American made cars”. Where have they been for the past forty years? GM, Ford, and Chrysler have been steadily losing market share to Asian and German automakers. Why? Because of perceived shortcomings in quality. Especially in the area of fit and finish.
Boy, is the Tesla fan club in for a rude awakening when the Model 3 starts to land in driveways beyond just the faithful fans.
The difference between Tesla and Apple is so deep that it goes much further than one makes cars and the other makes computers. All technology companies can be divided into two camps. Those that are in the business of moving data and those in the business of moving physical objects. Moving DATA is shaping the future and moving OBJECTS is refining the past. Apple is focused on the future and Tesla is focused on the past.
Now available in iBooks —> The Tesla Bubble
When it comes to the tech press and Tesla’s customers the situation is the opposite. They lead Tesla to mediocrity by accepting the defects and giving Tesla glowing reviews anyway. By grading Tesla on a curve, Tesla is lured into thinking that they are ready for the big time when they’re really not. This allows them into thinking that they can deal with quality later and go for scale now. But for a company, overhauling your quality policies later, is like you waiting until after you’re married with kids to get your doctorate degree. The longer you wait, the more difficult it’s going to be.
Tesla’s hard core fans are in such denial regarding the low quality cars that they drive that they actually take umbrage at Americans for “putting down American made cars”. Where have they been for the past forty years? GM, Ford, and Chrysler have been steadily losing market share to Asian and German automakers. Why? Because of perceived shortcomings in quality. Especially in the area of fit and finish.
Boy, is the Tesla fan club in for a rude awakening when the Model 3 starts to land in driveways beyond just the faithful fans.
The difference between Tesla and Apple is so deep that it goes much further than one makes cars and the other makes computers. All technology companies can be divided into two camps. Those that are in the business of moving data and those in the business of moving physical objects. Moving DATA is shaping the future and moving OBJECTS is refining the past. Apple is focused on the future and Tesla is focused on the past.
Now available in iBooks —> The Tesla Bubble
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