Comments on: Ford Announces Huge Job Cuts

All Hourly Workers To Be Offered Buyouts, Two More Plants To Close

[nynative1340]

The American automotive management and unions have to take responsibility for this. The Japanese have been building it better and more efficiently for years; and now the Koreans and Chinese have joined the competition. No way can high-paid Americans compete with them.

[n4rakgca]

Took my 2000 Ford Ranger to my local Ford Dealer to upgrade to a new 2006 F-150. Sales Rep kept steering me to the Explorer and Expedition models. Did not appear to understand what this repeat customer wanted to purchase.

After wasting 30 minutes in an attempt to pursuade this educated consumer into buying a product I did not want, did not need, could not afford, I left this dealership with my money and my Ranger.

Feeling insulted and unappreciated my next stop was a Toyota dealership. I had money to spend and Toyota was very willing to take it. 25 minutes later I signed to purchase a new Tacoma.

There's a lesson for Ford and this "lost customer." All you need is to listen to this consumer and others alike. We want to stay loyal to a once great American company. You have to respect our purchasing requirements when you build your products. Build what we want and we will buy it. Have what we ask for and we will buy it. Our purchasing power is far beyond your Sales and Marketing power to brow-beat us into buying what "you think we ought to own."

You should be thinking: Lee Iacoca

[ernie80-2009]

We live in a country that has many depressed areas. With big businesses cutting jobs, we are just running our country to the ground. So they lost 1.4 billion from last years gain - but, what was the profit this year. Keep on cutting jobs and your loss will be greater in the years to come. If jobs keep getting cut, who do you think will be able to afford to buy vehicles or anything for that matter? All these educated people and no one thinking of the overall picture.

[rock1966]

What's with this buy-out ***? I obviously worked for the wrong companies! Year ago, when I, and many others, were laid-off due to slow work, we received nothing other than the lay-off notice - no compensation whatsoever (regardless of length of time with the company)! And, this was a union company with a contract that stated the company couldn't do what they did. However, a judge side with the company, stating that she could make the contract null and void (which she did), and threw it out. FORD: If you want to save BIG bucks, simply lay they off with no benefits.

[polyglot7]

"Plant the wind and reap the whirlwind." That is exactly what Ford (and GM and Chrysler, for that matter) have done. After decades of status quo thinking in an ever-changing world, Ford has been left behind. While the Japanese quietly adjusted and re-engineered to meet federal safety and environmental requirements, Ford whined and resisted and still does. (Try getting a Ford product with Daytime Running Lights, a very simple safety device; the same for Electronic Skid Control; Hyundai has more safety features standard than you can even get on a Ford, etc.)

Ford showed just how much they disrespect the American consumer by putting an advanced, next generation Focus onto the European market and giving us the same old stuff; inferior engineering at the higher price. They put out new cars (e.g. Freestyle, Montego) with only one underpowered engine choicel. They expect people to pronounce MKX as "Mark Ten." Why do they hate us so much?

I have rarely been into a Ford dealer and treated with respect; it is more like being an intruder. Ford dealers often try to jack up their profits by selling unneeded and unwanted services at inflated prices. In my experiences with others, such as VW and Toyota, I am treated like a welcome guest. Get a clue, guys!

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Ford, make better cars! We don't want to buy "foreign" cars. We just want good value, dependability, and overall economy.

[brailelw]

I passed by a local Ford dealership a couple of weeks ago and they were having a huge sale! Banners were out, balloons were flying but all I saw were trucks and suv's. From what I could see
during my drive by was that they didn't have any
cars on the front rows.The lot looked really busy with the ballons and all but I really didn't see many people.Ford does have some nice futures vehicles coming out but they should have been ready for the consumer shift. Just to SLOW!!