I work in a highly focused "Customer Experience" service industry, where we constantly poll our customers and respond to their needs as much as budgets allow. The lines between "Perception" of Customer Care and "Real" Customer Care can get blurred very quickly, and with industry driven by the Return On Investment, (ROI), the question is "what is the real commitment". So is Honda truly helping all their customers with long term ownerships of their brand, or does limited programs like this give a perception that Honda is going out of it's way to help owners (who are not buying new Honda's). Face it, without customers buying new cars continuously, parts inventory and availability would go away. How many of us on this forum have purchased a new Mercedes in the last few years, and how much profit has MB made off of selling all of us parts for our 25 year old cars. Parts costs at our level may seem high to us, but to the bean counters at the corp. level, it's volume vs. margins and they are hard to please.
Corp. bottom line is to please investors with whatever means it takes to do so. If you think Honda is doing it better, you could be right, but then again, this limited program targeting a select group of Honda owners, ( in a way we are not sure is successful), has achieved it's goals of good perception of the Honda Brand.
All that being said it's a great idea if the brand is really listening and cares. Public demand has MB making keys for R129s again, I just got a new one for the wife's 99 SL, they had been unavailable for a few years. Like many others, I had called and written to the classic center many times on the key issue. But I never saw a survey where MB was asking what I needed.
Anyway, I'm for making a list, signing a petition, whatever... How about HVAC Pods, headlights & lenses, bumper end covers.... on and on etc
Thanks for the post on this Ntrepid, something to consider...
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