A new job listing on Tesla’s website suggests that the automaker is looking to follow through on CEO Elon Musk’s assertion that “the best service is no service.” The posting shows that the EV maker is recruiting a senior manager for a team called the “Zero Service”.
Tesla writes that it is looking for “a highly motivated Senior Manager to join our Service Operations organization and lead the team responsible to identify and eliminate the reasons for our cars to require service.”
The job listing on both Tesla’s Linkedin page and website lists responsibilities that include improving field teams, working with the quality, engineering, and service teams to improve communications, identifying service trends in the real world, and more.
Although that all sounds good, and Tesla’s goal of creating vehicles that don’t need to be serviced will probably appeal to many, it may strike others as unrealistic. Part of the initial appeal of electric vehicles was that their simple motors would significantly cut down on drivetrain complexity, eliminating much of the service our vehicles currently require. But, as Tesla has proven, that idea hasn’t really panned out in the real world.
Read: Tesla Owners Stuck Waiting 9 Months For Repair Estimates After Prangs
Sure, EVs are simpler than ICE vehicles in theory, but the realities of the road are much more complicated. Vehicles break down and need servicing for all kinds of reasons, and Tesla’s small service network has left many owners dissatisfied.
Its lack of service centers have left owners waiting months for repairs, while others have turned to traditional automakers, like GM, for faster repairs. Some were so angered by the network that they even led to the launch of a (failed) lawsuit, alleging that the automaker was monopolizing the market for service parts and charging customers exorbitantly.
You can understand why Tesla might want to fix that and, indeed, in 2022, Musk admitted that his company’s customer service department needed improving. However, the ways in which it has gone about dealing with customers in the past could lead to some concerns.
More: What Are The Maintenance Costs For A Tesla Model S Over 300,000 Miles?
Reports have emerged suggesting that the automaker is more interested in protecting itself from liability than in serving owners. Meanwhile, when customers started calling with complaints about their driving range, the company allegedly set up a “diversion team” whose only job was to deflect calls, not to address customer complaints.
While Tesla’s service apparatus clearly needs work, the way it is going about doing that will likely divide opinion. If you’re a fan of the brand, this posting will probably seem like another daring goal that looks past the limitations that have held the automotive industry back. However, if you’re skeptical of it, it may look like an open admission that the company is more interest in getting customers off its back than actually serving them.
