All the News for November 2020

Service with a Smile!

On October 20, NTTOG officers & board members Rick, Craig, Teresa and Joe had the opportunity to meet with Tesla’s Regional Service Manager, Peter Villa, on how owners groups (and specifically NTTOG) can better partner with Tesla Service. Historically, NTTOG has been the first stop for N. TX Tesla owners when they're not satisfied with their service experience.

Some highlights from the meeting (thanks to our amazing scribe, Joe Busch):

Tesla is working hard to eliminate current issues with service in the North Texas area.
They are updating software to allow better communications, expanding the number of Service Centers (SC), and recognize they can do better. For example, they have metrics in place to measure average number of hours to repair a car within the SC. The goal is over 90% turnaround within 24 hours. Currently, they are over 70% turnaround within 24 hours overall, with some SCs a little better and others working to get to their goal.

Tesla expect to see improved service within the next 3-6 months as the following things are implemented:

Ownership of repairs lives at the local SC level.
Better planning on service calls to prepare for arrival of cars to SC.
Geofencing at SC to automate check-in and check-out on repairs.
Better communication with some type of direct communication between car owner and SC.

The biggest hurdle with communication is legal, and the current laws dictating what they can and cannot do today.

Parts Distribution Center (PDC)

Service Centers today source parts through CA (or the rest of the country), while maintaining some parts within the SC. Tesla is working to improve how parts are managed, inventoried, allocated and distributed by aligning with third parties and building a parts distribution center (PDC). The PDC should be fully operational within 6-9 months.

In closing, Peter emphasized that Tesla is listening, and knows they can and will do better at providing a fantastic customer experience. They are making short term changes as mentioned here, and long-term investments in new SCs to keep up with demands and service quality.

Here's a recent article in Electrek that speaks to a lot of our NTTOG discussion with Peter.

Toys for Tots: 2020 Edition!

North TX Tesla owners had a HUGE turn-out for Toys for Tots in 2019, coming in at the last minute with frunks-full-o-toys and Tesla Hotwheels for all the girls and boys! Enjoy a few pictures from last year's event!

Toys for Tots has released their Dallas/Forth Worth area 2020 Media Week schedule of events. Keep in mind - the Media Week events were meant to be larger gatherings with FOX4 TV coverage to showcase contributors and contributions. Due to COVID-19, FOX4 will not be present to broadcast.

NTTOG is not organizing a group event to attend and deliver our respective donations for 2020. However, we are providing you with the links & information because NTTOG has historically been an ardent supporter of this cause.

If you want to make a donation, but don't want to attend one of the local area Media Week events, there are a TON of other locations around the DFW area that will accept toy donations.

We'd love to get a selfie of you, your donation, and your Tesla! Feel free to post it to our Facebook group page, or send them via email.

(Special thank-you to our NTTOG director, Thomas Knowles for supplying info and images!)

An important reminder during the global pandemic:

Many cities, counties, and states have issued shelter-in-place orders due to
COVID-19, as well as orders limiting crowd sizes for public gatherings.

NTTOG is honoring these directives, as many of our club-sponsored events result in 30+ participants. In order to keep both members and guests safe, the Board of Directors is requesting that group members do NOT request, schedule, or suggest in-person meet-ups of any kind.

Posting anything that potentially violates community shelter-in-place orders to our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) will be deleted.

Please - stay safe. Wear a mask! Wash your hands frequently! Cover your cough or sneeze! Practice "personal distancing" (we are still "social beings" and want/need to stay connected socially). Clean and disinfect surfaces daily!

"Can anyone recommend...?"

Long-time club members and social media followers will attest to the fact: There's not a week that goes by where we don't get recommendation requests for many of the following:

Window tint, paint protection film (PPF), wrap, chrome delete
Authorized body shops, minor dent/scratch repair, glass repair/replacement
Tire- and wheel-related inquiries (road rash repair, powder coat, wheel balancing, new tire advice, etc.)

Don't get me wrong - part of NTTOG's "north star" is to be a conduit for help & information about our wonderful cars - to each of our valued members. Having said that...

Did you know?

You can quickly & easily find the answers to many of your questions by using the Facebook group page's Search feature? Simply click the Search button, located in the top-right of the NTTOG group homepage

Next, enter the text for your search and click "Search this group..."

...and VOILA! You'll get a list of all the posts and discussion threads that may very well have your answer!!

....but wait - there's more!

NTTOG club members maintain a Google Docs spreadsheet that is also chock full of recommendations (with contact information) on most every one of the requested topics. You may ask: "What is this voodoo of which you speak, and how can I find it?"

Once again, check out the NTTOG homepage > Announcements section. The 2nd bullet item is your gateway to finding the recommendations that you need:

...and did you say ROAD TRIP??!!

Why, yes we did! In hopeful anticipation, we want to be ready to safely reconnect with all of you! And what better way to enjoy our Teslas (and each other)?? ROAD TRIP!!

This is, of course, our first road trip since before the COVID-19 global pandemic. Like our last trip that culminated with a delicious meal together at the Spiral Diner in Denton, TX, we will have a "shotgun start" in both Dallas and Tarrant Counties. The final destination for both caravans will (tentatively) be at the Shannon Brewing Company.

More information to come as we get closer to that actual event. Make sure you stay connected via all our social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for the latest word on date, time, and the gathering places for both Dallas & Tarrant County club members.

Note: This event is open to regular (paid) members!

Consider Becoming a Regular/Contributing Member!

ARE YOU A MEMBER OF TESLA OWNERS CLUB OF NORTH TEXAS? Our main FB group is designed as a place to chat and share ideas and questions about Tesla ownership. But, being a participant on Facebook does not include you in the actual membership of our Club.

We refer to official Club members as "contributing" or "regular" members. And while we certainly try to have a few events every year that are open to everyone, the majority are for contributing members only. There are many factors that play into this, but one major factor is that Tesla Owners Club of North Texas purchases & secures liability insurance for our events - many other clubs do not.

Join us today as a contributing member and insure that you get invited to all of our Club events. Hit our website and select the MEMBERSHIP tab to join. https://ntxteslaowners.com/

In case you missed it….Tesla in the News!

Important Information:

If you are a current owner of a Tesla (new or CPO) or are simply waiting for delivery of your new vehicle, NTTOG wants you to know you are welcomed and encouraged to attend our events and meetings. Come early to events and help us find and arrange the perfect group photo opportunity. We are ALWAYS looking for that perfect Tesla group photograph!
If you plan on coming to an event, please register through the Eventbrite link so we know who to expect. Some events may require additional registration for your guests. This allows us to gather an accurate headcount for meals, tickets, and other items in the planned event. If you need to cancel please do so through Eventbrite. We cannot plan and execute events without know how many will be in attendance and if you must cancel, we need to know. Unfortunately, Eventbrite only allows cancellations from a desktop computer and not a mobile device, and you can only cancel a free order for an upcoming event.
Membership renewals are now being processed through the Memberful system, so expect to see an email from Memberful, advising in advance when renewals are due. Email info@nttog.com if you are having any trouble with your renewal or updates to your membership info, and please let us know so we can help make it a smoother process.
If you are emailing us at INFO@NTTOG.COM, please sign your name to your email. We do not maintain a club contact list within our email client, and the person who replies to your message may not recognize you from your email address alone.
If you are a Contributing Member and have a badge, please always wear it to events. Our membership has more than doubled and wearing a badge helps you to be identified as an NTTOG member and it will help everyone to put faces with names.
Most places set aside tables, valet parking and other conveniences based on registered attendees through our Eventbrite responses. As we grow we have limited space for some events, and when RSVP's reach capacity, we put other members on a wait-list. If you are unable to attend an event please cancel your RSVP so we can provide an accurate headcount to the vendors hosting us and allow those who can attend to be moved from waitlisted to registration. By setting correct expectations vendors enjoy repeating events with us. By providing an inaccurate head-count of attendees, we may look embarrassingly unorganized or nonchalant to the businesses and venues within our communities as well as prevent members who wish to attend the opportunity to do so. Please be thoughtful of our position.

Pro Tip! It is a good idea to keep your badges in your glove box to have them handy when attending club functions or when you are representing the club.

North Texas Tesla Owners Group d/b/a Tesla Owners Club of North Texas is an independent enthusiast organization and is not affiliated with Tesla, Inc. or its subsidiaries. TESLA, MODEL S, MODEL X, MODEL 3, POWER WALL, and the a "TESLA," "T" and " TESLA and T Flag" designs, and certain other trademarks of Tesla Motors, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

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