Some Cadillac Lyriq Customers Get $5,500 Discount if They Sign NDA, Agree to Share Data [Corrected]
“The details of the program are a private agreement between the customer and Cadillac,” a spokesperson said.
Cadillac is still pretty new to electric vehicles. Over the past decade or so, it sold a few hybrids, including the Escalade Hybrid and the sharp looking ELR. However, the Lyriq is Cadillac's first mainstream fully-electric vehicle, which makes it hugely important for the brand's future. So Cadillac wants to make sure it gets the launch of the Lyriq right, which is why it's looking for early feedback from customers. According to the Detroit Free Press, it seems Cadillac is giving customers a $5,500 discount if they're willing to sign an NDA and provide Cadillac feedback about their experience.
It's unusual for a car company to ask customers to sign non-disclosure agreements when buying a car. However, it seems that Cadillac wants to closely monitor select customer experiences, without those customers sharing their opinions with anyone outside of GM. According to Cadillac spokesperson Michael Albano, the 'Cadillac Lyriq Targeted Private Offer' program was created out of Cadillac's desire to learn from its customers.
“As we transform our business, the launch of our first all-electric vehicle, Lyriq, provides Cadillac some unique learning opportunities," Albano told the Free Press. "Therefore, we have engaged a small group of early customers who agree to share their vehicle information and customer behaviors. Cadillac will use these learnings to elevate the experience for all our customers.”
Albano told the Free Press that there are 20 participants in the program but wouldn't say how they were chosen. Although, he did say that most of them live in big cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Detroit. "We will use the program to learn more about customer behaviors and their vehicles. Beyond that, the details of the program are a private agreement between the customer and Cadillac."
While unusual, this idea is one that Erik Gordon, business professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, understands. "You come out with a new product and new platform. You like to gather data. I think it’s more realistic to gather data from nonemployees; you get a wider variety of people and people who are not so gung-ho. You get real world data.” he told the Free Press. Gordon also understands the NDA, as it prevents customers from publicly discussing the experience unfairly.
Along with the NDA, customers will also share their experiences and feedback with Cadillac, through both the dealerships and Cadillac's new call-in EV concierge center. Communication between customers and Cadillac will mostly be verbal, over the phone and in-person, and Cadillac will review milestones, charge times, charge experiences, and range, among other things. If the car requires any service, Cadillac will get access to the car's information and any data will be logged, as it is for all Cadillac vehicles, not just the Lyriq.
This sort of program is quite possibly a first for the auto industry but it’s one that seems to make sense for everyone involved. Cadillac gets precious customer insight early on, those same customers get a hefty discount, dealers get more interaction with those customers, and future customers reap the benefits of preemptive problem solving. So while it might sound a bit mysterious at first, it’s actually a program that helps everyone. As long as people are honest…
Correction: Wednesday, July 20, 2022: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated that Cadillac would be live tracking customers' data. That isn’t true, as customers will instead verbally share feedback with Cadillac through regular meetings at a dealership. The story has been updated, and The Drive sincerely regrets the error.
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