OT: Dieter Zetsche - Horrible quote or horrible speaker?
12-07-2004, 09:27 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
OT: Dieter Zetsche - Horrible quote or horrible speaker?
I know this is off-topic, but holy smokes, it amazed me that someone in his position could come up with a quote like this. This is Dieter Zetsche (CEO) on Autoweek.com when asked about changes or improvements that have occurred at DaimlerChrysler since his arrival 4 years ago. I've read this 4 times and I still don't really understand what he was trying to say:
"Take, for instance, hours per vehicle. The best are today at about 30 hours per vehicle. We are at 36-point-something. We were at 48.
We do believe the best will not significantly improve their hours per vehicle number because they have to continue to improve with all of their product while their mix is getting worse. They are getting more trucks in the mix.
Therefore, with the structural burden, we think that further improvement will offset that structural growing disadvantage, not disadvantage versus us because we have much more trucks in our mix anyway, but versus where they are today.
And this makes us believe that the absolute number will stay relatively flat. Makes us believe that we - with a worse mix of trucks versus cars - we still will accomplish 30 hours or below 30 hours. That we actually will be at the benchmark with the best. So that is one example."
"Take, for instance, hours per vehicle. The best are today at about 30 hours per vehicle. We are at 36-point-something. We were at 48.
We do believe the best will not significantly improve their hours per vehicle number because they have to continue to improve with all of their product while their mix is getting worse. They are getting more trucks in the mix.
Therefore, with the structural burden, we think that further improvement will offset that structural growing disadvantage, not disadvantage versus us because we have much more trucks in our mix anyway, but versus where they are today.
And this makes us believe that the absolute number will stay relatively flat. Makes us believe that we - with a worse mix of trucks versus cars - we still will accomplish 30 hours or below 30 hours. That we actually will be at the benchmark with the best. So that is one example."
12-08-2004, 01:48 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Hee hee...
I don't think it's asking much for a CEO of a large multinational company to be able to answer a question posed by the press in a clear and concise manner. Zetsche or Wiedeking, they should all be able to speak effectively in public.
Imagine if Wiedeking were asked how Porsche is different from its competitors and he came up with this answer:
"In many ways our competitors are good and in ways that are positive. Ferrari and Lamborghini, these are good and they have positives. We bring to the table our positives and our good things and these things are different than their things so we are different than the rest.
By differentiating ourselves from other good positives, we are then different positives and not negative and our customers will see this the first time they hear the engine start up. This is what Porsche is all about, what I've just said."
How confident would you be about going long on Porsche stock the next day.
I don't think it's asking much for a CEO of a large multinational company to be able to answer a question posed by the press in a clear and concise manner. Zetsche or Wiedeking, they should all be able to speak effectively in public.
Imagine if Wiedeking were asked how Porsche is different from its competitors and he came up with this answer:
"In many ways our competitors are good and in ways that are positive. Ferrari and Lamborghini, these are good and they have positives. We bring to the table our positives and our good things and these things are different than their things so we are different than the rest.
By differentiating ourselves from other good positives, we are then different positives and not negative and our customers will see this the first time they hear the engine start up. This is what Porsche is all about, what I've just said."
How confident would you be about going long on Porsche stock the next day.
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12-09-2004, 03:07 AM
#9
Rennlist Member
Wow! After 3 beers, 2 glasses of wine, and 2 gin & tonics, I can honestly sat that I agree that the structural burden should help improvement of the growing disadvantage in spite of the flat hours per vehicle. Thanks for the quote- I feel much smarter than I was 5 minutes ago!!
BTW, WTF is that "OT" forum for, anyways?
BTW, WTF is that "OT" forum for, anyways?
