Ford Motor Company. Marketing Department.

The Ford Listens program was launched in November 1970 after ten months of preliminary investigation and testing of print and television advertising. The key goal of the program was to establish a direct and honest dialogue with consumers to help improve company products and services. The program was run by the Marketing Department of Ford Motor Company. The Listens program had a staff of writers who researched the customer questions and replied to their letters. The staff worked closely with the Ford Customer Service Division and other company branches in handling comments and questions about Ford products. The goal of the division was to provide as complete and courteous a response as possible to everyone who wrote. According to a 1972 survey of requests received to that point, product and service complaints accounted for an average of 33% of letters; 10% offered suggestions for product improvement and 36% requested information about cars, the company, the listens program, and other things of personal interest. Many letters received were requests for the booklet Car Buying Made Easier, which was published by the company. The slogan for the program was "Ford...has a better idea (we listen better)."

From the description of Ford Listens records, 1970-1976 (bulk 1971-1973) (The Henry Ford). WorldCat record id: 60412145