Step into a salesperson's shoes for a minute. You have a great new product, and people are lined up to buy it. But you can't tell them when you'll have it or when they can get it.
Welcome to life at Boeing.
"It is difficult, frankly," says Randy Tinseth. "We've disappointed our customers again and again on this program," the vice president of marketing at Boeing said. "We recognize that."
Boeing has already lost 40 orders for the Dreamliner in 2010. If China Eastern Airlines follows through on its cancellation plans, that number will be 55. So what kind of sell job does Tinseth have to do to keep customers happy despite all the delays? "Remind them of the value-proposition of this airline," he said. "How it will allow them to open up new markets profitably, how because of the fantastic efficiency of this airplane that they'll be able to reduce their costs."
The 787 is nearly three years behind schedule, and the delivery of the first planes to All Nippon Airlines won't likely happen until the third quarter of 2011. The test fleet remains grounded after an electrical fire on plane number-2 last month in Texas.
Tinseth says a new schedule should be out in a few weeks. "We're working through the design issues, both hardware and software design issues with the airplane right now, and as soon as we work through those we'll be announcing our new schedule."
Until then, Boeing will continue to thank its customers for their patience and reminding them of how great the plane will be.
Boeing has orders for more than 800 Dreamliners already on the books.
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