I am an ambivalent owner of a GM vehicle, a SAAB. That made me eligible to receive a letter from GM that contained this sentence:

“As you may know, GM is using an expedited, court-supervised process to accelerate the reinvention of our company.”

No, I didn’t know that. I only knew what the entire world knew: GM was working its way through bankruptcy proceedings in hopes of surviving. I can’t blame GM for avoiding the ‘B’ word in customer communications. Trying to gain and maintain the trust of customers during bankruptcy is the public relations and marketing equivalent of trying to turn water into wine.

But I can’t stand the corporate-speak that is such an obvious mask. What would be the downside of communicating in a straightforward, clear manner?

“As you may know, GM has declared bankruptcy. This is a temporary situation that will help us restructure our debt. We are continuing to sell and service GM vehicles and are changing our company to be more successful.”

I suppose people might see the ‘B’ word and panic because they don’t understand what it means and believe the company is closing its doors and abandoning them. Or maybe my suggested edit is not “profound” enough. But as a GM customer, I prefer straight talk.

Here’s another passage from the letter:

“Propelled by the spirit and commitment of our people, we will become the New GM, a company that makes Americans proud, and one that can compete successfully with anyone in the world.”

Never mind the dramatic language. Or the capital ‘N’ in New — is this an official name change? The problem I have with this sentence is that it raises the question: Are we talking about the same “spirit and commitment of our people” that just propelled the company to bankruptcy? If so, please roll out v2.0 of spirit and commitment.

This sentence from the letter is strong and clear. It can help ease some anxiety customers may be feeling about the future of their GM vehicle:

“The bottom line is service for your vehicle will always be available through authorized GM retail and service facilities by GM-trained Goodwrench experts, with Genuine GM Parts on hand.”

I have empathy for GM. I want them to do well. I also want them to write better.