Rivian's challenge: Maintain a personal touch long term

It's still possible to get a live person on the phone at Tesla. But it's not easy. There will be menus and waiting and recordings to endure. And you might be transferred down a blind alley only to be left frustrated. It didn't used to be that way. Tesla once won rave reviews for its personalized customer service. Engineers chatted with customers. CEO Elon Musk often personally answered customers' questions on Twitter.