Ford will offer Capped Price Service for life beginning in February as part of a major investment to transform dealerships, making it easier and more fun for customers to buy and service vehicles.
Also, as part of its customer experience movement, Ford is creating “dealerships of the future” to transform how Australians experience a dealership from the very moment they walk into a showroom. Not only will this create an improved experience for Ford customers, but it will also challenge the likes of Toyota for better ownership benefits.
More than 20 dealerships – all in the Melbourne and Sydney areas – have undergone the transformation as the company launches an unprecedented wave of new vehicles that crescendos in 2015.
“Ford’s new vehicles are widely being credited for competing with the best products in the world,” said Bob Graziano, Ford of Australia President and CEO. “We now are taking a similar approach to innovating and transforming our dealerships to make it easier to buy and service these great vehicles.”
As part of Ford’s ownership promise, customers will experience the transformations almost instantly when they enter dealerships, which will now employ non-sales-oriented concierges to welcome customers and ask how they want to engage with the sales staff. This “permission-based” sales process continues throughout the experience.
A key highlight for customers is their own personalised reveal after their purchase. Just as has been done for decades at motor shows, the staff reveals the car at the centre of the store by pulling off a silk sheet off to create selfie moments customers can share instantly on their social channels.
However, the core of the transformation is that dealerships are evolving with modern customer trends. For example, sales and service experts blend modern technologies such as iPad-based shopping tools, SYNC-based product information during test drives and convenient online scheduling to make the experience easier and more transparent.
A number of dealers in Melbourne and Sydney have nearly completed the technological reshaping of sales and service departments to go along with Ford’s aggressive approach to increase customer satisfaction in all aspects of the dealership experience.
By the end of 2015, 80 dealerships will have completed the transformations.
Satisfaction improving
Customers will first notice the changes when they are greeted by a dedicated dealership concierge, right at the front door. Public perception of dealerships is one of sales-driven service from start to finish, but Ford is working to change that perception. The concierge greets new customers, welcomes them to the lounge area and prepares refreshments – all as a priority before a customer connects with a sales person.
Ford has already put in place a number of customer-service initiatives – including a comprehensive after-sales package.
The new initiatives are intended to place Ford dealers among the top stores in the country in terms of customer satisfaction. To do this, Ford is introducing cutting-edge technology to make car-buying and servicing easier while building on the transparency of Ford’s leading capped price service program.
“Innovation is at the forefront of design in all of our vehicles, so we are investing in technology on the dealership floor to give customers the most personalised, transparent experience possible,” said Graeme Whickman, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service for Ford Australia. “While we are re-inventing the dealership experience, many customers will actually find it very familiar to the technology they use every day or even from online shopping.”
When it comes to talking models, other changes that customers will see are sales people engaging with them using an iPad with key product, inventory and pricing information to make the discussion more seamless. The test drive also takes on a higher-tech feel with an Australian-first feature called the Smart Drive USB.
In real time during the test drive, potential car buyers can receive an explanation of the car features via the SYNC voice control system. Drivers simply ask SYNC about a particular feature to have the car talk to the driver about how the technology works.
Personalising your car
Building on this interactive approach, new apps used by the sales team allow customers to input their personal driver preferences and needs. From preferred bodystyle to the number of passengers. The app can then help the salesperson identify recommended vehicles based on the individual needs – on the spot.
Customers ordering vehicles from the factory can follow the car-buying journey with ‘keep me informed’ emails, which will allow them to track their new car from when the first parts are put together, to the car arriving for collection at their chosen dealership.
To add a personal touch, a website dedicated to personalising their car will make sure the new Ford is ready-to-go on arrival. From tuning the radio stations to adjusting the cabin temperature, the new service will ensure the car is personalised for the driver before they even meet for the first time.
“By bringing technology like SmartDrive USB to our customers, we’re empowering them to make this important financial decision with all the tools they need to find the ideal vehicle for their lifestyle and needs as a driver”, said Whickman.
Ford is also adding a twist to the delivery process by staging personalised reveals where customers can pull silk sheets of their new vehicles and pose for selfies.
Comprehensive service
Ford is rolling out:
•Online service scheduling (ability to book your appointment online, whenever it suits you);
•Automated reminders via email or SMS to let you know when your appointment is coming up and keep you informed of the status of your vehicle on the day of repair.
•An interactive service reception where the customer is greeted by a Service Advisor equipped with an iPad, and together they review the work to be carried out, the condition of the vehicle, and capture any other concerns or work the customer would like carried out. The advisor can use the iPad to log any customer requirements or concerns, take photos or record noises, and then the customer signs the iPad to authorize the work. The iPad then generates an email which goes straight to the customer and includes the signed Estimate and any photos of the vehicle.
•A vehicle report card, provided free with each service, keeps you up to date with the condition of key maintenance items like brakes, tyres and the vehicle’s battery, and provides transparency on cost and required repairs.
This builds on Ford’s expansion of its Ford Capped Price Servicing program and added several new customer-focused features.
The company’s Ford Capped Price Servicing program is one of the industry’s leading programs and will only get better in 2015 when it is expanded for the life of the vehicle. The service has already been extended to include brake pad replacements. The Capped Price Brake program provides a maximum rate for brake pad replacement.
Ford customers also can take advantage of Ford’s Auto Club Program at participating dealers. Ford has partnered with each State’s auto clubs, the RACV, RACT, RACQ, AANT, RAA, NRMA and RAC, to provide this service. As part of the Auto Club Program, customers receiving a Capped Price Service will receive 12-months’ free State Auto Club Membership in their State (excluding FPV and Transit Custom). The Auto Club Program is with any capped price service up to 7 years/105,000 kms.
“The expansion of our comprehensive service package addition makes it easier and more affordable to service their vehicles with Ford dealers,” said Whickman. “We have seen a significant increase in retaining customers after introducing our Ford capped price servicing program and expect to build on that success by expanding the program.
Ford Capped Price Servicing is available on all Ford vehicles built from 2007.