Al Tayer Motors, the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealer in Dubai and the Northern Emirates recently launched the Ford Service Excellence programme – a unique customer satisfaction initiative designed by Ford Motor Company.
Chris Noel, National After-Sales manager, UAE, KSA and Lebanon, Ford Middle East said: “The biggest concern for most customers taking their car for service is not having a clear idea of how much the work will cost or how long it will take. The Service Excellence programme involves the customers so they feel more in control, and provides them with the information they need to know.”
Al Tayer Motors is the first Ford dealer in the GCC to introduce this initiative, which has proven successful at more than 2,000 dealerships in over 40 countries worldwide, including India, Russia, Turkey, the Philippines, and the USA.
The Service Excellence programme is a step-by-step procedure designed to maximise convenience, productivity, flexibility, and customer care.
Trained personnel call customers proactively to remind them that their car is due for service and agree on an appointment though the system also accommodates walk-ins.
Menu pricing is another trademark feature that enables customers to gain an accurate picture of what their car servicing will cost before they leave the service facility. Diligent market research ensures that prices for parts and labour are competitive, while the latest diagnostic technology and training, provided exclusively by Ford ME, help technicians to identify the work required as quickly as possible.
Ravinder Singh, General Manager, After Sales, Al Tayer Motors, said: “The Service Excellence programme helps to eliminate the unexpected. Thanks to the system, customers know what a job will cost, how long it will take and when they can pick up their vehicle before they leave the service centre. The procedure is designed to be quick, easy and flexible, and implementation of the programme is closely tracked so that each customer enjoys the same standard of service every visit.”
Research by international automotive industry consultants JD Power Associates confirms that the Service Excellence initiative is a hit with customers. And Ford’s own audits show that, on average, dealers on the programme see an eight per cent rise in workshop productivity and a 36 per cent hike in customer satisfaction. Underlining the programme's effectiveness in generating repeat business, the average age of vehicles being serviced increases by 43 per cent.
The Service Excellence programme is currently functional at the Al Tayer Motors new service centre on Sheikh Zayed road between the third and the fourth interchange and has plans to roll out across other service centres over the next 12 months.
Saeed Al Tayer, managing director of Al Tayer Motors said: “Customer satisfaction during and after sales, plays a key role in our service promise, and the launch of the Service Excellence programme reflects our commitment to serve our customers to the best of our ability.
Al Tayer Motors continually invests in new facilities, the best people and the most effective systems, such as Service Excellence, to reward customers for the investment they make in the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles we offer.”
Service Excellence Programme: The procedure
1. Pro-active customer contact
2. Customer appointment
3. Personal reception and tour
4. Menu pricing explained
5. Customer care
6. Workshop loading
7. Parts store briefed
8. Parts pre-picked
9. Repair order issued
10. Order completion and invoicing
11. Customer contact and car return
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With nearly 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.
Ford Motor Company’s history in the Middle East goes back more than 50 years. The company’s local importer-dealers operate more than 40 facilities in the GCC and directly employ more than 3,500 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals.
