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Industry First: Ford,lincoln And Mercury Dealer Virtual Service Advisor On The Job 24

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DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealer customers will be able to schedule vehicle maintenance and handle other routine service arrangements 24 hours a day, seven days a week using a convenient new online interactive tool called VSA (Virtual Service Advisor).


An automotive-industry exclusive, VSA communicates directly with Ford systems and the dealer's in-house computer system in real time -- allowing customers to arrange vehicle service appointments around the clock, describe service problems online in detail, and view, purchase and schedule Ford-recommended Quality Care maintenance – all appointments with instant confirmation. Customers also can check vehicle service status and view recall information through the dealer's website, 24/7.


"Today's customers are constantly on the go, and we're always looking for ways to help make their life easier," said Ken McCaffrey, manager, e-Business Service Process, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). "We knew we had a winner when we piloted the program, and 45 percent of our customers used VSA between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., when most dealership service departments are closed."


Participating dealerships will begin offering VSA this summer through their dealership's website. The service is easy to use, and customers can do business in much the same manner, whether they call their dealership or use the dealership's website.


"The vast majority of customers will be able to take care of their service needs online within a few minutes," McCaffrey said. "Customers in the pilot program said they liked VSA because they could use the system at their convenience and didn’t have to spend time playing phone tag, while folks at the dealerships liked VSA because it freed them to spend more time interacting with customers and resolving any concerns."


Colin Wickstrom, dealership partner at Wickstrom Ford in Barrington, Illinois, said: "One of the most frustrating jobs in the dealership is being a service advisor -- when the phone is ringing off the hook. If there is anything we as dealers can do to help our service managers and advisors save phone time, it's going to make them more efficient, more effective and much happier."


Pilot-program results indicate that VSA could potentially save service personnel 12 to 40 hours per week per dealership, depending on the dealership size and service volume.


Although VSA will be operated by Ford Customer Service Division, customers will interact with VSA on the Internet exclusively through their dealer's website.


For example, if a vehicle has a problem the owner wants checked out by the service department, the customer begins by locating the dealership's website on the Internet (by typing in the web address) and then navigating to the "Services" tab.


VSA displays a screen allowing the customer to enter the service request in his or her own words and then prompts the customer for more information. For instance, if the customer types, "I hear a noise," the system replies with up to three symptom-probing questions, allowing the vehicle owner to give more details to the service technician. If the customer has more than one service concern, VSA handles each issue with a separate set of questions. VSA uses a very sophisticated technology that determines when and how symptom-probing questions should be asked.


"What is great about VSA is that it consistently asks the same questions every time," Wickstrom said. "That helps us to get better, more focused answers from our customers to help us fix their cars and trucks right – the first time. The result is increased customer satisfaction."


After describing any concerns or maintenance requests, the customer then is prompted to begin the service scheduling process by entering his or her name and other basic information, including the vehicle identification number. VSA contacts the dealership's in-house computer immediately and displays available service dates and times.


Once the customer chooses the service date and time, the customer is provided an opportunity to review the appointment information. At this point, VSA automatically checks for open recalls and offers scheduled maintenance, if the customer has not already selected these. VSA then confirms the appointment with the dealership's computer system and instantly notifies the customer of the confirmed date and time. The customer can then print the confirmation, e-mail it as a reminder, or even transfer the appointment to Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes at the click of a button. VSA also automatically sends customers an e-mail appointment reminder 24 hours before their scheduled appointment.


The online scheduling process was a hit with many of the 18,000 customers who took part in the pilot, McCaffrey said. Ninety-six percent said their appointment day and time was convenient, and 85 percent said they were likely to schedule online again.


Once the vehicle is in the shop, VSA easily allows customers to check its service status by entering the customer's last name and one of the following: repair order number, vehicle shop routing tag number, the vehicle identification number (VIN) or the phone number. VSA then searches the dealership computer system for the current service status and reports the results. If the work isn't finished, the customer may provide an e-mail address to be notified when the vehicle is ready.


Customers also can use VSA to search for VIN-specific recalls and to view, purchase and schedule recommended Quality Care maintenance.


"VSA is one of several key dealership technologies that FCSD has developed to support dealership efficiency, business growth and, ultimately, customer satisfaction," said John Graham, Dealer Process and Implementation manager, Ford Customer Service Division. "We believe this new online tool will go a long way toward helping our dealers meet their commitments to their customers, now and into the future."


VSA was piloted at 21 dealerships in the Boston, Virginia Beach, Chicago, Houston and Dallas metropolitan areas.
 
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