Ford Motor Company’s expansion of SMART Technology (SMARTT) is part of its overall focus on customer experience—specifically “building an experience our customers love,” Elizabeth Weigandt, Dealer Communications Manager, told Loyalty360.
Customer loyalty is hard to develop, but invaluable to a brand, Weigandt said.
“We are focusing on developing loyalty, not through transactions, but on building on four universal tenets of trust, control, respect, and relationships,” she said. “We know through our research that consumers need all four in order to become loyal to a brand. The SMARTT program was developed with these tenets in mind and, we believe, will help our customers have an even better service experience at our dealerships.”
Ford’s SMARTT program, which launched in early 2014, integrates innovative new technologies, including tablets and software into the company’s dealer management system, enhancing the customer experience.
Last year, the company introduced SMARTT Appointments to give customers an online-based tool to schedule service appointments with Ford and Lincoln service centers. With the appointment tool, customers can select the services they need in advance, thus speeding up the write-up process before they arrive. In its first year, online appointment volumes tripled.
SMARTT is launching two additional phases in March, using mobile technology to further enhance customer greeting, write-up and vehicle servicing processes:
SMARTT Mobile Write-Up, phase two, puts tablets in the hands of advisors in dealership service lanes to help provide a more seamless service experience
SMARTT Inspect, phase three, allows technicians and parts department personnel to access the tablet-entered information to obtain vehicle service history and more efficiently fulfill service orders
With SMARTT Mobile Write-Up, Ford and Lincoln service advisers have the flexibility to work with customers on their terms. Service personnel can greet customers and start or complete the write-up process right from the vehicle–breaking down barriers while building trust and strengthening the dealer-customer relationship.
SMARTT Inspect then relays that information to automate and enhance communication within the service department. Once a service advisor creates a repair order, it is assigned to a technician who can use a tablet or PC to complete a complimentary, thorough vehicle inspection. The technician can then record all outcomes of the inspection and suggest necessary additional services, and that data is accessible via the tablet for service advisors to share with customers.
Weigandt explained that the new SMARTT technology aims to make the vehicle service process more efficient and personally engaging for customers. “We envision an experience built on trust, transparency, and personal treatment, and SMARTT helps us achieve that.”