PRETORIA, South Africa, 05 September 2022 – Ford South Africa is implementing an enhanced customer experience that accompanies the customer along every step of their ownership journey. This will complement not only the launch of the next-generation Ranger and Everest but will reach and assist existing Ford customers too.
To provide this transformed customer experience, Ford will deliver a myriad of differentiated experiences and opportunities. These will blend into a customer-centric approach that starts with a guided discovery of our vehicles, the purchase process, seamless maintenance and repair options, and finally an easy renewal into the customer’s next Ford.
This, with the help of progressive customer learning through each of our channels, aims to treat our customers like family and make the experience of purchasing and owning a Ford easy, convenient, and more personalised.
“At the very the top of the customer journey is Ford South Africa’s commitment to treat customers like family,” says Kuda Takura, customer experience manager at Ford South Africa. “This is central to all our efforts and has been the driving force for everything that we’re trying to convey at every point of interaction. We want to deliver best-in-class experiences and marry great products with a great service experience,” says Takura.
A modernised customer experience entails the FordPass app providing added functionality available at the customer’s fingertips, anywhere and at any time. Through new and existing functionality such as live chat, telephone, email or video chat, customers can immediately connect to an expert to help guide them through many types of queries, from feature explanations to final reservations and beyond. This advice is available to both existing owners and those interested in joining the Ford family.
The customer’s ongoing engagement with the vehicle is then directed through a learning hub which can be accessed via the Ford website. This tool allows both existing owners and those intending to buy a Ford to discover everything that the product is capable of, with information provided succinctly via supporting visuals and videos that the customer can access on demand, and on their preferred channel.
Buyers of 4×4 derivatives of the next-gen Ranger and Everest also receive a complimentary hands-on practical 4×4 training course, highlighting the vehicle’s respective off-road systems and capabilities in a controlled and safe environment for the whole family to enjoy.
Another key differentiator is an effortless maintenance and repair system which once again uses the power of FordPass to simplify and modernise the traditional experience and timeline. FordPass will alert owners to vehicle health concerns and inform them should something require professional attention. Should such a scenario develop, FordPass can be used to easily make an Online Service Booking.
No cost, self-installing over the air updates will become available for all next-gen Ranger and Everest models. These vehicles are fitted with an embedded modem, thus ensuring the customer’s experience is always up to date for additional feature enhancements throughout the ownership journey.
Customers now also have many more options when it comes to servicing, all of which strive to reduce vehicle downtime, increase convenience, and introduce price transparency. The new Express Service option can be completed within 60 minutes and is already active at majority of Ford dealers around the country. Customers who need to wait longer than 24 hours for a repair will be given a loan car so that they can continue without any disruption caused to their private or business needs. “We recognise that one of the most important things customers want from their vehicle is the uninterrupted use of it, says Harm Kruyshaar, Ford’s After-Sales Retail Manager. “Customers want to feel safe in their car, and when something goes wrong, they want it fixed quickly and without impact on their daily life. That is what we’re striving to achieve in the after-sales environment.”
In addition, Ford has introduced a Service Price Calculator on its website which offers customers full price transparency for services. “While this is currently only available for Ranger and Everest customers, we are going to be rolling it out for all vehicles over the coming months,” continues Kruyshaar. “Price transparency is a powerful tool that empowers customers with the knowledge to know exactly what they should be charged. The days of being overcharged by service centres are over.”
In recent years Ford has invested heavily in customer experiences – both those that make shopping and researching new vehicles fun and easy, as well as those that make maintenance and repair effortless. As a result, Ford vehicles now spend less time off road than ever before. “In fact, we have reduced downtime for both retail and fleet customers by 200% in the last year,” concludes Kruyshaar.”
As Ford gets ready to launch its next-generation products, it has an even more robust and transparent customer experience to ensure the entire ownership journey matches the products themselves.
