Technology changing means education, customer care
CHICAGO — Technology continues to change as the industry moves to meet CAFE standards in 2016, but it remains paramount that suppliers and shop owners make sure everyone in the industry is prepared to take care of consumers’ vehicles with the new features.
Chris Chesney, director, customer education, CARQUEST Technical Institute, says these new technologies — some of which already are here — are imperative to focus on now to make sure you’ll be able to serve consumers the right way, the first time. He adds that because of this, the industry needs to challenge suppliers not only to concern themselves with how they satisfy their customers, but how they satisfy their customers’ customers.
“Your customer is faced with time issues. It’s your responsibility to manage that time,” he explains. “They’re faced with their time and pocketbook. How can you overcome those things and significantly impact their lives with that?”
So as the new standards approach and the new technologies come about, now is the time to make sure you’re ready. Chesney covered how to do this in his presentation “The Service Bay of Tomorrow” at the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) on Wednesday morning. It starts with looking at the future now.
The Future
Chesney says the industry is at a crossroads and facing a brewing perfect storm. There are mandates from the federal government, the green movement and customers’ need for more time. The industry must move itself to the next level to meet the demands of technology that is coming and educate itself today.
The CAFE standards — Corporate Average Fuel Economy — mean that in 2016, light duty vehicles will need to achieve 39 MPG while light duty trucks will need to achieve 30 MPG. There is going to be a significant increase in technology to get to that level, Chesney notes.
These levels will be achieved through a couple of technological changes, including gas directed injection (GDI) and automated manual transmissions. Chesney says GDI will get the industry from point A to point B in its efforts to meet these new fuel economy standards. While this technology has been in place for many years, it’s commonplace today. Ford says by 2013 model year, all vehicles will be equipped with GDI. GM and all Japanese have GDI platforms in place as well.
“These systems really lend themselves to service opportunities in the aftermarket. Because there are no standards, when these vehicles are serviced, service facilities try to service them with fluids that may not meet the standards set for those vehicles,” he says. “It’s up to us to make sure that the people working in the bays servicing the vehicles are servicing them correctly.”
That same idea goes with automated manual transmissions, as they will be available in every vehicle sold in the next three to four years, because they improve fuel economy.
“Technology is here, we have it in place today, but is it robust enough to meet the CAFE standard from the government?” Chesney poses.
In either case, we need to get everyone educated on these technologies so that they can take care of our customers.
The People
Today’s consumers are busy, and focused on saving time, not just money. Chesney says CTI challenges shops to make sure they’re doing all they can to take care of customers by listing as many things that require our customer to invest time related to the services your business offers. Next, they think about the things that require our customer to invest time that are not related to the service your business offers.
If you can effectively manager you customers time, everyone at GAAS wins, he says. That means combining technology, education and doing the right thing.
First, make sure shops have the equipment in place — like proper scan tools — to do the work. “The OEs are not withholding everything, there are gaps in information. Most technicians believe they’re locked out when they’re not significantly locked out,” Chesney says.
Then make sure everyone in the shop is ready to utilize this technology and equipment.
Are they ready to take care of the technology that’s in place? Because we have no standards in this industry because there’s no benchmark in this industry to work on a vehicle to communicate with a consumer about their vehicle,” Chesney says. “We need to take ownership of the education of our industry.”
“Are these people ready to connect to a $50,000 vehicle with a piece of software that can deliver nearly 10 million bits of information to that technician?” he continues. “If he’s not educated on how to use that information, can he communicate that information to the consumer?”
It also means doing the right thing, not necessarily what is right. Chensey uses the example of the Toyota recall of 2010. Instead of waiting for customers to bring their vehicles in with this problem, sort through your shop’s customer database to find consumers with these vehicles. Reach out to them and draw them into the facility.
And for suppliers, this means if you see an issue with something you sell, reach out and be proactive with the shops.
About the Author
Tschanen BrandyberryTschanen Brandyberry
Tschanen Brandyberry is Special Projects Editor for the UBM Americas – Automotive Group, moving into the position following roles as managing editor of Motor Age and associate editor of Aftermarket Business World. She joined the Automotive Group in 2006 after working in editing and writing positions at The Morning Journal in Lorain, Ohio, and The Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in addition to public relations agency experience. Tschanen is a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
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