Mercedes-Benz looks to transform aftersales experience in India with new initiative

Mercedes-Benz has launched its innovative service programme ‘My Mercedes- My Service’ in India.

With this new initiative, the German luxury carmaker aims to completely redefine the aftersales experience by digitising service process and set a new benchmark in the luxury car service domain. The ‘My Mercedes-My Service’ programme comprises industry first initiatives like Digital Service Drive, Premier Express Service and innovative Service Products. All these customer-driven initiatives aim at enhancing the  ownership experience manifold, thus making the aftersales experience the new differentiator in the luxury car segment.

The ‘My Mercedes-My Service’ was rolled out by Roland Folger, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India; Santosh Iyer, VP (Aftersales), Mercedes-Benz India; and Sharath Vijayaraghavan, executive director, Sundaram Motors, in Bangalore today. 

Commenting on the new initiative, Roland Folger said: “Though product introductions will remain important, we increasingly believe that service excellence and hassle-free ownership experience will determine the long-term success of an automotive brand, even in the luxury car segment in India. At Mercedes-Benz, we strongly believe that a delightful, exclusive and outstanding service experience is pivotal in winning customers’ loyalty. We are ready to comprehensively transform the aftersales experience for our customer with the launch of ‘My Mercedes-My Service’ programme. It boasts of multiple first initiatives and is a definitive step towards meeting the myriad demands of today’s new age customers which makes them fans of the brand. Aftersales is a key element in our growth strategy in India and we are confident this initiative will only fortify our formidable customer trust and service reputation created over decades.” 

Folger further elaborated, “As pioneers of luxury motoring in India, and with more than 84,000 loyal customers, we have the largest pool of luxury car customers for a luxury brand in India. It has been our relentless endeavour to make ‘customers for life’ through our various service initiatives and we have a strong lead in the aftersales domain. A testimony to these efforts has been our consecutive No.1 position in the coveted JD Power Customer Satisfaction Index survey, for a luxury car brand. As more customers increasingly fall back on the service experience for reinvesting in the brand, innovations like ‘My Mercedes-My Service’ will offer them an unmatched vehicle ownership experience resulting in trust and loyalty.”  

Folger also stated, “Mercedes-Benz service experience is highly customer oriented and aims to be efficient, transparent, nominally priced and most importantly fast, to retain the loyalty of our new age patrons. ‘My Mercedes-My Service’ promises to transform the aftersales experience with never-seen-before initiatives, not only in the luxury car segment, but also across the entire automotive sector in India.”

Here’s looking at what the initiatives mean.

Digital Service Drive: The key elements of this comprise paperless, convenient and time saving customer interaction processes through usage of iPads by service advisors; transparent communication through vehicle status information through automated pre-service, in-service, post service SMS; feedback and estimate on e-mail; in-person communication with the use of video calls to aid higher transparency; service at doorstep concept which is transparent like an actual visit to the workshop through the use of iPads by drivers with expert advice through video calls.  

Mercedes-Benz India says it has received “an overwhelming response from the customers across the markets where ‘Digital Service Drive’ is piloted since the last three months”.  

Premier Express Service: This novel initiative enables complete servicing of a Mercedes-Benz in a little over two hours, thanks to a dedicated infrastructure within the service centre comprising dedicated bays, two-post lift, dedicated tools and equipment and dedicated special tools like brake pad and disk test gauge, brake caliper tool, oil filter cap. There is also a dedicated team for ‘Premier Express Service’ comprising one team leader and two certified maintenance technicians.

This service is available across all metro cities. Premier Express Service, however, excludes major service and repairs, warranty repairs or service on specialty AMG vehicles. 

Star Ease New Service Package: ‘My Mercedes-My Service’ introduces a new service package for the Star Ease programme which reduces the cost of maintenance relieving customers of any expense-related worries. The ‘Star Ease Compact Plus’ package is now to be offered for 3 years or 30,000km, 3 years or 60,000km, 4 years or 40,000km, 4 years with 80,000km and also 5 years or 100,000km. Star Ease Compact will be offered with 2/3/4 and even 5-year with unlimited mileage. Mercedes-Benz India says it will also introduce a stand-alone package for 10 years or 200,000 kms for new car customers only.