Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), makers of BharatBenz trucks and buses launched its customer engagement program ‘Mitra’. Through Mitra, the company pairs selected BharatBenz customers with top executives from DICV to ensure they receive the best possible service through the tenure of their relationship with the CV manufacturer. 

Rajaram Krishnamurthy, Vice President Marketing & Sales and Customer Services, DICV said, “With the BharatBenz Mitra program, selected customers are each assigned a top executive who is personally devoted to making sure they get the best service possible. With the DICV Leadership Team personally involved in customer service, all our company’s processes will naturally become more and more customer centric. The BharatBenz Mitra program will help us build long-term relationships with our customers based on excellent service and an emotional connect." 

DICV rolled out a pilot program last year covering seven fleet customers who were paired with members of the DICV Executive Board – all the way up to the company CEO. The program showed great results with participants reporting much higher levels of engagement and satisfaction as evidenced by several hundred additional vehicle sales. The initiative also helped DICV convert two new customers who had only ever before bought competitor vehicles. 

From this month, the program will be expanded to 60 more customers spread across India, thanks to the digitalisation of the program. While the pilot program required top executives to travel hundreds of kilometres at a time for face-to-face meetings, will now be conducted virtually. Customers will have access to their counterparts via phone, text, email and video conferencing. Once the pandemic passes, face-to-face interactions will resume at the customer’s convenience. 

The program will be offered free to selected customers on an invitation-only basis. However, plans are in place to further extend the program in the coming years to meet market demand.