Ford's Quick Lane Service to drive sales across India

With over 500,000 of its cars plying on Indian roads, Ford India wants to drive sales faster with the Quick Lane Service concept.

Ford India has drawn up a road map to make the new Quick Lane Service concept as a major part of its ongoing retail expansion plan. The company launched this service initiative at Metro Ford in Bangalore on October 29. The Quick Lane Service provides Ford customers with periodical service and minor repairs that can be completed within two hours.

“We have now introduced the option of speedy, no-appointment necessary service during hours that fit the busy schedules of our customers,” said John Cooper, executive director, customer service operations, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, who inaugurated the speedy service concept at Metro Ford. “At Quick Lane centres, customers will have the confidence of knowing their vehicles are being serviced by Ford-trained technicians using quality parts,” he added. The company claims that the concept’s uniqueness is transparency, speedy service and, above all, customers can bring their vehicles without prior appointments. They can also directly monitor their vehicle when it is being serviced, and get the work done within 90 to 120 minutes. With over 500,000 of its cars plying on Indian roads, Ford India hopes the Quick Lane Service will help satisfy its existing customers while paving the way to woo new customers.

P K Umashankar, vice-president, customer service operations, Ford India, says: “We chose Bangalore to launch the Asia-Pacific region’s first Quick Lane Service facility since it is India’s IT capital. Strategically, Bangalore is one of the largest markets for Ford in the country.”

Expansion soon

Quick Lane will be taken to other cities, metros in particular, says Umashankar. Metro Ford was one among 12 founder-dealers of Ford when it began its India innings in 1996. Once the Quick Lane idea was floated to dealers, Metro Ford was the first to sign up and establish the facility to Ford’s specifications, he adds. “Several other Ford dealers are interested and we are working on opening more outlets,” he says, adding that the Quick Lane service will be available in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad in the near future. However, he did not give any timeframe.

The Quick Lane Service model was launched in the US in 1996 and has become quite a success there with 650 outlets. In India too, Ford India aims to replicate the same success story with its international standard service centre concept. According to Umashankar, the technicians in the facility have been trained by Ford to handle modern garage equipment and service the vehicles efficiently. Terming it as ‘No Appointment Necessary’ and ‘While you Wait’ service, he says the idea is to service a vehicle the moment a customer drives into the service station.

With the Quick Lane concept, he says, Ford India has taken the vehicle servicing industry in the country to the next level. Given their busy schedules, customers are happy to have their vehicle serviced within a few minutes, he says, and that is Quick Lane’s USP.

Currently, Ford India has 241 sales and service outlets across 127 cities in the country and aims to take it to over 500 by mid-decade. Most of these outlets will be covered by the Quick Lane Service, he says.

Tiruvengadasamy, dealer principal, Metro Ford, says that the facility, spread over 10,000 square feet, can cater to routine vehicle maintenance and minor repair needs including wheel alignment, car wash, tyre replacement, oil and filter changes, brake, suspension and exhaust systems and tune-ups. Prasanth Kumar, general manager – Service & Parts, Metro Ford, says the centre has 23 employees including eight factory trained technicians, four service advisors and two quality inspectors. The service opens at 7.30am and runs through 7pm on weekdays and Saturday for the convenience of Ford customers.

Metro Ford, which can service 35 cars a day, also houses a dedicated spare parts counter.

Well-equipped unit

Metro Ford is equipped with the latest and advanced garage equipment to help service vehicles speedily and achieve faster turnaround time. At Metro Ford, the Centre has seven bays, each with the latest garage equipment to execute 18-20 types of repairs pertaining to the brake system, battery, steering and suspension, transmission and drive axle, light and wind shield, and tyre and brake wear.

Tiruvengadasamy says the US-made Hunter wheel alignment machine installed at the garage is the latest one. It has three units – primary unit, sensor and wheel balancer. The machine can generate a report within 90 seconds with the help of a sensor fitted to the wheel disc which helps decide whether the vehicle requires wheel alignment, which can be done within six minutes.

Another highlight is the Protech automated lube system to dispense engine oil. This fully automated microprocessor-based system dispenses oil accurately to a preset value and in barely five minutes. There is also the Heshbon Scissor lift that is installed in four bays to lift all types of vehicles. Its features include automatic air lock release, locking position sensor, hydraulic synchronisation and alarm signal.

Meanwhile, the Hoffman Monty 1275 series tyre changer helps change tyres within 10 minutes. Its features include double-acting bead breaker cylinder for gentle handling of rims and a self-centering four-jaw chuck for accurate clamping of the rim.

With the KRE Under Chassis Wash system, a vehicle can be washed in 15 to 20 minutes. The system is fitted on a ground-level platform with 70 nozzles. Once the car is positioned on the platform, the high-pressure water spray cleans the underbody while the upper part of the car can be cleaned manually. With an aim to launch the Quick Lane Service in all Indian metros, Ford India has designed different models of garages for different locations. Umashankar says a garage can be set up with four bays to 12 bays in an area covering 6,500 to 20,000 square feet. At the moment, it intends to offer the Quick Lane franchise only to its dealers and not to individuals, he adds.

The first users of the Quick Lane Service have praised its efficiency and convenience. H R Jagannath, a local bakery owner who had his 11-year-old Ikon serviced, says he brought his vehicle to the station without prior appointment and got the service including wheel alignment done in an hour. Another owner, Akhil Prabhu says he enjoyed watching his car being serviced. “It is very convenient for customers like me as we can bring vehicles during traffic-free hours. And it’s amazing to watch my Ikon under service from the air-conditioned reception area, which has Wi-fi access,” he adds. Should be music for Ford India’s ears.

JAISHANKAR JAYARAMIAH