And a dangerous precedent for dealers
I just heard that Ford, Best Buy Canada and Future Shop are teaming up to help consumers link their Bluetooth phones and other devices with Ford’s SYNC system.
Wow! I’m a little shocked by that. And I see in the announcement tremendous risk for dealers.
In case you hadn’t seen it, here’s the announcement, excerpted from the Edmonton Journal, June 4, 2010:
Ford Syncs with Canadian retailers
Ford Motor Co. of Canada announced last week it has partnered with Best Buy Canada and Future Shop to help consumers get the most out of the Ford SYNC in-car communications system.
Sync is a factory-installed, in-vehicle communications and entertainment system that uses Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital music players.
Ford said Best Buy Mobile and Future Shop Cellshop associates will provide consumers with expert advice on matching hands-free Bluetooth devices with the Ford system.
So why do I think this is such a big deal? To begin with, I think it reflects very poorly on dealership service staff. Outsourcing any aspect of supporting the relationship between the customer and the vehicle is problematic, as it implies the outsourcing decision was made to compensate for a lack of skills on the part of the dealership. That isn’t what Ford wants to convey, but I think it will be part of what the customer perceives.
This becomes an even more serious issue when you consider the current configuration of vehicles, and how they are developing. Most consumers are well aware that vehicles are more computerized, and more dependent on electronics, than they have ever been. Sending the message to customers that the dealership service staff are lacking in expertise relating to electronics in any way strikes me as very dangerous.
As we move into broader use of hybrids, full electrics and beyond, dealership staff need to be seen as fully trained and expert in all aspects of the electronics of the vehicle. Otherwise, their confidence in the dealership as the place to have the vehicle maintained may be seriously undermined. You’re not likely making a lot of money on transmission rebuilds anymore, so if you can’t build a service business around electronics, what will you be left with?
It strikes me as a big opportunity missed, as well. It’s not easy to get customers back into service on a regular basis. Offering the exact service that Ford is outsourcing gives customers a reason to come to your store that is independent of the vehicle, but based on changes to their personal electronics.
In terms of training, I can’t imagine that your service staff couldn’t be trained to do the job that Best Buy and Future Shop will be doing, and do it better. With all respect to those retailers, my own experiences with their staff have varied wildly.
I see this as outsourcing an opportunity to add value to your customers’ relationships with their cars. You should be adding this value, not Best Buy or Future Shop.
Do you agree? Please go to www.canadianautodealer.ca and share your comments.
