The Importance of Aftersales Customer Experiences that are #DrivenByData

1. Precision in Parts and Service Recommendations

 The core of any aftersales service revolves around getting the right parts and accurate labour costs for repairs and maintenance. By using genuine OEM parts and labour data, aftersales teams can provide VIN-precise recommendations tailored to each vehicle. This ensures that customers receive high-quality, manufacturer-approved parts that match their vehicle’s specifications, leading to:

• Better Vehicle Performance: OEM parts are made to fit a car’s exact (VIN-specific) make and model, helping it to run at its best.
• Increased Customer Trust: Customers are more likely to trust and return to dealerships that offer genuine OEM parts instead of aftermarket alternatives, if the genuine parts are still affordable.

By providing these data-driven recommendations, dealerships can prevent costly mistakes or delays caused by incorrect parts orders, which in turn contributes to enhanced customer satisfaction.

2. Predictive Maintenance and Proactive Service

Data enables dealerships and automakers to go beyond reactive service. By analysing vehicle usage patterns and historical service data, they can provide predictive maintenance insights. For example, if the data shows that a particular part tends to wear out after a certain number of kilometers/miles, dealerships can proactively notify customers when that threshold is approaching. If a customer is driving a connected vehicle, automakers can use this telematics data to contact them with highly relevant and personalised aftersales offers, specific to their vehicle needs.

This type of proactive service not only enhances the customer experience but also improves safety by addressing issues before they become serious problems. It’s a shift from the traditional “fix-it-when-it-breaks” mentality to a more customer-centric, predictive approach that keeps vehicles running smoothly and customers happy.

3. Personalised Aftersales Experiences

 One of the most powerful aspects of being #DrivenByData is the ability to offer highly personalised aftersales experiences. With access to detailed data on a customer’s vehicle history, telematics data, customer preferences, and past purchases, aftersales teams can craft tailored service marketing communications. For instance:

• Personalised service reminders based on mileage or time intervals.
• Customised maintenance packages that reflect the specific needs of a customer’s vehicle, based on connected car data or vehicle service history.
• Targeted promotions for genuine OEM parts or services relevant to the customer’s car model.

1:1 timely and relevant communications, powered by accurate data, is much more likely to create long term customer loyalty. When customers feel understood and valued, they are far more likely to return to the dealership for future service needs.

4. Enhancing Transparency and Trust

One of the key concerns for customers when servicing their vehicles is the fear of overcharging or receiving unnecessary repairs. Cost transparency is essential in building trust. By providing customers with clear, data-backed breakdowns of labour times and parts pricing, dealerships can eliminate ambiguity and foster confidence in the service process.

Through digital tools like Superservice, dealerships can offer:

• Accurate cost estimates for the customers’ specific vehicle at the point of booking their service online.
• Clear, itemised service quotes with genuine parts costs.
• Transparent VHC reports backed by accurate pricing, photos and videos.

This level of transparency, combined with the accuracy of OEM data, transforms the aftersales experience into one that customers can trust, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

5. Building long-term loyalty through a data-driven approach

The automotive industry is increasingly focusing on aftersales is a key driver of customer retention. According to a recent report by Accenture, a poor aftersales experience is a key driver for almost 1 in 2 drivers to consider changing brand for their next vehicle purchase^[1]. However, a positive aftersales experience often leads to repeat business, both for future vehicle purchases and ongoing maintenance. Data plays a vital role in creating these long-term relationships.

When dealerships use OEM parts and labour data to provide efficient, high-quality service, they offer a premium and personalised aftersales experience. This creates a virtuous cycle: customers return for service, have a great experience, and are more likely to choose the same dealership for their next car purchase.

6. The Competitive Edge for Dealerships

As more dealerships adopt new technologies, success will depend not on how many new solutions are implemented, but the quality of the data within them.

Integrating data at evert touch point in the ownership experience will lead to significant efficiency gains, allowing your teams to spend time where it matters most – with your customers.

Examples of how a data-driven strategy can increase aftersales success:

• Faster, more accurate service thanks to integrated OEM parts and labour data powering service quotes and VHC checks.
• A better customer experience through price-transparency, trust, and personalised marketing communications
• Seamless data transfer between your essential tech solutions such as your EPC/VHC tool and your DMS, meaning no more rekeying of data between systems.

By taking a truly data-driven approach aftersales experiences, dealerships can differentiate themselves in a crowded market, ensuring that customers choose them over independent repair shops, or other competitors.