Black Immigrant Daily News
During the launch of ATL Automotive’s Sportscar Saturdays, Loop News, scored the process breakdown from ATL Auto’s Aftersales Manager Mpho Spencer Selowa, who talked about support, servicing and all things ‘aftersales’.
Why? You ask? For ATL Automotive clientele, and BMW owners, in particular, the true test of luxury is not just in the state-of-the-art whip, but also in the post-sale customer experience.
“Aftersales basically starts when you purchase the car…the handover is done from the sales team in the presentation of the car to us, who will be maintaining your vehicle throughout the lifespan of the car, and if we do it well enough, up until your next purchase”.
The process includes an introduction to the service advisors, a service advisor supervisor, and on occasion, the aftersales manager.
Like many other checks and balances systems, the BMW Aftersales process is simple; it requires pre-booking, and a detailed complaint from the client, to inform the servicing team.
But, before confirmation, here are some things a client may need to know.
Eight steps to aftersales servicing:
1 Book your car with the bookings clerk on-site or over the phone, who will in turn advise you on the time slot to take in your vehicle, be it a specific issue, or for routine servicing.
2 Prior to showing up for your scheduled appointment, owners are contacted with a reminder on the date and time of the appointment and/or other requirements.
3 On the day, a service advisor receives the client at the dealership, takes additional details, records complaint/s, and, if necessary, assign a team member.
4 Within 24 hours, the vehicle is transported to the workshop. “We attend to it from there…service it, fix it…whatever we need to [do] with regards to the repair order.”
5 The car is then tested by a quality controller to ensure all noted issues are resolved.
6 Vehicle goes to washstand where it’s washed and checked for cleanliness then handed over to the service advisor.
7 The client is contacted on behalf of the aftersales team to schedule a date for pick-up. The client is presented with the vehicle and given a full explanation of what was done and then advised of any parts that may have been put on special order.
8 The client receives the vehicle. Thereafter, a follow-up call is made by a customer advocate to gauge the client’s experience for quality control purposes.
BMW Head of Business Sloane Jackson introduces the MINI 3-Door Cooper SE, an all-electric vehicle at Atl Autobahn, Kingston, in May. (Photo: File)
Most unusual request… a customer who insisted on sitting in on the servicing. “The customer actually took a chair, [chuckles] pull up with a newspaper, and sat next to the [technician] to watch them work”.
Selowa noted that in this case, you may find a technician “not taking too kindly to it – you know, feeling like he’s under a microscope”.
But, Selowa urges his team members to comply. “If the request is not unreasonable, then by all means, the customer can look at [their] car as it’s worked on”.
In other words, “the customer is king…the customer puts food on our table”.
If the team is unable to service your vehicle…
“As with everything in the department, there are levels of escalation, we now have a master-tech/supervisor in the workshop who oversees the technicians and their work, and gets involved in the repair where necessary”.
If the master tech is unable to resolve the issue, a technical case is flagged and notified by the regional manufacturer in Brazil.
In the event that the technicians in Brazil are unable to address the issue, the buck stops at Munich, Bavaria, Germany – the home of the BMW.
NewsAmericasNow.com
