August 24, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Chrysler wins converts one customer at a time
It's turning critics into satisfied owners using online support
From The Detroit News:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120824/AUTO0101/208240376#ixzz24ywToi6pA user on an online forum for Fiat 500 enthusiasts posted a rant last month about the "haunted sunroof" that was turning him from a Fiat lover to a Fiat hater. He complained that the dealer had failed to fix the problem.
The next day, another user with the handle "FiatCares" posted a reply: "I'm sorry to hear about all of this … let me help." He asked the unhappy owner for his vehicle identification number and the name of his dealership.
A few days later, the customer reported to the rest of the forum members that his dealer had not only replaced the entire system, but had been "the nicest they've ever been."
It was another small victory in Chrysler Group LLC's war for the hearts and minds of its customers.
For more than a year, the Auburn Hills-based company has been fielding a small but growing army of online customer service representatives whose job is to patrol cyberspace in search of customers to help.
"We only enter into the discussion when we see there is a possibility to provide support," said Pietro Gorlier, president of Mopar brand service, parts and customer care at the Fiat-Chrysler group.
"Our role is not to interfere with the exchange of opinions."
Chrysler launched this initiative as part of a sweeping overhaul of its customer service division following Fiat SpA's takeover of the bankrupt automaker in 2009. And it is not alone. Though they were initially reluctant to enter the online fray because of legal concerns, all of Detroit's automakers are now wading into these uncharted waters.
"They have no choice. They should be doing it. They have to do it," said Donna Fluss, president of DMG Consulting LLC and an authority on customer service in the digital age.
"Yes, it is risky because it's unknown territory. But the fact is that whether enterprises like it or not, their customers are talking about them. And they need to be part of that conversation."
Not one-size-fits-all
Gorlier, who had similar responsibilities at Fiat before its arranged marriage to Chrysler, said getting customer service right was a top priority for the new leadership team.
They started by changing the telephone number. Before, Chrysler had one toll-free number for all of its customers to call. Gorlier set up numbers for each of the company's brands.
"One of the first actions that we took as a new company was moving from a communications model that was customer-to-corporation to a communications model that was customer-to-brand," Gorlier said. "You have totally different types of customers. A customer calling for a Jeep Wrangler has different needs and a different DNA than the customer for a Dodge Challenger."
Next, the company divided its customer support group, creating separate teams for each brand. Those teams received additional training designed to teach them about the unique characteristics of each brand and steep them in its culture. It was a system Gorlier had developed back in Italy, where the company's portfolio ranged from the everyman Fiat to exotic luxury marques like Maserati.
"The approach to a Maserati customer cannot be the same as the approach to the Fiat customer," he said.
Once each of the teams representing the American brands was trained, a portion of its staff was assigned to online duty. Chrysler's lawyers initially resisted the move, but Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne dismissed their concerns with a wave of the hand.
"Look, if we do the right thing, we won't get in trouble," he said during a meeting to discuss the initiative. And that was that.
During the past year, the brand teams have had nearly a half-million customer contacts and posted more than 3,000 messages on online enthusiast forums and similar websites.
"You need to be on the Web and in the social media because that is where the enthusiast communities meet," Gorlier said. "It's also very efficient. If I get into a Jeep blog, I'm talking to the Jeep customer."
And it is a two-way conversation. In addition to helping resolve customer issues, Gorlier's field agents report back on what enthusiasts would like to see from brands. That was how Chrysler got the idea for the Jeep JK-8 conversion kit that allows owners to turn their Wranglers into a beefy pickup.
Fluss said the Fiat-Chrysler group's approach incorporates many of the best practices in the field of online customer service.
"Doing it right is quite challenging," she said. "You need to have people who have been trained, not just to make these things go away but to do what's right."
GM, Ford get in the game
General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. also are reaching out to their customers online.
GM has more than 20 people monitoring more than 100 online forums. The company concentrates on websites with large, passionate followings.
"We started out small, and we've been taking on more and more," said GM spokeswoman Rebecca Harris, who said those agents' job is to find customers with problems and route them into the company's existing customer care system.
"It's just helping them a little bit different way."
The program is having a big impact on brand perception, Harris said, noting that people who start out with extremely negative attitudes often become the biggest advocates for the brand once they receive this sort of unsolicited personal attention from the company.
Ford has taken a similar approach, focusing on products such as the Mustang and F-150 that have large and passionate online fan bases.
"We try to look through these sites, and do search-and-rescue and let them know Ford has a presence as well," said Scott Monty, head of social media for the Dearborn automaker. "It lets them know we care."
But Ford's online efforts are not limited to the company's customer service staff.
"We know that we have lots of Ford employees who, by virtue of their interest, are already participating on these sites," Monty said. "They are encouraged to flag issues and report them to the company."
bhoffman@detnews.com
From The Detroit News:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120824/AUTO0101/208240376#ixzz24ywLTvAN
