Ford Motor Company is trying to simplify the vehicle leasing process to saving customers time on maintenance while offering an airline-style customer loyalty programme. Ford is aiming to make each part of its ownership experience easier and worry-free, building customer ranks and revenues over time.
With the FordPass Rewards, a single mobile platform where owners can monitor their vehicles, find parking spaces or make service appointments, Ford is expanding with a new customer loyalty program called FordPass Rewards. Loyal customers can benefit from the programme which offers complimentary vehicle maintenance when members purchase or lease a new Ford vehicle; in addition, customers earn points on service spending at Ford dealerships as well.
Ford has stated that it is doubling their investment in customer experiences, aiming to increase loyalty to Ford and its other brand Lincoln. Ford believes the return on the investment will come from the loyalty programme that will draw and keep customers with the brand. Ford will open a new nationwide contact centre in Houston, Texas that specializes in a new customer-centred approach. The centre will bring more than 500 jobs in the community. The facility will act as a prototype for all ford centres globally. The system will work on an “own call” model. A customer will be able to stay in touch with a single trained representative from their first point of contact to till their service and or experience matter is resolved.
Additionally, Ford Credit has developed two pilot programs designed to make lease renewals easier for customers. The first being a Personal Lease Assistants programme that will currently run in Philadelphia and New York. The second is Drive New. Now programme that uses gathered customer information and Ford Credit can provide personalized vehicle offers to the customer
Ford is also testing out a new global retain experiences. Over the last four years, with an investment of $2 billion from dealers, the company has introduced Ford Signature a new retail look and experience that provides greater transparency in the sales and service journey. The programme digitises and adds transparency to the customer’s sales and after-sales experience. Ford has 70 Ford Signature stores around the world. It will expand to 300 globally by year’s end, with thousands slated for completion in coming years. Another programme called Ford Smart Labs which are small retail point in a high-traffic area surrounded by shops, food and entertainment, where customers can experience Ford products in an engaging and no-pressure environment. The first Ford Smart Lab is currently being opened in a mall in Brussels, Belgium.
