Ford?s mobile-driven reach beyond sales gains traction
NEW YORK - A Ford executive at Forrester?s CXNYC 2016 discussed how FordPass, the automaker's digital platform and application, is delivering convenience with a one-stop approach for drivers that has already seen more than 40,000 registrations in just six weeks.
During the session, Part One: The CX Mindset, the executive explained that while Ford is devoted to the bread and butter of the company, which consists of sales, financing and service, it is also highly focused on mobility and merging the two business factions together for a more beneficial customer experience. FordPass is designed with the idea of serving customer demand and delivering an experience that makes users feel in control.
?We have been in business for 114 years so we?re in this for the long term,? said Elena Ford, vice president, global dealer and consumer experience at Ford Motor Company. ?We obviously love our core business, in terms of disruption it is very important to us.
?We sell, service and finance and that is critical to our life,? she said. ?That is what we have been doing for a long time and we love that.
?But there are these emerging opportunities to talk to customers, but also service them in a different way with our dealers. You can see it is all wrapped in delivering the customer experience. It is not about doing one or doing the other it is about bringing them together as a holistic strategy.?
Shifting mobile gears
Putting the customer first is a massive shift in the mindset of big-time marketers that has managed to keep longstanding companies such as Ford afloat. Ford?s launch of FordPass is meant to help assist drivers and consumers, whether or not they are Ford owners, in various pain points when it comes to driving and throughout their lives.
Ms. Ford explained that millennials are buying cars, contrary to what some may think; however, they are more focused on using cars than buying them as an item. These young consumers are thinking in terms of how they are going to get around and how this is going to make their experience more convenient.
FordPass helps this by providing information such as available nearby parking, roadside assistance, local guides, remote unlock and start capabilities and maintenance tracking. The mobile application also provides Ford customers with what it calls its Appreciation program.
Appreciating the customer
Ford?s Appreciation program is its new take on loyalty, as it continues to drive towards meeting all customers? needs in the modern age. The executive explained that the word loyalty seems a bit outdated for the brand, because it wanted to show its appreciation for all its customers and consumers in general.
The automaker is also focusing on the shift in consumer behavior and attempting to streamline the on-location experience. Customers no longer shop for vehicles at multiple dealerships, but instead now do all their research online and then visit one location.
At this one location, these customers are interested in a streamlined and efficient experience.
?Customers today have a changing mindset,? Ms. Ford said. ?Culture really does start at the top.
?We really want to be the best in class in delivering consumer experiences,? she said. ?I would say that has been our key focus in this and I would say our customers are really demanding it.
?That is where we want to go. We exist to make the customer?s lives better.?
