I saw this on the Ford Canada Blog and thought it was a cool article about how service companies like, Ford, are coming up with ways to meet the changing needs of customers. Article by Matt Drennan-Scace”
What’s the most important number to consider when buying a new vehicle? Is it price? Fuel effieciency? Load capability? Horsepower? What about time? Wait…what do you mean “time?”
Time just might be the most important commodity in our daily lives. A recent Ford survey revealed that “72% of adults globally agree that their definition of wasting time is different than it was in the past.”
We know commuters hate wasting time in traffic, which is why Ford is researching multi-modal transportation to shorten commutes and autonomous vehicles to try and make use of that commuting time at some point in the future.
But how do today’s drivers feel about waiting for their vehicles to be serviced? With some technological know-how and innovative thinking, a current Ford pilot project aims to give that time back to drivers.
The Smart Service kiosk, temporaily located at a Ford service centre in Michigan for a 90-day trial run, makes it possible to drop off and pick up your vehicle when it fits your schedule.
With Panasonic providing technical support and insight, the Smart Service kiosk allows drivers to drop off their vehicle and keys to a secure location, logging key drops with just an email address and driver’s licence.
“OUR GOAL ALWAYS IS TO MAKE CUSTOMERS’ LIVES BETTER”
It is the kind of innovation that could simplify the lives of all drivers and is set-up in a way that reflects our busy, always-on lives.
Ford recognizes drivers want to manage vehicle ownership on their own terms and on their own schedules. Time is expensive in our fast-paced world, making technology that frees us up and reduces friction in our daily routines more valuable than ever.
Some automobile advancements come in the form of exciting new technologies inside our vehicles. Other new features keep us safer, allow us to use less fuel or none at all, or let us remain connected at all times. In this case, Smark Service kiosk is an advancement that could save Ford owners time and reduce stress in their daily lives.
It is these and other innovations that define what it means to go further! From using technology to grant customers freedom to have their vehicle serviced on their terms, to improving fuel effiency, to reducing water use in the production process – going further means innovating in all directions.