Tata Motors launches new service initiatives

The Horizonext strategy that was unveiled last month by Mr. Karl Slym, the Managing Director of Tata Motors, promised a big leap in dealership and after sales service experience. In a continuum of that strategy, Tata Motors has launched new service initiatives under the"Tata Motors Service" program. The three cornerstones of the new initiative, according to Tata Motors, are responsiveness, reliability and value. The 11 service programs under the new initiative will be rolled across Tata Motors's 800 dealer strong after sales network across India. 

Under the Responsive Service, Tata Motors has rolled out five major programs, 

Doorstep Service

In line with Team-BHP's scoop, a modified Tata Super Ace will dispense doorstep service at the customer's location. This service has been tailored to save time for the customer and also cater to those customers who live in places faraway from Tata Motors's service centers. Apart from scheduled maintenance, the service is capable of carrying out 30 minor repairs. Tata Motors plans to deploy 20 Super Ace Doorstep Service pick up trucks by the end of this year. 

Online Booking of Service

Tata car owners can now select a service appointment slot online. This service allows Tata car owners to choose a date, time and dealer. 

Speed-O-Service

Tata Motors has joined the likes of Ford and Toyota by rolling out the 90 minute-quick service program. Tata Motors's Speed-O-Service program will have service bays that can deliver 6 cars a day/bay. This program will benefit both dealers as well as customers as more cars can be serviced in a single day, along with lower service times. 

Quick Repairs

Tata Motors claims that minor repairs such as changing headlamp bulbs or punctures will be completed in 30 minutes. 

24X7 On Road Assistance Program

Tata Motors's 2,700 strong authorized service points will provide emergency breakdown services across the country through a towing assistance function. Tata Motors claims 60 minute and 120 minute response times in the city and on the highway respectively.  

Under the reliability program, Tata Motors has launched two new programs,

Quality Service

Every car brought in for service will undergo a standard set of quality checks to ensure that issues not noticed by the customer are identified and taken care of. An improvement in the overall reliability of Tata cars seems to be the rationale behind this initiative. 

Diagnostic Expert

Tata Motors has trained regular service advisors to become "diagnostic experts" through a 3 month technical training program. The role of the diagnostic expert will be to identify problems quickly and efficiently, and also train other mechanics in the workshop. 

To provide better value, Tata Motors has rolled out the following programs,

Rapid Repair

This program is aimed at attending to small dents and paint jobs on Tata cars. A same day delivery is promised for minor body jobs. 

Value Care

Essentially a service package for Tata cars, the Value Care package provides economical maintenance packs for Tata Motors's car range. The Value Care service comes with plans for both scheduled maintenance and repairs. 

Tata Motors Original Parts

Tata Motors claims to be the only car maker in India to offer a 1 year warranty on its spare parts badged with "TOP", which stands for Tata Original Parts. 

Extended Warranty

Tata car buyers have the option of choosing the extended warranty scheme that will provide coverage up to 4 years or 150,000 kilometers. The extended warranty is meant to insure the car buyer against part failure. 

The new service initiative also keeps car buyer comfort in mind by providing facilities such as waiting areas and real time updates on the status of the vehicle being serviced. The real time updates would be provided by vehicle tagging through RFID technology. Also, customers would be able to watch their cars getting serviced from a viewers lounge.