Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty are major factors that contribute to Daimler AG’s sustainable success in the passenger car and commercial vehicle sectors. Since its establishment in 1998, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in Maastricht (Netherlands) has been a key precondition for customer satisfaction.
At the beginning the CAC offered Mercedes-Benz customers services such as roadside assistance and complaint and enquiry management for 11 countries in six languages. Over the years the center’s service portfolio has continued to expand with an increasing number of brands, languages and countries. Today, 600 employees of more than 25 nationalities provide service to customers in 15 European countries in 12 languages. The CAC is integrated into Global Service & Parts, the division responsible for service and parts operations of all Daimler brands worldwide.
“Our Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center in Maastricht strongly contributes to the improvement of customer satisfaction with our products and services,” says Wolf-Dieter Kurz, Head of Global Service and Parts. “The international workforce provides expert assistance and advice to existing and potential customers as well as to the retail network with a range of services that are unique in the automotive industry.”
Consequently, the CAC provides services for the entire European range of Daimler products: passenger cars, buses, vans and commercial vehicles, including the Mercedes-Benz, smart, Maybach, Setra and Fuso brands. Since 1998, some 11 million customers and interested parties have taken advantage of the services. Last year the CAC employees addressed about 800,000 inquiries. Customers can choose from vehicle telematics, email, letter, fax or phone to contact the CAC. Cost- free access to services is available to customers through a so-called Universal International Free Phone number: 00800 1 777 7777 for the Mercedes-Benz brand (passenger cars and commercial vehicles), and 00800 2 777 7777 for the smart brand.
Vehicle telematics allow a more effective analysis of vehicles' problems and solutions. Mercedes-Benz Contact has been standard equipment in passenger cars since 2009, enabling customers to contact a Mercedes-Benz service employee from their vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz service fleet that provides roadside assistance also uses telematics. 15 years ago, data related to the request for assistance was forwarded to the repairer by fax, today data is transmitted directly to the service technician’s smartphone, subject to due authorization by the customer.
In recent years, the CAC has expanded its support for the Daimler retail network. For example, the Dealer User Helpdesk provides support for vehicle diagnostics systems such as the Star Diagnosis used in workshops. Data that is collected from vehicles, customers and dealers is also used to develop and improve Daimler products and services.
For 15 years, the CAC responds with its service offers individually to customer inquiries. Thus, it is making a major contribution to the growth strategy in marketing and sales "Mercedes-Benz 2020 - Best Customer Experience", which is aimed at reconfiguring the brand's sales organization to bring it in line with customers’ changing preferences. The goal is to retain the loyalty of existing customers to the brand while becoming even more appealing to new, modern target groups.
Credits: Daimler AG
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Credits: Daimler AG
