No compromises to Safety & Unmatched Convenience: Maruti Suzuki rolls out guidelines for its workshops and service centres

With the promise of uncompromised safety and unmatched convenience for its customers, Maruti Suzuki has rolled out a set of detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for its vast network of over 3800 service centers across 1914 cities. These SOPs are devised to ensure safety and wellbeing of the customers and staff. They adhere to all the advisories and guidelines stipulated by the State and Central Governments. Maruti Suzuki Service centres would be operational with the adherence to SOP's across the locations cleared for starting operations as per the Government's lockdown guidelines.

Speaking on the rollout of SOPs for the service centres, Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India said, "Maruti Suzuki is committed to taking every possible effort to ensure the safety of customers visiting the service centres. With Social Distancing as the new normal, we encourage our customers to avail convenience and safety of doorstep services such as – 'Service on Wheels' and 'Pick and Drop'. With these service initiatives customers need not step out of their homes for car servicing."

He added, "The workshop employees have been trained and equipped to make service processes contactless, requiring no paperwork, with focus on hygiene, safety and remote monitoring facilities."

Service-Infographic (4)The key measures include;

Training of Workshop Staff

The workshop staffs have been trained rigorously on new guidelines on safety and hygiene measures for the safety of customers and themselves. More than 80,000 staffs have been trained on safety guidelines.

Health Monitoring of Workshop Staff

The workshop staff will be thoroughly monitored for their health as their safety and well-being is of paramount importance. This will also ensure our customer's safety since our workshop staff is the frontline interface with customers. All workshop staffs have been recording their health parameters through a dedicated wellness app. This app works in conjunction with Government of India's Aarogya Setu app to track health status of all workshop staff.

On Line Service - Minimise customer – Staff interaction

The entire network will adopt contactless service processes through increased digitisation.

Online booking platforms in form of website & Maruti care app, remote capturing of customer demanded repairs, online approval of job card, E-Invoicing, web based capturing of customer post service feedback will happen through mobile, while insisting digital mode of payment.

Paperless digital service manual introduced to eliminate common and shared touch points.

Workshop Preparedness

Keeping in mind customer safety, the service staff have been trained to always wear protective safety gear and greet customers with Namaste instead of handshakes. The sanitization of the car keys and vehicles will happen at both the pickup and drop by the associate. To ensure safety and hygiene in operations necessary changes have been incorporated in more than 20 operational processes in the customer and vehicle journey during service at workshop.

The service advisors will follow strict caution and use disposable seat cover, steering cover and gear lever knob before sitting in the car. The vehicle and key will again be disinfected before handing over to the customer while maintaining social distance at all the times.

If customers choose to come to workshop, customer lounge will be disinfected at regular intervals with availability of hand sanitizers across multiple locations at the service centres.

However the opening of service centers will depend on permission from local authorities.

Staying Relevant to Customer

Maruti Suzuki has always been driven by customer centricity to strengthen this bond with customer. MSIL has reached out to customers on advisories of how to maintain the vehicle in lockdown time and as a gesture of support MSIL Service extended its Warranty/Extended Warranty, Free Services etc. benefits till June 30th, 2020 which will benefit more than eight lac customers.

Priority delivery of vehicles stuck at workshops due to lock down being planned. MSIL is working with complete chain for ensuring parts availability as soon as workshop operations are restored.

As per approval from competent authorities more than 2000 MSIL workshops are already active to take care of customer service needs across 1100 cities.