Soundbites: Lincoln Experience
Ford Motor Company unveiled the 2013 Lincoln MKZ at the New York Auto Show today. Kevin Cour, Lincoln Sales and Service Manager said Lincoln is reinventing how it interacts with customers, collaborating with a world-renowned organization of hotel concierges to create a better service experience.
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| Cut #1: |
Lincoln's business goal moving forward, is to grow our new sales car volume, create a thriving dealer network and allow them the opportunity to invest in their people, their processes and their facilities. :13 sec. |
| We’ve spent considerable time working with our dealers to ensure that we provide a sound business case for investment in the Lincoln Brand and the client experience required to compete in the luxury industry. | |
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“We're searching for ways to connect in a personalized way with our clients. So it starts with foundational training as we're working with our dealers, led by the Lincoln Academy.” :10 sec |
| The Lincoln Academy is a long-term commitment to culture change and client service in dealerships. To this end, Lincoln is reinventing how it interacts with customers, collaborating with a world-renowned organization of hotel concierges to create a unique training initiative. For the first time in the automotive industry, Les Clefs d'Or, (La Clay Dore), an international association of hotel lobby concierge's, who are the best of the best in client services, will help Lincoln create their curriculum so that Lincoln will be able to meet and exceed the expectations of their clients. | |
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"To allow us to ensure that our curriculum enables our dealerships to have the skills & abilities to listen and offer a high degree of hospitality that you would find in a five-star hotel.":14 |
| Delivering the curriculum is a team of training professionals with direct experience in the hospitality industry. These Lincoln Luxury Culture Ambassadors will conduct in-dealership training sessions and apply their expertise in client service to the new Lincoln training curriculum. The program for the Lincoln Academy kicks off this summer. | |
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"Some of our premium competitors do on line chat, but we think we'll be the first to market with a one-on-one live person to answer questions and help the customer through the process, as deep as they want to go." :14 sec. |
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The new online service will be accessible through the Lincoln website, www.lincoln.com. It will provide a more seamless transition between the customer’s online research and the initial visit to a dealership. |
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"We're excited about that and that's obviously a great way to build our relationship with the customer and the dealer.":06 sec |
| Lincoln will be testing four other concepts to establish a unique client service experience in its dealerships. Actions such as 24 hour test drives, expanded vehicle delivery services and celebration of a vehicle ownership will be tested at the New York Reveal. Another big idea includes the application of RFID systems to recognize customers as they arrive at a dealership and then streamline service are part of a broader initiative that Lincoln may roll out next year. This concepts compliment some competitive programs launched in 2011. This includes Lincoln’s 4-year 50,000 mile complimentary maintenance package as part of the purchase. | |
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"And it's through this we're going to be able to recreate and reinvigorate the Lincoln brand and our dealers are ready and they're hungry to have the 2013 MKZ. It's really a transformational product for the brand.":14 sec. |
| Cour also stressed the importance of developing and having an excellent dealer relationship with the Lincoln brand. Lincoln will require more than strong product to succeed in the luxury marketplace. A strong personal sales and service process is required to meet the needs of new customers that will be attracted to the 2013 Lincoln MKZ. |