Connected cars: missed opportunities for increased revenue and brand loyalty

BearingPoint Institute study reveals major deficiencies in connected car manufacturers’ support for customers across Europe

London, December 10, 2015 – New research from the BearingPoint Institute exposes significant shortcomings in the customer service of connected car manufacturers. The study “Upgrade customer services, or risk falling behind” reviewed the customer service provided by 10 leading vehicle manufacturers (VMs) across their UK, German and French operations. Though connected car support was better in the UK and Germany, in general it was found to be very poor in all three countries. According to the study most customer support is designed for a pre-digital environment.

New technologies are a key differentiator for consumers, and so too is customer support for those technologies. Though 8 in 10 new cars offer connected features, support for these features is limited. According to the study, less than 1/3 of manufacturers are able to provide answers to straightforward connected car questions.

Customers recognise the value of a connected experience. To win brand loyalty, car manufacturers need to transform their customer support and make sure that they connect customers to their connected cars.

Sarah-Jayne Williams, author of the study

The report identified three primary recommendations for how VMs can transform customer support:

• Learn to keep up with the complex demands of the over 50% of consumers who are “always-on,” relying on online access and multiple connected devices
• Bring digital experts into call centers as key team members with the skills and knowledge to handle complex customer enquiries
• Build a stronger presence on the ground by working closely with dealerships to educate and engage customers at point-of-sale

The report provides guidance for VMs faced with the challenge of engaging a diverse customer base that may vary significantly in terms of technical knowledge. Foremost is the need to develop and nurture in-depth product knowledge for customer service staff, enabling better customer training and engagement.

About the survey

Ten leading car manufacturers were evaluated between July and September 2015 on their support for connected car features across France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Rating criteria included the quality of information available online, call center availability and responses provided to calls on a standardised question set.

To read the full article, please download the BearingPoint Institute paper “Upgrade customer services, or risk falling behind,” which can be found at http://inst.be/008DSC.

About the BearingPoint Institute

Founded in 2009, the BearingPoint Institute is an incisive, authoritative voice on business-critical topics, bringing together the finest minds from both within and outside BearingPoint. The Institute's ambition goes beyond traditional 'thought leadership’: we aim to equip business leaders with actionable insights and advance the science of management by combining our consultant’s experience 'in the field' with research into topical business issues. For more information, visit www.bearingpointinstitute.com, follow us on Twitter @institute_BE and LinkedIn http://inst.be/LinkedIn, or download the BearingPoint Institute iPad app https://bitly.com/BEIapp.

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint consultants understand that the world of business changes constantly and that the resulting complexities demand intelligent and adaptive solutions. Our clients, whether in commercial or financial industries or in government, experience real results when they work with us. We combine industry, operational and technology skills with relevant proprietary and other assets in order to tailor solutions for each client’s individual challenges. This adaptive approach is at the heart of our culture and has led to long-standing relationships with many of the world’s leading companies and organizations. Our global consulting network of 9,700 people serves clients in more than 70 countries and engages with them for measurable results and long-lasting success.

For more information, please visit: www.bearingpoint.com