The goal of every brand is to offer products and solutions that meet and exceed the expectations of its customers. All companies strive for manufacturing excellence, because the market demands certain standards.
But another fundamental aspect that influences the public’s perception of a brand is how it manages to interact with customer requests. Also from the standpoint of services, it is necessary to find a differentiating value that incentivises repeat custom and contributes to the positive perception of the brand.
We talked about this with our After Sales Director, Vittorio Cadoni
The DIECI after-sales division was created to enhance customer satisfaction, with the aim of anticipating and understanding customers’ needs in order to offer them a positive shopping experience.
How is DIECI’s after-sales structured and what services are offered?
Our company’s concept of after-sales encompasses various services that are delivered through a variety of channels:
- Remote support provided over the phone or via email by the Service Area Manager;
- Home support both in Italy and abroad;
- Vast range of spare parts;
- Extensive warranty options;
- Technical documentation: use and maintenance manuals, workshop manuals, technical bulletins and spare parts catalogues.
A very high-value service that we offer to our customers is training, aimed at giving them knowledge about the vehicles.
We have a special training facility, but for customised situations we provide onsite instruction.
During the pandemic, we, like many other companies, readjusted our structure to offer online support by means of live sessions for virtual classes of around 20–30 people.
In some cases, pre-recorded video tutorials are sufficient, whereas in other cases, customised videos have been required based on the user’s specific requests.
Which after-sales services are most appreciated by customers and which are most likely to foster loyalty or repeat purchases?
DIECI has always been a company deeply rooted in the local community and, therefore, by its nature it is physically close to its customers.
This closeness translates into the provision of training and services such as technical support, manuals and spare parts for vehicles that may be up to 30 years old.
Over time, as the company has grown the after-sales department has become better structured: we have an e-mail address where we all related requests are forwarded for analysis and handling by the Service Area.
In addition, we use a call center for customer service, which makes preliminary enquiries to ascertain the vehicle’s condition and, depending on the case, routes calls to the appropriate company department.
Having a dedicated back-office helps us to give quicker, more efficient and exhaustive responses to our customers.
The differentiating value of DIECI products is the extensive range of warranty plans that we offer to customers, which are devised for practically any type of need. We have 23 types of warranty that cover almost all eventualities.
This added bonus is made possible by the quality of our vehicles, as well as by the extensive market knowledge that the after-sales department has accumulated over the years.
The purpose is to ensure simple and comprehensive service with no need for additional investments or unexpected expenses.
How does DIECI guarantee support and spare parts for its vehicles in Italy and abroad?
Both in Italy and abroad, we have authorised dealers that distribute our products and track the vehicles throughout their lifecycle.
They respond to any issues, supply spare parts and advise when and if maintenance is necessary.
In addition, the DIECI subsidiaries – which are present in many countries such as France, Germany, Spain, England, Russia and the United States -provide customer support in close contact with the headquarters.
How important is periodic and predictive maintenance to ensure a high-performance vehicle with a long service life?
Generally speaking, a vehicle that works well and for a long time is the result of the care that is invested in it.
Today more than ever, it is important to periodically carry out maintenance because of the introduction of numerous legislative restrictions, such as emissions regulations and safety rules. This affects how and when maintenance must be carried out.
To give a concrete example, it used to be the case that any oil would suffice for an engine to function properly. But now, vehicles are highly technical and specialised: filters, spare parts and components are designed specifically for our models and to achieve a certain level of performance. This means that in order to keep vehicles in good condition and functioning efficiently for as long as possible, it is essential to use products that are in line with the vehicle’s concept, and also to carry out high-quality periodic inspections.
How important are after-sales services today, in terms of enabling brands to stand out from the crowd?
In my view, after-sales is the real value that differentiates one brand from another.
Today we live in a world in which the materials and technologies available to companies are often similar. In addition, the design and manufacture of products are oriented towards excellence. To make people understand the real value of a high-quality product like ours, the service and shopping experience that accompany it must be equally satisfying.
The quicker, more efficient and more comprehensive our after-sales service is, the greater the positive perception of the product itself, the brand and the company.
Also, in our agricultural business, word-of-mouth matters even today, so a satisfied customer will often actively promote our products and services.
In which direction are after-sales services headed, and are there any new developments in the near future?
The trend is to make people autonomous so that they can manage as many issues as possible themselves, using the most convenient and closest communication channels. In other words, a customer can request support through any platform they deem appropriate at the time.
The company’s job is then to provide a prompt response, with a system-integrated approach that enables the delivery of a fast and high-quality service.
The world runs on simplicity and smart actions: everything must be accessible, intuitive and done intelligently, regardless of how complex the processes are. Thanks to digitisation we are able to simplify that which was previously considered difficult.
The future lies in mobile apps, taking the WhatsApp platform as an example. Lots of companies already use this tool to offer support to their customers.
There are apps that help you to monitor your vehicle’s health and carry out self-diagnosis, as well as purchase parts by taking a photo of them using your phone’s camera. In the automotive sector these technologies are already tried and tested. In our sector, however, there is greater resistance to change, so our goal is to give customers sufficient time to adapt and embrace new methods of customer support and service.
