Swedish automaker Volvo recently equipped 1,500 engineers with an Apple Watch and iPhone loaded with the internal Volvo Service app to improve customer service. The move has helped technicians stay updated with current information while also diminishing the need for paperwork.
Volvo is equipping service technicians with Apple products to improve customer service
Volvo explained to ComputerWorld that it has provided its Personal Service Technicians with an Apple Watch as well as an iPhone running the Volvo service application. As per the publication, the move helps notify engineers with details of the repair, keeps them updated with information and notes from customers, and allows them to reach customers when the repair is finished.
Volvo believes that this system will reduce reliance on printed records and PCs – both are time-consuming and have a learning curve. As per the report, it used to take the company up to half a year to train new employees on the 15 different IT systems it previously used.
“With Apple Watch, I have everything I need for my job right on my wrist,” said Johnnie Andersson, a personal service technician for Volvo.” It’s also way easier to train a new technician on the Apple Watch and the iPhone than our desktop systems.”
In fact, the old way of working really got in the way. The research showed that to do their job well, technicians needed to be mobile for 40% of the day, moving in the workshop, speaking with customers, or visiting stockrooms for parts. Scuttling back to the PC for information interrupted workflow.
The automaker says the transition has been a success so far. The publication reports that 80% of the service technicians using the Apple Watch have increased their customer satisfaction scores. The company has also seen a 30% increase in “post-service follow up calls and emails to customers,” and a 40% decrease in the number of printed documents required for customer service.
Last year, Twitter, Uber, Shopify, and others also upgraded their engineers and programmers to top-notch 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro models. The companies said the shift from Intel-based MacBook Pro to Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models would be efficient while delivering high-quality performance.
