Visitors to the Automechanika 2006 trade fair in Frankfurt will be in for what's being called "a new and unusual presentation" this year when Mercedes and smart transform the show's Forum into a transparent automobile sales and service outlet, the result of which will highlight the two companies' state-of-the-art workshop processes, new workshop systems and service expertise.

The exhibit, fully staffed by employees from the Mercedes-Benz service organization and headquarters, will allow visitors attending the event to witness firsthand a number of diagnostic tests and repair work on various models, providing a small glimpse into the outstanding service and support that accompanies every vehicle sold.

According to Günter Egle, Senior Vice President with responsibility for Global Service & Parts at DaimlerChrysler:  “Our transparent sales and service outlet is an ideal platform for engaging in dialogue with our customers. We pledge to perform reliable high-quality repair and maintenance work on schedule and at fixed prices, and we expect to be judged by our ability to do so. Our presentation also enables us to provide our partners with information on new products and innovative services, thus laying the foundation for a high level of customer satisfaction and guaranteed business success for our partners.”

To learn more, keep scrolling to see a few photos demonstrating Mercedes' service department in action, followed by full details of the this year's Automechanika exhibit.










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Automechanika 2006: Transparent Mercedes-Benz and smart sales and service outlet

• Presentation in a sales and-service outlet atmosphere
  
  
• Customer-focused repair and service techniques
  
  
• State-of-the-art diagnostic technology: Data transfer from vehicles via WLAN
  
  
• New job profiles keep up with increasing technical demands
  
  

Stuttgart/Frankfurt, Sep 12, 2006
Mercedes-Benz and smart will stage a new and unusual presentation at the Automechanika 2006 trade fair in Frankfurt from September 12 to 17. After-Sales specialists will transform the trade fair’s Forum into a transparent automobile sales and service outlet that highlights state-of-the-art workshop processes, new workshop systems, and service expertise. The transparent presentation will give visitors the feeling of being in familiar surroundings, and enable them to experience all important aspects of After-Sales service up-close.

In order to realistically demonstrate the most important factors for achieving the highest possible level of customer satisfaction, the transparent sales and service outlet will be staffed solely by employees from the Mercedes-Benz service organization and from headquarters. As visitors watch, these experts will perform diagnostic tests and repair work on various model series and vehicle components under realistic conditions. Günter Egle, Senior Vice President with responsibility for Global Service & Parts at DaimlerChrysler, explains the objective of this extraordinary presentation by Mercedes-Benz and smart as follows: “Our transparent sales and service outlet is an ideal platform for engaging in dialogue with our customers. We pledge to perform reliable high-quality repair and maintenance work on schedule and at fixed prices, and we expect to be judged by our ability to do so. Our presentation also enables us to provide our partners with information on new products and innovative services, thus laying the foundation for a high level of customer satisfaction and guaranteed business success for our partners.”

All service aspects covered — from customers interview to service follow-up

In order to demonstrate how Mercedes-Benz and smart meet their customers’ demand for premium services, the exhibition will present all stations of a visit to a workshop — from the initial greeting of a customer and establishing a dialogue all the way to the service follow-up call. Necessary supporting processes that occur in the background will also be shown. In addition, service staff from Mercedes-Benz and smart will demonstrate at each station new techniques and solutions for guaranteeing the best possible customer service.

Experiencing workshop processes up close

The transparent sales and service outlet presents in a clear and logical manner — and under realistic conditions — the most important work operations and processes at a Mercedes-Benz workshop. Initial contact with the customer is established in an interview concerning the reason for the visit – be that maintenance or repair. After the vehicle has been thoroughly checked, the customer is informed while still at the workshop as to what type of work needs to be performed on the vehicle, how long it will take, and how much the repairs or maintenance will cost. Here, a so-called fixed-price calculator can be used to quote a binding price to the customer. After the conversation with the customer, the service consultant immediately orders any replacement parts that are needed to minimize the amount of time the vehicle will have to remain at the workshop.

In the next step, the vehicle passes through state-of-the-art diagnostic stations in the transparent workshop. Here, one new tool making its debut at the trade fair is the SDconnect diagnostic multiplexer — a handy device that is connected by the diagnostic technician to the diagnostic interface located in the vehicle’s footwell. SDconnect then establishes a wireless link to the diagnostic station in the workshop, to which it sends the data collected. It does this using tried-and-tested WLAN technology. DaimlerChrysler will also present two other new systems: Star Diagnosis compact3 w and Star Diagnosis basic2.

After the diagnostic phase has been completed, staff in the transparent workshop will demonstrate pioneering maintenance and repair techniques. Thanks to networked information systems that are also Internet-enabled, the necessary up-to-date diagnostic information and repair instructions are available at any time. In the subsequent service follow-up, a workshop employee contacts the customer by phone one or two days after the visit to determine customer satisfaction with the work and thereby to maintain personal contacts.

ExpressService: Fast service at fixed prices without appointment

Mercedes-Benz will also present its ExpressService concept in Frankfurt, which offers customers fast service at fixed prices for simple maintenance work and defined wear repairs. The benefit here is that customers can simply stop by the workshop without having to make an appointment.

Other Automechanika presentation highlights include:

• Professional accident management and minor damage and blemish repairs that help retain vehicle value
  
• MobilityGo and MobiloLife mobility services
  
• Replacement parts supplies (genuine, remanufactured, used, and classic)
  
• Dealership design, workshop planning, and workshop equipment
  
• End-of-life vehicle disposal
  
• Accessories and collection items in the shop for the DriversLine collection and smart ware
  

Extremely practical: smart body panels made of rugged plastic

smart brand vehicles are not only environment-friendly; they’re also cost-efficient due to low maintenance and operating costs, as well as very favorable insurance premiums.

Another smart benefit involves the clever use of plastics in the outer body shell of smart cars. These body panels generally present an interesting contrast to the black- or silver-painted tridion safety cell. They also offer an important benefit in congested urban traffic, as they display no damage when subjected to minor collisions, such as those that occur during parking.

The panels also enable smart owners to change the color of their vehicles without having to go to a paint shop. That’s because the panels can easily be replaced in only an hour — and upgrading the plastic components costs less than 700 euros, which is much cheaper than a new paint finish.

New job profiles for the future

The presentation at Automechanika will also highlight new job profiles at Mercedes-Benz. The complex interrelationships between mechanical and electronic systems in today’s vehicles necessitate changes to the techniques used to train and qualify workshop staff. This is being accomplished through the creation of new professions such as certified service consultant, parts process specialist, maintenance technician, system technician, and certified diagnostic technician.

DaimlerChrysler is also taking a new approach to its exhibition stand design concept by exclusively using original Mercedes-Benz and smart dealership equipment and accessories for everything from stand-personnel outfits and presentation billboards to tools and vehicle lifting platforms.

Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG