Mercedes-Benz is taking the next step in designing the future of its sales organization and offer its customers a seamless and convenient luxury experience whenever they want to get in touch with the brand – online and offline. As part of the global sales initiative “Best Customer Experience 4.0” the brand is digitizing the entire ‘Customer Experience’ in India. Mercedes-Benz, India’s largest luxury car maker and the market leader in the segment, today announced a host of digital initiatives that promises to redefine the customer’s experience with the brand in India. Mercedes-Benz announced the roll-out of it’s connect features ‘Mercedes me Adapter’ and ‘Mercedes me connect’ in a Phase-wise manner, and the commencement of the e-commerce business in India.
Martin Schwenk, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz India,
As the luxury car market leader, we know the pulse of our customers and always want to take the experience with our brand to the next level. With the advent of digitization the customer needs across the country are rapidly changing, and we are already taking key steps towards creating a luxury customer experience to stay ahead of the curve. Today’s customers want to experience the brand anytime and anywhere – online and offline. We have created numerous channels, products and services to further focus on the ease of interaction for our customers. These novel initiatives promises our customers a seamless communication with the brand resulting in a convenient yet enjoyable luxury car ownership experience, irrespective of time or geographical location. That’s the future of luxury cars in India and we are more than prepared to excite our customers with our offerings.
Mercedes-Benz Data Privacy:
True to the core brand value of safety and security, the company pays special attention to the protection of customer data and attaches great importance to transparency and the responsible handling of data.
The customers themselves decide at any time, which services they want to use and which data they want to share. Safety has been part of Mercedes-Benz’s DNA for more than 130 years and is the basis for the trust customers have in the brand.
Mercedes-Benz India is on the way to be European ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (GDPR) compliant ahead of the Indian data protection legislation.
Customer Experience
With “Customer Experience” Mercedes-Benz is now conveniently available on numerous channels along their journey – online and offline. This includes the three key Phases of Exploration, Purchase and Ownership. Mercedes-Benz India’s new digital initiatives revolves around these Phases to create an immersive luxury experience for customers.
- Exploration
- Purchase
- Ownership
These experiences promises to strengthen Mercedes-Benz’s enduring relationship with its existing and potential customers and offers them an integrated and convenient modern luxury experience, regardless of the time, place or platform the customers are operating.
Exploration:
A.1 Digital Signage:
Driving digitalization of Retail, Mercedes-Benz is introducing Digital Signage as today’s customers demand superlative and immersive retail experience. Digital Signage content will be brand-aligned, centrally customized and controlled for each individual screen. The centrally controlled content for Digital Signage is one-of-its kind in the automotive industry and offers an in-depth view of Mercedes-Benz’s offerings. It helps consumers visualize and also configure the car of their choice.
A.2 Car Configurator:
The Mercedes-Benz Online Car Configurator allows customers to experience the entire Mercedes-Benz portfolio digitally. It is highly customized to ensure maximum adaptability to individual customer requirements with instant access regardless of the location. The Car Configurator makes buying a car comfortable and easy with three simple steps: Configure – Contact – Collect
A.3 cAR app:
The cAR app uses cutting-edge Augmented Reality technology, which allows customers to explore and virtually test-drive a realistic 3 Dimensional Mercedes-Benz model. The cAR app will be launched in India soon
Purchase
Mercedes-Benz India welcomes the Govt. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms and launches its e-commerce Solutions for Pre-Owned cars and New cars from 1-Oct, 2019 and 1-Jan, 2020 in India, respectively.
B.1 Mercedes-Benz official e-commerce portal:
Mercedes-Benz is excited to launch the new e-commerce portal www.shop.mercedes-benz.co.in, which will have new cars as well as certified cars, and collection items for online booking. Mercedes-Benz India gets into agreement with Roadster Inc. a US based e-commerce platform for bringing in online sales solutions for Mercedes-Benz cars in India. Mercedes-Benz India will become one of the few auto companies in India to have an e-commerce solution from collection items, used cars and new cars in India. While the Mercedes-Benz India certified cars and collections items are available immediately from 1-October, 2019; the dealership certified cars and dealership new cars will be available starting December, 2019 and January, 2020 respectively.
The new e-commerce platform is extremely user friendly and makes booking a car online, simple and hassle free for the customers. Ordering a car should be as simple as ordering a book online.
Key customer benefits from Mercedes-Benz India’s e-commerce platform are:
- Omni channel buying experience
- Transparency of pricing and large offer of available cars
- Complete online buying experience from comfort of home; customer can order the car online and have the option of taking delivery at home seamlessly integrated into the Mercedes-Benz website
Ownership
C.1 ‘Mercedes me connect’ India:
Mercedes me has a very important role for the Mercedes-Benz brand, as this digital eco-system directly addresses decisive success factors. As part of this ‘Mercedes me connect’ enables customers to connect with their vehicles from anywhere and at any time.
‘Mercedes me connect’ in India:
Mercedes-Benz India will be offering connected features to Mercedes-Benz customers in three distinct Phases.
Phase 1 – Mercedes me Adapter: To be launched from 15th November, 2019:
The Phase 1 consists of the ‘Mercedes me Adapter’. An OBD based adapter solution which gets in India from 15th November, 2019. Most Mercedes-Benz cars in India from 2007 onwards can be connected with the ‘Mercedes me Adapter’ app.
This underlines the brand’s commitment to all customers in India who own a Mercedes-Benz. Customers who bought a car from 2007 onwards, can get the Mercedes me Adapter at a special introductory price of Rs. 5,000/-.
Moreover, as part of 25 years celebration in 2019, all customers who have bought or will buy a Mercedes-Benz in 2019, will get the Mercedes me Adapter free of cost.
Phase 2: ‘Mercedes me connect’, to be launched for select models
Phase 2 will see the roll-out of ‘Mercedes me connect’ services via the ‘Mercedes me’ app which is an ex-factory e-sim based cloud connectivity solution available across select models. The service will be coming soon with new Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Overall the Mercedes me app will offer over 25+ unique features. Some key features are Remote lock-unlock, Parked Vehicle Locator, Send destination 2 car, Remote retrieval of vehicle status, Valet Protect, Speed Alert, Tele-diagnostics, etc.
Phase 3: Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) or Hey Mercedes:
Phase 3, which is the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) will witness the launch of smart virtual assistant Hey Mercedes. This feature will be soon available with new vehicles sold in India with 30+ features
C.2 Online Service Estimator:
This feature allows esteemed customers of Mercedes-Benz to find the price of services offered by Mercedes-Benz authorized dealer network. It gives complete transparency to customers about cost of service as it includes periodic maintenance, add on repairs and Car Detailing Services.
Key features are:
- Complete information on cost of service during the life cycle of the product
- Dealer Specific Service Estimates as per preference
- Availability of wide range of services e.g.- Periodic Maintenance, Add on repairs (brake pads, wipers, tires etc.) and Car Detailing Services
- Complete transparency on operations to be performed and parts to be replaced/consumed during every service mentioned
Quotes of Martin Schwenk, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz India: Announcement on the future launch of the e-commerce portal
Mr. Schwenk further elaborated,
We applaud the new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and have decided to roll out our e-commerce initiative, which will cover new cars, pre-owned cars and also wide range of accessories. We are confident this initiative will add convenience to our customers and will be an additional revenue source for our dealers. It will lead to higher synergies and drive efficiency along the supply chain.
While rolling-out the different customer experience initiatives in India, we as a customer centric organization have taken utmost care of protecting and storing confidential customer data and privacy requirements. We place great importance on the responsible and transparent use of customer data. The customer determines which services he wants to use and which data he wants to pass on.
said Martin Schwenk on data privacy.
Launching Mercedes me connect, Mr. Martin Schwenk commented,
Going forward the car will become an integral part of customers’ life connecting them with their family and society at large. We are offering ‘Mercedes me connect’ in three Phases over a period of time ranging from On Board Diagnosis (OBD) port based adapter solution, ex-factory e-sim based cloud connectivity solution to intuitive and intelligent virtual assistant “Hey Mercedes”.
In Phase 1, we will be connecting all Mercedes-Benz cars in India from 2007 onwards with the ‘Mercedes me Adapter’, available from 15th November, 2019. In the near future, Phase 2 will see the roll-out of ‘Mercedes me connect’ available ex-factory across select cars, and Phase 3 will witness the launch of smart virtual assistant ‘Mercedes-Benz User Experience – Hey Mercedes’!”
he added.
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