FCA US LLC announced today that 387 Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships have earned certification as 2017 Customer First Award for Excellence winners.
These 387 dealerships succeed the inaugural group of 124 dealerships who earned their certification in 2016. By achieving this elite status, these FCA US dealerships will be recognized by consumers as leaders in customer sales and service experience. The winning dealerships touch 24 percent of FCA retail sales volume in the U.S.
“Our dealers are striving to not just improve the customer experience in their facilities, but to become the industry leaders in customer satisfaction on both the sales and service sides of the business,” said Al Gardner, Head of Dealer Network Development, FCA – North America. “We now have triple the amount of winning dealerships that may proudly market themselves as Customer First Award for Excellence achievers. Consumers will know that they are in a Customer First dealership from the logos, but more importantly, they will experience the evolution of these elite stores.”
FCA US created the Customer First Award for Excellence with its dealer partners and J.D. Power to improve customer satisfaction with Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships in the United States with a specific focus on the sales and service experience, employee training and facility condition.
Mopar congratulates Customer First dealers who have demonstrated an elite commitment to serving customers throughout the entire life of their vehicles,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar) “Mopar shares their unwavering commitment to their customer-first philosophy, and we’ll continue to support them through an extensive portfolio of authentic parts and accessories, innovative service lane technology, such as wiADVISOR, and the full dedication of our technical and training staff.”
All 2,600 Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships are eligible to pursue and earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. Dealerships must achieve stringent goals in five core “pillars” to earn the coveted Customer First Award for Excellence designation:
- Facility Certification – Facility provides a clean, comfortable environment for customers
- Performance Measures – Dealership has achieved highest levels of customer-oriented sales and service goals
- Training Certification – Employees have received the highest level of required FCA-certified training
- Employee Surveys – Completed to promote the voice of your employees and a customer-driven culture
- Process Validation – Certified sales and service processes that support excellence in customer handling
The Customer First Award for Excellence initiative was rolled out to dealerships in October 2015. Dealership staff participated in cross-country workshops where they learned of award requirements and dealership best practices. Some have worked with independently contracted Customer Experience Specialists in order to seek the highest levels of process and procedure improvements to ensure an increase in customer satisfaction.
