To form an even closer connection with its customers, Honda today announced the availability in Thailand of HondaLink, an intelligent automotive application for smart phones, along with the Honda Roadside Assistance (Honda RSA) application and the HondaLink Navigation application. Thailand is the first country in Asia where these apps are being released. Using smart phones, HondaLink’s diverse features make it faster and easier for customers to access detailed information about their vehicles and other services in a colorful, easy-to-understand and easy-to-use graphical display. The three applications are available for free download from the Apple app store and Google Play.*
According to Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Executive Vice President, Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd., “Honda is committed to providing the best in support to our customers by creating three innovative applications including HondaLink, Honda Roadside Assistance (Honda RSA) and HondaLink Navigation. The HondaLink app gives our customers useful information about their vehicles while offering an enjoyable user experience and positioning Honda automobiles as their close friends. Customers can easily configure the app, including inputting their Honda cars’ models and years, adding nicknames for their own cars, selecting the colors of their favorite vehicle icons, and enjoying fun and easy access to information about their vehicles along with other privileges when using their smart phones. Developing new applications such as this is part of our mission to create innovations that best suit customers’ digital-based lifestyles. It also reinforces Honda’s image as an advanced technology brand with a strong customer orientation. The HondaLink app offers a value-added communications channel that bonds Honda even more closely with our customers.”
The HondaLink app enhances the Honda car owner experience in many ways. It comes with three highly useful features. The Car Log allows customers to keep detailed logs about their vehicles and view them in a timeline. The Car Log records information such as when the vehicle is refuelled, the history of the vehicle’s checks based on the distance travelled and so on. The second, Statistics, shows data such as the fuel economy figure and odometer settings at key points, including the distance travelled in comparison with the diameter of the globe, all displayed in an interesting graphical manner. Maintenance enables a Honda owner to get notifications from a Honda dealer about the vehicle’s maintenance. This can include routine check-up, oil and filter changes and so on, as well as replacement of parts such as tires, the battery, or air filter. The Maintenance builds a detailed history of each maintenance action taken on the vehicle, including the check-up date, dealer name, cost and so on. Vehicle maintenance cycles can be set by time or mileage. Other reminders about necessities such as annual car tax renewal, monthly payment dates and insurance payments help Honda owners to ensure they don’t overlook anything important. They can also get updates on special promotions being offered by Honda dealers.
Customers can also get timely assistance with Honda Roadside Assistance (HondaRSA), another key application that is integrated with HondaLink. If their vehicle breaks down, this location-based service lets Honda customers quickly and easily call for roadside assistance support. The HondaLink app is also integrated with Honda’s 24hr. Roadside Assistance and provides immediate assistance by staff from the Honda service centre. Using the Tracking Provider feature, customers can trace the location of the vehicle from Honda Service Centre that is heading to the site to provide assistance.
The HondaLink Navigation application provides real-time traffic updates. An outstanding feature of the HondaLink Navigation application is Free Word Search, which offers easy and fast searching for travel information by typing in the name of the desired destination, Lane Info that enables driver to pre-check the route, travel planning and distance travelled to reach a destination. HondaLink Navigation is ready to be downloaded for a free 30-day trial (starting from the day it is downloaded). Basically, it has a 3-year connection fee of US$ 39 (approximately 1,200 baht).**
The HondaLink, Honda RSA and HondaLink Navigation applications are free for customers to download from the Apple app store or Google Play*. Customers can have My Dealeractivated at the dealership when they purchase their vehicle or take it in to any Honda service centre nationwide for maintenance in order to get alerts about vehicle maintenance and receive information about special privileges ahead of others. Members of the general public who are interested can also download the HondaLink application at no cost and have fun with their own vehicles using the Car Log, Statistics and Maintenance features.*** *The operating systems that support the HondaLink application include iPhone iOS 5.0 or above and Android OS 2.3.4 or above. HondaLink Navigation application can only be downloaded from Apple App Store.**HondaLink Navigation has a 3-year connection fee of US$ 39 (approximately 1,200 baht).***Manual entry of vehicle information is required as maintenance information cannot be transferred to the vehicle automatically.
