Henry Ford once told customers for the Model T Ford, they could “have any colour, as long as it’s black.” The industry has come a long way since then. Customer experience is now integral to any product.
“Customers don’t just buy a product; they buy the entire experience that comes with it,” Gonca Soluoġlu, CX leader, Ford Otosan, told Customer Experience Magazine.
“Exceptional customer experience has become a major differentiator. We knew we had to invest in it,” she added.
Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford and local partner Koç Holdings, began its CX journey over five years ago. Since then, the organisation has overhauled its company culture to embrace CX. “Happy customers are loyal customers,” said Soluoġlu.
“By focusing on experiences, we build stronger, long term relationships, which drive business success,” she added.
Localising a global CX playbook
The local operation follows Ford Global’s well-established CX playbook. The auto giant’s focus on connected products, customer journeys, and consistent experiences provides a framework for Ford Otosan to follow.
Ford Otosan developed its own CX Maturity Assessment model to evaluate and improve local customer experience. “This allowed us to measure our strengths and areas for improvement. And create actionable plans tailored to our market,” explained Soluoġlu.
Action plans combine insights from the maturity assessment model and Ford’s Global vision. This ensures “that we maintain a balance between global best practices, and local needs”, she added.
The firm’s voice of the customer (VoC) platform provides Ford Otosan with insight and measurements on customer journeys. The platform has identify and address CX pain points across the organisation.
Cultural change initiative
VoC work was accompanied by a culture change initiative. Employees and those working for the wider dealer network have undergone a rigorous training programme to help them embrace a customer-centric mindset. Training emphasised the impact of CX on business success and outlined methods for improving customer journeys.
Ford Otosan set up a CX Academy to provide tailored training for staff, and partner firms.
The academy operates two courses — CX 101 and 201. However, later this year an advanced course will become available. CX 301 will “strengthen our CX certification programme, enabling participants to refine their skills even further”, said Soluoġlu.
AI tools to be added in 2025
This year Ford Otosan has started integrating artificial intelligence tools into its CX processes. The AI tools promise to add more personalisation to the firm’s customer experience.
“By leveraging AI, we can predict customer needs, personalise experiences, and automate various processes to make customer journeys seamless and efficient,” commented Soluoġlu.
The organisation is adding updates to its VoC platform to create new survey and feedback mechanisms. “The goal is to continuously improve our offerings based on real time customer feedback, ensuring that we are always aligned with their expectations,” she added.