The heavy duty aftermarket might have scored a victory in August with Right To Repair, but OEMs still have plenty of haymakers left to throw.
Whether its Freightliner’s Elite Support, or newer programs like Kenworth’s PremierCare Gold or Mack’s Certified Uptime Centers, dealers are prepared to go to war for their customers.
Shaving seconds off downtime is going to help someone win customers, and advertising an OE standardized level of service lets customers know what to expect across an entire dealership network.
If I know I can pull into XYZ Truck Center’s Platinum Certified bay in Oregon, I have the same expectation of service that I found in another Platinum Certified dealership in Georgia.
How does the aftermarket fight back? With certification of its own.
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification, and/or certification on proprietary engines, are the low hanging fruit. If you’re not promoting the fact you have “certified” service, that’s is square one.
Square two takes a more proactive approach.
