Daimler Elite Support - Is it any Good?

In-depth

6 Aug

Back in 2018, then AHG (Automotive Group Holdings – now part of AdTrans) invited me to the opening of their Daimler Truck and Bus affiliated franchise in Truganina. Sixty-eight hectares made this the largest Daimler Trucks showroom and service centre in the country.

At the event, Daimler launched their Elite Support Program under the tutelage of Matt Smedley, seconded from the U.S. where he had responsibility in North America for dealer development and led the launch of Elite Support.

Elite Support has been around in the US and Canada since 2010 and has been an ongoing success in those markets. Elite Support is a new way for dealers and OEM’s to work together to better serve customers. Its goal is about improving the customer experience, and recognising that both Daimler and its dealerships have a part to play, with excellence in customer support and service being the bottom line.

“Continuous improvement is really what Elite Support is all about. Really it’s a partnership – working together jointly with our dealers to improve the end-customer experience,” said Smedley at the time.

So what is Elite Support?

In simplistic terms, there are 129 different criteria to be met by the dealer/service centre, and it takes a twelve to eighteen month process to become certified.

It all sounds good but critical thinking requires one to be sceptical of the glitz and glamour of a product launch. After all, this is not the way in which OEM’s have traditionally operated. Matt Smedley must have been reading the assembled journos minds.

“If I were you I might be sceptical of hearing someone from an OEM talk about true partnership,” he said at the time. “It requires Daimler to look long and hard at its own processes and be really reflective about where Daimler can better serve its customer – that is, the dealer.”

…… So here we are, two years or so down the track and I receive a blurb from Daimler about the success of its Elite Support Program. With all due respect, I ask for a contact at a transport company who has entered into the partnership, and was given some names. I chose ABS Transport and spoke to its Director, Terry Warn.

Terry has been around the game for a while now. He completed an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic with Patterson Cheney, working on Bedford and Isuzu. The Bedford connection sort of gives his age away.

Life as a diesel mechanic didn’t last long, as two days after completion terry went out and bought an International Transtar, deciding to give life behind the wheel a whirl.

From that one Transtar, Terry has amassed a fleet of 43, including the 9, 13 litre powered Actros’, he purchased three years ago. They all run in B-double formation.

We asked if that was enough power for the job. “The 13 litre is ideal for us because we do a lot of empty return running. It just kicks arse on fuel when it’s like that.

“When we bought them we traded Argosy’s with 580 Cummins in them and to be honest I thought the boys might be a little bit iffy about going down to a 13 litre. Out of all the drivers we lost one bloke who wasn’t happy with the change. But the others were all stoked. They’re all more than happy with the pulling power. And the comfort – that kicks arse as well.”

ABS Transport’s work encompasses EPA waste, Dangerous Goods as well as wide loads and general freight. In these times, the EPA business is understandably going very well.

“I bought the Actros trucks three years ago – before Elite Support came into existence. They came with a four year driveline warranty and full-on two year support, when most of the others only offered 12 months, so that was a good incentive in itself.

“The Elite Support package was the cream on top of the cake as far as I’m concerned. With all its benefits I wouldn’t be without it. It’s great value.”

Terry has other makes and models in his fleet to compare the Actros with. In backing the Daimler Trucks Elite Support initiative, he maintains that it has definitely had a clear and positive effect on the way his business operates.

In ABS’s case, they are mainly supported by two Elite Support certified dealerships - Daimler Trucks Somerton in Melbourne’s north and Daimler Trucks Adelaide.

“A key feature of the Elite Support that is of most value to us is called ‘Express Assessment’. Within two hours of a service write-up – and I’ve found that it’s usually within the hour - the dealer gives me a primary diagnosis, checks parts availability, and provides me with an estimate of cost and repair time.

“Being able to get such a quick response from the dealership has made the world of difference to us. I’ve had other truck brands and I can tell you the support we get for our Mercedes-Benz products is incredible. This program allows us to keep our trucks on the road for longer and continue to serve our customers.

“We analyse all the data very closely and the ‘Benz trucks are extremely cost-effective - we are really pleased with them. Combined with the support we receive from a servicing point of view, we’d certainly be looking to stay with Mercedes-Benz when the time comes to replace the current fleet.”

Terry’s association with Mercedes-Benz goes way back before the Actros or even The Freightliners. His yard truck is an old 1418 which he has owned for more years than he can remember. “She looks a bit tired,” he said. “But don’t let looks fool you, she’s a Beast!”

From a dealer point of view, those involved attribute the initiative as improving their customer satisfaction levels and helping them run better businesses. One I spoke to commented that it was a win/win situation for both them and their customers. “It was a substantial investment on our part to become certified, but has paid off handsomely for all involved,” he said.

There are now seven Daimler Trucks dealerships with Elite Support certification across Australia, with many more in the process of achieving certification. The program also runs across the company’s Freightliner and Fuso product.

You can check Elite Support out on the Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner websites, or any associated dealership.