Issue: Anytime an average consumer buys a product or a service for their vehicle, they always feel as though they are being taken advantage of. I don’t feel that trying to educate everyone who owns a vehicle is plausible or desirable because of a lack of interest/time/resources, but making people feel like they are being taken care of rather than taken advantage of.
Destination: Unadvertised perks when getting your car serviced at a Goodyear establishment, chosen based on the service that was purchased. Standardized small town service. Business with friends mentality.
Example: Handwritten thank you notes, air freshners, a quick vacuum or car wash, a hand scraper or new wiper blades, a multi-point inspection, any other small token of appreciation.
Path: Being home these past few days has made me think about why I go back to certain places for a cup of coffee, a haircut or a burger. Every time the answer was atleast partially due to the small touches that aren’t present anywhere else. Fresh cream from the dairy, a hot towel while you wait, or the cook coming out with something he had been meaning to try. I can’t tell you how many times someone has suggested taking my car to a certain dealership because they wash them after performing a service. Little gestures like that create a memory and turn the transaction into something a little more than an exchange of goods/services for money. It’s that little extra that puts those establishments at the top of people’s lists.
- - - - -
Issue: Consumers have to remember what services they have had performed, when, which comes next in order to keep their vehicles running at optimal levels. This can be very frustrating or daunting for the average consumer.
Destination: Family “profile” of vehicles that is kept in a Goodyear data base and can be accessed from any authorized Goodyear entity. Updated by Goodyear anytime a service is provided and used to possibly power a mobile notification service of upcoming suggested maintenance. Possible offshoots would include charging a 3rd party service station to access the database, transformation into an application platform for smart phones or even in the incar systems that are beginning to find their way into product.
Path: I was thinking about Lowe’s new “Mylowes” profile to track purchases/colors/tools so that you always have that information available when trying to match paint or flooring down the road. Car customers have that same issue. Unless they keep their records of where and what they got done, it’s tough to remember if you had the rear brakes replaced at Bob’s and the front shocks done at Jerry’s, leaving the front brakes and rear springs left to do or what. Taking that added stress out of the car care process may help people to feel like they actually have a handle on what’s happening to their vehicle. The lowes profile also helps to suggest the best products to care for whatever they purchased, which is another issue that arises with car maintenance. Do I need high mileage oil or fully synthetic? Do I need a touring tire or an all season? Which coolant does my vehicle need? A lot of car care sites offer things that will work, but the “what I need” question largely goes unanswered because it requires a bit of history on what has already been done.