Ford has been working hard to change its image from a high-maintenance car maker to an affordable one. The seeds for this are being sown ever since the launch of the EcoSport and are now bearing fruit. Ford had also built a training centre in Manesar to train its on-field workforce to help customers reduce their running and maintenance costs.
Ford had started with the sub-assembly/child-part strategy with almost 200-odd parts from the first generation Figo and EcoSport. Sub-assemblies allow maintenance workshops and service centres to just change the failed, thus reducing the costs involved in replacement of the entire assembly. The number of child-part and assemblies has now grown to more than 850.
While the costs of developing sub-assemblies and producing them is higher, Ford India has worked with its suppliers to ensure maximum possible localisation. Also, backward integration of the supply chain with partnership in ancillary development has helped Ford reduce the costs of spares which in turn have made it cost-competitive.
Average car owner lacks technical knowledge and hence, the onus is on the service advisors and technicians to offer these new cost competitive solutions and Ford India is strategically working towards training their forces for the same. Along with the internal campaign, Ford has also started a new marketing campaign which looks at changing the age-old perception of Ford cars being expensive to maintain. Also, Ford service centres will now repair parts instead of the blanket replacement policy as long as it does not affect safety.
To make sure the campaign stays true, Ford has started providing scheduled service estimates on their website and ensures that the dealer will not charge you more, i.e., as long as there are no breakdowns or external damages. Ford claims the service costs of the Figo hatch and the Aspire compact sedan are under 40 paisa per kilometre over 1,00,000 km. The EcoSport diesel will cost you about 46 paisa while the mighty Endeavour will cost you less than 80 paisa.
From the looks of it, maintaining a Ford car might turn out to be cheaper than the Japanese and Korean competitors and underlies the American car maker’s target of increasing their market share, especially amongst the small cars.
