• Wants greater partnerships with leasing companies
• More service work wanted for VW Van Centres with their extended opening hours and national service rates
• Provide customers with fully supported mobility package to maximise ‘uptime running’

VOLKSWAGEN Commercial Vehicles brand director, Carl zu Dohna (left), is in no doubt: the customer experience is at the heart of what the company is trying to achieve.

And that will underpin future partnerships with leasing companies.

Speaking at a special press presentation, Mr zu Dohna welcomed the UK company’s breach of 50,000 units for the first time, but said that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) would not prop up volume should the market overheat.

“We need to support our customers, not just our product. It means we need to sell them more than a van – we need to offer them a mobility solution. We have to offer them the complete package.”

Much of this will centre around offering an integrated service that supports ‘uptime management’.

So from sales to after sales, the vision is to offer customers a seamless experience. And VWCV wants more service vehicles to go through its workshops on a pre-booked basis thanks to new extended opening times and its online service booking facility.

Zu Dohna continued: “We’re actively talking to leasing companies about using our servicing facilities on a greater scale. I know they have existing negotiated rates, but we have national servicing rates for all our van business centres.

“We want a good end-to-end experience with our customers. The right van for the job so that we have satisfied customers; leasing companies want the same thing, so I think we have the basis for a good partnership.

“So how can we work closer together to make the package better for the customer?”

Other initiatives include centralised billing, plug-in telematics to provide preventative service alerts, which will now be offered to both mid-size and large fleets, and mobile service clinics thanks to a specially developed Crafter.

Conversions have also been integrated into the buying process instead of being a bolt-on addition in zu Dohna’s new customer centric vision for VWCV.

Importantly, new SLAs include a customer delivery date agreed at point of order, and all conversions come type approved. Perhaps the biggest change, though, is VWCV’s support of the warranty process through the Van Centre.

The customer will be able to get back on the road swiftly, says zu Dohna – that ‘uptime’ focus again – while VWCV will debate the case of liability with the converter behind the scenes. Further integration of the conversion offer during the sale process will also assist RVs – the right parts ordered for the right specification van, reckons zu Donha.

Further ahead is the launch of the new Crafter to customers – the order book is already open – which will take place at the CV Show; first customer deliveries are in May. And the facility for VW’s business Van Centres to offer Class 7 MoTs, especially for the new Crafter.

An electric Crafter is also in the offing, and will be unveiled at Hannover. First vehicles, in left-hand drive, will arrive for evaluation in the UK late 2017.

We’ll see electrification and alternative drivetrains for Caddy and Transporter from 2020.

But back to the integrated customer experience. “I see us moving from a car-based mentality to a van-based customer experience mentality. That’s what we have here: an integrated service offering for customers who use our vans.”

The question then: how will VWCV integrate with leasecos to provide the same vision?

The VW record-breaking year

Carl zu Dohna on beating the 50,000 sales mark.

“Overall it’s a positive picture. It’s great to achieve 50,000 sales. But our aim is for sustainable and profitable growth.”

Total sales: 50,068 (inc passenger carriers)

“We’ve seen four years of van growth.

“We’ve maintained our position as number 2 in the market with 12.1% of the market,” says zu Dohna.

VW Caddy

• 2015: 13,611
• 2016: 14,532
• “It’s a price sensitive market. I’m confident customers will see what a great value van this is.”

Transporter

• 2015: 22,211
• 2016: 24,812
• “Remains for now the backbone of the brand.
• “The Transporter won 12 awards in 2016.”

Amarok

• 2015: 3908
• 2016: 3586
• “Slightly down but held its own.
• “New model launched in 2016 which unashamedly targets a premium niche.”

Crafter

• 2015: 8009
• 2016: 7137
• “We’ve managed the transition from old to new.
• “The new Crafter is available to order.”