J.D. Power and Associates of California, who pretty much created the idea of quality rankings, "will play a major role in the development of the Blue Oval Certified initiative," says Gaunt. "The will provide insights into what customers truly value when they are buying or servicing their cars and trucks. The firm will provide the third-party evaluations and Blue Oval Certified accreditation of participating Ford dealerships."
The Blue Oval dealers will be measured on specific standards in all aspects of the customer retail experience, says Gaunt, including sales and service processes, customer follow up, employee performance, concern resolution, and dealership facilities.
Gaunt explains that criteria for certification will include the results of customer surveys, strong employee satisfaction, sales and service certification, and the amount of in-dealership customer e-commerce resources.
There'll be something in it for the dealerships beyond the seal of approval from Ford, including "significant benefits," including monthly customer satisfaction cash bonuses, recognition through national advertising, and eligibility of dealership employees for special vehicle purchase plans.
Blue Oval Certified status "focuses the attention squarely on customer satisfaction and tangibly rewards those dealers and their employees who make the necessary changes and investments to provide a superior sales and service experience," says Gaunt.