Service for Australian bus and coach customers can mean plenty of things. A generous warranty. A person to talk to about the vehicle’s performance. Spare parts. As more and more manufacturers and suppliers begin selling heavy vehicles in Australia, some of the market leaders are finding new ways to maintain their sold models.
From its head office in Brisbane, Volvo Bus Australia has, for many years, offered its own special take on service for the buses and coaches it sells to operators.
Its dedicated Quality, Technical and Competence team includes regional service managers in all of the major and regional hubs, providing direct customer service where needed.
Volvo’s newly created Commercial Solutions Department supplements the existing service offering and flows from a global Volvo initiative prioritising the aftersales care of sold buses and coaches. The newly developed Commercial Solutions Department works with the Quality, Technical and Competence Team to ensure a variety of technology is kept well-maintained on all Volvo vehicles.
This clear delineation now means service contracts or Volvo Connect – the brand’s telematics platform – is managed by the commercial solutions team, freeing up the Quality, Technical and Competence team to meet customers and ensure they’re all satisfied with the performance of their Volvo bus or coach.
Volvo offers servicing and aftersales care as an extra to buying a Volvo vehicle and if customers need anything from the manufacturer, Volvo’s sales and service teams work hand-in-hand to assist.
“We’re really very proud of our dedicated service team – we know it’s a unique offering among the OEMs in Australia,” Volvo Bus Australia general manager Mitch Peden told ABC.
“It’s another value add that Volvo have committed to, and have been delivering on, for many years now.”
By providing a growing network of service-dedicated staff, Volvo Bus Australia’s goal is to provide bus and coach servicing for operators regardless of where they are in the wide open expanses of the nation.
This dedicated service side of Volvo boasts five teams throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory, metro Sydney, regional NSW and Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, with national competency manager David Woodward offering training free-of-charge for customers.
Volvo also has a commercial aftersales manager alongside a separate commercial solutions department that looks after telematics and sustainability.
Expanding this lens, Volvo Bus Australia’s service commitment means the global manufacturer has a worldwide network to service its growing number of vehicles on the road at any given time.
This renewed focus is all about creating a point of difference for Volvo Bus Australia.
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With a deep product knowledge and plenty of experience in the Australian market, Volvo is continuing to expand its service teams to include key bus technicians and customer account managers to work alongside regional service managers along the east coast and around Australia.
Peden’s idea is that this investment in skilled staff will pay off and give Volvo a competitive advantage when it comes to offering service beyond the initial sale of the bus.
“Once someone buys a Volvo, they will have access to our regional service managers and the biggest dealer network in the country,” Peden says.
“This includes both Volvo and non-Volvo owned dealerships around Australia.
“This is all part of what we offer and part of our value proposition. Our aim is for service to be only a phone call away for customers at all times.”
Throughout 190 countries, a genuine Volvo service is available for customers alongside a range of service contracts for vehicle maintenance that keeps uptime high.
Most recently, the manufacturer’s swing towards sustainability is also being built into its service offerings in the form of easier access to genuine Volvo parts that are identical to components used in factories. These parts are made to function together in a safe and reliable manner, protecting vehicle uptime and operational costs.
This focus on quality creates a difference between the price and overall cost of buying bus and coach spare parts. Volvo’s aim is for genuine spare parts to have a better overall cost than non-genuine parts that may have a cheaper initial price tag attached.
Another benefit of choosing genuine Volvo parts, when fitted by a Volvo dealer, is the associated additional warranty benefits. It’s this forward-thinking mindset that Volvo Bus Australia has adopted to create a service network throughout Australia that sets the brand apart in the long run.
Volvo is also using its growing network of remanufactured, or ‘reman’, parts to create a complete service offer for customers – which is in line with the Volvo Group’s ambitious sustainability goals.
For a major company, the end goal is simple. Volvo Bus Australia wants customers to have zero unplanned stops and unparalleled support throughout its bus and coach journey with the brand.
“For us, understanding our customer’s business needs and working closely with them to deliver maximum uptime on their Volvo products, will always be our ambition,” Peden says.