Village Volvo Case Study Plan

Village Volvo is an independent service operation that provides virtuous repair services on out-of-warranty Volvos at an adequate price. They have effectively managed to incorporate all five features of a service package for their business. Village Volvo is located in a new Butler building that holds four work bays, an office, waiting area, and storage room. They facilitate replacement auto parts that are essential for repairs. In addition, they keep refreshments such as coffee and a soft-drink vending machine and entertainment options that include a television, local newspapers, and magazines for the customers to utilize during the waiting time. The mechanics at Village Volvo gather all of the needed information from the customers to ensure …show more content…
Village Volvo keeps an ongoing file, referred to as the Customer Care Vehicle Dossier (CCVD), on every vehicle it services. This history allows the mechanics to provide adequate diagnoses and repairs for future visits and routine maintenance work. Explicit services are provided to each customer, which is evident through the care the vehicles receive throughout the process. Each customer receives a courtesy vacuum after all repairs are complete and a test drive is preformed so they can leave the shop knowing their vehicle is running smoothly and properly. Each customer can rest assured knowing that they are receiving quality service preformed by former authorized Volvo mechanics. Theses mechanics have a combined twenty-two years of training and experience with the local Volvo dealership which has helped them gain an honorable reputation and a strong list of satisfied clients. This implicit service allows for worry-free auto …show more content…
They must keep in mind the distinctive characteristics of service operations in order to match service capacity with demand. First they have provided a comfortable waiting room with refreshments and entertainment. They also acknowledge the importance of going beyond their immediate services for their customers by providing recommendations to other service providers for things such as alignments, body work, and reupholstering. The company acknowledges the importance of customer participation. If they do go forward with implementing their Customer Care Vehicle Dossier to act as a “reminder” for customers about routine maintenance procedures, they could increase their motivation and likelihood of making an appointment all the while feeling like a valued customer. Since services are simultaneously created and consumed, service firms must find the balance between use of idle time and customer waiting time. Village Volvo is able to do this by keeping an organized schedule each day as well as reserving adequate time frame for “heavy customer contact hours”. They also exhibit an understanding of services being a perishable commodity. To accommodate this, they allow walk-ins which helps to adjust service capacity. Village Volvo strives to put customers at ease of the intangible nature of services by using well trained, certified mechanics. As previously